BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID:-//Solspace/Calendar//EN VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a7d59ea3077d86ca16ac67c59b6b7c37@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The series begins where Advent begins\, with the call of Jes us to his disciples to stay on watch for the fulfillment of all things. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20161127 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20161128 SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5ae986715b927fe4fa2d51e7cc9ec698@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Becoming aware of the end of the universe as we know it that Christ will bring about\, we are invited to repent\, to tur n from our attachments to the powers of death and destructio n in this age\, and live out of the Spirit-led mission of th e coming reign of God. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20161204 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20161205 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:eedeac788a9750fe4e05bf76f10e68b8@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Once we have turned toward the fulfillment God intends\, we begin to be able to see the world and treat others in it in a new way. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20161211 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20161212 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1732fd606e0e36aff2cd791215b42ff7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Even as we begin to see God’s way of compassion and mercy\ , we also– like Joseph – come to acknowledge our relianc e on God communicating with us and transforming us\, not jus t in our waking\, conscious lives\, but in our sleeping\, un conscious lives as well. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20161218 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20161219 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:4ddd251e25105a62e51505174e4e4afd@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Whether in dreams or visions of angels\, we see and hear and join the chorus of the heavenly host announcing the birth o f Jesus as a sign of peace to all people of good will.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20161224 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20161225 SUMMARY:Christmas Eve\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a94b3492306164bfc4588d80c2116297@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In a Service of the Word today\, we contemplate the mystery of the Word made flesh and dwelling among us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20161225 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20161226 SUMMARY:Christmas Day\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:591b850394588bc4dff8ad5cda494db7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:God of the ages\, you have blessed us with yet another year. Help us to make room for the blessings that are in store fo r us in the coming months. May we be open to learn the right lessons\, even if they hurt a little. Help us to obey\, so that we won'\;t have to start over painfully.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20161231 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170101 SUMMARY:New Year’s Eve/Watch Night\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f72f519056687d25725e8eed0ec5cb86@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The constellations reveal the birth of Messiah\, and the pow ers of this world are revealed for their self-preservation a nd violent resistance to the saving work of God. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170101 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170102 SUMMARY:Epiphany Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:194ebef62d3290d6b628fdbdbb65c522@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We witness the baptism of Jesus\, reaffirm the baptismal cov enant\, and enter anew into the mystery of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit from “opened heavens” for the work of e vangelism that lies ahead of us during the coming weeks. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170108 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170109 SUMMARY:First Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:517671e57ef3619e111d0b0a5b1d6a4f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In the story of the calling of the first disciples from John ’s gospel\, we are inspired and challenged to come and see how Jesus lives ourselves and to continue to invite those w e know to come with us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170115 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170116 SUMMARY:Second Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f925b901f8a53bb89dd84ff66a420454@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:At the end of the story of the calling of the first disciple s in Matthew’s gospel\, we follow Jesus with his disciples into the places of greatest need and opportunity and offeri ng teaching\, good news\, and healing love. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170122 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170123 SUMMARY:Third Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:4bff1b47fd6b85b91ec0d2c656efc476@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We’ve seen Jesus in action. Now we settle in for the first of four weeks to hear him teach his first disciples with a large crowd in the background. Today he sets us straight abo ut who and what God’s kingdom is blessing in the world. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170129 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170130 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:bfd45ef5329a459acc8028357f7ac2b9@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In light of who and what God is blessing and how different t hat is from what the world and sometimes even the church see ms to bless\, how do we then live? As salty\, light-shining people whose righteousness abounds! DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170205 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170206 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a053769a9c07b68881b97c13008711d7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Jesus continues to offer concrete examples of what life in G od’s kingdom does\, and doesn’t\, look like. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170212 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170213 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:bb51aff2f661b2873dfabd2e4745bdaf@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Blessings are a gift of God in God’s kingdom. Rewards are the result of living more fully into the ways of God’s kin gdom\, or as we might say\, “growing in holiness of heart and life.” Jesus reminds us of ways we can stay on or stra y from the trail God’s kingdom blazes for us in this life.   DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170219 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170220 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:881004ae4f000a16565298018cade718@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today we exult in the vision of God’s exaltation of Jesus and in anticipation of our own transfiguration now and in th e age to come. That hope\, that vision\, drives us not to st ay where we are on the mountaintop\, but to get into the val ley of sin and suffering and be a healing and formative pres ence for all who seek God’s salvation with us in the weeks of Lent that lie ahead. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170226 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170227 SUMMARY:Transfiguration of the Lord\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:528d364aaba8b3da3f54a6e436db8e95@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We gather to acknowledge our mortality and our sinfulness\, and to seek God’s mercy and guidance for the season of int ensive formation and re-formation in the way of Jesus that l ies ahead.   DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170301 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170302 SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:25c25bce15e6a6526e428900b9d373b6@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We walk the way of temptation with Jesus and learn from him what it means to continue to renounce the spiritual forces o f wickedness\, reject the evil powers of this world\, and re pent of our sin. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170305 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170306 SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:496430def30964a6342c86be77d69713@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We walk the way of temptation with Jesus and learn from him what it means to continue to renounce the spiritual forces o f wickedness\, reject the evil powers of this world\, and re pent of our sin. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170312 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170313 SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:256c902997db52380b5d8a0652628a2e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In an encounter with a woman at a well in Samaria\, Jesus co nfesses he is the Messiah\, and she not only embraces this\, but leads others to make the same confession.   DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170319 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170320 SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:7e98ea329f213c80566d9b95a894e085@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The response of the crowds to Jesus’ healing of a man born blind says much about how our congregation can actively nurture one another in the Christian faith and life\, and i nclude these persons now before you in your care\,” or fai l to do so. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170326 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170327 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:95afb5c87d552b324c3d09a8ad9ca24b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The faith we confess\, and the faith that transforms us\, is more than intellectual assent to a theological construct. I t is to stake our lives on the Triune God\, and so join Mart ha’s confession\, “Yes\, Lord\, I believe that you are t he Christ\, the Son of God\, who is coming into this world. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170402 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170403 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:80280aaaa81a6fcc1b9acda2658286d7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Palm/Passion Sunday recapitulates the beginning and the end of Christ’s final week in Jerusalem. We move from a triump hal procession and its stirring of hope as our entrance rite to hearing of a very different kind of procession\, a force d march with a crucifix\, to conclude it. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170409 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170410 SUMMARY:Palm/Passion Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9d81e58b004954871719746b3ab76ab3@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170410 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170411 SUMMARY:Monday of Holy Week\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:95190812fd6f27132a800016440f76de@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170411 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170412 SUMMARY:Tuesday of Holy Week\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9d77f3547bcb33208db3961de89862cc@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher\, that I m ay know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by mor ning he wakens — wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170412 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170413 SUMMARY:Wednesday of Holy Week\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d0ad87d21ace778be7ac0c7e0ce3c4e0@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Holy Thursday\, or Maundy Thursday\, marks the last conversa tion Jesus has with his disciples\, a conversation grounded in what he calls a new commandment (mandatum in Latin\, hen ce our English word “Maundy”). He illustrates and unders cores the new commandment by washing the disciples’ feet: “Love one another as I have loved you.” DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170413 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170414 SUMMARY:Holy Thursday/Maundy Thursday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f3fc58d635c65b5ca7fe58df52f64e5d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Holy Week: Through Death to Life Series On Good Friday\, or Holy Friday as it is known in nearly every non-English-speak ing culture\, we witness the execution of Jesus\, recognize our ongoing complicity with the powers of death\, and are ca lled to enter the Great Silence of all creation in response to the death of its God and Maker. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170414 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170415 SUMMARY:Holy Friday/Good Friday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:3559562883cecad5c9e4ce09496b1139@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Taylor Burton-Edwards will offer a Holy Saturday service on Twitter at 10 AM ET. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170415 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170416 SUMMARY:Holy Saturday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a6b6d438139501796e1a6e54720d6598@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Easter Sunday is the principal Easter Sunday morning service of word and sacrament celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and kicking off the Easter Season of fifty days (through th e Day of Pentecost). DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170416 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170417 SUMMARY:Easter Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:eaca0d6d109f643d171400636e3e90df@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Easter Sunrise is an early morning service built on the fram ework of the Great Vigil of Easter. It moves from contemplat ion to celebration. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170416 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170417 SUMMARY:Easter Sunrise\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a3342b4c60710d0bb34785326cb27723@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today marks the kickoff of the first of two three-week minis eries. “Awakening...” focuses on the meaning and groundi ng of ministry\, Holy Communion\, and baptism. As we awaken to our ministry of discipleship\, let us hear Jesus speakin g to us. Let us hear him calling us and commissioning us\, e verywhere and always\, to breathe God’s reconciling love i nto this world. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170423 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170424 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a6e4e9891f56f150e994a5883511b1af@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week we are awakening to the meaning of the sacrament o f Holy Communion. Often\, when we think about stories from t he Scriptures that speak to the practice of the Lord’s Sup per\, we may limit our range to the traditional texts associ ated with the holy meal...But there are other stories from S cripture besides these well-known ones that inform our pract ice of Holy Communion. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170430 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170501 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:448dfebd1d501f1575f9302c19a2bda0@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As we consider what it means to awaken to baptism\, consider that baptism is not a singular event for any of us. Baptism is a way of life. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170507 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170508 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:fdf50873ba7058de720194d4e9563bbb@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today marks the launch of our second Easter three-week serie s. “Becoming…” focuses on claiming our spiritual gifts and callings as we seek to live out what it means to become one with Christ\, one with each other\, and one in ministry to all the world in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Easter season culminates with Pentecost and a s ervice of commissioning people into the ministries to which they have discerned they are called. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170514 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170515 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e1538c122fe397ed52a5711800920569@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As we enter our second week in our series\, “Becoming\,” this week and next week we continue listening in on Jesus final conversation with his disciples on the night before his death. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170521 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170522 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:0973351c1708e966ef9cfb1f1798f8e7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It takes all of us\, the entire body of Christ becoming one in ministry to see the world and God’s people with the eye s of Jesus. And so\, as we complete our time around the tabl e with our Lord and Savior\, his prayer for his disciples is his prayer for us too. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170528 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170529 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5d018f55be33f700df2a2ee070f30925@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:During the season of Lent\, we focused on preparing the comm unity of the faithful to receive (or refresh with) the water s of the baptismal covenant on Easter morning. Over these la st Great Fifty Days of Easter we have been talking about liv ing into that covenant made by water and the Spirit. And now \, today\, we hear God speaking to us strongly in these text s through the words about water. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170604 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170605 SUMMARY:Day of Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:eed4b389ee00c197b366963eb99191bc@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Trinity Sunday / Peace with Justice Sunday DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170611 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170612 SUMMARY:First Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:36018aa93d54cbf008589adac0e32426@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:God is with us in our moments of greatest joy\, and God is w ith us though the inevitable chaos and sorrow that life brin gs. God us with us in our friends and family\, and God is wi th us in strangers who suddenly show up and bring us a word of hope and clarity in the midst of the jumbled\, chaotic me sses of life. God is with us in the familiar and God is with us in the unexpected. The good news is\, no matter what we must face\, we don’t face it alone. We face life together\ , in community with Christ\, and in community with one anoth er\, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet. God is with us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170618 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170619 SUMMARY:Second Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:c9ba677468a37693c5c4a46f2e7649d8@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:God is with us\, even when we do not act in Christlike ways towards our sisters and brothers. God is with us\, sending m essages through “angels” to encourage us to engage the r eally hard questions\, to admit to our sins\, own up to our mistakes\, turn our lives around and head in a new direction . DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170625 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170626 SUMMARY:Third Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:25dba6b0236372547570c0156a060d35@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In the times of horrific rites of passage\, God has provided \, and Goes does provide. That is part of our family legacy. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170702 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170703 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b87e4f4425661071b6680643646075b8@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Like all human families\, the first families of our faith tr adition were not perfect. They had their share of failure an d struggles\, just like everyone else. But throughout it all they knew the abiding presence of the Lord God was with the m—perhaps most clearly known during moments of difficult d ecision\, rites of passage\, and periods of painful transiti on. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170709 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170710 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e448b0f29fa90beecf2e7d89410e150c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The flow of this series\, as the flow of these scriptures\, does not go “up” as much as it goes “deep.” This ser ies is more like a dive from the heights than a climb up the mountain or a journey from point A to point B. As you move into today in particular\, picture freedom as the diver on the board or at cliff’s edge\, poised to jump. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170716 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170717 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a42ce9e1509af4aca965cb1a9e7517b3@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As we come into the second week of our series\, we move from the freedom we have found in Christ to confront our differe nces head-on\, and God’s call to welcome all of God’s ch ildren\, to dealing with the way things are: the sufferings of the present time. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170723 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170724 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f4d39cad55723618f5e3cff44a58b849@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:On this third week of our series\, Paul reminds us that even though we sin and fall short of the glory of God\, and even though God calls us to join in the groaning of creation and to enter fully into the suffering of the world on behalf of others\, God does not abandon us in this work. The good new s of Jesus Christ is that God is with us every step of the w ay. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170730 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170731 SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6bb1aba09bf507ddc3066bf689e7668a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today is about that solid ground of God’s promises for us\ , especially when we may not see them fulfilled even in our lifetimes. Just as God has formed a covenant with the people of Israel for their salvation and mission in the world\, Go d has just as surely covenanted with all people\, Jewish and Gentile alike\, who turn to Christ as Savior and commit the ir way to him as Lord. As dystopian and toxic as this world may seem or be\, the promise of complete salvation for us an d renewal of all things in creation abides. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170806 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170807 SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5cfcd63240fc27a73715ad714fef8a7c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Inigo Montoya’s most repeated and memed line from The Pri ncess Bride is “”You keep using that word…. I don’t think it means what you think it means.” What did Paul me an by “faith?” And what does faith\, as Paul meant it\, both require of us and empower us to do? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170813 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170814 SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:18b3427b7cfe13684348be6b5977cc59@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:"For the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable” (Roman s 11:2a\, NRSV). Often this text is used (and not entirely i mproperly) to support doctrine about the permanent nature of spiritual gifts\, baptism\, and ordination. Once the Spirit has acted\, what the Spirit has done cannot be undone\, we say. But in context in Romans 11\, in the wider context of t he whole letter\, and\, as N.T. Wright argues in his book\, Justification\, in the context of God’s plan to save the whole world through the promises begun with Abraham and his descendants\, something much bigger is at stake. And it call s us\, as Christians\, to step toward rather than away from persons of other religious who are also Abraham’s descenda nts. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170820 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170821 SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b0ffbe2c984ab37ce8f0e16dbf60594d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We step out into our own identity in Christ. We step toward others in our extended family in Abraham. And we step forth\ , both within the community of the church and toward the wid er world\, in the power of the spiritual gifts we have been given\, whatever these may be. And we step forth not to asse rt ourselves\, our superiority\, or our gifts. We step forth \, letting the life-giving power of the Spirit flow through us and these gifts within the community of the church and in to the world God is out to save. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170827 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170828 SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:252349401c5d08923e968d1c3c5d50f7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Season of Creation invites us into a time of pause and refle ction. With Moses we are given opportunity to “turn aside to see” how God calls to us and empowers us in and through the whole creation God is out to save. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170903 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170904 SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9265a41c921392b7ba6386fb801f6ada@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As Christians we have a paradoxical relationship with death. On the one hand\, we\, with our brother Paul\, see death as an enemy whose destruction is already declared in the resur rection of Jesus from the dead (I Corinthians 15:26). On the other hand\, also with our brother Paul\, we affirm that we are baptized into the death of Jesus\, and only through exp eriencing a death like his in baptism are we promised the ho pe of a resurrection like his (Romans 6:4-8). So already\, w ithin some of the most famous passages from one early Christ ian writer’s most famous work we encounter death as at onc e enemy and portal to life. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170910 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170911 SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:c6ec4dc7745350fb74573cbc963fa655@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Fire fascinates us\, draws us in\, and then reduces us to tr embling. Death is at once enemy\, and sister. And today\, we join the witness of scripture in joy and terror at the powe r of wind\, and sky\, and sea\, and with Francis we confess that God is surely praised through them. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170917 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170918 SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:4cb0b4c8f5b8b0fb8eddb55f19c6cb8f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We increase God’s praise when we address not just our own "hanger\," but the legitimate howls of hanger or hunger\, the cries of the needy\,” as we pray in our confession of sin\, cries we are called to hear as Christ’s body\, are respond to with whatever means we have\, just as God did\, a nd longs to do through us — without hesitation. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170924 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170925 SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:154bc17dc74e51524d7c4e186968472f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:World Communion Sunday was started in 1940 as a Presbyterian -led initiative of the Federal Council of Churches toward ec umenical celebration of Communion by some Protestants in the United States on the same Sunday at a time when most U.S. P rotestant denominations celebrated Communion infrequently (q uarterly at most)\, and rarely on the same schedule. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171001 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171002 SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:cf811f7f7278ca1cb1883318b3fa4673@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The purpose of the Children’s Sabbath observance is social advocacy for the needs of children throughout this nation. This year’s theme is “Moving Forward with Hope: Love and Justice for Every Child.” Children’s Sabbath–a weeken d-long observance\, primarily in the community–should not be confused with Children’s Sunday\, a Sunday worship obse rvance that focuses primarily on drawing attention to the ch ildren in our own congregations. For this reason\, it is not recommended that today’s worship service be given over to “children’s programming” as such\, although it is alw ays recommended that children be given as many opportunities to lead and participate in worship as possible. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171008 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171009 SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:dd6518c0d1fed533a17ab1d702db97d4@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week’s non-lectionary-based service for Laity Sunday launches a three-week miniseries\, “Habits of Hospitality\ ,” in which the succeeding two services are based on the E pistle readings from the Revised Common Lectionary. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171015 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171016 SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:dd34e982803ba5f70f8f6b8e4684c090@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What does it mean to become “imitators of us and of the Lo rd” and to receive “the word with joy inspired by the Ho ly Spirit” so that we may become examples to other believe rs? What does it mean to be truly welcoming\, receiving all people and their gifts\, even as we serve a living and true God and wait for the coming again of Christ in final glory? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171022 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171023 SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20f9e7c995fd3100e55f60e75d14a154@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Habits of Hospitality concludes with this week’s focus on sharing our authentic selves with others in the midst of of fering hospitality in the course of our mission. We come in peace offering peace. We come seeking not to impose but to w elcome\, and so to learn from those among whom we come. And we share Christ with those we’ve welcomed out of who we re ally are\, not as if Christ is to us some “widget” or service” we’re selling. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171029 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171030 SUMMARY:Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:31715e693fedf198a67bf2d5284e1313@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This service kicks off the series in conversation with the E pistle reading for All Saints and Charles Wesley’s paraphr ase of that reading in his hymn “What Are These Arrayed in White?” What they are and what they wear are clues for wh at God longs for all of us to become: beloved saints-- and w hat it takes for us to become them. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171105 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171106 SUMMARY:Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:ef0e3a31328c1ec4ef66927ea5a22cd0@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What is the primary distinguishing mark of the stories saint s tell? They are stories of deliverance\, stories of salvati on\, and never stories merely of personal or family accompli shment. How will God help you tell your story the way the sa ints do? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171112 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171113 SUMMARY:Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:51ef3ee4b5da440db9a569529bccdc9f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What is Thanksgiving Day like where you are? More importantl y\, how shaped by Thanksgiving\, and in particular the Great Thanksgiving\, the thanksgiving of the saints\, is your lif e? How might a life of thanksgiving for God’s mighty acts of salvation\, unfolding from day to day\, give you strength to tell the story of the saints and wear the clothing of th e saints with confidence and joy? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171119 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171120 SUMMARY:Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9663fd830fad64585f0f6a26c5e36d36@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171123 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171124 SUMMARY:Thanksgiving Day (U.S.A.) END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e64e1d6b1e475354b49383df09339a70@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:So far\, we’ve talked mostly about ourselves as saints or potential saints. Today\, at the end of one church year and the cusp of the next\, we speak and sing primarily of the on e around whom the universe itself pivots\, Christ the King\, Shepherd of the saints.  Christ\, our Shepherd-King gather s and makes saints from the most marginalized\, damaged\, ab used\, abandoned people on earth\, leading the saints to ete rnal life now and in the new creation. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171126 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171127 SUMMARY:Christ the King/Reign of Christ Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:54afc0be1880c2f6a229c7f5a9b1f853@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As we light the first candle in our Advent wreath today\, of ficially enacting this annual ritual reminder\, and as we mo ve toward the celebration of the birth of the one God sent t o save us from the law of sin and death\, let us take seriou sly God’s call on our lives. Let us make our confession of sin\, as individuals and as a human community. Let us pray that God will have mercy on us. And let us embrace our need for a Savior. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171203 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171204 SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent 2017\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:24c6292545e2ca78a1b4fc945ee30e3c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What is home? Home is anywhere we meet God\, face-to-face an d hand-in-hand. Home is the assurance that Christ died for u s while we were yet sinners\, thus proving God’s love for us. Home is knowing that we are saved by the grace of God. H ome is anywhere that we meet God’s people and welcome them in with the love of Christ. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171210 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171211 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent 2017\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b3fceaf29e1781c2a0435098b2cd1734@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Let it be in a spirit of grace that we acknowledge that for many of us\, welcoming guests or going home will never resem ble in any way the pictures of perfect familial bliss that w e see in the constant holiday barrage of Photoshopped advert isements\, holiday television specials\, and Christmas movie s. Nevertheless\, let us enter into this time with rejoicing \, prayer\, and giving thanks\, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us. For no matter how hard the journey m ay be some days\, we know that joy is our true home. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171217 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171218 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent 2017\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:fed020a949e41de4f7ac67fc07280bb9@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:There is only one home that is permanent\, and that is the h ome we make with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ\, whose bi rth we celebrate tonight\, and whose coming again we will no t fear\, but rather\, will look for with the hope of Joseph\ , and the joy of Mary\, and the curiosity and conviction of the Magi\, and the boldness of the shepherds in the field. L et us gather around the manger. Let us gather around the Tab le of our Lord. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171224 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171225 SUMMARY:Christmas Eve 2017\, Year B (Candlelight Communion Service) END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2934865ead87c9852316f0ec903c0663@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Are we willing to receive Christ into our hearts? And are we willing to live with Mary’s courage? Can her song be our song too? Can we refuse to give into the fear that the world screams constantly into our lives? Can we reject the notion that everything is spinning out of control\, and embrace th at the world is simply about to turn\, just as God intends i t? Can we admit that there are things about our world that n eed to be turned upside down for the sake of others? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171224 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171225 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent 2017\, Year B (Morning Worship Servi ce) END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d924bad1e98f9e224bf8408425fc91e9@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As we move into the next season and our next series\, we wil l join Anna in the work of evangelism: proclaiming to all th e world that God sent Jesus into the world for the salvation of all. Let us give thanks to God for the showing forth of Christ in this world and for his showing forth in our own li ves. And let us not leave our light to dwindle\, but rather\ , let us\, like Simeon and Anna\, go forth to shine anew bec ause the light of Christ has come into the world\, and the d arkness can never put it out. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171231 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180101 SUMMARY:First Sunday After Christmas 2017\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:c720e787107bbab4e68bc506cf04592c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The opening movement in our full service order can be an eff ective overture for this service and series. It announces th e series theme (Rise up!) and introduces a recurring feature of this series\, the spoken word contributions of The Rev. B. Kevin Smalls. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180107 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180108 SUMMARY:Epiphany/Baptism of the Lord 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a1e9dbf1388c33d16f00488b9e286864@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The second week of this epiphany series leads us to the them e of listening. Listening\, of course\, is a critical part o f the Christian path. There are many angles in which to appr oach this theme of listening. This week\, we encounter a te xt where the Word of the Lord is rare\, but God’s voice em erges as God attempts to get Samuel’s attention. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180114 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180115 SUMMARY:Second Sunday After the Epiphany 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b37b93711f99fd2695296e4510a51acb@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The core response to today’s theme is found in the prayers of the people. Prayer becomes the primary way we begin to e mbody the action of “Move” in worship today. We pray wit h people who must move\, or are called to move\, or who by t heir position are involved in moving others. We also pray fo r ourselves\, for the Spirit’s work to move us all from ca ptivity to sin toward perfection in love in this life. We po sit this as a possible altar call\, a call to come forward t o pray\, as the response to the bidding prayer shifts from u nison spoken response to ensemble and congregational singing . DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180121 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180122 SUMMARY:Third Sunday After the Epiphany 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:add661d30733be8ee1a4f1836871ac35@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:While Moses is assuring the people of God’s plan to provid e for a new leader\, he also gives them guidelines that the leader must follow. These guidelines are now in the people s awareness as they prepare for a leadership shift. “If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord but the thing does n ot take place or prove true\, it is a word that the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously\; do n ot be frightened by it.” Our theological task as United Me thodists gives us a similar guideline to discovering the arr ival at truth. Our theological task begins with the question \, “Is it true?”  What things are true and worthy of ce lebration as we seek answers throughout our life’s journey of faith? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180128 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180129 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:bbea83500ca8646b8e042c6f8229926e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We can listen for God’s voice\, get on the move\, and deve lop confidence in God being one who truly answers us. But th ese processes\, whether foregrounded or running in the backg round of our lives\, may not be enough in themselves to lead us or sustain us on “this tedious journey.” We have to stay focused on where we’re heading if we’re going to ge t there. And we need to stay focused on the one who gives us the power to get there. So the first response to this week s sermon is a sung affirmation of faith to strengthen our focus\, collectively\, on the redemptive presence\, work\, a nd power of our God. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180204 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180205 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday After the Epiphany 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b481f462ec6b4ea83adffe2fa38f37af@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We who follow Jesus follow where he leads. And he most often leads into places of suffering and death\, including his an d potentially our own death. We’ve been learning what it i s to listen\, to move\, to answer\, and to focus in the mids t of life. Now we are called to do this far more profoundly in the face of the constant suffering and death into which w e are sent by Jesus as signs and witnesses of his death and life.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180211 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180212 SUMMARY:Transfiguration of the Lord 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d2c44396ad9b0029d1622f082b8f0d35@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Lent begins with dust and ashes. We start this time of inten sive preparation for baptism or realigning our lives with th e vows of the baptismal covenant acknowledging our human lim itations. We remember we are dust and to dust we will return . Our efforts in this life will one day be reduced to ashes. And in the meantime\, we have deeply ingrained habits marke d by sin\, stained by selfishness\, and resistant to our own efforts to change them. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180214 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180215 SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5d12c4bab6c740892d498ea99beec564@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Heading into the wilderness\, whether it’s imposed upon us or we voluntarily go\, is only the first step in the rehab journey toward reconciliation\, healing\, and wholeness. But it is a step we must take to start the process of recovery. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180218 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180219 SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:941297d19dfef906e0c989d4ac030346@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:With a theme like this\, it may be tempting to move into hea vy-handed “holier than thou\, hyper-righteousness” mode. Instead\, gentleness\, transparency\, and humility are need ed. Prepare yourselves to model these things in the ways you as worship leaders lead today. There’s no shame in admitt ing we need help. We do. And thanks be to God\, God is ready to offer help to one and all\, through prayer\, through sac rament\, and through our interactions with others in our dai ly lives. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180225 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180226 SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1681e96cf8a6e75c1fc8bb3790c74bab@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:At some point\, we have to take that step of faith and just do it\, whether we think we can or not\, whether we are afra id or not\, whether we think it might kill us or not. The go od news is that we don’t have to be perfect\, and we don t have to work the program alone. God promises to be with u s in our journey. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180304 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180305 SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d540c6cd7a3f21cb383b625f60865e86@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today we celebrate what it means to continue into the stage of Rehab where we start to see some real recovery taking pla ce. We’re not all the way there\, any more than we’re at Easter in just the fourth Sunday in Lent. And indeed\, the degree to which we may start to experience recovery during r ehab is often mirrored by a nearly equal sense of how far we still have to go\, what is still not working as it really s hould\, or\, in this case\, how we are still living out sinf ul\, destructive patterns of behavior that still need to be addressed. But we still have some reason to rejoice. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180311 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180312 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d39861567beae8875530e2133a572433@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Above all\, this season is intended to move us from uncertai nty and a confused way of living toward a living hope that o rders our steps in Christ’s ways. The hope in us has becom e real\, palpable\, and we confess that today. And we do so precisely in the face of the circumstances in which we find ourselves that may cause us to lose hope. That is the core d ynamic of today’s service: Hope that can move us through a nd beyond despair. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180318 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180319 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:7eebc19db894702452c8511ddfe9993b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Palm/Passion Sunday recapitulates the beginning and the end of Christ’s final week in Jerusalem. We move from a trium phal procession and its stirring of hope as our entrance rit e to hearing of a very different kind of procession\, a forc ed march with a crucifix\, to conclude it. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180325 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180326 SUMMARY:Passion Sunday/ Palm Sunday 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:204c7eeb48d0141ce09f2e5ab5cd9660@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Holy Thursday\, or Maundy Thursday\, marks the last conversa tion Jesus has with his disciples\, a conversation grounded in what he calls a new commandment (mandatum in Latin\, hen ce our English word “Maundy”). He illustrates and unders cores the new commandment by washing their feet: “Love one another as I have loved you.”  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180329 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180330 SUMMARY:Holy/Maundy Thursday 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:ae05f1b1397df2a345506d3dd2ec1c98@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Good Friday\, or Holy Friday as it is known in nearly every non-English-speaking culture\, we witness the execution of Jesus\, recognize our ongoing complicity with the powers of death\, and are called to enter the Great Silence of all cre ation in response to the death of its God and Maker. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180330 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180331 SUMMARY:Holy/Good Friday 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9d4f034409ab6523f91ac0308dd406be@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Easter Sunday is the principal Easter Sunday morning servic e of word and sacrament celebrating the resurrection of Jesu s and kicking off the Easter Season of 50 days (through the Day of Pentecost). DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180401 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180402 SUMMARY:Easter Sunday 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:8b10b508f226dc34fd23a42c0e7a7819@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Easter Sunrise is an early morning service built on the fra mework of the Great Vigil of Easter. It moves from contempla tion to celebration.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180401 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180402 SUMMARY:Easter Sunrise Service 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:748bfa5d70937fd8d321d66b8a36a82f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today we begin the first of two mini-series that will take u s through the great fifty days of Easter. In the first serie s\, “In the Name of Jesus\,” we will be focusing on what it means to claim the power of the name of Jesus as his fol lowers. We will journey with the first disciples through the early chapters in the book of Acts\, following them as they plant the very first Christian church and identifying how c laiming the name of Jesus was the source of their strength\, healing power and salvation. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180408 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180409 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:3adf3e1667f19b563389521b715eff4f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The good news is that on the other side of death is resurrec tion. We may participate in things that kill Jesus\, but we have an opportunity for redemption. For in Christ\, God offe rs us mercy and grace\, no matter what the magnitude of our sin. It is important to ask ourselves\,  “How am I living into Peter’s invitation to repentance\, confession\, and pardon?” DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180415 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180416 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:dbfe5d75bd64c34603db18016a9b790c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Salvation in the name of Jesus Christ doesn’t always look the way we wish it did. The good news is that the power of Jesus Christ is with us. His spirit resides in us\, the body of Christ. His spirit gives us not just power to heal\, but to be transformed by the power of love when we proclaim his name and love one another as he loved us. Salvation comes i n the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180422 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180423 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:eff7e2257fc306a07b41615a8680ea23@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Who are we refusing to touch\, see\, embrace\, love\, accept \, welcome? Who is the world rejecting that we can\, in the power of the Spirit\, reach towards? How can we\, like Phili p\, offer the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ (howeve r it is understood) to those who come to us seeking to study and have conversation about the challenges of life in all t he ways they present themselves? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180429 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180430 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:41ee1c3370fb75c0bc4089d8e39d6e3c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This service begins with a quick\, confident act of recognit ion of all persons who have started a connection with the co ngregation or its ministries during the past year. Last week focused primarily on outreach ministries to people who are different from the dominant culture and socio-economic locat ion of people in your congregation. This week focuses on peo ple who are finding a home among you recently primarily in w orship\, Christian formation ministries\, and other ministri es of the church. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180506 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180507 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:619d1c1a8f8634061527e01ad4ae3a04@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The good news of this story is that the Lord knows the heart s of God’s people. Ministry requires many different kinds of leadership\, and God prepares many different kinds of peo ple to lead.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180513 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180514 SUMMARY:Ascension Sunday/Seventh Sunday of Easter 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5dcbcae688acf10fc3bca97c820499d6@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Pentecost is about the moment the church was born. It is abo ut what the church of Jesus Christ is supposed to be. It is about the Holy Spirit bringing people together as one in sp ite of their differences: different cultures\, different lan guages\, different traditions\, different beliefs\, differen t interpretations\, different theologies. Pentecost is about being unified in words\, and in a salvation that is for all people. And so we come to the end of the series\, and the e nd of the season of Easter with the celebration of the churc h’s beginning\, we go forth rejoicing with great hope\, pr oclaiming salvation for all people! DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180520 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180521 SUMMARY:Day of Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:281216a48b3c0f2c396c6d51e8728591@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today we make the transition from seasons of preparation for discipleship and mission (Lent and Easter) to an extended s eason of  living out our discipleship on God’s mission in Christ’s name and the Spirit’s power. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180527 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180528 SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2a7fdf7f559c2484a170e4297416e796@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today’s service is in the form of morning prayer\, which l ay at the basis of the early Methodist preaching services co mmon when the travelling elder was not in town (eleven weeke nds out of twelve for many early American Methodist Episcopa l churches). We use our current form for Morning Prayer (see UMH 876-877) as the basic outline for this service order. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180603 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180604 SUMMARY:Second Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5839e19159a06d94ad5509425e65dc80@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What we have the power to do in our season of “Why?” is exactly what Samuel and God did. We can pray\, processing wh at we’re seeing before the face of the Almighty. We can he ar God’s word for us in the face of our “Why?”. We can hear God reminding us of our role\, and God’s\, in the mi dst of our situations. And maybe we can sense God reminding us that God still has good work for us to do... DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180610 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180611 SUMMARY:Third Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:0ee3303bf94121bf95130d7813818feb@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In the season of “Who?” we find ourselves in times of tr ansition\; we get anxious\; we try to force fit things\; and in all of that\, we risk missing whom God may be providing for us in such a time as this. Are you in a season of “Who ?” You may not be able to let go all the anxiety. But yo u may be able to interrupt it long enough to breathe and to seek God’s voice and the Spirit’s leading. It’s there. And often\, it’s the voice reminding us to ask a question we may not have thought to ask in our anxiety-driven tunnel vision... DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180617 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180618 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2bbb3b5ad6037b252a26f5ffcba99c41@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today we may all be on the edge or in the middle of some sor t of season of “How?” And that’s why we’re reaffirmi ng baptism today. Because it’s in baptism that we remember what we’re all supposed to be about. It’s in baptism th at the Holy Spirit first starts pouring spiritual gifts into our lives. It’s in this community\, living this baptismal covenant together\, that we’re learning how to use these gifts and to live as Christ’s representatives on mission w ith him in the world. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180624 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180625 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:3635edfcd04a624b4c116600917959a5@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today marks the beginning of a new five-week series. This se ries follows Jesus in the Gospel of Mark and John as his min istry begins to take shape and become known through the land . DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180701 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180702 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:c0234e6bfdc7eea01ae9f38757501c72@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today’s service focuses on Jesus sending the disciples for th in twos to spread the good news of the gospel. You may ta ke some time in your service to recognize your church’s mi ssion work in the local or global community. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180708 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180709 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:31939c9d96fdc303460586bf9151407b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today’s service focuses on how the news of Jesus’ gospel is spreading through the land. It has reached the ear of Ki ng Herod at his court. This week\, consider celebrating a re affirmation of baptism in your church. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180715 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180716 SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:ba32ca676802a9c9b383eb6190d0a9ff@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today’s service focuses on the crowds that flocked to Jesu s wherever he went. They sought healing from him\, just by b eing in his presence or touching the hem of his robe. This m ovement of crowds following Jesus from place to place inspir ed this week’s ritual action. We suggest a “movement son g” (a congregational song that both encourages us and enab les us to move as we sing) that can be sung as a response in the midst of ritual\, or even as a song that is sung in the midst of the sending as people go into the world. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180722 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180723 SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:919d47dde64f74da3a52169c8f5fe6d6@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This is the last week in this series. The feeding of the fiv e thousand as read from John drives home the fact that Jesus truly feeds the world\, physically and spiritually. This we ek\, we invite you to consider celebrating the end of the se ries with a community meal. Organize it in the way that your community does best\, perhaps catered by the church or potl uck style. Advertise it throughout the four weeks leading up to this last one\, and be sure to invite your community — whatever that means to you! DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180729 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180730 SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d8bc7d9817d1c0711a58568579a5df84@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Paul’s writing asserts that Christians are created to live in community with one another. This requires a certain leve l of spiritual maturity that we can reach only when we act t oward one another in the spirit of Christian love. Hence the names for our series: ...in Love. Each week we will focus o n the text and how Paul instructs us to act. The first week\ , we must “Build Up One Another in Love.” DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180805 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180806 SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:3836428c1e1075a5232bb75ef4579320@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today is the continuation of the new four-week series. Paul s writing asserts that Christians are created to live in c ommunity with one another. This requires a certain level of spiritual maturity that we can reach only when we act toward one another in the spirit of Christian love. Each week\, we will focus on the text and how Paul instructs us to act. Th is second week\, we are called to “Live in Love.” DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180812 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180813 SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b92bbe2e4dbf9e88dc63a9f781f51f1a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:"Understand what the will of the Lord is.” This week’s p assage includes a tall order: to know the will of God. If on ly that were a simple task. We use this language frequently\ , but it is more often spoken in an effort to assure ourselv es in the face of doubt rather than spoken in confidence. If only we understood what God’s will was. And yet\, much li ke Jesus\, our author “does not leave us orphaned” here. .. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180819 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180820 SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:78ea4667d392f52b457a9b222724c65a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:“Understand what the will of the Lord is.” This week’s passage includes a tall order: to know the will of God. If only that were a simple task. We use this language frequentl y\, but it is more often spoken in an effort to assure ourse lves in the face of doubt rather than spoken in confidence. If only we understood what God’s will was. And yet\, much like Jesus\, our author “does not leave us orphaned” her e... DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180826 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180827 SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f9f8f7d5e4011f6e30b7e35c9beed453@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In thinking about this sermon as the first in the series\, c onsider relationships between God and non-human creation\, G od and humans\, and non-human creation and humans. To unders tand Scripture\, we need to understand God’s relationships . Knowledge comes from having a foundation of knowing God’ s word. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180902 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180903 SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:000b1766307e1baedad842c4fe47d52c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We often refer to our “mountain-top experiences.” Jesus retreated to the mountains to pray and be near God. Though t here is no conclusive evidence to prove this\, in light of t he way mountains are used in Scripture\, it would make sense that God did business with sin and death on a mountain when Jesus was crucified... DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180909 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180910 SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:0f0995fa0ae63b507ed16edb0321ff0b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Your sermon this Sunday could focus on God\, the creator of the sky\, and how the creator is revealed to us through God s creation. Are we paying attention? Do we take time to en joy God’s creation and to observe as God does? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180916 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180917 SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:924e7ddf5238b4550a4a15d1696045e8@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week preaches itself. Psalm 1 is a key creation-care te xt. It brings us back to the beginning in the Garden of Eden \, and it points us to the end with a new heaven and earth. It reminds us yet again what this book we call the Bible is all about — life and our journey toward righteousness. Cre ation always points us in that direction. We just need to be aware of our surroundings. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180923 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180924 SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9d9d5e5799da12e801856cb344484e9a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As we wrap up this series\, offering a call to action is app ropriate. To be effective\, however\, we need knowledge abou t what the Bible says about care for creation and how we liv e it out in practical ways. It means starting\, or as the th eme for the week suggests\, “Christians must bring it!” We must also remember to bathe our teaching and practice w ith grace\, so that others feel they can begin this journey with us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180930 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181001 SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:03b8cd8e13624c51a5d974a5ff244960@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today marks the beginning of a new four-week series. We are taking a deep dive in the mysterious and complicated story o f Job\, which is neatly condensed into four lectionary readi ngs in the month of October. Challenge your congregation to go beyond the surface of Job and allow themselves to wrestle with a mysterious piece of Scripture. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181007 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181008 SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:44ffcd86a76afddb47027402afefde55@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Job maintains hope. Even though Job cannot see God\, God is mindful of Job. Hope is an assurance in God\, even when God s justice is elusive and God’s presence is a mystery. Ho pe in this sense in not just a belief or an expectation. Hop e is something that we live for\, strife for\, and long for\ , not just for ourselves\, but for others as well. Job hopes for justice and hopes for God\, even when he cannot exclusi vely see God and justice in his current state. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181014 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181015 SUMMARY:Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:7db6c54387a574df2511b744166d9ef2@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today is the third week of the “Mystery” series. Job has come nearly face-to-face with God\, or at least to God’s very real presence. The reading this week is a small part of God’s response to Job’s accusations. We find Job\, and perhaps ourselves\, silenced in the reality of God’s almig hty power. God reminds Job that God alone created the founda tion of the earth and cosmos. God controls all of creation\, the animals\, the seas\, the lightning. It is a remarkable reminder of God’s power\, one that should leave us awestru ck. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181021 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181022 SUMMARY:Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5635c95aa3524ecdf6b5bfcd09f31f9f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Restoration in this text is not referring to the external or the temporal understanding of material means\, but it is tr anslated as the state of being full\, abounding\, and being content. Ultimately\, Job illustrates that in spite of our p ersonal pain and hurt\, when we cannot change our situation\ , we can change our perspective.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181028 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181029 SUMMARY:Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e8ccfc9eb110fec2e25cb955487c915f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181101 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181102 SUMMARY:All Saints Day 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e5621977a72ff70b7c25d6e66ad85003@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:During this series\, remind people that God dwells here and desires to be close to us. Our title for this week is “Hop e\,” and we can dwell in the hope that Christ is coming to abolish death and mourning and pain. As you go through this month\, keep your eye on the coming season: Advent. What do es it mean to dwell in hope as you move toward Advent? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181104 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181105 SUMMARY:Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Pentecost 2018 / All Saints Sunda y\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:57054be1f6ccf0b003bd68a43ff14379@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In a period of deep division and brokenness in our country\, what difference does and could Jesus make? Where does the g ood news speak into the places that seem hopeless and lost? Do we live as if the weight and power of sin has already bee n taken away and that Jesus’ sacrifice and love is availab le and intended for all people? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181111 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181112 SUMMARY:Twenty-Fifth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:4fa018cefc8b57890b2d97f76e49e166@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Jesus came to free us from the chains of shame and created t he church as a place for us to be vulnerable and challenge o ne another in love. Regularly\, we all still sin and fall sh ort of who God desires us to be\; but through vulnerability and accountability\, we can hold the things we’ve done up to who we want to be without letting those things define or paralyze us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181118 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181119 SUMMARY:Twenty-Sixth Sunday After Pentecost 2018\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:8ad76c277c94bd0b2d6a62ea3bcc009e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:On this final Sunday of the church year\, Christ the King Su nday\, take the time to remind your congregation of what it means to have a crucified King who isn’t merely seeking al legiance with our lips\, but desires a fundamentally differe nt way of us being in relationship with God and with one ano ther. Sometimes\, terrible things just happen. Yet\, Christ our King is right there with us and has committed to be in solidarity with and in our suffering. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181125 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181126 SUMMARY:Christ the King Sunday END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:0c44401f4ebd3f6a82e4b600cdf17e82@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:For the series “Prepare the Way\,” we decided to use two of the lectionary texts for every week except the Sunday af ter Christmas. We were called to the traditional Luke texts that present Advent and the Christmas story in a familiar wa y. We were also called to the prophets of the Old Testament and how their words and stories connected with story of the coming of Christ. We hope that in your church\, you will use both sets of texts to illuminate your Advent season. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181202 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181203 SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent 2018\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:8d9e223dfce60d5153ca9aa623a64c72@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The word “refine” is the primary focus this week. It ste ms from the effects of the coming messenger’s work. It is a call to renewal on the part of God’s people. It is not s o much the idea of punishment as it is the idea of being con victed in light of the Great Day of the Lord and a time of a new beginning. The prophet concludes with a promise of hope \, “...I will not come and strike the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:5). DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181209 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181210 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent 2018\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:091386adcbf8ef4d7b663fabcb9d0cf5@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week in the Advent season is known as Guadete Sunday\, or the Sunday of joy.  It is represented by a pink candle o n the traditional Advent wreath. The liturgical space should support the preacher’s message. There is a strong reason for joy. Both texts make references to a happening from God. .. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181216 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181217 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent 2018\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:28295992c8176742f659587cb203a18b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The Gospel of Luke emphasizes “God’s concern for the low ly\, the hungry\, and the disadvantaged\, and God’s judgme nt upon the self-indulgent.” A part of our Wesleyan DNA i s ministry for and with the poor. Just as Advent leads us to ward encountering the infant Christ in a stable and with the announcement of the Good News being first shared with lowly shepherds\, so we are invited to become more mindful and aw are of ministries with and for the excluded. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181223 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181224 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent 2018\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f77d50fd6ba8c28e7b197ff0f62bfdf2@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:For Christians\, Christmas Eve is a moment of open arms— a s a midwife who extends her arms to receive the newly born c hild. As the church\, we also extend our arms to receive Jes us once again\, with all that he has to offer: an incomparab le love\, a huge smile\, the smile of God over humanity and directed individually at every human being. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181224 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181225 SUMMARY:Christmas Eve 2018\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:298b3fa02160b296ab05f784d533c917@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181225 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181226 SUMMARY:Christmas Day 2018\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b6d37cebf504a98401d807b35a189f15@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The word for this week is “Search.” Mary and Joseph sear ch for their lost child\, Jesus. Jesus is on a search for an swers\; he is developing into adulthood\, and—above all— discovering his mission as Son of God. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20181230 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181231 SUMMARY:First Sunday After Christmas Day 2018\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:688673e6d15b4cbe3568424195e2efcc@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:For the preacher\, Epiphany is a time to call the congregati on to jump into the crescendo of the history of salvation. T he light of Christ will become more intense as we progress i nto the Epiphany season. This particular Sunday\, however\, the main attention should be placed on the homage\, the ador ation that we owe our Savior. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190106 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190107 SUMMARY:Epiphany Sunday 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:c8b7d25a3f8795b83e59344683a81a57@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Baptism\, as a “first gift” from God\, leads us in life toward paths of discovering and rediscovering God-given gift s\, activating those gifts through the Holy Spirit\, underst anding how our gifts are interrelated to the gifts of other disciples in the body of Christ\, and how important it is to stay true to the heart of our God-given gifts — the love of God in Christ. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190113 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190114 SUMMARY:Baptism of the Lord/First Sunday After the Epiphany 2019\, Y ear C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6bd6af82eeae10e1842158faa62775b0@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As we move from baptisms and remembering our baptism\, we re cognize that the gift of baptism is only the beginning. We s hould begin to discover\, or if it has been a while\, perhap s rediscover our God-given gifts — equipping us for a life long journey as disciples. We were redeemed for a reason\, a nd we are given gifts to fulfill a greater purpose. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190120 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190121 SUMMARY:Second Sunday After the Epiphany 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:288f8de928f59ca9e720adac19ad1aef@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Conventionally\, the idea of being needy has negative connot ations. However\, we’d like to look at the idea of being n eedy from a different perspective: we need one another. Just as God arranged the members of our bodies\, so God arranged the members of our communities. So this week\, we put a pos itive spin on being needy. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190127 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190128 SUMMARY:Third Sunday After the Epiphany 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:773f751b75bd399a7c88693bd92c5502@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Now that we are discovering and activating our gifts\, under standing how we are dependent on one another\, will we let l ove – love of God and love of neighbor guide us? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190203 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190204 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:0acf9e32102dfeb41ef4125988088921@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The story in Luke 5:1-11 is about the beginning of a life-ch anging journey for Jesus and his future disciples\, includin g you and me. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190210 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190211 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday After the Epiphany 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2dd778a1bc280da5dd1e81fa0ead9a94@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Like Jesus\, we are called to accept people as they are and to strive to develop a Christian relationship with them. Not only did Jesus heal people\, he also taught the people. Jes us perceived their unexpressed needs. Looking into the eyes of his disciples\, he taught them about the many ways in whi ch they were blessed. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190217 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190218 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday After the Epiphany 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f1dbae701773432fafa2542bdc8518af@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Both our culture and our church have become increasingly div ided\; we demonize the “other” and cease listening to on e another. In the CEB\, verse 27 begins\, “But I say to yo u who are willing to hear: Love your enemies.” Jesus chall enges the crowd to hear. Then he says the shocking phrase\, “Love your enemies.” What?! He doesn’t just tell us to listen to them. We are to love them! DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190224 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190225 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday After the Epiphany 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b32b2bd7626a31616705c66b8800790d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Jesus embodies what many of us seem to forget. He shows us t he importance of setting apart in prayer before coming back to see all the people informed in the fullness of God’s gl ory. In him\, we are reminded to trust in the essential dire ctions we have been provided to pray\, listen\, and care for the holistic needs of people. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190303 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190304 SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday After the Epiphany/Transfiguration 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:76678327abb41fc0148c4355d9534463@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:“Ash Wednesday begins with dust and ashes.” This service is the beginning of our holy season of Lent. Historically\, this was a time in the church year for interested people to undergo intensive catechesis and formation in preparation f or baptism and joining the church.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190306 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190307 SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2e291d697394be6a100889d505f1b516@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As the first Sunday of Lent arrives\, we find ourselves at a border with the ancient Israelites in our reading from Deut eronomy. We are standing on the edge of the wilderness\, loo king with great anticipation toward the Promised Land.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190310 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190311 SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:58e8872d0b3c6b18513c6ddb5ce47037@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week\, we turn our gaze upward\, aspiring to imitate ou r Creator\, the source of our promise\, our dreams\, and our guiding star along our Lenten pathway.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190317 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190318 SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:05469c8c2f495489447b82183c5dd769@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Tradition compels us to think of Lent as a time of self-deni al and intense introspection and contemplation. This season sets itself apart as a time of fasting from the luxurious an d indulgent. A boisterous feast at God’s table is the last thing that we would expect to see embodied in the words of our lectionary Scripture for this week.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190324 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190325 SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d0b478058a1f7aafcc27ae4dc9394870@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We have embarked on a “journey of the heart\,” walking t hese Lenten days toward resurrection. Embracing transformati on\, new possibilities\, and new life is what our journey is all about. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190331 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190401 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6f8c1d636d12afc4a1da49e598561b3c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:For the people of God\, our one thing is resurrection – th e movement from death to new life. We practice resurrection as a church and as individuals all the time\, or at least we should. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190407 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190408 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9fe99e82f5d345b19e3f5a236f20985a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We emerge this week from our wilderness wanderings and find ourselves caught up in a parade\, a party\, a procession of palms! It has been a long journey to arrive at the gates of Jerusalem where Jesus will make his grand entry into the hea rt of political power and religious authority.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190414 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190415 SUMMARY:Palm/Passion Sunday 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:85aafda0f644d4b03ad9ebf9f67e5365@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Our Lenten journey has ended\, and we have finally made it t o Easter! Every year\, we are asked to tell the same story o ver and again: gaping tomb\, confused mourners\, unexpected and unbelievable encounters with angels and a gardener.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190421 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190422 SUMMARY:Easter Sunday 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a4fa197c0f89902c05c7c86bf79c815a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Jesus arrives among a group of disciples who are scared for their lives\; they have every right to be. They saw their le ader crucified and are concerned that they might be next. It is perfectly understandable for them to feel scared\, anxio us\, and nervous—anything but peaceful.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190428 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190429 SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Easter 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:67b2ecdf4569006d2c3fafbbd089dd45@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In the stories of Jesus seeing his disciples after the resur rection\, several times we see Jesus having conversations wi th his disciples without them recognizing him—at least not right away. They don’t recognize him until he does someth ing familiar.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190505 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190506 SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Easter 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b311bc2c16c23fc0e1928fe787ec1909@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Jesus does not always answer the questions the way we want. People gather around Jesus and demand that he tell them\, pl ainly if he is the Messiah. Jesus replies that he has alread y told them\, but they did not believe.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190512 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190513 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Easter 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a335f03375480a43665d4e387215574e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This passage begins a collection of passages known as the Fa rewell Discourse. Jesus is preparing the disciples for a lif e without his physical presence. More than offering comfort\ , Jesus is trying to reorient them toward their mission.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190519 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190520 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Easter 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6addc19c196d7d11fee507118898003d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As disciples\, we are all sent into the world to live out th e love we have experienced. Embracing the reality that we ar e all “sent” in some way helps us keep perspective when are tempted to let our hearts be troubled or when we are tem pted to give in to fear. There is intentionality in our effo rts to keep God’s commandments. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190526 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190527 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday in Easter 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:04ddbda6ce7a43150aa94dfe28f4dd43@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In chapter 17 in the gospel of John\, we have a plea for Jes us’ followers to become one. It is a poetic prayer that is simultaneously beautiful and repetitive\, as we would expec t to find in the Gospel of John. We get a glimpse into Jesu s’ heart and longing for the believing community\, which i s another opportunity to try to grasp how Jesus understands unity. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190602 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190603 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday in Easter 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:c8a3a386e598eacaab689f3bfa01f68a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Here we move from the promise of the Spirit as Advocate and Comforter\, made by John in the Farewell Discourse\, to a po werful birth of a Spirit-filled community that is empowered to live its mission in the world. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190609 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190610 SUMMARY:Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:8e0f1235f692425197ba110b445d88c5@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This series begins with the observance of Trinity Sunday\, o ne of the most widely debated yet central doctrinal understa ndings of the Christian faith. To understand the Trinity is to understand God’s presence with us and our lives with on e another.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190616 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190617 SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:78a0799b4989ca3ffaa8cbd58bdf2285@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The prophet Elijah was a great risk-taking communicator\, sp eaking God’s truth to power. In the previous chapter\, he had declared the God of Israel’s superiority over the prop hets of Baal\, which resulted in the killing of these prophe ts. This sets us up for today’s scene\, where Jezebel prom ises to exact revenge upon Elijah.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190623 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190624 SUMMARY:Second Sunday After Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:353550e95f2b215608b89a228b9ee138@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Elisha is dedicated to Elijah’s prophetic ministry and doe s not want to see Elijah go away. So he clings to him. He cl ings to Elijah on the journey to Bethel\, even though Elijah advises him to “stay here.” Elisha again clings to Elij ah—this time more boldly—as they journey to the Jordan\, despite Elijah’s command to “stay here.” DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190630 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190701 SUMMARY:Third Sunday After Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:658d9527f11cc48ab89c4e2b0488b78a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In scripture\, we encounter the character of Naaman\, a grea t commander of King Aram’s army. He is suffering from lepr osy and is desperate for healing. A young woman\, a captive from Israel (the “other\,” who lacks power and social st anding)\, speaks with authority and certainty to Naaman’s wife that the prophet Elisha in the land of Israel could hea l Naaman. Maybe it was out of desperation\, or maybe it was the still\, small voice of God speaking to Naaman\, but Naam an trusted the Israelite woman and embarked on a journey to the land of Israel to be healed. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190707 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190708 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday After Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:8571d283dbecdae9f209b37f1fb9efff@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:I think that often when we read the parable of the Good Sama ritan we miss the point of the story. In the parable\, when the lawyer (who was not a lawyer like we think of a lawyer\, but really more like a seminary professor or highly educate d clergyperson) correctly identifies the Samaritan as the ne ighbor\, Jesus responds with the words\, “That is the righ t answer\; do this and you will live.” DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190714 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190715 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday After Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:78218ab9c87aa0777c262fc59bb9eb7d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:So this second week in our series on “Living as Disciples for the Transformation of the World” we consider the story of Jesus’ visit to the home of Mary and Martha in Bethany . For those of you who read my words regularly what I’m ab out to write may sound like I am beating a dead horse\, but I simply cannot and will not read the story of Mary and Mart ha as an indictment of Martha and a lauding of Mary. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190721 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190722 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday After Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:60fdc63a81b853404df1d7aca81b4d5c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As Christians and as United Methodists\, most of us assume t hat we are expected to pray. The founder of Methodism\, John Wesley\, listed prayer as one of the spiritual disciplines to which we are to attend to daily. According to a Pew Resea rch report\, 55 percent of American Christians say they pray every day. These persons rely on prayer when making persona l decisions and consider prayer and essential part of their identity. There are literally millions of books of prayers\, books on how to pray\, and books about the power of prayer. We assume that since Jesus prayed\, that means that we also should pray. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190728 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190729 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday After Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:283d53d5dcbd9f9cf8abc7436d0eb133@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:“Be on guard against all kinds of greed\; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Depend ing on where you sit on the great divide between wealth and poverty\, this statement from our Lord and Savior may strike you as good news\, or as condemnation. As a member of a mid dle class\, two-income\, American family\, I find I must tak e Jesus’ words as a harsh criticism of my lifestyle. I mus t confess that like many people in my situation\, my life is characterized by my abundance of possessions. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190804 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190805 SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday After Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a5bcffa84b0c33c6c0c91846cb9ae4bb@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:A common theme in our Scripture lessons for the next three w eeks is justice. We don’t often think of joy and justice t ogether\, yet if we look for joy in these passages\, we will find it. Joy is found when we\, as the people of God\, put our faith into action by pursuing justice and championing th e oppressed. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190811 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190812 SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday After Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:404af6dd569137b765a8f33d3eee51ea@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week’s lessons continue to underscore the theme of ju stice. The Isaiah passage is known as “The Song of the Vin eyard.” The seven verses are more of a parable than the po etry of a song. The prophet tells of a vineyard planted with “choice vines” and yet it yields “wild grapes\,” or what the NIV calls “bad fruit.” The vineyard failed to live out the purpose for which it was created.  DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190818 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190819 SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday After Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:efa7bafc834a5a8962d43a851ffa0e74@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We continue our three-week series on “Joy: The Flip Side o f Justice.” Again\, as with preaching notes of the previou s two weeks\, we focus our attention especially on the readi ngs of the older testament\, though we allude to all the rea dings. This week’s reading includes verses from the beginn ing of the book of Jeremiah as well as Psalm 71. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190825 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190826 SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9fe513898a252136f0e585ad77d919bf@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:For the month of September\, this worship series will focus thematically on the Lectionary readings from Jeremiah. In th e life of the local church\, September can be a hectic month : many parishioners are squeezing in their last vacation aro und Labor Day\; while at the same time\, many church choirs are resuming their standard schedule\, and Christian Educati on usually has some kind of kick-off (i.e. “Rally Day”). This collection of readings from the book of Jeremiah will be certain to challenge us as we to re-assimilate to the rhy thm of a more robust church activity life. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190901 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190902 SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:02f3dbf3d00d0741b2029ebce85c3001@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This is the second week of the series\; the principal image from the Jeremiah passage is God\, the potter. In terms of v isuals\, this is an excellent time to highlight the work of potters who may be in your congregation. If there are no pot ters in your congregation\, consider purchasing pottery from local artisans to support your community. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190908 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190909 SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6913a4f5280620d1467417514c397923@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As mentioned in the first week of planning notes\, Weeks 1 t hrough 3 of this series are focused on the aspects of humani ty’s unfaithfulness that’s being “called out” by the prophet Jeremiah. This is the final week of that first move ment\, and it will lead to next week’s focus on repentance and the final week’s focus on God’s renewal. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190915 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190916 SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2b8147bf83e497873e4fd6f2d558f1a2@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:When we hear the word “lament\,” we often think of the P salms. Yet this passage from Jeremiah is a clear-cut example of this genre. The preaching notes from this week will emph asize the repentant aspect of this passage\, wherein the peo ple of Israel are recognizing their sin and that God has see mingly abandoned them. This notion of recognition that God i s more distant than “usual” will be a helpful framing fo r the response to the Word. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190922 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190923 SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:447329ea0d70e2eb25e5c6a66ce77458@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This is the fifth and final week of the worship series. This week focuses on the renewal of things to come. Jeremiah 32: 15 declares\, “houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.” The waywardness that led to the lament and repentance of the Israelites is now leading to th e hope of a new future in God. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190929 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190930 SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost 2019\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:39578e90d43c9cd4835818f01df08ca9@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The first week of our worship series opens on a shared ecume nical observance of living our faith together: World Communi on Sunday. While this is a great Sunday to highlight the glo bal nature of the universal church\, it also presents a uniq ue opportunity for local ecumenical collaboration. Consider reaching out to your local clergy or lay colleagues in the c ommunity and asking them to write a prayer to include in you r service. Offer the same in return. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191006 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191007 SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e53c37f652563edc9b63fdf63b83b63a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week is one of those great moments when there is harmon y between the United Methodist programming and worship calen dar with the Revised Common Lectionary. On October 13\, many United Methodist congregations honor “Children’s Sabbat h” Sunday. Not to be confused with Children’s Sunday or Youth Sunday\, Children’s Sabbath “engages places of wor ship across the country in focusing prayers\, worship\, educ ation programs\, and action on learning more about the urgen t problems facing our nation’s children exploring sacred t exts and teachings that call us to love and protect children \, responding with outreach and advocacy.” DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191013 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191014 SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:15ea5f843125172ea4416ed86a947229@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It is Laity Sunday in The United Methodist Church\, which us ually has three different responses from congregations: (1) ignoring this week and continuing on with business as usual\ , (2) having your church’s lay leader or a certified lay s peaker deliver a sermon\, or (3) having multiple speakers of fer mini-sermons or testimonies. For this week\, we are hopi ng you consider options two and three. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191020 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191021 SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d8dd8e11980efc9075311b27739ea931@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Many United Methodists around the world acknowledge this Sun day’s commemoration and celebration of the Reformation. Th e Reformation often seems to be “too heady” to discuss o n a Sunday morning or even “irrelevant” to our everyday lives of faith. One way to approach Reformation Sunday is th rough the lens of unity. “Unity” may seem to be an odd a pproach because in the last 500 years\, the DNA of the Refor mation can be characterized by fracturing and splintering. S o why focus on unity? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191027 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191028 SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:c9febc877d4b13d905669ae9804ce0aa@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In the United Methodist Church\, the first Sunday in Novembe r is usually a combination observance of two major feasts: A ll Saints Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls Day (Nov. 2). Whereas A ll Saints Day commemorates the great historical forerunners to our faith\, All Souls Day helps us remember some of the everyday saints” who have gone before us and have entere d into God’s rest. Both of these observances coalesce well with this week’s theme of “abiding.” DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191103 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191104 SUMMARY:Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:7aa4177c58be4c6d6dffe251c0d475f8@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:God is doing a new thing among us. In our congregations acro ss the globe\, the Holy Spirit is breathing new life into fr esh ideas\, innovations\, and creative demonstrations of fai thfulness among us. Multiple scripture passages this week re fer to the new things that God is doing\, be it the “latte r splendor of this house” in Haggai\, the joyful and fearf ul anticipation of Christ’s coming in 2 Thessalonians\, or the enduring reality of the resurrection in Luke 20. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191110 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191111 SUMMARY:Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1416bfcdd80491192520528a49cd405a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:These scripture passages intersect at the themes of labor (I saiah 65\; 2 Thessalonians 3)\, God’s blessing (Isaiah 65) \, and the faithfulness of God in equipping us for our labor s (Luke 21). DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191117 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191118 SUMMARY:Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9544ac305ef07db23699c57df8e97c50@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:These lectionary readings present quite the juxtaposition fo r Reign of Christ/Christ the King Sunday\, which is the conc luding week of the Christian liturgical year. When we think of Christ’s lordship\, the Colossians 1 passage is an obvi ous choice\, as it speaks to the preeminence of Jesus and hi s Lordship over all creation. At the same time\, Christ is o ne who was crucified like a standard criminal\, offering for giveness up until his final breath. Put together\, these scr ipture readings paint an image of Christ as our crucified Go d who reconciles the whole world to himself through his deat h and Resurrection. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191124 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191125 SUMMARY:Reign of Christ\, Christ the King Sunday\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:3628387b0c10fb20eaf9151048666ba6@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Journeys begin with a choice. Shall I go or not? Shall I sta y and embrace the known and the comfortable\, or shall I go and maybe find something wonderful\, or maybe be unsettled\, upset\, uncertain? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191201 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191202 SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e11090ad935baec37e9f3ea71ed0ef30@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In any journey of length\, there will come times when questi ons arise. A question such as\, “Are we there yet?” is o nly one possibility. Other questions such as\, “Should we turn around?” or “Do we really want to make this journey ?” or even “Are we making progress?” may occur. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191208 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191209 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:05cd18ac5dd2a11c62818c25f0abfe96@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete” Sunday. E ach Sunday in the season of Advent is supposed to be feast d ay\, a celebration\, but this week is especially so. The thi rd week of Advent is a time of joy\, a time of being thankfu l for all that has been given—the promise of the Savior wh o has come\, who is present\, and who promises a return. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191215 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191216 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:621cd267c7911073d236a465fdbbe322@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Perhaps you\, too\, have become suspicious of your GPS. You re following the directions to a destination where you hav e never been. Then you’re directed to make a turn that doe sn’t feel right. You’re in an area of the city that does n’t look right. The directions keep coming\, but they don t seem to be on the right path. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191222 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191223 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9c48571cd8241e74c060ecff21c2932b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What a glorious night\, what a precious moment\, when we gat her as a family in the darkness of the world to sing and to remember and hold our candles up into the night as we celebr ate the light. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191224 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191225 SUMMARY:Christmas Eve\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:dcd863f8ed48a23f686764408bb119fc@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The post-holiday blues hit hard sometimes. It was a frenetic journey to the celebration of Christmas\, but now the light s don’t seem so bright and colorful\, and the music grates on our ears. Or worse\, things have fallen apart\, and the family closeness lasted only a minute or two before the riva lries and resentments returned. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191229 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191230 SUMMARY:First Sunday After Christmas Day\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a15224708f7d0129655d995ce12e9246@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Watch Night is another night to gather together to worship a nd to hope. Watch Night is not simply the culmination of the Advent and Christmas series\, but a new beginning. It is an opportunity to set a course for the journey that continues. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191231 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200101 SUMMARY:New Year's Eve / Watch Night\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d511446d6cc5e2bfa956dcd4ca052686@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This stand-alone service is an opportunity for the church to celebrate the Light that shines in the darkness. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200105 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200106 SUMMARY:Epiphany Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:fb84680a7dc0fda6f014294933d89ade@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Another stand-alone service\, this one is designed to give a sense of solidarity with Jesus by joining him in the experi ence and confession of baptism. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200112 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200113 SUMMARY:Baptism of the Lord\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e622e1a7a56febda273d477b4aaf369d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The salutation of I Corinthians contains a wealth of materia l for preaching and worship\, not least is the enthusiasm wi th which Paul addresses his readers and hearers. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200119 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200120 SUMMARY:Second Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1eb2b79239071f87817cf631b91ed432@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Paul doesn’t waste any time getting to the main point. He discusses the division and some of the sources of it. But ag ain\, there is hope in our common baptism\, in our belonging to Christ. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200126 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200127 SUMMARY:Third Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:3b7557d8071922b7a49b36e13442881a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The fools that we are called to be does not diminish us as p eople\, but rather reminds us of the source of our strength and our wisdom. If we are able to move our egos out of the w ay and truly focus on the unity of the body and the centrali ty of the call\, it just might be possible to be in mission together as the church of Jesus Christ. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200202 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200203 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e548080f238a81164d0e727c48701b72@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:“Preach the gospel at all times. When necessary use words. ” This quote is still attributed to St. Francis of Assisi\ , even though historians can’t find a single time he said this. It sounds like Francis though\; don’t you think? And he did say something similar: “It is no use walking anywh ere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.” DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200209 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200210 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b0d0540bc1acfbd36c73852c56aa2481@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Elders in The United Methodist Church submit to the itinerac y system\, moving from church to church throughout their min istry. Some argue that it is a system no longer sustainable in our culture that needs to be phased out. Perhaps\, but on e outcome of the system is a visceral understanding of the i dea presented in I Corinthians 3 about servants together in fields of the Lord. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200216 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200217 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:17e138d80cdde088ca918a0ffd05771c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:So why Transfiguration Sunday? Why let it be significant eno ugh to stand alone? This has not been a significant event in the life of most churches. Plus\, in our attempt to connect with the wider community\, it seems like a hard sell to tho se unfamiliar with church talk. So why bother? Because we ne ed it. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200223 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200224 SUMMARY:Transfiguration Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f7fd39cd477621ce9a0efd6ff5aeb732@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Ash Wednesday begins with a need for repentance and the call to walk with Christ. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200226 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200227 SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b82a1e622645b91ed97c8cc07abda9fb@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Happy isn’t a mood we associate with the season of Lent. L ent seems to call for something a little more somber\, refle ctive\, and inward looking. Certainly\, the Lenten journey c alls for attention to the inner self and the working of spir itual disciplines in the life of the individual and the comm unity of faith. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200301 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200302 SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:ac21fa31fd98b02d28cf45d1ecebe0b4@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It’s only week two in Lent\; there’s a long road ahead o f us. Yet\, if we’re not careful\, we can begin to stop pa ying attention. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200308 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200309 SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:77c1fa8726c94697b8356130e6754188@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Worship is not just\, or even primarily\, a head thing. It i s a whole body thing\; we pour ourselves out in worship. We enter the worship space and nothing else matters but the com munity who gathers and the God we worship. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200315 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200316 SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:7c3721e99fe4a684db3c2ec9e94c4354@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Of all the songs in the hymn book of the people of God\, the 23rd Psalm is probably the most beloved. It is almost impos sible to read these six verses without hearing a favorite ve rsion sung. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200322 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200323 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:275d5e68f8046441112a5bde57cb8c41@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Psalm 130 provides a proper ending to the series and an anti cipation of what is to come. The psalm is a cry from the dep ths of pain or despair. And there is no clear resolution\, n o clear fix to the brokenness\; the separation still abides. And yet\, there is hope. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200329 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200330 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:73c19c658fc239e190b9251f02ea0741@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:From the waving of palm branches while shouting “Hosanna! to the gathering of the mob shouting “Crucify Him!”\, Palm/Passion Sunday is the beginning of a difficult journey to the cross. Whether the last Sunday of Lent or the prelud e to Easter\, this act of worship is rich with meaning and p resence. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200405 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200406 SUMMARY:Palm/Passion Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6e8443590583804b81fc0ab77203abc6@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Gathering with the Twelve in the upper room before Christ’ s Passion\, Maundy Thursday is a moment to hear Christ’s new commandment” – to love as He loved – even as we share in the sacramental grace we call Holy Communion. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200409 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200410 SUMMARY:Maundy Thursday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2abba36906ffbe774a9f195e4a634db4@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In darkness and in silence\, we stand with the first followe rs and through our tears we watch the Lord of our life shed blood for us and die in pain and in victory. That is what Go od Friday has been throughout the centuries and in a variety of traditions and practices. “Were you there when they cr ucified my Lord?” DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200410 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200411 SUMMARY:Good Friday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f2e977fab744465b05c81135ad7c465f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The grand and glorious reversal of all we thought we knew ab out life and about death\, Easter is God’s yes to love and to life eternal through the Son\, Jesus the Christ. This is a day of color and light and joy as we celebrate resurrecti on with all that is within us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200412 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200413 SUMMARY:Easter Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:860d255b42e9ff2d55b4003730d70d73@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Eastertide is a season of celebration\, a season of embracin g the proclamation of Easter. It is an embrace of life itsel f. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200419 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200420 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9192e47939d7a79408adef6ea52d1077@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We too often want to get back to normal\, to the same old\, same old. But that’s the whole point of Easter\; there is no same old anymore. Everything is new. We might be living i n a Good Friday kind of world\, but we are of Easter. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200426 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200427 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f008fa5eb7c673f05ea2c25031cee240@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What makes it a revival? All kinds of things could be consid ered\, but it comes down to two things: first is an invitati on to discipleship\, and second is the hospitality of a lovi ng community of faith. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200503 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200504 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:4f54ec4ff85eab1d939efe806496aed1@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This series is about Jesus and about us. It’s a celebratio n of the gift of Resurrection and the new life that it bring s to us and to the world. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200510 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200511 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a2a98779183254c409d87f8e0bae630b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:“Chosen and precious” refers to the one chosen for us an d precious in God’s eyes. But now\, because of the Resurre ction\, that phrase includes us. We are chosen and precious in Christ. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200517 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200518 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:27613f377f7242af8394d8905cf32de8@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It is time to turn back to the one who is “chosen and prec ious\,” except\, as you’ll see\, he turns it back to us. Even when talking about himself\, his own glory\, he turns back to us. It’s amazing\, really. in this moment\, you’ d think he would be focused on himself. But even in the fina l moments on this earth\, we’re the objects of his attenti on and his prayer. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200524 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200525 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9dd758a721224f5c9661d94cfa77675d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Pentecost: Another high holy day of the Christian calendar. Called by many the birthday of the church\, Pentecost repres ents a passing of the mantle of sorts—from the Incarnate C hrist to the ever-present Spirit\, the reminder of the God w ithin\, the sustainer\, the teacher\, the strengthener. Pent ecost is a day of celebration for all that God has done and is doing within the life of the church. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200531 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200601 SUMMARY:Pentecost Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:156d6c66dca2549eb92bdf3d51c4ecec@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The first Sunday after Pentecost is also called Trinity Sund ay. One explanation reports that this is the Sunday where yo u explain the Trinity. Good luck with that. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200607 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200608 SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9acb1bc107bd6d15b599d6dfe042cac9@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:How do you count? Does that seem like an odd question? Maybe it is\, but it is still valid. We are entering the longest season on the Christian calendar. Some call it Ordinary Time \, and some call it the Season after Pentecost. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200614 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200615 SUMMARY:Second Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2d553f462c12610ccad3c73a5abfdd72@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This is the third Sunday after Pentecost. It is also the Sum mer Solstice\, or the first day of summer. And\, of course\, it is Father’s Day. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200621 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200622 SUMMARY:Third Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:3335a12321d76111591c3d19c7235c9c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:So\, what is the word for our final week of the series? Love all the people. That’s where we’re going next with this series. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200628 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200629 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f9bffbef14ebd18371b4c9c8937021ac@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:How do we observe Independence Day in worship? With thanksgi ving. It is always appropriate to give God thanks for the bl essings we too often take for granted. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200705 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200706 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:91de1d427108ef78815a494fb3fc2256@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Here we are in the midst of summer\, wondering how we will h old on to folks when summer fun calls. Of course\, COVID-19 might have something to say about what and where and when we can gather\, even out in the wilderness of the great land o f ours. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200712 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200713 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:ec1c52fc32f913c711600766d3793638@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:“We are debtors.” That’s the opening statement for our text this week. We are debtors. We’ll focus more on the t ext in our preaching notes\, but here we will state that the obvious learning from this statement is that we are not alo ne. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200719 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200720 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:51fc17220459fd9a24723be3ec007d14@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This house shall be a house of prayer. That isn’t the text for this week. But it is a sentiment behind the thrust of R omans 8:26-39. We are about prayer this week: prayer that tr ansforms\, prayer that equips and enables\, prayer that over comes\, prayer that conquers. Worship this week should be ce ntered around prayer. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200726 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200727 SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:62899ce069ee4597e2e164ec27a0e646@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Our focus is Jesus. Always\, yes of course\, but particularl y in this series we are looking at Jesus and then looking at us. Not so much so we can emulate Jesus\, but so that we ca n find motivation for what it is that we do. God’s how is our why\, remember? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200802 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200803 SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2b6875925d9951a4a162d7fe91b80abb@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The Word is near you? How do we celebrate that this week? Ho w do we claim the gift we’ve already been given? Perhaps t hat’s the key—what we’ve already been given. This is a time for celebrating who we are as the people of God. Inste ad of prayers asking for what we don’t have\, maybe we can claim with joy what we already have. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200809 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200810 SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:50da8b4b52fcacc978ff0165a354737f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week’s topic is difficult. It is so difficult the wor ship team might be inclined to choose a different text. Both Paul’s letter to the Romans and Matthew’s Gospel presen t to us complicated texts that will be hard to wrestle into an easily digestible form for a comfortable Sunday morning. Yet\, this is precisely why it is worth the struggle. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200816 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200817 SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:fab2a4264530d09dc677fced35d8b6ae@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Last week may have been a struggle\, text-wise anyway. But t his week\, ideas just fly off the page. We have two texts th at leap into our heads and hearts from which we can bring th e community of faith to a resounding shout of joy. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200823 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200824 SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:344b4ca395a6bef275910b795ede92a8@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Let us celebrate the working of love in the midst of the peo ple of God. Find stories to tell\, pictures that reveal\, pe ople who have experienced genuine love\, who have never lagg ed in zeal\, who have contributed to the needs of the saints . DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200830 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200831 SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:02b1d361120ac56376f60b40338e6df8@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:If there is an emotion that seems to resonate throughout the texts for this first week of our new series\, it is anger. If there is an emotion that often will launch us into a wild erness experience\, it is also anger. So\, this seems to be where we need to begin. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200906 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200907 SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:8fdeefc1d6f31b389f5c6e8ec1922a1e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Remember\, we are in the wilderness. The people standing on the shore\, amazed at what God had accomplished\, were not d one with their journey. They had only just begun. We are on a journey too\, making disciples of Jesus Christ for the tra nsformation of the world. And we have only just begun. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200913 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200914 SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:289f3a3da37f24b7036bd2a1cd2fbd1e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Manna\, that’s what we’re celebrating today. Manna in th e wilderness\, sustenance for the journey. But also a questi on. “Manna” in Hebrew translates as\, “What is it?” The perfect question for this odd stuff that just appeared i n the wilderness every morning. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200920 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200921 SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f9535520b01ec039dfc90f6cc2977ac5@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What if the theme for the week\, “Strike the Rock\,” bec omes a call for deeper living? “Strike the rock” means l ean on God\, trust in Jesus. Strike the rock means find the joy even in difficult moments\, even in the wilderness. Stri king the rock is trusting that there is a way forward even w hen it seems like there is no way. Striking the rock is a de claration of faith\, even when it seems like giving up makes more sense. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200927 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200928 SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:71301741e7625ba276508e58dd9b24c2@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This is World Communion Sunday\, a service that could certai nly stand on its own. It carries enough weight and meaning t o not need the support of a larger theme. Many worshiping co mmunities have traditions and practices that accompany World Communion Sunday\, and those should remain in place. Let th is service be significant in the minds and hearts of the con gregation. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201004 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201005 SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:3e4c608005e63421f33a6e9e85b7189d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Does it seem that there are simply too many things to think about these days? It’s overwhelming\, to say the least. An d many in your worshiping congregation may seem overwhelmed. It just might be time for a reset. The Rev. Junius Dotson\, General Secretary of Discipleship Ministries\, has written "Soul Reset\," a book about finding space to breathe\, about reorienting one’s life with gospel priorities. It might b e a good resource for planning the service this week\, which is a week of getting our thinking straight. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201011 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201012 SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e6d78ee98e1b59d4e61415425be990db@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The word for today is presence: God’s abiding and constant presence — not a random\, “force-like” presence that just is. This is an intimate presence\, a personal presence\ , a presence that knows your name. What a proclamation to br ing this week! You are known. In our over-mediated society\, it is often the individual who gets lost in the mass of voi ces and noise that surrounds us. There are many in your cong regation who can attest to feeling lonely in a crowd. This w eek could be an antidote to those feelings. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201018 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201019 SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5523a3b944ed31228b8dd2983810d329@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Reformation Sunday is an interesting event. In one sense\, i t has become an opportunity for all non-Catholic churches to celebrate their history that Luther and then others led in a break from the Roman influence in Europe. Some historians claim that it was on October 31 that Luther nailed the 95 Th eses to the Wittenberg church door. So\, this is the Sunday closest to that event. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201025 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201026 SUMMARY:Reformation Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:246c97cb1e96c760f28ca7cd77c46a1a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:All Saints Day falls on a Sunday this year. John Wesley cons idered it one of the greatest celebrations in the life of th e church. “How superstitious are they who scruple giving G od solemn thanks for the lives and deaths of his saints!” said Wesley in 1756. Year after year\, he commented on the c elebration of the saints. It was a festival he dearly loved. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201101 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201102 SUMMARY:All Saints Day\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:57c08c8379c8b9c779445b68674e3eba@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This worship experience is both an inspiration to live each day aware of that presence and to acknowledge that all of us are closer to the one we follow than we realize. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201108 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201109 SUMMARY:Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1a8ec4f34eff83cec7bcb5ed3bde7496@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In every gospel message\, there is a call. But let it be a c all to joy\, not to shame or to heaviness. Let it be a call to the possibilities of transformation and growth. Invite th e community to more— more love\, more joy\, more fellowshi p\, and connection. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201115 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201116 SUMMARY:Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d127313b1e5a649409dba5f94f2b0757@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Reign of Christ or Christ the King Sunday is an opportunity to be reminded who is the one we have chosen to follow. It i s an opportunity to give thanks for the author of salvation and the one who has given us the gift of the church\, the fe llowship of the body that we celebrate each time we gather i n person or online. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201122 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201123 SUMMARY:Reign of Christ/Thanksgiving Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:483537b8f139ded0862e809425f5f213@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What excitement this season brings! Certainly\, you’ve don e it many times before\; the rituals may be set in stone\, t he expectations ripe\, and the patterns already unrolling. B ut there is something about the season of Advent that brings forth the kid in us\, and we all lean into the hope. So\, l et the excitement grow\; let the buzz be felt. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201129 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201130 SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5e00e627906c2b6b405637fc93ffb675@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It is one thing to notice that there is work to be done. It is quite another one to determine that you are the one who n eeds to do that work! This week’s worship is about commitm ent. That could be hard when a large part of the congregatio n is still online. How do we get folks to commit to ministry when getting together is difficult? What does ministry look like in this pandemic era? These are some of the questions the worship team might consider answering\, or at least maki ng suggestions about this week. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201206 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201207 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:981f7117964718d9e317cdf9a995a0db@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:After finding the mess and cleaning it up\, what now? Decora tions! We’ve got to make the place look great for those wh o are coming. We want our welcome to be beautiful and our ho spitality to be breathtaking. So where do we start? What do we include? What does it matter? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201213 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201214 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9ee3d97bb08caa073b7ac697236c477c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It’s the fourth Sunday of Advent\, and the tug of war is o ver. Christmas now takes center stage. Families who have com e home and may not join you for Christmas Eve services are e xpecting a Christmas message. It won’t do to keep to the A dvent theme of anticipation of the second coming of Christ. We need to relive the first. We need to live into the first. We are on the threshold of a new world. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201220 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201221 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1cb679d9db92055134c161436be2fad2@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What a feeling of celebration\, what a joy that all this ant icipation has come to a kind of fruition. True\, there will always be the questions about whether anything will change i n the world around us because of this event. Transformation always takes longer than we think it should. And it often be gins with something small\, a new vision\, a stronger hope\, a baby in a manger. Something small that will change everyt hing. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201224 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201225 SUMMARY:Christmas Eve\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f3c8ac23bc1f40533b060ad317281de0@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:There is an inevitable let down after Christmas. This is Dec ember 27\, only two days after the day that most are still d igesting. The other phenomenon that normally occurs at this time is that folks are starting to depart\; families are ret urning home\; people are going back to work. That may all be different now\, even as we will still be recovering or endu ring the pandemic. But there is still a shift in thinking\, in focus\, in direction in these Christmastide worship exper iences. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201227 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201228 SUMMARY:First Sunday after Christmas\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a79b3824e44942936ce25d4196bb1a92@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We’re wrapping up Christmas this week. Some may have alrea dy packed everything away\; others may still be sitting in t he glow of the lights and tinsel. But the goal isn’t to sh uffle it all away\, but rather to embrace the fullness of th e community that we have become – incorporating the new bu t becoming one in Christ. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210103 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210104 SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Christmas\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d8da99e78df0a11f49f4bbedf57d80a5@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Worship should be a celebration\; this is the beginning of a new year. We survived 2020\, and while there might still be lingering effects of the pandemic and the unrest\, it is ti me to embrace a new possibility\, a new hope. The heavens ha ve been torn open. But this isn’t a threat\; it’s a prom ise of something new\, something better. Let us commit ourse lves to a closer walk with Christ. Let the waters of baptism renew us and cleanse us for our mission and ministry as fol lowers of Jesus. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210110 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210111 SUMMARY:Epiphany/Baptism of the Lord\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e2013ec1307da829b79bfdb554ba6f20@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” That’s our g uiding phrase from our gospel text for this week. “Anythin g good?” Surely you can hear how that sounds. Surely in ou r contentious environment\, you hear the presupposition behi nd the sarcasm. You can hear the prejudice tucked away in su ch an innocuous joke. We are potentially dealing with some d ifficult topics this week. They are not difficult because th ey are complicated but because they are threatening. And per sonal. And most folk have some pretty entrenched positions o n race and ethnicity. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210117 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210118 SUMMARY:Second Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:283489891c65e36758e8eb30f444c38b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:How do we convince people that following Jesus is not simply about a state of being\, but a call to doing? Certainly\, t here is a need for training\, for preparation\, for growing as disciples\; but the end is always an outward focus\, alwa ys looking for ways to connect\, to widen the net. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210124 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210125 SUMMARY:Third Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:7d04e552f7271284822706b3cfddf0b6@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We are people on a journey of transformation\, and it isn’ t always easy. Today\, we acknowledge the hard work of becom ing disciples and of setting aside the weight that clings so closely\, of handing over the reins of our lives so that we can be led into wholeness. And so\, we can proclaim wholene ss to the broken world around us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210131 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210201 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:ba869b964f2426241b1ff2ef84ab321b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Let us celebrate service today\, but not as another call to do more\, to give more\, to work harder or to fill our overb urdened schedules with work. Yes\, there is always a call to more service. But instead\, let’s celebrate service by sa ying “thank you.” DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210207 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210208 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:c5913122a84b2f3c0638946014717382@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Transfiguration Sunday might not be a common observance in t he United Methodist tradition. There are those who do attemp t to pay attention to this significant moment in the life an d ministry of Jesus\, but many do not. Now\, as a part of th e “Follow Me” series\, would be a time to take a moment and consider this event. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210214 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210215 SUMMARY:Transfiguration Sunday\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:cc70ff0fd1ac128787ec0dfdeef59954@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:There is something powerful about a season that starts in th e middle of the week\, at night (or in the morning\, if that is your tradition). It suggests that the Lenten journey is a high calling\, not for the faint of heart\, not for the ca sual observer. It requires a level of commitment from the be ginning. Issue the call to worship as a reach\, a stretch\, not as a barrier to access\, but as a reminder of the strenu ousness of the journey ahead. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210217 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210218 SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:cbd1590252edf18798a7b1c01bdd2f64@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Lent begins on Ash Wednesday\; we admit that. But this first Sunday is when many people become aware of the season. If t here are rituals to be adopted\, they will often begin today . So\, we are on the brink again\, or still\, or even for th e first time\, of the journey. That’s why we begin with pr omise\; we begin with covenant. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210221 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210222 SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:16042c5505a2b0c831504b4dd58a118a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Rending of the hearts\, or what we have come to see as givin g something up for Lent\, has become somewhat anemic these d ays. Abraham gives an example of a true rending\, a true sac rifice. It makes our no chocolate or coffee for a few weeks seem kind of meager. Yet\, a sign is a sign. It is about our willingness and our patience. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210228 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210301 SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5230e144bdfd5c6969ee28097d31a30d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Designing a worship experience around the commandments seems a daunting task. Yet it need not be a heavy or finger-waggi ng experience. Instead\, it could focus on the commitments w e make to one another within the life of the community of fa ith. It could be a celebration of who we are as the body of Christ. It could be a reminder that we live in covenant with one another. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210307 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210308 SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:41ba0b6d40c4497bad3ff3955633762d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This is another occasion of Jesus predicting his death and t he doorway that it opened for all of us. And by “another o ccasion\,” we don’t mean how repetitive\, but instead we mean we need to pay attention here. This is important. Wors hip\, then\, should be centered around the offering that Chr ist makes to all. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210314 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210315 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6f2f5bab43b2a82d7aa5d94c8d8b029d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:That the gospel is countercultural is beyond debate. But tex ts like this one are so subtly against our way of thinking t hat we might not even realize the pull to deny this proclama tion even as we preach it. Yet\, how can we make such a clai m about a magnificent vision of the kin-dom of God? It seems something that we all long for on a regular basis\, particu larly during a time of unrest and division. This is a utopia worth claiming\, so why would we be reluctant? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210321 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210322 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:3c58ef1b243e2426b620174184f9779b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Palm Sunday is not just Palm Sunday\; it is more properly Pa lm/Passion Sunday. That slash is important. It is a reminder that there is risk involved in taking the side of the margi nalized. There is danger in trying to upset the status quo. And just when you think you’ve won your point and gathered your crowd\, you discover you are alone again. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210328 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210329 SUMMARY:Palm/Passion Sunday\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6fd3e7c998c353f14a2bfdffd8879333@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This Maundy Thursday\, we remember what Jesus did\; we go ba ck to that moment. But if we stayed in that past\, if we did n’t see that this command was\, as Exodus states\, “a pe rpetual ordinance” to be observed\, to be enacted with our whole lives\, then we’ve missed something significant abo ut this moment. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210401 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210402 SUMMARY:Maundy Thursday\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:c70a2853036b3e17b12e5746cca37eef@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In a way\, Good Friday is not so much about understanding\, but experiencing. That’s why mood is so important. What do you want to have happen in the core of those who participat e in worship in this service? We can’t always give a meani ng that will satisfy the mind. Who can explain this sacrific e of blood on a cross from one we have come to call Lord or Savior? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210402 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210403 SUMMARY:Good Friday\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:18d3568dc1b2e306d748fbc64de81dc0@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Let there be joy – however it takes to project it\, whethe r in person or through a screen or even in print. Tell jokes \, funny stories\; let there be laughter. Easter is a day to feel\, even more than to understand. It is a day to accept more than a day to explain. Even though our foundations have been shaken\, we move forward\, because that is where the R isen one is going. He is going ahead of you. Let’s keep mo ving forward. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210404 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210405 SUMMARY:Easter Sunday\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6b9f67344a8ae103add7c85815c7ec30@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:On the Sunday after Easter\, there is a general let down. It is hard to maintain the heights that we attain on the celeb ration of Resurrection Day. The pastor is often on vacation\ ; the choir scales back. Even in this still uncertain time o f pandemic\, there might be a tendency to relax a little bit on this week. Resist that tendency! DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210411 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210412 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:67595eba2e27d257bf64e59e7f91a763@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Jesus is trying to ground the disciples’ faith in the real ity of his presence\, in the concreteness of his being. He t old them to touch him\; he ate in front of them. He was anno uncing that he was real. What can we provide\, what hands-on proof can we give that Jesus is alive among us? Of course\, we have been in a pandemic and touching is still not someth ing we want to engage in. But we can still give examples of lives being touched\, hearts being touched. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210418 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210419 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:cd38e69818cf5ce937588464a4460a8e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The real question for us today is not\, “Will God speak to me\, to us today?” Instead\, will we listen for that voic e that is speaking? Jesus doesn’t say\, “Listen and mayb e I’ll have something to say.” He says\, “Listen to my voice.” “I am speaking” is the implied message\, so p ay attention. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210425 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210426 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:8a3ec267d3ba63697207f79d7ce2a0b7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We are practicing this abiding in Christ as we worship toget her with the hope that it will continue after the benedictio n is pronounced and the postlude ends. Cultivating habits fo r lifelong worship is a part of what we do when we gather fo r worship – however we gather these days. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210502 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210503 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:43600ea4d31ef83d2eed6fedd21e6a01@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It is not our intention to dampen the spirit of the day\, bu t to remind worship teams of the delicate nature of recognit ion. By all means\, find ways to give thanks and to give hon or. That is one of the tasks of the followers of Jesus (Roma ns 12:10). At the same time\, however\, offer prayers of hea ling for those who are struggling on this day. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210509 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210510 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:cf451f6d240674d0029bd91c8d61163d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Worship this final week of Eastertide needs to be a celebrat ion of living the Resurrection with the Resurrected one at o ur side. It is a reminder that we are not alone\, that we co ntinue to journey with the one who calls us and the one who saves us\; even as we look forward to the one who will empow er us to continue the work of building toward the kin-dom of God. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210516 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210517 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday of Easter\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:758d6262393de8412a0866af5ee517f5@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Pentecost worship is about joy\, and the invitation is to le t the Spirit be poured out on you. But remember\, that “yo u” is plural. Let the Spirit be poured out on all y’all. It was because they were gathered together that this happen ed. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210523 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210524 SUMMARY:Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a22658d6dad4769563d39b3a8b86cc13@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This is the first Sunday after the Pentecost. It is the begi nning of a long season that takes us all the way through the rest of the liturgical year until we reach Advent once agai n. So\, it is a journey of some length. It is also the churc h’s story. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210530 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210531 SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:fc9c3e13ea325e11f37acefe6e09708a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Worship is\, of course\, about God and not about us. And yet there is a dimension where when we come to completely focus on God\, and God in Christ\, then we are renewed in the Spi rit to continue our discipleship path. So\, while we don’t measure worship by how it makes us feel\, there is a correl ation between being built up and the worship experience wher e we encounter God. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210606 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210607 SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d0db0f8eae267a7db67e5b1409ce97ea@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Worship this week is about growing into the new creation tha t we are called to be in Christ. So\, think about talking ab out growing. Those who are raising kids find themselves tell ing stories about the latest thing\, the latest mischief\, t he latest accomplishment that their child has gotten into. W e need stories to help us see what living as a disciple is l ike. We tell our stories\, and we tell stories of others as examples of a faithful life. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210613 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210614 SUMMARY:Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:52339e1cfdc0b64c1ba44e17ff9e4617@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Green is the dominant color of this long after Pentecost sea son. It is the color of life and of growth. Here is where th e focus switches from the story of Jesus to the story of the church. Not that we leave Jesus behind\, of course\, but Je sus is now working through the body of Christ\, the church\, to continue his ministry and invitation in the world. This is our story\, who and what we are called to be. This is the story of disciple making day to day\; this is our reason fo r being. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210620 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210621 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:3e4b6ce2b17e77910df01ab20113f57c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Stewardship is not simply a once-a-year item. This week’s texts provide a perfect opportunity to talk about stewardshi p without following it up with a pledge card or a capital ca mpaign. Though the impetus for the Corinthian text is a mone tary collection\, it could easily be shifted to sharing of g ifts and offering of grace\, stewarding what we have been gi ven in a way that gives glory to God. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210627 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210628 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b55dd63f11d428a41b20a1c02315fd17@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Discipleship begins with relationship. With whom are we will ing to be in relationship? Who is included in our understand ing of bone and flesh? Who is “us” in a world of “us and “them”? Worship on this day can be about drawing t he circle as wide as possible – to acknowledge our common kinship through the Spirit. Let there be less of a nation of boasting and more of a nation striving to be the light on t he hill\, the shining example of the kin-dom of heaven on ea rth. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210704 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210705 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:07ce9728029446d0f0f0a87aaf46e66e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It’s midsummer\, and it may be hard to maintain focus. So what can we do to bring folks back to what worship can be or needs to be for the body of Christ? Throw a party! DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210711 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210712 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:246f75af6cc1dad7aeddb028da64eaa9@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What does it mean to be the dwelling place or a dwelling pla ce for God? How can we present the church and/or the communi ty of faith of something worthy of that designation? In this second chapter of Ephesians\, this is the description that we are given of the church: the dwelling place of God. God t akes up residence among us. What does it mean to be God’s home? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210718 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210719 SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9bb10b0204805a02c53e7cddfbb4683a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The only way we can know something as deep and as profound a s the love of God that we experience through the grace of Ch rist is through the witness of the church. How do you unders tand any one’s love? By living it\, by sharing it\, by tal king about it. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210725 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210726 SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:3801f98c708a786e98a74f1dc5d93c9b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Now we’re moving from preaching to meddling\, as the old c liché goes. To declare that there is a life worthy of the g ospel is to claim that there is a life that isn’t. There a re choices to be made in how we live out our faith. And some of those choices reveal whether we are indeed “rooted and grounded in love” or not. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210801 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210802 SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f708acc97a4d5ea8fd9f13cbcd03d146@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Our text this week places a high calling on the people of Go d. Two of them in fact. The text ends with the urging to be imitators of God. It is difficult to imagine a higher callin g than that. But this is why we spend most of our lives in t he process of knowing God. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210808 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210809 SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:27304b794d82259325437f7b200cd07d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Every fourth week of November\, we tell ourselves that Thank sgiving should not just be a once-a-year thing\, but a way o f living every day. Ephesians 5:15-20 is a call to remember that belief. This brief text sums up with “giving thanks t o God the Father at all times.” At all times! What if we h eld a thanksgiving service here in the middle of August? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210815 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210816 SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e646be4421fef11943e30c7cca5aaff5@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Accessorizing – that’s the image from the preaching note s that we might work with this week. The author of Ephesians wants us to realize that we are not left without resources as we seek to be made into disciples and to make disciples. In a way\, this is the gear we have been “gearing up for l ife” throughout the series. So\, what are these tools and how do we employ them in our daily lives? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210822 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210823 SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e16063d1839b3936eb72f1859bd34022@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Our series begins here on the last Sunday in August. Many sc hools have been in session for a while\; others wait for the Labor Day weekend next week. But on the brink of that immer sion into learning and community exercise\, we focus on bein g doers of the word. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210829 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210830 SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:bcc90798e7247bea1908721bf171f3a0@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Let this be a worship experience of reconciliation\, not jus t between individuals\, but between the church and world\, b etween economic status\, between races\, between orientation s. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210905 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210906 SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:8b8ba218db90ffeeedee84b67b8a7840@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We must be even more vigilant in how we present God and what words we are wanting to put in the mouths of those who wors hip with us this day. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210912 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210913 SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9a49497b3630c08cde9ccbed4718e117@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Peace is possible\, even while we are works in process. This isn’t about completion and the satisfaction of a job well done\; it is about a journey of discovery and transformatio n. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210919 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210920 SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9d54413818705c6a77161bfed3fccd60@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Worship can offer forms for prayer\, prayers that show how p rayer is shaped. That way worshipers can use the prayers pro vided but can also craft their own prayers following the for m or shape of prayer. It gives a running start to those who may feel that they don’t know what to say. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210926 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210927 SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e22c9617e94bc78875da59f4433c47d4@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Care needs to be taken as we launch into this series. If eve r there was a time where the worship team needs to take the congregation by the hand and walk them through the expectati ons of worship\, it is in this series. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211003 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211004 SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1669c9d613411d8d9ff9838e57e9bf6e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:“What shall we pray about today?” Perhaps your congregat ion is used to hearing such a phrase in worship on a regular basis. Many congregations have a regular time of sharing joys and concerns” during worship. But for others\, it se ems like an intrusion on the order of worship\; and should t he attempt be made\, there would be an uncomfortable silence . Yet scripturally\, we know we are called to pray for one a nother. How can we do that without hearing what the needs mi ght be\, or where the hurts are? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211010 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211011 SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:bd9ee2e16eaea822472737c554600613@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What ought we expect when we come to worship? To ease into s ome comfortable bubble protected from the difficult world ou t there? Or to be shaken to the core by the awesome majesty of the God we worship? To be honest\, there is nothing wrong with the warm comfort of the presence of God through the ca ring community that is the church. We don’t mean to sugges t setting that aside. But once in a while\, we do need to be reminded of what it is that we mean when we speak of the aw esome God. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211017 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211018 SUMMARY:Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:dfec60566399a928b7b2afb209c22995@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:So\, what do we do in worship this week? We give thanks\, ev en as we wait for the coming of the kin-dom. This is an Adve nt-like moment to embrace the now and the not yet in tension or in coexistence. We celebrate new life and new hope\, eve n as we grieve death and loss. We point toward the glimpses of grace at work in our community\, even while we confess th e times “we have failed to be an obedient church” as the traditional liturgy states. So\, we sing the praises of a G od who answers prayer\, even while we continue to call upon the Spirit to bring justice and an end to hate. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211024 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211025 SUMMARY:Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:82b04269c51e6be1cf356665d10a4717@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:All Saints Day is one of those moments where we celebrate an d remember those who have made the journey or who have taken the next step. We remember them because they are still a pa rt of us\, shaping us\, mentoring us – maybe not in a dire ct way\, but in a real way. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211031 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211101 SUMMARY:Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9314e4ac119ede4193fc7bf4a3f6509a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The first attribute of a life that matters that we will exam ine is generosity. Maybe this is an opportunity to refresh o ur call to stewardship. Stewardship isn’t something that s hould be heard only once a year and then when we are asking for a commitment to give. Generosity\, as reflected in our g ospel text this week\, is about how we hold the stuff of thi s life lightly\, even as we hold people and Christ tightly. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211107 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211108 SUMMARY:Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:60cf7770c121cf70178fe868dab04e2c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This is an opportunity here almost at the end of the Christi an year (since it all starts with Advent) for us to remind o urselves that we are people looking forward to a promise. It need not be a longing for heaven\, but more a hoping for th e kin-dom to come on earth as it is in heaven\, just like we pray each week. Part of our worship experience week after w eek is to open ourselves up to the vision God has for all of creation\, which includes us! DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211114 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211115 SUMMARY:Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:879cf02b1c09b9ad841f3921cf8789ce@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Reign of Christ Sunday is a marker for the end of the liturg ical year. It is a way of saying we wrap up a year’s worth of worship by claiming again whose we are. We reiterate our mission – to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the trans formation of the world. The emphasis this week is in the mid dle – “of Jesus Christ.” That is the kind of disciple that we are. We aren’t disciples of our own wisdom\; we ar en’t disciples following the winds of this world. We are d isciples of Jesus Christ. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211121 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211122 SUMMARY:Reign of Christ\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:709b9b6397a52fd9c3026675196127b6@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The first week of Advent has to deal with the shock. Is it t ime? Already? Sure\, the world has been giving Christmas hin ts for months now\, but it still seems to surprise us every year. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211128 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211129 SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:97e8e035876f6b75351501cdb4aec8b5@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:For many\, the second Sunday of Advent is when we light the candle of peace. This is a time of coming together\, of buil ding a community of faith that is open to all. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211205 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211206 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a89afbd2588ded242afa7c2674861ebb@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Week three is the time to throw the parties! This is the joy Sunday\, the celebration of the gift that comes and the gif t we are to and with one another. Let there be shouts of pra ise and hope. Let there be laughter and joy. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211212 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211213 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:0a25ee97213a93aef5f96d1859f3444b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The story takes over this week. Let’s just admit it. The s tory that we’ve learned and told and retold\, the story th at we’ve sentimentalized and Disney-fied\, the story that has produced songs and dramas\, movies and poems. And yet th rough it all\, the story persists. The story draws. It defie s explanation. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211219 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211220 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:da7a26510318af8c3b70251791975907@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It’s Christmas Eve. You don’t need me to tell you what t o do. Do what you’ve always done. I know\, there is someth ing in you\, in the faithful worship team\, that says you’ ve got to do something new\, you’ve got to come up with a different way of telling this story. That sentiment is under standable. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211224 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211225 SUMMARY:Christmas Eve\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d2552481347ef9be273301edd993e1fa@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Yesterday was Christmas. Whew\, we’re worn out. The crowd will be thin today\, most likely. Only those faithful ones w ho come whenever the door opens will be present. Too many ot hers say they have to tend to their guests or that they are the guests because they went home for Christmas. That is und erstandable. And we can’t really blame them\, especially a fter weeks of saying\, “Come Home for Christmas!” DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211226 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211227 SUMMARY:First Sunday after Christmas\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:be266f009a527ff80b177ec9a5a338d7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week can be a continuation of last week\; the Christmas tide desire to hold on to the hope of Christmas. Except this week\, we go from a position of strength and not of loss. I nstead of focusing on the cloud\, we look to the light. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220102 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220103 SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Christmas\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a5b409fe2ecf8c8551680e14143fe245@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Epiphany is about the revealing of the light to the world. N ot all see it\, of course\; this is why Jesus frequently sai d\, “let those who have ears to hear\, hear.” Even we ha ve moments where we aren’t so sure that we have seen that light. Yet\, we who gather for worship have caught a glimpse of something\, and we come to celebrate and to lean into th at hope. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220109 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220110 SUMMARY:Epiphany/Baptism of the Lord\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:95bacf85873149ef007dedc8c1705fd2@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:“Love never ends” is the guiding theme for the whole ser ies\, but it is manifest in a variety of ways through these texts from I Corinthians. We begin this week with an emphasi s on giftedness. God’s love for us is shown in the work th at we do and in the gifts that we use. But not just in the d oing itself\, we see God’s love in the way service builds relationships and then those relationships create community. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220116 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220117 SUMMARY:Second Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d5c5e68fdc68273eea4ae1850f6fec44@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We are continuing the focus on gifts of the Spirit this week . But while last week was to emphasize the unity of the whol e community of faith\, this week shifts to the individuals w ho are gifted among the body. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220123 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220124 SUMMARY:Third Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9fd97762c5fd275acb6c50bee0b1c079@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As we worship\, let us sing about loving\; let us pray to be more loving\; let us hear stories of powerful and transform ing love\, all with the intention of shaping our everyday li ves along the pattern Paul describes in I Corinthians 13. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220130 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220131 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:96c2aaf2c5e50dc80b3a24b4dc63b9f5@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week\, the text invites us to go back to where we start ed. We can reclaim our initial acceptance of the faith\, whe n we first said yes to Jesus\, or first said it in public in the presence of the loving and supporting church family. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220206 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220207 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f3234b31ee2a434be14a3bb0c2f1b505@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Jesus is the model of living and loving and dying and rising . And while we may not really know what happens at that thre shold moment between this life and eternity\, we embrace the promise and the hope wholeheartedly. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220213 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220214 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:46bbedea951f36aa4bfcc2eb76f6f678@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Our discipleship path and our journey to heaven are the same journey. That is the glory that we are aiming toward\; that is the promise that Paul reminds us of when he tells us tha t we will be raised in glory. Thanks be to God. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220220 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220221 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f6573707ae9acb07e4a85a3d149fb9ef@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:If your church is itching for a praise service\, this is it. All the hymns and songs about the greatness of our Lord can be sung on this day. All the music that speaks of the aweso meness of God\, of the wonder of Christ\, of the mystery of the Spirit. This is a moment that defies explanation. And th at’s a good thing. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220227 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220228 SUMMARY:Transfiguration Sunday\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:7603092f800a31a38bf2b27fd1d5bfaa@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Ash Wednesday is an observance built around the imposition o f ashes and not on the proclamation of the Word. The worship team should make sure that the focus is on the ashes and th e symbolism that is inherent in them. Even if you don’t ac tually apply them to the forehead or any part of the body\, the ashes can still remind us of our mortality and our human sinfulness. This is essentially a call to the Lenten observ ance\; therefore\, it needs to take the center place. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220302 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220303 SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:70bc54f2d69bd0ae3fc213a4db76ad58@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week\, worship needs to be seen as a second beginning. Unless your congregation is unusual\, many will not have com e for Wednesday worship\; therefore\, this week is their ent ry into the season of Lent. Much of what was said about Ash Wednesday could be repeated here. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220306 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220307 SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6ef84f9a03a38b93c04534f4cf15c9e1@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It might be time for someone to tell his/her story. A testim ony of the healing power of grace and love can be a big help to worshipers in comprehending this gift. Perhaps there is a story in the serving ministries of the church\, someone wh o was loved and accepted and served\, even while feeling unw orthy of such a gift. These stories are ways of letting folk s know that grace abounds and still has the power to change lives. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220313 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220314 SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1f45e58b7cde0aa1beb815d5d2481e09@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The Christ who gathers us up invites us to live a life of fr uitfulness. That’s the call hidden in our text for this we ek. The text starts with questions about blame\, about getti ng what is deserved. Jesus wants to change the conversation. Like a poem from Mary Oliver\, he is asking us “Tell me\, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious l ife?” DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220320 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220321 SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:168cd7669d0047c4e19d9e888440471f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Luke 15:1-3\, 11b-32 is a familiar story to many\, yet it be ars retelling. The message of grace and acceptance no matter how far one falls is one we need to hear again and again. B ut perhaps we might consider reflecting on the older brother as we worship this week. His story might come closer to our s than that of the younger prodigal son – particularly if we are trying to emphasize radical hospitality. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220327 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220328 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:082f90342675320d9363a3531ce71bee@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We are nearing the end of this season\; next week is Palm/Pa ssion Sunday. So\, here we can focus on giving honor to the Christ who as journeyed with us throughout this difficult se ason. Like Mary\, we can pour out in blessing praise and wor ship as we gather. We can offer something precious as we app roach the one who loves us more than his own life. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220403 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220404 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6b59043dca5d76c0f9bf4a7e10e49625@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Here we are again. We are on the brink of the remembrance of the central event of our faith. Holy Week and Easter shape our understanding of who we are as followers of Jesus Christ more than any other single event. We are\, as others have s aid\, Easter people living in a Good Friday world. We are de fined by this sacrifice and by this gift of eternity. And it all begins with Palm Sunday. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220410 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220411 SUMMARY:Palm/Passion Sunday\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f0a03ba7d0ea4f13adf6057f7bad6022@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:A recommitment to obeying that command is a part of why we g ather. We remember Jesus\, and we remember his words\, and w e once again pledge to learn to live by the command. In othe r words\, on this night\, we gather and offer ourselves to b e gathered up in Jesus by choosing to live by the call to lo ve. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220414 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220415 SUMMARY:Maundy Thursday\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:3d992b657fd59a8b45107c113a69491c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:How do you capture this moment in all its horror and glory? How do you communicate the depth of suffering and the height of sacrifice and love that this day represents? The short a nswer is that you can’t. Not completely. Not in a way that becomes as transformative as we would like. And yet there i s so much here that every attempt can bring us something of the day when it is done with sincerity and respect. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220415 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220416 SUMMARY:Good Friday\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:054a356015ab112fec48b55370a6cfb9@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It’s Easter. In many ways\, this day plans itself. It form s itself. There are patterns and rituals and traditions to t his day that are unique to you and to your congregation. It doesn’t do to disappoint on this day. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220417 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220418 SUMMARY:Easter Sunday\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:74395e69d8073ce5ab39dde108678a6e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Now is the time to decide how you’re going to invite the w orshiping community to make the commitment to become witness es for the kin-dom. It might be at the end of series or it m ight be here. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220424 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220425 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:824513c48ceae209cfe1ab81a14918b1@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:One approach to this week’s theme would be to talk about c all. How do we hear the voice of God and how do we respond? This dramatic story of conversion seems to set a standard th at not many are able to meet. Yet\, we believe that the voic e of God comes to each of us and to all of us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220501 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220502 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5f5d78c530d23b182ac912314971d5f9@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This Mother’s Day\, celebrate those who have nurtured\, no matter if they are mothers or not. We have all been shaped and cared for by a variety of people\, not just mothers. And remember\, as you give thanks for those whose experience of mother was positive and healing\, that you need also to ack nowledge those who have a different experience. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220508 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220509 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:bc523afde09d8da715bb28416e22f92f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Change is all around us\, even in the church. And change is never easy. Our text this week is about a whole new directio n for the beginnings of the church. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220515 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220516 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:cd19ecc2fc6f7809288f0896cad0143b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:If the Third Sunday of Easter was about hearing God’s call for the first time\, then this week is about carrying on th at conversation. God doesn’t tap us on the shoulder and th en leave us alone to figure it out from there. God is a cons tant presence\, guiding\, advising\, hinting\, strengthening us for the journey into discipleship. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220522 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220523 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:79d22f7ea7c8aa7060ac896e509b3815@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:“Good trouble” is a phrase that has grown in the conscio usness of the nation. Representative John Lewis\, a towering figure for civil rights\, coined the phrase\; and more than that\, he lived it. Our text for this week says there are w rongs that need righted. But maybe it isn’t quite that cle ar. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220529 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220530 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday of Easter\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:10dc56fcfcac0715a8b500bbf24bac7a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It’s Pentecost! Go all out. Use red everywhere\, depiction s of flame\, varieties of wind catchers—kites and streamer s and balloons. It’s time for a celebration. That may feel over the top for many congregations\, but there are ways to appropriately pull out the stops and enjoy worship this day . DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220605 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220606 SUMMARY:Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f6909cb9503dd85f8401d2d5798751ea@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Every year on Trinity Sunday\, a plea is made to the worship teams planning for this day that you avoid the inclination to try to explain the Trinity. The church has wrestled with the precise meaning of this theological concept from the ver y beginning. So\, freed from the expectation of trying to ma ke sense of the Trinity\, worship can be engaged in experien cing the Trinity. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220612 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220613 SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:fadbab9c2836732fe8b687c71299f876@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week\, the theme is redirection. Whether we feature the Gerasene demoniac or the prophet Elijah\, there is an invit ation to reorient or refocus—from the multi-voiced madness to the single call of Christ\, or from the wildness of natu re and of personal despair to the silence or stillness of Go d at work in and through the prophet and through the church. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220619 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220620 SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a68caa030d3f425b4076e63422ae42e7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Home is a recurring theme for worship. The call to come home \, the desire to go home\, feeling a sense of home all strik e at the heart of who we are as human beings. This is why we return again and again to these themes. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220626 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220627 SUMMARY:Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:168b2c2c53691352de6035df1eecf53f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Our text is about obedience and about submitting to authorit y\, but it is also about recognizing the voice of God in the voices of others. Naaman had little reason to listen to Eli sha\, except that he listened to the voice of the refugee gi rl whom he made a servant in his house. What does it take to hear the voice of God? To whom do we listen? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220703 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220704 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:ebd8f71e6e9363a34396dfc0c81afa02@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:If Elisha wants us to listen\, Amos wants us to look. God’ s repeated word to Amos was\, “What do you see?” It was an invitation to pay attention\, to take off the rose-colore d glasses and really see what was before him. How often do w e really pay attention to the world around us? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220710 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220711 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:626f478c9ae12f34e7bb4f77ecb5f250@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What is underneath our wealth\, our comfort\, our excess? Wh o is suffering\, who is hurting\, who is decaying like the b asket of summer fruit in our text\, which is coming to the e nd of its summer? That’s the look that we’re invited to take today. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220717 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220718 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9d79641add37e0bfc89f8ec11ae43bc7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Hosea puts to rest that old cliché that the Old Testament i s about the God of Law and Judgement and the New Testament i s about the God of Love. The God of the Hebrew Scriptures is much more complex than such an adage can describe. As is th e God of the New Testament\, of course. But here we have a G od who calls for risky love. It is a love that responds lovi ngly even when hurt\, even when not returned. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220724 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220725 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:260194c3a08df30e4162e5483a24daed@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In part one of this stage\, we were given the model of love of husband and wife. Now our text brings us the image of the love of children given to our care. This seems like familia r ground\, even if we’ve not been parents. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220731 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220801 SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6401d96ddd2ed38f52e164ec9783c783@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:If there was a stage you’d probably prefer to skip\, it wo uld be this one. Isaiah seems at his grumpiest height. Sure\ , that’s the rep that prophets have. But it seems excessiv e here. Yet\, as a crusader for justice\, you have to ruffle a few feathers from time to time. To get something done\, y ou need a “just saith the Lord” now and again. And Isaia h is ready to step up to the plate for this one. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220807 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220808 SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f616245d5799186eaf3da97a0223fe76@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What if we celebrate the church by featuring what happens ou tside the church? What if we lift up ministry that may be ha ppening in small ways throughout our neighborhood\, or city\ , or world? What if we take time to point out that the churc h is wherever the congregation is and does whatever it is ea ch member does? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220814 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220815 SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6afecf2bb6a985d1a99c196c24f6b6e4@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We’re back on more comfortable ground this week. Here we h ave the promise of presence. Supposedly\, John Wesley’s fi nal words were “best thing of all\, God is with us.” We love to celebrate that God is with us and we are not alone. That is a powerful message at any time of the year. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220821 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220822 SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1f0d386359787fc5f4bf1ba261202b70@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Part of what worship could offer this week are ways to pract ice the presence of God in the in-between times. What can we do throughout the week to be reminded that God is with us? How could we pray\, what could we read\, what might we do wi th and for one another to keep us on track and close to God? This is an opportunity for the spiritual disciplines. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220828 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220829 SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:57913c0ffd43166a9e5a3171832c5a71@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This first week of this “Having Words” series is a great time to remind ourselves of the commitment that we made to make and to be made into disciples of Jesus Christ for the t ransformation of the world. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220904 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220905 SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:71a2bd15c8be6c7cde3cb0038e97c6d0@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Worship is not only about receiving marching orders or getti ng our weekly assignments. But it can be a reminder that we are a people with a mission and that we cannot be content wi th the status quo. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220911 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220912 SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:fc0d767b0cbc62d54d8cfc8594ea4112@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Worship needs a vision that looks first to God and then to c ommunity within and then to the world beyond the walls. We a re driven by the question\, “How do we share this gift of faith?” We are constantly seeking ways to be a witness to the treasure we have found\, to the joy we live. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220918 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220919 SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:574cea4e43cfbaf7d70e621fe7ad0797@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week\, we have a powerful story of reversal\, the world turned upside-down. Or rather\, right side up. This parable is what Mary sang about in the Magnificat way back at the b eginning of Luke’s Gospel. The poor are filled with good t hings\, and the rich are sent away hungry\; brought down the powerful and lifted up the lowly. Here it is acted out in t he parable Jesus told to those who were ridiculing him becau se they loved money more than God’s kingdom. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220925 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220926 SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6e7cc6879e874bdbb39e5326f7623837@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This series is about claiming the faith we’ve been given w ith boldness and enthusiasm. But it is also about honoring t hose from whom we learned about Christ. So\, there can be sp ace for both: making new commitments to following or renewin g commitments long standing. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221002 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221003 SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9e8afb36b527f5e716f6422675092f3e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Let our prayers look inward and outward at the same time. We pray for our own growth\, our own healing\, our own transfo rmation. At the same time\, we pray for a hurting and hungry world and for the will to reach beyond our walls in service and love. Let our songs sing of the Christ of faith\, who s ustains us with a powerful presence but also of the Jesus wh o ate with sinners and healed the sick\, the one who went ou t approved by God. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221009 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221010 SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:59208db60ba2cbc700fe1e3acd9655e5@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week is about distractions. Well\, not about distractio ns so much as about loss of focus\, or maybe even loss of tr ust in the foundations of the faith. Once again\, we are cal led to celebrate our faith and to embrace ways of living out that faith that might grow and change but in the end will r emain true to the words and witness of Jesus Christ. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221016 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221017 SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5ce10a6733421cf619350cdcbacc2339@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We conclude this worship series completely out of breath—o r we ought to anyway. This week\, we’re about giving our a ll. About living full out\, about being alive the way Jesus describes living. “I have come that they might have life a nd have it abundantly” (John 10:10 NRSV). This is what the life of faith offers\; this is the example that Paul presen ts with his full-out life\, embracing all that came to him\, the good and the bad. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221023 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221024 SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:7da8463d015cbaf37470c00e5bb76684@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What would it be like to encounter Jesus face to face? That s the question this series sets out to help us answer. We can’t know\, of course\, but we can get a glimpse of what happened to those who did meet Jesus in the Gospel texts we examine here. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221030 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221031 SUMMARY:Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b7dc7a56e5c1155700682dd5fc3a20a9@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The gospel writers love these stories—stories where Jesus gets the better of those who seek to outsmart him appear in all the gospels. But a key to the stories is that Jesus alwa ys engages. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221106 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221107 SUMMARY:Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:8f9b1c008445ba1e9ef8f8fcd20b6089@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What are you distracted by? That’s a question underlying o ur text this week. What is it that draws your attention away from your call to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the tr ansformation of the world? Not that followers of Jesus aren t allowed to enjoy the beauty and wonder that this world h as to offer. The Christian life is marked by joy and surroun ded by wonder. Yet\, like the disciples in our text\, we can be distracted by what we see around us and lose sight of ou r reason for being\, to live a life of proclamation and invi tation. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221113 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221114 SUMMARY:Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e69264d5d03b60be0314fa5527268bd2@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This text may seem out of sequence. Here we are on the last Sunday of the Christian year\, and we are reading Holy Week texts? And where does “Reign of Christ” Sunday come from ? Has someone done away with the traditional designation of Christ the King Sunday? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221120 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221121 SUMMARY:Reign of Christ\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2ca27fadf26abec0ca34158ec82e1f50@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It’s Advent! Surely the season speaks for itself\; no need for notes from us\, right? Well\, there are always some que stions that we ask this time of year. How soon should the Ch ristmas decorations go up? When can we start singing Christm as carols? All those are the usual questions the worship lea ders struggle with year after year. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221127 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221128 SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f07898e4a3127f7313370555d9b49b56@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It is the second Sunday of Advent\, and we’re making a dec laration. Whether we are heeding the call of John the Baptis t to “bear fruit worthy of repentance” or longing for th e peaceable kingdom of Isaiah\, we are taking our stand for the promise that Jesus offers for beloved community\, a new way of living. We are declaring and leaning into this kin-do m of heaven\, living it now in all the ways we can. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221204 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221205 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b307b804e0a0f556071df4b1af8ae049@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Joy Sunday says it all. The third Sunday of Advent is marked by the pink- or rose-colored candle in the wreath in many t raditions. It is the one where we are reminded of the news t hat shall be a great joy to all people—the news that Emman uel is born\, God with us. And we stand in the promise even today\, even here\, in this place\, in your place – God is with you. There can be no greater joy than that. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221211 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221212 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:017b286e82e078be3e200f245f47f968@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This is odd\, isn’t it? The last Sunday of Advent\, yet th ere is a whole week until Christmas. May this extra time all ow us a little breathing space to listen to Isaiah and to Ma tthew before we rush off to the exuberance and extravagance of Christmas. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221218 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221219 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:77e1f78a2e858ff78b35ed018a699b2e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Las Posadas is not really a preaching service\, so there are n’t any preaching notes this time. What we provide in this space is the encouragement to embrace this gift that comes from the Hispanic tradition. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221219 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221220 SUMMARY:Las Posadas\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6aeb98b68051aa02268256acece86ad2@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The Christmas season is often presented as unending joy and peaceful family celebration from beginning to end. There isn ’t much room for grief\, for a sense of loneliness\, or fo r any other emotion considered to be negative. Except\, emot ions aren’t negative or positive\; they just are. Here spa ce is created to allow participants to feel what they feel a nd to be accepted for that. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221221 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221222 SUMMARY:Blue Christmas\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6f7cf2e08cff93966ecf654c8fbfeba7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It’s Christmas Eve! You have your traditions and practices . There are moments that must take place\, or the community will rise up in indignation! Well\, maybe not\, but you know that there are expectations for this service. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221224 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221225 SUMMARY:Christmas Eve\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:0938f86d61ddb62b4f36b3c5f19504d6@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:I love Christmas Day on Sunday. I think it should always be on a Sunday. I think it would be easier to hold on to the real meaning of Christmas” if it were on a Sunday and the day began not with the frenzy of presents under the tree\, but with worship in the family of God. I think that is the w ay it ought to be. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221225 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221226 SUMMARY:Christmas Day\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:7047a0ff519bb18318e5291120ad9c12@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:For some\, this is a quiet observance\, spent in prayer and reflection in anticipation of the new year to come. Others u se the opportunity for a joyous celebration of the grace alr eady shared and the promise of God’s presence in the futur e. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221231 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230101 SUMMARY:Watch Night\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f291bee37217159306cbb7a8ecef295f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Let us lift up the name of Jesus today\; let us make our ple dge and follow his star. Let us be about the one who guides us\, who finds us even when we are lost and gives us directi on and hope. Let our worship be full of songs of praise of t he name of Jesus\, and let our prayers be prayers of commitm ent to follow. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230101 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230102 SUMMARY:New Year's Day\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d12e06cd0a2b0539c489d4742e146079@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The Baptism of the Lord is a perfect time to remind ourselve s of the commitment to living a life of grace and hope outwa rdly. If you observed Epiphany Sunday last week\, then this week follows in the usual pattern. If you focused on New Yea r’s last week and saved the Epiphany recognition for this week\, then you can combine the two. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230108 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230109 SUMMARY:Baptism of the Lord\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f783ff68d3cfc126803890a1f8121bd3@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Our text this week includes Paul’s assertion that the chur ch has everything it needs to be the church. That’s an ama zing and powerful statement of faith. Too often\, we spend t ime wishing – wishing we had more people or more resources or more volunteers or more activity. But what if\, instead\ , we were simply thankful? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230115 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230116 SUMMARY:Second Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:fe80fede8249b4c8328dec5ec65cc0ae@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This is a hard one\, don’t you think? In our increasingly contentious society and world\, to consider that a sign of t he kin-dom is that the community has the same mind might be a bit of an overreach. Yet here is the call from Paul’s fi rst letter to the Corinthians. And we’re still in chapter 1! DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230122 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230123 SUMMARY:Third Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f77c8a1c3a6410e6928e0264c5bc81df@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:For the next three weeks\, we dip into the Sermon on the Mou nt\, perhaps the most famous extended teaching from Jesus fr om the gospels. This week\, we look at what are called the B eatitudes\, the first part of the Sermon. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230129 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230130 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:99b490a6e80de188be9dd95b864c813c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Here again\, Jesus asks us to reflect on the power we alread y have. “You are salt. You are light.” Not\, “Do you w ant to be salt\, or do you want to be light?” You already are. So\, given that declaration from our Lord\, how will we season? What will we light up? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230205 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230206 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:812fe62b98fafbda2d47a6fad078c125@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Relationships within the body are important\, but so is the relationship of the church with the wider community. How can you lift community concerns or needs in your prayer time? W hat acts of service within the community are already in plac e that you can celebrate? What additional needs could be met \, or invitations issued? Who is missing from the body of th e church? Jesus calls us to go above and beyond in our attem pts to see all the people. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230212 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230213 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:dcec79434b6adae4ced673bdd85d09e6@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Transfiguration Sunday\, like Reign of Christ or Christ the King Sunday\, is about the identity of the one we follow. Je sus the Christ is revealed in glory on the mount of transfig uration. Like the disciples who were privileged to be with h im in that moment\, we often miss the significance or the op portunity to praise in our struggle to understand. This day is not about knowledge\; it is about faith. It is a day for creeds or affirmations of faith. Let us rise to our feet and declare our allegiance to our Lord on this day. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230219 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230220 SUMMARY:Transfiguration Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:038ef86118ce184352f80af4a831d193@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Ash Wednesday is an inside-out act of worship. We come and c onfess and are reminded of both our sinfulness and our morta lity. And yet we are given a visible mark in the imposition of ashes\, a way of letting the world know that we are peopl e of faith. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230222 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230223 SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:86344aea562e9d6152b734ac2acd6640@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:If we endeavor to work in the world around us\, we will fall down. From time to time\, we will fail\; our efforts will n ot be received in the spirit intended\; the fruit will be sl ow in coming. So\, if we must fall\, let us fall down in wor ship of the one who redeems us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230226 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230227 SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:4ad946b458520b4bcdbc1ad6e0fb43f2@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This is the week that the “moving out” part of our theme is most obvious. Whether we are talking about the call to g o to a new place\, like Abram in Genesis 12\, or to move to a new understanding\, like Nicodemus in John 3\, movement is required. Movement means change\, which is always difficult and scary. So this is a week about faith and about trust an d the willingness to commit to the discipleship path. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230305 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230306 SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:bfdf228eb38d9f652a64a1c3120c5f4c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We’re thirsty this week. That’s the point. Thirsting for the living waters that Jesus spoke about to the woman at th e well. And not simply a one time or easy but unsatisfying s piritual refreshment\, but a recognition of the deepest thir sts that we have and how we seem to always be thirsty\, no m atter how often we drink. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230312 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230313 SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:4d75018644d648fdc3f1eaa60fcb6927@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Do you know what it is like to be chosen? Well\, you do beca use you were. Our texts this week are about being chosen by God. Most of us don’t think that we were chosen\, certainl y not to be king like David. But surely\, we chose the jobs that we do and the hobbies that we pursue and the service th at we perform\, didn’t we? Well\, yes. But God chose too. And not just in the past tense\, God is still choosing. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230319 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230320 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:648628f736ef2094974080133172c24c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Here at the end of the Lenten observance (well\, almost the end anyway)\, we have hints of Resurrection. We have “a fo retaste of glory divine\,” as the hymnist Fanny Crosby say s. As if the Spirit and the lectionary preparers knew that w e would need something to help us through the next couple of weeks. As if they knew that without this reminder\, we woul d find it a very hard road as we made our way stumbling behi nd the Christ who suffers and dies for us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230326 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230327 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:45f9cf04a5016bd87c7e14589c8e7ce2@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This is the day that the Lord has made. For us. Because of u s. It could be argued that out of all these high and holy da ys\, this one is the most … human. “Well\, of course\, you might think. This week is a divine and human encounter \; in fact\, we might argue it is THE divine and human encou nter. This is true\; but hear me out. This day\, this slash day\, this Palm/Passion Day is the most human day of this wh ole event. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230402 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230403 SUMMARY:Palm/Passion Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6727b1eea9e0371ae20d095798eeb362@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Maundy Thursday. Or perhaps you prefer Holy Thursday. Either fits this day. But the title you choose might depend on the emphasis you wish to provide during this act of worship. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230406 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230407 SUMMARY:Maundy Thursday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1df5e96fec585af605ec062fa0a2d0d2@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:How do you preach on this day? Maybe you don’t. Maybe you simply tell the story. Read the Passion story\, extinguish t he candles one by one\, and leave the sanctuary in darkness. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230407 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230408 SUMMARY:Good Friday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2b4636b42848356b973eec70f3b3fe64@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Holy Saturday is a chance to pause and listen\, to wait and to watch\, a moment of hush. It is time to prepare to head t o the cemetery in the early morning\, hoping to catch a glim pse of the risen Christ. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230408 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230409 SUMMARY:Holy Saturday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:171a5336a766aafa8383fbeab9739c78@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:You will see him\, that’s the message of Easter. You will see him\, the living one\, the alive one\, him. And in that seeing\, you’ll be able to breathe deeply again. Happy Eas ter. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230409 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230410 SUMMARY:Easter Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:c3a5d5073e42f092c59a06560ce9693e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We’re still basking in the glow. Maybe we’re exhausted f rom the excesses of the Easter celebration. Maybe even the c hoir wants a week off. Maybe the associate pastor is preachi ng. But we’re still celebrating\, or we should be. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230416 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230417 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b2ff278e0b35513dbd289382d9846e85@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today is a day for testimony. We need to remind ourselves an d one another that we have indeed been set free. Maybe we ca n talk about what we’ve been set free from. Maybe we talk about obstacles overcome. But the simple fact of freedom is what we focus on today. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230423 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230424 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20515c5e3a6951cd5f53a43fa9bdb335@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:How many ways can we present the 23rd Psalm? Let’s sing it \; let’s pray it\; let’s read it\; let’s recite it tog ether. So many know this psalm and love it\; it is a heart s ong for many of us. Lean into it. Ask the youth to rewrite i t\; ask the older adults to reinterpret it. Find different w ays of living into this psalm. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230430 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230501 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:c9096d293ca7a8c34cbbe741f7f09200@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:“You are my rock.” How many songs can we sing about the rock of our faith? Lots\, no doubt. So\, sing them\, but als o bring a rock to hand out to everyone who gathers. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230507 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230508 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d70c57edf4690f689f9ea6b398e1adcf@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What are we supposed to be ready to do? Tell our story! It s as simple as that. And it’s as complicated as that. Pet er says that we are always “ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15 NRSV.) But what does that mean\, and who demands such an account these days? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230514 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230515 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d4fd1d098192c6065dcb833f2a154114@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:If you are one of those who believe that worship should leav e you feeling lighter\, unburdened\, and set free\, then thi s is the week for you. “Cast all your anxiety on him\, bec ause he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 NRSV). DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230521 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230522 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday of Easter\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2bd97797cba23291cf8c556207c91b3c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Pentecost calls for celebration\, for signs and symbols of a God who pushes through\, who rushes in when it seems all is lost. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230528 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230529 SUMMARY:Pentecost Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1b06d999e24c260a42642f0ff0fd185f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Trinity Sunday is about God and not about us. And yet\, beca use we can know God only in relationship\, it has to be abou t us too. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230604 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230605 SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2deaa2e81c6422e9231bc0f790560580@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week\, we focus on the starting point\, hearing and res ponding to the call. Even when it scares us\, or challenges us\, or asks a lot of us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230611 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230612 SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:7e9e186f0d39c5f066d5f54f777ce731@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:What incredible\, almost impossible-to-believe event has hap pened in your community? What stretched your understanding o f God at work in the world? What blew your mind with wonder and joy? Grab hold of that today and celebrate the goodness of God at work in your midst. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230618 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230619 SUMMARY:Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5dca894a96549ef6eda0fd3e1028ba7e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:“What you hear whispered\, proclaim from the housetops” (Matthew 10:27). This week\, we’ve got whispers and we’v e got shouts. That seems like a common human experience\, do esn’t it? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230625 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230626 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6b751c0b36add0e23bc7f83857073f0e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We’re about hospitality this week. That sounds like a casu al\, or maybe even an extra kind of thing. “It’s not som ething essential\,” we might think. It’s part of the soc ial niceties that make us look good. But\, in fact\, we woul d be wrong\, if that was our position. Jesus sees hospitalit y as central to our discipleship. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230702 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230703 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:ad5232fe873f3808383d45f68fc98214@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:On the path of a disciple\, we are learning to grow in our r elationships with Christ and with the community. It begins w hen we take the yoke. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230709 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230710 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:86dc492b8b01333b8d38088fe2a611ec@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The theme for this part of the “Path of the Disciple” se ries invites us to look at potential. We are asked to imagin e fruitfulness and then to work for that in the whole minist ry of the church. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230716 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230717 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:48eb0ba31becdcf974bc4a73a85701a7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We never know who we might see shining like the sun. We are learning to imagine a new reality where even flawed humans\, like ourselves\, can be disciples of Jesus Christ for the t ransformation of the world. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230723 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230724 SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:455b1e46ff3ffe98d6284b3daa1b7e9b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We prefer the obvious. We like to be sure. But faith is some thing else indeed. Hebrews 11:1 reminds us that faith “is the conviction of things not seen.” Not seen? Like a treas ure hidden in a field\, or like yeast mixed in the flour\, h idden and mixed in. That’s how grace works. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230730 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230731 SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:69bd6b73c672adaa76cd62e92e311c74@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Worship this week can be a reminder that we are seeking the face of God when we gather but also when we scatter. Our hun ger for God is not only met when we gather for worship but a lso when we are at work\, when we are in fellowship\, when w e engage in conversations and build relationships\, when we serve and love as we are sent to do. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230806 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230807 SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:afac283ad6bf1a32dbf98adddef65079@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:When we ask\, “What are you seeking?” we are talking abo ut kingdom living. We are talking about the community of fai th representing the body of Christ. As we worship this week\ , we celebrate the signs of God’s presence among us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230813 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230814 SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d613bcbbc963c0f737cddd87867b59a9@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:When we are truly seeking the face of God\, we go beyond fai r and move into grace manifested in love in all our relation ships. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230820 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230821 SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:71b8d994b608e8876ab49f605cf97010@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Out of nowhere\, it seemed\, as they traveled along\, Jesus asked his disciples a question of identity. “Who do you sa y that I am?” It’s a question we must answer again and a gain as we seek to become disciples of Jesus Christ. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230827 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230828 SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a95becea26f349ac2583b1dbdaa09d19@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Who are we to shoulder the burdens of the world? Especially when we get it wrong more often than right\, it seems. We re member that we are just beginning\, again or for the first t ime. We recommit ourselves to the call to become disciples. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230903 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230904 SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:dce72d60a18304fb306e888f9b63d83f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As we launch or continue our journey of faith\, are we calle d to look for signs of God’s presence or are we called to be a sign of God’s presence? The answer\, as you might exp ect\, is yes! DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230910 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230911 SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1b049cb8db933109af800ff7edf996e1@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We can be honest with ourselves and with God as we realize t hat we too often have asked that same question\, "How many t imes must I forgive?" DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230917 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230918 SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:280a8d999def042d89585ea4316f9347@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:God provides. It seems clear that this is one of the message s from our texts this week. But it would also be clear that God provides for our needs in unusual and sometimes confusin g ways. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230924 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230925 SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:331ad2929d318d166737f108dc796a73@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:How do we deal with conflict in the church? Certainly not by pointing fingers and calling folks out during worship. But worship can be the place where we remember under whose autho rity we stand. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231001 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231002 SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:7f2658f994dfb144e533bed9ec3c4e59@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:How do we view the commandments? We honor them\; we treasure them\; we wish there was more obedience to them in the worl d out there. But do we see them as descriptive of our lives? Rather than seeing them as normative to everyone\, what if we decided to see them as something we chose to be the guide for our lives? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231008 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231009 SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9db1cc804eb057e205ffd22ee87b9a5e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The theme this week might seem harsh. It might also lead us to point fingers at those out there or over there who are st iff-necked. Rarely will we realize that we are the ones in n eed of a neck massage. Perhaps worship this week begins with confession. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231015 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231016 SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:19696fe2fb2ff744ebf8af08a479bc10@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The invitation this week in worship is to adjust our vision. We are called to see God in the world in which we live. We are called to identify the things that are God’s\, includi ng ourselves and the people around us. Even the surprising o nes. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231022 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231023 SUMMARY:Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:abf60cb6f4eeeeff486af61333601390@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We continue to envision what it would be like to live in the kin-dom of God as a community of faith. But this week\, we focus on the doing. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231029 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231030 SUMMARY:Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:0f8e17eac95e4af7f8e15785c5a9959c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:All Saints Sunday can be a glorious celebration of the body of Christ in your local context. There is no church like you rs\, no collection of gifts and graces\, no accumulation of wisdom and experience\, no place of joy and sorrow exactly l ike your congregation. This is a time to celebrate who you a re in Christ. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231105 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231106 SUMMARY:All Saints Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:954d2f442c5b56d0f9038f1d839e77f5@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Three weeks before the end of the liturgical year\, and we t urn to gratitude as the guiding theme for worship. What does a life of gratitude look like? Or perhaps more importantly\ , what does it feel like? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231112 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231113 SUMMARY:Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:389ebe59a29b853db9096b4dd21bbd0a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This is Thanksgiving week\, so it is an appropriate time to reflect on the pervasiveness of the life of gratitude that t he gospel suggests. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231119 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231120 SUMMARY:Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1269a9d51a9f72ecba4e04b6025290bf@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:If the Sunday before Thanksgiving invited us to look at the community and the family that surrounds us\, this Sunday enc ourages us to look up to the Christ as we give thanks for th e kingdom he asks us to see and to lean into. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231126 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231127 SUMMARY:Christ the King / Reign of Christ Sunday\, Year A END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:bf405180b74091a06fb3e6f0756dfc6c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It’s here! The season of waiting we’ve all been waiting for is here! Too much? Probably. But nonetheless\, this firs t Sunday of Advent comes with a sense of arrival. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231203 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231204 SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:aba382df9b18ea3cc055fea8f97f7fd9@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We’re less than two weeks into December\, and I don’t kn ow about you\, but I need a break. My sensory overload is at a maximum. My calendar is overbooked\, but what am I suppos ed to let go of? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231210 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231211 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:50ef3b00b91b941f88a481b6386ee743@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In the midst of all the traditions\, let Gaudete Sunday also be a practice session\, a rehearsal for living with fierce joy in the midst of the tension of the now and the not yet. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231217 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231218 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6db836c72405c3be02eb75806cfacecd@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:With the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve falling o n the same day\, this year presents unique worship planning challenges and opportunities. You will find materials for bo th worship services on this page. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231224 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231225 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent / Christmas Eve\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d67aa2fccf9847138ce1c04c6893838c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This year\, the calendar gives us the opportunity to gather for Sunday worship on New Year’s Eve. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231231 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240101 SUMMARY:First Sunday after Christmas Day\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:c7efb3f24c226797847131e0877f5b6b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Take a deep breath. You made it. We’re officially on the o ther side of Advent\, Christmas\, and New Year’s Day. Afte r all the preparation\, the complex emotions\, and the celeb rations in December\, the allure of the return of Ordinary T ime in January is probably all too real. But don’t put tho se white paraments or festive altarscapes away quite yet! DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240107 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240108 SUMMARY:First Sunday after the Epiphany / Baptism of the Lord\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:0d30208d93831f2415cd9dba875eb54e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As we enter fully into Ordinary Time this week\, the calenda r reminds us that there is nothing ordinary about becoming t he people of God. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240114 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240115 SUMMARY:Second Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a25970d28ad1de912f60828e9e90188e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today is a day to celebrate that\, by grace\, it is never to o late to join in God’s song of good news and abundant lif e. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240121 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240122 SUMMARY:Third Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:78340e8a0e1db5e8477f0d3a22cbacff@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As the title of today’s sermon indicates\, discernment occ urs from among the people. That is why we must nurture and s upport the work of discernment within communal worship. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240128 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240129 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:592a3359ccbe8acc9c0bc5373e7cf60c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Though this is the final week of this worship series\, our j ourney to become the people of God continues as sanctifying grace works in our lives to form us more and more into the i mage of Christ. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240204 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240205 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1933fa53855c8b282351f2d854dd5b9c@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Here we are\, once again\, at the cusp of a change in the se ason. Sometimes we treat Transfiguration as if it’s the la st Sunday in the season after Epiphany\, a kind of exclamati on point to the Ordinary Time that takes us from Epiphany to Ash Wednesday. But this year\, we chose to make this a stan d-alone Sunday\, which is appropriate given that this day be longs not to Ordinary Time or Lent but in the liminal space between the two. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240211 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240212 SUMMARY:Transfiguration Sunday\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2baa524c3c273410cd9c7e9bb18f620d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Ash Wednesday is about refocusing and realigning ourselves i n relationship to God and one another. We must encounter our sinfulness and frailty not with shame and blame but with ho nesty and truth\, trusting that God receives our confession. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240214 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240215 SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:ed8b42786a6286c7ddd3f7e269118aab@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This first Sunday in Lent is quite the roller coaster ride\, which is honestly quite typical of Year B in the lectionary cycle. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240218 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240219 SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:c9fd2f1acfd3892475c74525586f835d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:If Ash Wednesday and the First Sunday in Lent set us off on our Lenten journey\, this week we find out just what this jo urney will require of us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240225 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240226 SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b17860cdef9860e4dbe727edbe3b3f5d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This Third Sunday in Lent is an opportunity to lead the cong regation to reflect on the individual and communal work we d o in worship. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240303 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240304 SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:ef00e3974c34374e40ca92841d4b00ce@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week\, we continue our mid-Lent excursion into the Gosp el of John by listening in on Jesus’ conversation with Nic odemus. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240310 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240311 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:220f30cb80442fe5ff4e89e3d19869db@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:At this stage of our Lenten journey\, we encounter the fruit and the charge that comes with losing our life to find it i n God—service. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240317 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240318 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:cdfee067a8b05dd63e79213417639137@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As we return to Mark for Palm/Passion Sunday\, it is strikin g that even Mark has slowed down the action a bit\, filling in details about Jesus’ instructions to the disciples and the response of the bystanders who questioned them when they went to find the colt for Jesus to ride. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240324 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240325 SUMMARY:Palm / Passion Sunday\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:ac9291c76b159f100e173646c51d3f4b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:I think this is the point of Maundy Thursday: to be able to recognize when we are loving as Christ loves us because we ve encountered and practiced that love together in worship. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240328 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240329 SUMMARY:Maundy Thursday\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:75f619b5a08c01f4a475deb820ddba48@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We come to Good Friday and are able to remember it for what it was because we are Resurrection people who know Sunday is coming. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240329 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240330 SUMMARY:Good Friday\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:4f97afb3c7a9df5021744d203041cd1a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Easter Sunday is here. Easter Sunday comes with a lot of pre ssure—the pressure to bring our very best\, to adorn the s anctuary in flowers and signs of new life\, to preach an ama zing sermon declaring the good news of the Resurrection\, to sing our hearts out with songs of joy and new life. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240331 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240401 SUMMARY:Easter Sunday 2024\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:225d0856ee525adf5facc44ac8d7af2a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week\, we explore what God is revealing about how we sh ould live. Our worship materials and worship settings can de monstrate the revelation of God through word\, song\, image\ , and silence. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240407 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240408 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f4ddbe21c58bb84453bc38b1cd3e5488@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Easter is such a joyous\, colorful\, and vibrant celebration ! Now in Eastertide\, this second Sunday\, Christ is still r isen! The Creation is still waking up! DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240414 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240415 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1b4d9556a797e1519ea11f0df925c1fe@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Our final week in the series\, “How Shall We Live?” call s us to live out the love and joy we have found in our life in Christ. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240421 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240422 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b59b924a149a556456a1e2cf48b58c87@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Throughout the three weeks of this series\, the theme of giv ing glory or glorifying God arises again and again\, which r aises important questions for worship planners and leaders: "How do we give God glory?" DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240428 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240429 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b052ea7f173dfc56af9c684fa9f52a50@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Every single one of us can probably use a refresher on what it means for us as Christians to bear fruit. That is what th is week’s text is all about! DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240505 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240506 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:86c757de28d24f50296a63f5245c2399@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We need the opportunity to submit ourselves as individuals a nd as a community to the work of living in peace with one an other\, working together toward the flourishing of all peopl e. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240512 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240513 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday of Easter\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:31b785cffe4d3f62bac0633a0a81fc34@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Do you ever feel like planning for Pentecost is like plannin g a birthday party? This momentous day is almost here\, and you find yourself rushing around\, collecting all of the bri ght colored streamers and tablecloths\, curating the best pa rty playlist\, and wracking your brain for how to make this one day extra special. