Church News (Page 10)
Notes on “Escape Into Grace”
This week we begin Eastertide and a new Worship series titled The Grace of Les Misérables, based on the book by the same title by Rev. Matt Rawle. This opening week of the series, we focus on the main character: Jean Valjean. The opening of the story and musical show that Valjean has landed in prison, a sentence he finds wildly unjust. He has clearly become disillusioned with authority and police figures, and finds continued difficulty attempting to live life…
Notes on “Giving Up Popularity”
We near the conclusion of our Lenten Worship series entitled I Give Up, continuing our exploration of what we might give up during this season of introspection and preparation. This Sunday is the traditional celebration of Palm Sunday, and is a peak of celebration in Jesus’ ministry that leads to the valley of death on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Ultimately, we arrive at an even higher peak on Easter Sunday! And we must acknowledge the fullness of this journey—a…
Notes on “Giving Up Judgment”
This week we continue our Lenten Worship series entitled I Give Up that explores what we might give up during this season of introspection and preparation. A few months ago, we focused our Worship on this same text; and instead of a traditional didactic message, we heard the story through song. For the most part, congregation members were supportive and there was a strong acknowledgement of the time and energy it would take to put such a musical sequence together.…
Notes on “Giving Up Expectations”
This week we continue our Lenten Worship series entitled I Give Up that explores what we might give up during this season of introspection and preparation. I’ve often found wonderful humor in this familiar phrase: “If you want to make God laugh, tell God your plans.” I think this is completely true! In our lives, I know we have a tendency to build up our expectations on how things are going to turn out with every circumstance. Even so, I…
UMCOR for Ukraine
As you have probably seen in the e-Journal and at our Sunday service, the UMCOR International Disaster Response and Recovery fund is providing direct assistance to those in Ukraine as well as assistance to Ukrainians fleeing to neighboring countries. You can learn more about United Methodists and Ukraine at this website: https://www.resourceumc.org/en/topics/united-methodists-stand-with-ukraine. There is more specific information in the links listed under “Resources.” We can be proud of the Charity Watch A+ rating for the United Methodist Committee on Relief…
Notes on “Giving Up Fear”
This week we continue our Lenten Worship series entitled I Give Up that explores what we might give up during this season of introspection and preparation. We live in a world that often feels like it’s ruled by fear. There are so many of us fearful of disease and illness–especially in this COVID era. There are so many who are fearful of being judged for their race as statistics show an increase in hate crimes. There are so many who…
Camp – Faith, Friends, and Fun
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Early Bird registration for Cal-Pac 2022 Summer Camps has begun and runs through April 1, 2022. All of our campers and staff come from rich and diverse backgrounds allowing for shared experiences to shape our identities. There will be three camps, all offering a variety of games and activities for campers to enjoy. The leadership teams work hard planning group bonding games,…
Notes on “Giving Up Control”
This week we begin our Lenten Worship series entitled I Give Up that explores what we might give up during this season of introspection and preparation. In the Gospel text, Jesus is drawn into the wilderness for forty days and endures hardship and temptation. Understanding where this lies in the context of the Gospel of Luke, we may understand this in part as Jesus’ preparation for ministry. It is a time—remembering the mystery of trinity as both togetherness and separateness—that…
Notes on “Seeing & Re-Seeing”
This week we conclude our series called The Body of Christ: Learning & Re-Learning How to Be a Christian. In doing so, we arrive at Transfiguration Sunday, a reminder of Jesus’ mountaintop experience where the three disciples who are along for the journey observe a notable change in Jesus. As we have continued to Worship in various ways including online, we regularly claim that the act of Worship changes us and that we are called to respond to the change…
Witness at the Cross: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Friday
Our Lenten class will be a six week study using brand new material by one of our favorite teachers…Amy-Jill Levine. Through this study, we’ll engage the meaning of Good Friday, an essential day in our Christian story as we make our way toward Easter. Levine will guide us through the account of Jesus’ crucifixion as it’s told in each of the four gospels, prompting us to bring our curiosity and questions as we spend time with the “witnesses” who were…
Notes on “Raised in Glory”
This Sunday we continue our series called The Body of Christ: Learning & Re-Learning How to Be a Christian. Indeed, we are nearing the end of this series as we get closer to the season of Lent! We began with the Spirit’s presence in baptism and Paul’s assertion that we are united in the Spirit. And as we followed Paul’s argument, we were (hopefully) compelled by his illustrations of the diversity of the body. We were reminded of our physical…
Notes on “The First”
This Sunday we continue our series called The Body of Christ: Learning & Re-Learning How to Be a Christian. In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul has been clearly and faithfully addressing the divisiveness they seem to have shown to one another. He has done so in talking about the gifts of the Spirit and reminding them that they are connected as the Body of Christ. In this week’s text, Paul returns to one of the central disagreements…