by Christine VanDeWege, October 26, 2023
I spent this morning at a regional airport, celebrating my 20-year-old son’s first solo flight. This is a big day in the life of a would-be pilot, so three of his flight instructors came to observe and congratulate. There were lots of smiles and swells of humble pride. Then three moms arrived with their babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. The children ran as fast as their little legs could carry them toward the airport’s viewing platform. They shouted with glee, pointing at the planes as the children danced, unable to keep still in their excitement. Already very happy for my son,… Read More
by Kent French, October 19, 2023
This autumn, our worship follows our Church School curriculum, Seeking Peace Together. We are learning in worship alongside the youngest members of our community. What do you worry about? Job security? Your health? Your kids? Your aging parents? Loneliness? Climate change? War? The political future of our country? Any number of things that pop up on your regular media source? Would you like to worry less? In two of the Gospels, Jesus tells his disciples very clearly, “Do not worry,” and then goes on to talk about the natural world and how grass, wild flowers and birds “neither… Read More
by Kent French, October 12, 2023
This autumn, our worship follows our Church School curriculum, Seeking Peace Together. We are learning in worship alongside the youngest members of our community. How do you perceive God? Is God a hard-driving, task-master who always gives you the impression you come up short? Or a kind, loving, benevolent, generalized feeling, like the air on a warm summer day or a comforting morning mist? Is God in the feeling you get from music that moves you down to your core? Is God like Santa Claus, keeping a list of when you’re naughty and nice, and rewarding you accordingly? Our perceptions… Read More
by Christine VanDeWege, October 06, 2023
This autumn, our worship follows our Church School curriculum, Seeking Peace Together. We are learning in worship alongside the youngest members of our community. Two weeks ago, Pastor Kent shared a message about Nicodemus’ encounter with Jesus, as told in the book of John, chapter 3. This week, I will be teaching and preaching about a companion story that follows in John, chapter 4, when the Samaritan woman encounters Jesus at the well of Jacob. The author of the book of John, who opens this gospel with images of light and darkness, contrasts Nicodemus’ midnight meeting, with all the darkness and… Read More