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240519 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240520 SUMMARY:The Day of Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6df7b8d3676482192e11e66c3455b295@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:How often do we plan and show up to worship expecting to enc ounter God? It feels like the right answer should be\, “Ev ery week!” But\, in reality\, I’m sure many of us would prefer not to be scared witless by the glory of God as Isaia h was in today’s passage. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240526 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240527 SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:71e5bc72209857262147c46eff1c98cd@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Of course\, this week’s psalm invites us to recognize that we are also a mystery to ourselves. So\, how do we invite p eople to enter into the mystery of themselves as well as the mystery of God? Perhaps begin with singing and reading the assigned verses from Psalm 139 together. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240602 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240603 SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b1758ea99d6f1f1dabd50bcf4903c893@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Immutable. That’s not a word we hear much in everyday conv ersation. However\, it is a word that gets a lot of play in the study of the doctrine of God. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240609 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240610 SUMMARY:Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:427dc8322183004b4722a6316f2a361f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As we conclude this series that interweaves the doctrine of God with the Psalms\, I cannot help but reflect on belief an d knowledge as partners in the Christian life. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240616 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240617 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:ccc6eedd00f11af831a868585860d7e7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As we enter this three-week stretch focusing on Paul’s sec ond letter to the church in Corinth\, we also focus on what I think is one of the key questions of Ordinary Time\; namel y\, how do we live our faith day after day after day? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240623 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240624 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:ba8bb2f865739b8ddb0e69fea0e0f5cf@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:If last week was about the call to open our hearts\, this we ek is about putting your money where your mouth is. Or more accurately\, where your heart is. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240630 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240701 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:c2bb6c1a30bed8fb71c14b4c4dc2429a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In some ways\, Paul invites us to plan worship around a fair ly simple idea: opening our hearts to our weakness and God s strength. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240707 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240708 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2a76518d614c720b725042f27917ed4a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:A worship series about worship: that feels kind of meta\, I know. Over the years\, though\, I’ve found that people rea lly do need regular reminders about what it means for us to gather for worship week in and week out. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240714 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240715 SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:47586fc883d91c490441373c119dc129@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Growing up in church\, I considered the call to worship some thing of a mystery. Where other parts of the service were be ing done extemporaneously (like the pastoral prayer)\, here was something written down that everyone said together\, but we weren’t singing it. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240721 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240722 SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:4e9099c186cdfc24a237fb41aee87fd9@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:For those who have cycled through Years A\, B\, and C of the lectionary a time or two\, you probably knew this text was coming. For many\, it is one of the most uncomfortable texts in the Bible. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240728 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240729 SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f8531dcb5cf78e8e2eff4c0f20adad40@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Few stories highlight the power and responsibility of preach ing like Nathan’s confrontation with David. This can certa inly be a day for pulling back the curtain and speaking dire ctly with the congregation about preaching. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240804 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240805 SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:76f279c65458bbcabdadda665da2ebb2@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:If you’re breathing a sigh of relief now that we’ve move d past 2 Samuel 11 and 12\, think again. Just a few chapters later\, David is embroiled in a family drama that has escal ated to a violent war against his son\, Absalom. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240811 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240812 SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:63a7fc3801f3931b5667f87992733e28@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:“Ask what I should give you” (3:5). Notice that God does n’t ask Solomon a question. God commands Solomon to ask. W e often end up focusing on the wisdom Solomon requests\, but what if we began with God’s command? What might God’s c ommand and Solomon’s response tell us about benediction? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240818 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240819 SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:46044fce4ea2681b43883e229416af7f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:If you got to last week and thought that must be the last we ek of this series since it focused on benediction—SURPRISE ! The benediction isn’t the end of worship—nor is it the end of this series—because worship does not end when the gathered Body of Christ disperses. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240825 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240826 SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6437e9406ec416664c17206a74174b58@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It is fitting that we begin with a passage from Song of Solo mon that is\, at its heart\, an invitation to notice\, to pa y attention\, and to respond to the love of the beloved with singing. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240901 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240902 SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:840e48ef337c28be47ca1042abfa1fd6@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week\, the lectionary text features three different cou plets from Proverbs 22\, all of which point us toward how to engage wisdom-driven decision-making in our daily lives. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240908 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240909 SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:289cb79f6b7c46e4fb63e2d1d426f711@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:If\, as today’s title suggests\, we are going to hold onto wisdom\, it is important for us to know who we’re holding onto. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240915 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240916 SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost\, year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:0f19e489660e465dcc0deaa7d6edec92@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Over the years\, Christians have done a good job of heaping historical and cultural baggage onto Proverbs 31\, which mak es it hard to come to the text with a fresh perspective. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240922 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240923 SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e5f4c8bfe3dd3a1c63c1a2a5a44f4590@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:No matter where you are\, no matter what is happening in our world\, God’s wisdom calls us to listen\, to notice\, and to enact God’s love in our world for such a time as this. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240929 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240930 SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:00df84551e59c0fa0f246f60c3d178b3@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:May this celebration draw you and your congregation into the surprising and beautiful depths of what it means to worship as the Body of Christ in different places and yet all at on ce. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241006 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241007 SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:11573d4db31995323a13428a095b4017@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:For those of us who are focused on stewardship this month\, today’s Gospel reading offers a lot of potential … poten tial for engagement\, potential for exploring the meaning of generosity\, and the potential for tying ourselves up in in terpretive and linguistic knots! DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241013 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241014 SUMMARY:Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:165988cd7ccc2a0604925d3444e751dd@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:On this leg of the journey with Jesus\, take the time to pra y and celebrate the ways God is already at work and will con tinue to work among you! DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241020 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241021 SUMMARY:Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:df762155ca293268a019b409bf681a92@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Have you ever walked through your neighborhood with someone who has never been there before? If not\, try it sometime. I t’s amazing what a new person will notice about your stree t that you just don’t pay attention to anymore. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241027 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241028 SUMMARY:Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e5e8df59c7a33fe29e8f8f4617770a88@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:A new heaven and a new earth. Mary crying\, Martha stoically stating the facts\, Jesus weeping and then bringing a dead man back to life. These are our images\, our companions\, fo r All Saints. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241103 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241104 SUMMARY:All Saints Sunday\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:27ff6955bc48213b4a271c03b2652b47@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In the active soundscape of today’s text\, the sound of tw o coins would easily be drowned out. Except\, Jesus noticed and makes us notice too. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241110 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241111 SUMMARY:Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6d21f78772d4e4bb645ce589541779f8@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Remember\, Jesus didn’t attempt to make the evil of the wo rld and the goodness of God make sense. Instead\, Jesus proc laimed the goodness and love of God in the face of the terri ble things we humans do to one another and creation. May our worship—our prayers\, our creeds\, our proclamation\, and our blessings—do the same. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241117 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241118 SUMMARY:Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:4b528434a7b91650e4908bd60a7a3b60@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Established in 1925\, Reign of Christ (or Christ the King) S unday may be just a year away from its one-hundredth birthda y\, but it is still a newcomer in comparison to other celebr ations on the liturgical calendar. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241124 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241125 SUMMARY:Reign of Christ Sunday\, Year B END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:60cc0e11fc444a533160f6b9ebc86da8@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:With Advent comes\, for many communities\, the lighting of t he Advent wreath. As you plan for how to incorporate the lig hting of the Advent wreath into worship\, consider what role this ritual plays in worship. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241201 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241202 SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:891c4674ee0cb5a09ba317614ef450f3@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today’s scriptures also give us a wonderful starting place for imagining visuals. As you add light to the Advent wreat h each week of the Advent season\, consider adding more ligh t to the altar each week so that the altar/chancel creates a visual crescendo into Christmas Eve. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241208 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241209 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e7f1110bd28af93a1eac610865544f0d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Gaudete Sunday holds a special place in many congregations w ith a gathering full of music\, joy\, and light as we get cl oser and closer to the darkest night of the year. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241215 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241216 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:91e6cbdca9b3db1ac3e045c730154f05@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:On this Fourth Sunday of Advent\, we receive promise with th e hope of fruition—not hope as a wish but hope actively mo ving toward fulfillment. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241222 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241223 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:79e1958339309a994d09b7d991b0d5ee@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Friends\, we made it! Through the preparations and the passi on\, our presence with another as we receive God’s promise —we made it! DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241224 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241225 SUMMARY:Christmas Eve\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:73e1c22db72b23198fdff12ad7155476@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:“I’ll be home for Christmas…” Sorry\, I couldn’t h elp myself. Here we are on the Fifth Day of Christmas and th e First Sunday of Christmastide\, and you’re probably eith er tired of being home or loving it. Or both. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241229 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241230 SUMMARY:First Sunday after Christmas Day\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:97f74449d63b6de35373caac89d4bb07@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The old saying is true\, “If you want to go fast\, go alon e\; but if you want to go far\, go together.” Let us gathe r together. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250105 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250106 SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Christmas Day / Epiphany\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:04b44804e25d2986b321b15d4e5e5c7b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:So\, if last week was about community\, this week ought to b e about the individual. Right? Well\, no\, not really. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250112 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250113 SUMMARY:First Sunday after the Epiphany / Baptism of the Lord\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6c48395f29f9ed7c4b2a3da0978c9f4b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Where is our mission field? That’s the question behind thi s week’s theme for Ordinary Time. And the quick answer is\ , right where you are. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250119 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250120 SUMMARY:Second Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d34b98a7cc93a886b1e3d51c72323dd7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Why do we do what we do week after week? There is power in r itual\; there is presence in repeated action\, in habits tha t build up. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250126 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250127 SUMMARY:Third Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b74b009a620109d4ce6acbef3cde162e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Developing a habit for regular gathered worship is an essent ial part of our growth as disciples and our witness to the w orld around us and an effective foundation for the work of t ransformation. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250202 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250203 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6be34b39989746a189afcf97360f2d83@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We are talking about priorities this week. In what do we put our trust? By what scale do we measure our value? This coul d be a day for a statement of faith to remind us where our a llegiance lies. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250209 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250210 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a27de62dbc4f57fa3c4efb3aa5507221@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We are familiar with the Beatitudes\, Matthew’s version of these sayings from Jesus. We aren’t as well versed in the Sermon on the Plain\, which is our text for this week. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250216 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250217 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a1e058e2bc7087f4e6f7d283f2dac112@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:You might argue that listening is something we do well. We g ather week by week and listen to sermons\, listen to the cho ir sing\, and listen to the leaders guide us through the lit urgy. But are we really listening? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250223 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250224 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:bce1f68eda2a434c5e938a3bfe12741d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Transfiguration is about astonishment. It is about amazement . It is about awe. It’s something that might be hard to ca pture in worship in your overly familiar sanctuary with the people you know so well. So\, how do we capture this sense i n our weekly expression of worship? We sing it. And we see i t. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250302 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250303 SUMMARY:Transfiguration Sunday\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:7cd62ab48e3fa24166b33ea48cadc509@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Ash Wednesday begins our Lenten journey\, and it can be – needs to be – both an individual and a corporate experienc e. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250305 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250306 SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:148ba119e401115f2fa1c646f6d5e8ba@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As we worship today\, let us celebrate the Christ who knows us and our journey because he has walked this same lonesome valley. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250309 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250310 SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:88a5746db81ab08011a4e8ed3cf0eee7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Let worship give space for being this week. Sometimes that i s silence. Sometimes that is prayer. Sometimes that is song. Wherever you make the space for sanctuary\, for protection\ , for a plea to God to come and help keep our heads above wa ter. That’s our need this week. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250316 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250317 SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:255bb7279face716986b32db493f42b2@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The Christ we cling to often can be found in the people arou nd us. The faith we cling to can be seen in the relationship s of faith. We don’t cling to abstract ideas\, but to real incarnations lived before us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250323 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250324 SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1a681a732f1e34f9edf6c69106de12e4@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Worship is catching our breath in the busyness of living. It is that moment when we pause and reflect and remember who w e are and whose we are. We need selah moments in our lives d aily. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250330 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250331 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:e5d367d96ee715883cb4dbc642d06ee9@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The psalm for this week has a hint of overcoming. While the psalmist doesn’t say much about what has been overcome\, t here is the remembrance of rescue. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250406 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250407 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:002f49adc8daf1da1d90532577dd966b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This day is surely the most paradoxical of any on the liturg ical calendar. Is that a controversial statement? Perhaps\, but it seems true. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250413 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250414 SUMMARY:Palm/Passion Sunday\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5085819b6fd5cb473c8e1f2fa8ca557f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:When we rise from the Table or from washing feet\, we rise t o a life of Spirit-directed service. We know that such a lif e will gather others\, and together we will go to this brand -new home. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250417 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250418 SUMMARY:Maundy Thursday\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:7ed554f0ad7ca8e1654f6ad8d886cba2@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Worship this day is about standing in silence at the foot of the cross. Too many words get in the way of the weight\, th e meaning\, the moment of this day. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250418 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250419 SUMMARY:Good Friday\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:d59734a8dd4029ba6b367f8156344880@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:It is Easter\; let there be light! Let there be color and mu sic and joy. In everything\, let there be joy as we worship this day. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250420 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250421 SUMMARY:Easter Sunday\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1488c349c70501931ba57363bf4d4efa@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Our beliefs connect us to Christ\, in whom we believe and in to whom we grow\, by embodying the assents we make. See if w orship this week can be an embodied\, participatory experien ce. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250427 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250428 SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9dbde938aeb1b108c066e99cca1635e9@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Try to make worship this week a rehearsal of the justice-ori ented practices that will bring about a world where God’s abundance is available to all. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250504 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250505 SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5866f6522f135a628c14ee7f22140f5b@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:An old song\, “Spring\, up O Well!” reminds us that the river of life flows in us and out of us into the world. This week\, we celebrate the living water that nourishes us and the world when we share it with those around us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250511 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250512 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a51488c711963d104b7081e6ceab18b8@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:God is creating a new world out of this one. God is making a ll things possible\, starting here and now. God is renewing life\, love\, and connection for the benefit of what is and will be. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250518 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250519 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5a01d5c29fe3708fa3efdbdd3d7b015a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The imagery of trees is centered in this week's texts and ou r worship experience because trees are sources of life. They provide oxygen we breathe\, food that nourishes us\, and sh ade that protects us. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250525 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250526 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9e4a0f692a390412eead1ab07beb69ab@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:On this final week in the series\, we recognize how interdep endent we are with creation\, and we celebrate that when we benefit\, we also benefit others. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250601 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250602 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday of Easter\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:866c216d2ab048b1ea65e6fc9fcfe6d7@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Is it possible to go overboard on Pentecost? To do too much? Probably\, but push the limits where you can. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250608 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250609 SUMMARY:Day of Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:bf0917e65f29a4995634d89485a70c2f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:The celebration continues. Perhaps it is hard to see much to celebrate in what is essentially a doctrinal observance. Ye t\, the writer of Psalm 8 finds much to enjoy in the contemp lation of who God is. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250615 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250616 SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:98904f3ea60c32b8b17951b5cc84b40d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Today\, the surprise of Pentecost and the glory of Trinity S unday propel us toward…Ordinary Time. This is always the w ay of it in the liturgical year and in the Christian life\, this juxtaposition of extraordinary and mundane\, the shocki ng revelations and the ordinary question of "What do we do n ow?" DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250622 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250623 SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a9f84c3f5985b6cb100aa9ae28183a45@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Our passage from Galatians this week includes one of those w ell-known texts that many of us were required to memorize at some point in Sunday school or youth group. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250629 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250630 SUMMARY:Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:fa3900c362e6ffb184e918b8a9c5e8f3@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Since many congregations celebrate Holy Communion on the fir st Sunday of the month\, consider how you might incorporate the themes of communal care and God’s new creation into th e Communion liturgy. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250706 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250707 SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1a55242fab11b9798de2fab296646835@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Sometimes\, the Pauline epistles feel like we’re picking u p in the middle of a conversation or perhaps an email thread . DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250713 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250714 SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:80a0d11a6f96f1c6641b7e5cc5b8e9c6@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:In this week’s text\, Paul draws on the power of communal singing by quoting a hymn about Christ in the middle of his letter to the Colossians. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250720 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250721 SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:353cbd21e0ef83a9b5b1c3af46e2bcdc@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:How have you encountered God in the fullness of who you are body\, mind\, and spirit—in this church community? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250727 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250728 SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:934de259125121552ba045869b1630ce@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:This week marks the last "email" from Paul to the Colossians in this worship series\, the last reminder about who the Ch ristians of Colossae are and how their story forms their ide ntity as a community. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250803 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250804 SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:0bf13e09499ab6ca1fbdbde69429095a@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:As we enter this third part of the “Dear Children of God series\, I encourage you not to lose the verve and vitalit y that flows between the lines in the letter to the Hebrews. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250810 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250811 SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:23313e41e89859c79e725e00e4c7b759@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Joy can be a hard thing to nail down. Last week\, we talked about defining yet not grasping faith. The substance of fait h sweeps us with it toward the “better country.” This we ek\, we turn to joy. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250817 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250818 SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:539872b95de68eafc4b39f60ba188a2f@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Week by week\, we gather to sing\, pray\, and proclaim our p raise of God and the good news of the gospel as a community. How might you help your congregation connect that the work of worship is also the work of building home together in Chr ist? DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250824 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250825 SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:45027843d428b04134da49f0e6167cae@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We encourage you to approach worship planning with honesty a bout what it means to be a community of mutual love. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250831 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250901 SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f97c8bcc38ffe28951e7b6adf6baec14@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Seen. Heard. Known. However you put it\, we humans long for relationships where we trust others to care about who we are \, what we feel\, and how we experience the world. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250907 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250908 SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:a73a98f86e60575cf233e897cd3286fc@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:We find and keep hope when we name all that is hard in our w orld\, take a breath\, and then remember\, but God. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250914 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250915 SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:90373d608d85b8a370609976334340fa@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Worship is not an escape from the world but a place where we are edified and equipped to live as the people of God in th e world. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250921 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250922 SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:49d05f61f6380429f983aef1d6606498@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Take time in worship to create a sense of safety. Sing a com forting hymn\; take time to breathe and calm everyone’s co llective nervous systems\; give a little extra space for the passing of the peace\; engage in guided meditation together . DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250928 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250929 SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:f5275e636e811740959b3b77a0fc68e3@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Worship is a moment in and of itself\, but it connects to an d feeds other moments in our lives and faith. This week – indeed\, every week – focus on those connected moments. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251005 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251006 SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5275992e2f8f59819cd8b0c965557a03@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:When Jesus asks in our text this week\, “Where are the oth er nine?” (verse 17)\, he isn’t fishing for gratitude. I nstead\, he is declaring that gratitude that leads to praise is part of the way of the disciple. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251012 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251013 SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:9ff0dfb34c335ac354eece7b7c073f6e@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:Persistence. What does that mean for us in worship? Just the fact that we gather week after week when the community arou nd us doesn’t see the point might be a part of that persis tence. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251019 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251020 SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:424e6fe46a357cf9e610b8ea20c1e68d@solspace.com DTSTAMP:20250524T031905 DESCRIPTION:How shall we pray? This isn’t the text where that question appears. But it does seem to be behind the parable that Jes us tells. DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251026 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251027 SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR