Sermon Series
Reflections Sunday, July 13, 2021
This week Pastor Toni Ruth invited us to reflect on the places in our world, communities, and lives where we see people in pain. Pain sometimes looks like anger, sometimes like tears, and sometimes like stoic grinning and bearing it. No matter what its source, pain demands to be heard and acknowledged or it will fester and express itself in behaviors that harm self and others. Our Lord Jesus always moved toward people in pain with compassion and healing grace. He listened, forgave, included, touched, and loved those who suffered and it changed them. To often our response is like Peninnah – to mock pain, Elkanah – to belittle pain and make it about us, or Eli – to dismiss pain as something else because we don’t understand it.
When have you been like these characters?
Who’s pain have you mocked, belittled, or dismissed?
What might the Lord have you do differently in response to his unfailing kindness and compassion for you?
This week we challenge you to talk to someone whose pain makes you uncomfortable and to jus ask, “Where are you hurting?” and then listen with love. How might this simple question help someone feel seen, loved, and not forgotten?
- Do not be afraid of the challenges.
- Do not run from the pain – that’s where the greatest change and deepest meaning from the story comes from.
- Do not give up on writing your own story.
- As the Bible tells us over 200 times, DO NOT FEAR!
Reflection on Sunday’s Sermon
I’ve Been Meaning to Ask?....Where are you from?
This past Sunday, we began a new series called "I've Been Meaning to Ask…". Our hope is that you will be inspired and motivated to connect and re-connect with one another after such a long period of separation and distancing. But as I mentioned yesterday, it's not simply about beginning or restarting relationships with one another - it's about doing that with God at the center. We hope that we will all remember that what binds us together is not shared interests or even common purpose, but the Holy Spirit of God.
Yesterday, we began our series with the question "where are you from?", which seems like a simple question, but it's often loaded with meaning. Being asked where we're from might make us worry about being judged by other people or, if we're the ones asking, we might be tempted to make assumptions about people based on how they answer. Sometimes, we might worry that people will respond to us the way Nathanael initially responded to Jesus: "Can anything good come from ________________?"
If we're going to connect in ways that go beyond the surface, we need to be open to sharing our stories with one another - where we're from, the people that shaped us, the rhythms of life that formed us. For some of us, this will be pretty easy. But for others of us, this will require a step of faith and courage in sharing where we're from and who we're from. In listening to each other's stories, we may have to push past easy assumptions and unhelpful judgments.
Finally, in order to connect/re-connect with one another, we'll have to invest in each other. We will need to invest our time. Building relationships with depth and trust is slow work and we will need to be patient with each other. Building deep relationships requires an investment of our attention, a commitment to sharing honestly and listening closely to one another. When we invest in one another, remembering the bond we have through the Holy Spirit, sharing the love of Jesus, God rewards our efforts and the Body of Christ is greatly strengthened by our efforts.
This week, reach out to someone in our church family that you don't know very well or haven't talked to in a while and ask them where they're from and be willing to share the same about yourself.
Reflections on the Importance to Worship
I didn't actually spell this out in yesterday's sermon, mainly because I have a love-hate relationship with using alliteration in a 3-point sermon, but we looked at three different aspects of Luke’s ascension story in his Gospel and in Acts: waiting, worship, and witness. (Even typing that out makes me feel inspired and annoyed in equal measure…)
The disciples received Jesus’ final blessing (in Luke) and instructions (in Acts) before Jesus was taken up into heaven in a cloud. They were told to wait for the arrival of the Holy Spirit, Who would give them the power to be Jesus’ witnesses to the whole world. Waiting can be frustrating – especially when you’re not sure what you’re waiting for. Of course, we know now that they were waiting for the Holy Spirit to come down, inspiring and equipping them to be witnesses to what God had done in Jesus. We don’t have to wait for the Holy Spirit – the Spirit is always with us!
While waiting as Jesus instructed them, Luke tells us that the disciples were at the Temple, worshiping“through everything”, setting an important example for us. No matter what we’re going through in our lives or in our world, worshiping God with our brothers and sisters (whether gathered together in-person or virtually) is a crucially important foundation for our lives as disciples. Through worship, we open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit, so that we can be empowered and equipped for what God calls us to do.
God calls each one of us to be witnesses. We witness through our words – through telling people about what God has done and continues to do for us and in us. We witness by the way that we talk to people (in-person or on social media) – do our words give grace to those who hear/read them? Are we building people up with our words, or tearing them down? It’s not just words, but how we live our lives. Are people experiencing God’s love and grace in the choices we make and the way we live?
This week, ask God to help you be more patient when you have to wait, reflect on the importance of worship in your life, and be mindful of the opportunities you have to be a witness to God’s love and saving grace.
Lift your Eyes and See Help
Sermon Reflection: Consider how God has been at work in your life. When have you felt God’s protection over you? When have you been overwhelmed and in need of help and called out to the Lord? How did God respond to you?
Pastor Toni Ruth quoted from the Heidelberg Catechism the following:
“I trust in [God] so entirely, that I have no doubt that he will provide me with all things necessary for soul and body. Moreover, whatever evils he sends upon me, in this troubled life he will turn to my good, for he is able to do it, being Almighty God, and determined to do it, being a faithful Father…We can be patient in adversity, thankful in prosperity, and with a view to the future we can have a firm confidence in our faithful God and Father that no creature shall separate us from his love;” (Heidelberg Catechism, Questions 26 and 28)
Spend a little time together thinking about both God’s ability to help you and God’s determination to do so. Where do you need God’s help today? Ask the Lord for help and for confident trust that the words of the Psalmist are true, “The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forever more.”
This past Sunday, we looked at the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, found in John 11. It's easy to forget all that happens before Jesus raises Lazarus - it's a pretty long chapter and it's a fairly difficult scene that can make us feel a little uncomfortable. We might wonder why Jesus waited so long to go see Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. It can be a little uncomfortable to see how forcefully Martha speaks to Jesus. And, like I mentioned in my sermon, grief makes us uncomfortable anyway. As much as we might want to skip to end of the story, there are some important lessons that John wants to teach us in the 42 verses before Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb.
Lesson #1 - Jesus wants us to bring our authentic selves to him. When Martha approaches Jesus, she is angry. She questions Jesus' late arrival to Bethany, demanding an explanation for why he wasn't there earlier to save her brother from death. Soon after, Mary approaches Jesus and asks him the same question, but Mary breaks down weeping at Jesus' feet. Both are truly heartbroken and bring their authentic grief to Jesus. In response, Jesus doesn't scold them or ask them to calm down. He doesn't respond defensively to their questions, but listens patiently and lovingly and then grieves with them.
Lesson #2 - Jesus shows us how to grieve (and how to be present with those who grieve). Jesus' response to Mary, Martha, and the friends who have gathered was to listen to their pain, to embrace them, to weep with them, and to pray. When we are on our own journeys of grief, we need people who will listen in love, closely enough to know when to embrace us or not, people who will weep with us, and people who will pray for us. When those we love are grieving, we can offer what Jesus offered that day in Bethany - listen in love, embrace, weep, and pray.
Lesson #3 - Jesus is with us. This is a central theme for all of John's Gospel - the truth that God became flesh in Jesus and came to earth to be with us. This is made clear in chapter 11 - Jesus is not some distant, unfeeling superman who hovers above everyone and everything. He is right in the middle of what is happening. He loves and grieves and cries. It is a comfort to us to know that Jesus knows our sorrows and our pain and our grief. When we are struggling, we can be reassured that Jesus is with us and he understands what we are going through.
I'm praying that you all have a good week and that you find comfort and reassurance in the promise that Jesus is always with us.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Wes
Lift Your Eyes
On Sunday, Pastor Toni Ruth challenged us with a little known story from 2 Kings 6:8-23. In the story a servant of God who is afraid lifts his eyes and sees that in the face of a challenging and fearful situation he is not alone because God’s army fight with him. “Do not be afraid! There are more with us than with them”, says Elisha. When we are afraid of following God call to faithfulness God reminds us that we are not alone, we just need to look up and see.
What challenging time are you facing that makes you want to go hide? What hard work of change in your life do you feel you cannot do alone? What situation in the world makes you throw up your hands in despair crying, “Alas Master! What will we do?” If God has called you in faithfulness to act, repent, change, or speak up for God’s truth then you do not need to be afraid. Even if things don’t turn out like you hope, God is fighting for you and God’s way wins in the end always.
Pastors Toni Ruth and Wes also invited us to begin thinking about what it means to love and be in relationship with our neighbors of different races and ethnicities. As we prepare for this God led work or relationship building we invite you to think about your own story and experience of race and to listen to the stories of someone of a different race with your ears open to hear what they have to say without judgement or defensiveness. Let’s begin praying that God will lead us faithfully in this good church work.
Sermon Reflections
This Sunday’s sermon focused on our Purpose from God. God has a purpose for everyone, and some are better at living it out than others. God’s purpose for our lives should be the force that propels us forward to becoming the people God calls us to be. The martyr Stephen from the book of Acts gives us an excellent example where staying focused on God led him to a path of freedom even though it cost him his life. Stephen gladly laid down his life for His God. Maybe God is not calling us to be martyrs like Stephen, but in a very real sense He is calling us to lay down our lives for Him by realigning our focus and purposes to match God’s. What we receive in return is so much more than we can imagine! What is your purpose? Where is your focus? What is God’s purpose for you? If you are looking to explore that more deeply, consider becoming more involved in the church body and finding those places where you can find your own identity, belonging and purpose, and at the same time help others find theirs!
Pastor Richard
On Sunday, we looked at a story that serves as a turning point in the Gospel of John (12:20-36). We saw how a brief encounter between some Greeks, two disciples, and Jesus represents the arrival of Jesus' "hour" - the moment when the scope of Jesus' mission is revealed: the salvation of all people. For John, this is the meaning of the light breaking into the world, the purpose for which Jesus was born, crucified, resurrected, and raised to God's right hand.
Jesus says in verse 32 that when he is lifted up (on the cross, out of the tomb, and in the ascension), he will draw all people to himself. All people - not some people, not a small group of chosen people, not just righteous people. All people. This something that we often struggle with. We almost instinctively assume that there has to be some condition, some requirement, some command that we must obey in order to be saved. The scandalous thing about salvation in Jesus Christ is that it is grace, unearned and freely given.
Of course, like any gift offered to us, we can reject it. We can work against other people recognizing and accepting God's invitation to life. We can find ourselves standing with the Pharisees, acting like gatekeepers thinking that we can decide who's 'worthy' to receive grace and who isn't. The truth is that we're all unworthy and we all need God's grace, forgiveness, and mercy. The amazing thing is that God continues to offer that free grace to us again and again, inviting us to come out of darkness and draw near to the light of Jesus.
This week, I want to invite you to find practical, concrete ways to embody God's grace for someone else. Is there someone who you know that needs a word of encouragement or acknowledgement that they are loved? Is there a need for reconciliation and forgiveness in your own life with someone who has hurt you or that you have hurt? Is there an opportunity - large or small - for you to reach out and serve someone in need? As followers of Jesus, let's work together to share God's light in our world this week.
- Jesus calls us to follow Him, to join in his procession that ultimately leads to life. He talks about this way in the Sermon on the Mount: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) What other roads are we tempted to follow in our world? What "parades" lead us away from God's Kingdom and towards violence and death?
- We also saw how Mark doesn't include details accidentally - it's important that Jesus began his entry into Jerusalem from Bethphage and Bethany and the Mount of Olives because those places had deep meaning for Jewish people in 1st century. This can invite us to reflect about places that have deep meaning for us - what places in your own life are places of hope or joy or expectation?
- Mark's telling of the Triumphal Entry is unique because it's partially about unmet expectations. Many people following Jesus were looking for a warrior Messiah who would overthrow Rome. When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem not to conquer, but riding humbly on a donkey, it's likely that there were people who were disappointed. It could be that they were part of the crowds who cried for Jesus to be crucified later in the week. We also know the sting of unmet expectations. We're familiar with disappointment. This story invites us to reflect on how we deal with disappointments and unmet expectations. What might it mean for us to move from unmet expectations to transformedexpectations?
Written on the Heart
On Sunday, March 21st we considered
Jeremiah 31:31-34 where God says
“I will make a new covenant with Israel…it will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors…a covenant they broke though I was their husband…This is the covenant I will make…I will put my law within them,, and I will write it on their hearts.”
In this text, God promises a new covenant that will give us not just the DESIRE to be faithful to the promise but the CAPACITY to be faithful. No longer will we say, “I do these good things (service, devotion, worship, prayer, giving, etc) this so that I will be loved, forgiven, and in relationship with God”. Rather we will say, “I do these things because I am loved, forgiven, and in relationship with God.”
God is not looking for external obedience that shapes internal relationship but rather internal relationship that shapes external obedience. God accomplishes this transformation of humanity by sending us Jesus to mend our broken human heart (or will) and show us the way of faithfulness.
As you consider what it means to have God’s law written on your heart, a law of love for God and love for others, what steps might you take that reflect your identity as God’s people? Here are a few ideas, pick one or two and see how God invites you both to rend your heart and claim his promise.
- Print the attached coloring sheet (attached) and read the description of the piece from the artist. In a spirit of prayer, color this heart and asking God to show you what this promise means for you.
- Attend a Bible study (Tuesday at 10 am in person or on Zoom ID 848-9159-8689) or Lenten study (Sunday at 11 and 3:30 or Wednesday at 7:00 on Zoom ID 853-3703-5116)
- Join us for weekly prayer M, W, F at 10 on Facebook but available anytime you want to pray after 10.
- Reach out to a friend of another ethnicity and check on how they are because many are struggling this week in the wake of another race related murder spree.
- As a gesture of gratitude and from a servant’s heart take 10% (a tithe) of the stimulus money you receive and give it to this church or another ministry that seeks to share the love of God.
- Make a commitment to live Holy Week, participating in all the activities that will begin next week as we journey to the cross with Jesus.
Lent Week 4 - Look up and Live
Sermon Follow-Up - March 15th - Sermon Link
By Pastor Wes
This past Sunday morning, we talked about snakes, specifically fireball-spitting snakes. Another name for these deadly creatures that attacked the Israelites in the wilderness is Numbers 21 is "angels". I say that only half-jokingly. We saw how the serpents (literally in Hebrew "the seraphim snakes") were sent as messengers of God. In this case, messengers of God's judgment against the people of Israel for their disobedience and complaining.
In his conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, Jesus mentions this story, telling Nicodemus that he too will be lifted up. And like the Israelites looking to the serpent on the pole for healing and life, we look to Jesus on the cross for healing and salvation. In the midst of our struggles, our pain, our own struggles with sin, God calls us to look to Jesus, to look up and live.
We are approaching the end of the season of Lent, journeying with Jesus to Jerusalem, rending our hearts because we know our sin - we know the ways that we have been disobedient or unloving or selfish, on and on. The weight of our sin threatens to overwhelm us. We want to hang our heads in shame and we might even fear God's judgment and anger.
But in His amazing grace and unending love for us, God calls us to raise our heads, to lift our eyes to see Jesus lifted up: lifted high on the cross where he died for our sins, lifted out of the tomb and out of death, and lifted in glory in His ascension, now seated at God's right hand. Even in the midst of our Lenten journey, we claim the promise of God's gift of forgiveness, grace, and eternal life. Friends, look up to Jesus and live!
Lent Week 3 Sermon Link THE 10 COMMANDMENTS
Sermon Reflection -- March 7 ,2021
by Pastor Toni Ruth
On Sunday we considered the boundaries of the covenant on Mt. Sinai that we know as “The 10 Commandments.” Pastor Toni Ruth challenged us to shift from thinking of them as discrete rules that save us to understanding them as boundaries that SHAPE us into the people God calls us to be. Rather than reading them as “you shall and shall not” we are invited to read them as “you are and are not.”
Who you are in relationship with God
1. You are the people who have one God
2. You are the people who do not worship idols
3. You are the people who use God’s name rightly with honor
4. You are the people who honor a day of rest with God to restore
Who you are in relationship with others
5. You are the people who honor your parents
6. You are not the people who kill
7. You are not the people who commit adultery
8. You are not the people who steal
9. You are not the people who lie
10. You are not the people who covet
Take a moment with this list and consider how well you are living your identity as a follower, not of the rules but of Christ. Where is God inviting you to rend your heart/to repent so that you can be more faithful and fruitful?
Now consider what word you most need to hear to support and direct your growth into who God calls you to be. Where is God inviting you to claim his promise to help you live faithfully not just the letter but the spirit of the law?
Give thanks for how God has been moving in you and our community forming us into the image of Christ so that we can bear kingdom fruit for his glory.
Pastor Toni Ruth
This is the Sign
Sermon Link -- February 21,2021
by Pastor Wes
In my sermon on Sunday, we went all the way back to the beginning (well, almost) to look at the covenant that God established with Noah after the flood. We saw how this covenant set a trajectory in Scripture that culminates with Jesus Christ. We saw that Jesus is the embodiment of the sign of God's promise.
First of all, Jesus is the embodiment of God's promise that He will be with us. This is literally what the word Immanuel means (which we see in Isaiah 7:14 and again in Matthew 1:23) - God is with us. And Jesus reveals that God is with us, not in judgement or anger, but in love and offering grace. God is not with us as an adversary, but as our Advocate. (Read John 14:15-31 for more about this.)
Secondly, Jesus is the embodiment of God's choice to set his bow in the clouds. Our God - the God revealed in Jesus Christ - is not a warrior God. This is the reason that we refer to Jesus as the "Prince of Peace". Through Jesus' death and resurrection, God has given us peace. This peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but a peace that is shalom, wholeness. This is a gift of God's grace and love, demonstrating yet again that our God is not a vengeful warrior, but a gracious and kind Advocate.
Finally, and perhaps most astounding of all, God is working in us to make us the sign of His promise and His presence. The Church is the Body of Christ and we are called to embody God's presence and God's peace in the world. This is only possibly through the Holy Spirit working in us, through us, and at times, in spite of us. Just as God is not our adversary, we must be mindful that we are not adversaries of God, standing in the way of God's work in the world.
So, this week in your own life, reflect on how you might embody the presence and peace of God. How can you join in with what God is already doing in the world?
Pastor Wes
Third Sunday of Advent 12/13/2020
Sermon Link PEACE
- How do you identify with the lowliness of Eve and her sadness?
- What joy comes to you, as it came to Mary, in the understanding that Jesus is coming to redeem our sadness and our loss?
- Spend some time in conversation and prayer with the Lord about where this word needs to pierce you today. What good news is God offering to you in your life today?
_________________
Second Sunday of Advent 12/6/2020
Sermon Link HOPE
We continued our Advent series Joy to the World yesterday by looking at the first part of verse 2 of the famous hymn. The original wording was: "Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ!" God calls us to use our songs to worship and to proclaim the Gospel message of salvation and peace. We see specifically how Isaiah 40:6-11 gives us songs to sing to people who desperately need messages of hope and peace in our world today. I compared Isaiah 40:6-11 to a classic progressive rock album because, for one reason, I'm a total music nerd. But the main reason is that the list of things we are to proclaim, the songs we are to sing from that passage, fit together and flow like a classic prog concept album.
Here's the track listing for Isaiah's prog concept album masterpiece:
1. "All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades…"
This is a difficult word for us to hear, but it's not a song of lament. It's a song of reality that confronts us with the truth of our mortality. A mature faith, rooted in truth, must hear and sing this song. We can bear to hear and sing this song because of the one that immediately follows.
2 "…but the Word of our God stands forever."
We can bear the truth of our mortality because of our faith in God and God's Word. As Christians, we proclaim that the Word of God which stands forever has come to us in the flesh in Jesus Christ.
3."Here is your God!"
Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, was also given the name Imanuel, which literally means, "with us God". Jesus is God with us, so we don't to wonder about where God is and we don't have to worship at certain places or in certain buildings. God is with us always in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.
4."See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him."
The Lord is mighty and strong, but that strength is not used for violence or revenge. We do not serve a warrior God, but a God of peace and restoration. Jesus, who told Peter to put away his sword, shows us what our God is like.
5."He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep."
Our God is not a soldier, but a shepherd. This is the God Who gives us abundant life, salvation, grace, mercy, and truth because of His faithfulness and steadfast love for us. That's good news worth singing and shouting about!
So as we continue this Advent season, I pray that the joy of the Lord will be in all of our hearts and that we will sing the songs the God has given us with boldness!
First Sunday of Advent, 11/29/2020
- Lament
- Repent
- Remember
Christos Kyrios
Nov. 2 - Nov. 22
Nov. 2 - Nov. 22
Christ the King Sunday
Christ the King Sunday is the culmination of the Christian year and the last Sunday before the beginning of Advent. This represents a dramatic shift – we go from focusing on the reign and rule of our Lord Jesus Christ to once again awaiting the arrival of the King as a little baby. That shift reminds us that the “cosmic Christ” that we talked about yesterday – Jesus as the Lord of all creation – is also the same God that has come to near to us in the birth of Jesus and is present with us through the Holy Spirit.
We talked yesterday about how the language that we sometimes see in Scripture, particularly when Paul talks about the “cosmic Christ”, sounds strange to our ears. Even a phrase like “kingdom of God”, which sounds so familiar to us when it comes to Scripture, reflects a different worldview than ours. We don’t typically think of our world as divided up into kingdoms – we talk about nations or states. Instead of kings, we talk about presidents or governors or leaders.
While I’m not suggesting that we remove the word “kingdom” from our Bibles, it’s occasionally helpful think about things in a slightly different way. We saw yesterday that one way of thinking about the Kingdom of God is to think of it as a culture – the culture of God. We talked about the various cultures that we can participate in and how, even in small ways, those cultures make claims on our lives. For followers of Jesus, the culture of God is above any other culture that we might be a part of.
The culture of God is defined by the sacrificial, risk-taking, outcast-embracing love of Jesus. It’s a culture that reflects the Lordship of Jesus Christ over all things. There are times when some of those other cultures – political, social, even entertainment and hobbies – conflict with the culture of God. This means that we have to make some hard decisions about what defines who we are, what we build our lives on, what or who has power over us.
This week:
- Think and pray about what it means in your life to be part of the culture of God.
- What does it mean for your everyday life to take the Lordship of Jesus seriously?
- As we begin the season of Advent next week, what are the sources of your hope and joy in this very difficult year?
________________________
- Resides in Jesus (1:17)
- Is something we DO (3:21)
- is the purest form of worship (4:23)
- liberates us, set us free (8:32)
- is something we bear witness to (8:33)
- is what Jesus tells and the devil does not (8:40)
- is what the Holy Spirit guides us into (16:13)
- is what sanctifies us (makes us holy) (17:17)
________________________
Sermon 11/8/2020
Reflection
I have always suspected that the popular "Elf on the Shelf" was devious, even evil. But until yesterday, I did not realize that the "Elf" was actually the Canaanite fertility god Baal. Just kidding…
In all seriousness, in looking at the beginning of Elijah's ministry and his struggle against idolatry, we saw how we have our own idols in our time. They may not take the forms they did in ancient times, but we still struggle with divided loyalties and the temptation to put any number of things above our commitment to Jesus Christ.
We also saw that (according to Scripture) the idols worshiped in the ancient world - in Canaan, Corinth, or Rome - were not real. Much like the "Elf on the Shelf" is just an inanimate doll that parents have to secretly relocate every night, the idols of ancient times were also inanimate, unliving, unable to actual do anything. That didn't make idol worship fake or safe - the behaviors and beliefs of idol worshipers were and still are very real. We make an idol of whatever it is that we put above God and serving that idol shapes and guides our choices and behaviors.
Living under the Lordship of Jesus Christ means that our faith in God and our daily decision to follow Jesus shapes our choices and behaviors. An important aspect of our work of discipleship is recognizing our idols and allowing God to tear them down. That can be a difficult and even painful process, but one that is necessary for us to grow as disciples. But we can be encouraged, because God has given us power through the Holy Spirit, Who works in us and through us, making real God's sanctifying grace in our lives.
This week, find some time to reflect on the following questions and pray that God will help you to be faithful in following Jesus:
- How do we begin to recognize the idols in our lives? What are some potential idols in your life right now?
- What resources has God given you to recognize and reject possible idols? What Scriptures, practices, or prayers help you the most in doing that work?
We pray that you will have a week full of God's grace and comforting presence and we look forward to being with you all again in worship!
Grace and Peace, Pastor Wes
- Pastor Toni Ruth reminded us that to call Jesus Lord means to follow his way. Read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and do some self evaluation. Where does the sermon comfort you? Where does it challenge you?
- Christo Kyrios (Christ is Lord ) is a costly allegiance. What would it cost you to choose his way above all other? What keeps you from making that commitment?
Pastor Toni Ruth
Because of HUMC....
In the month of September we’ll be highlighting and celebrating the difference that HUMC and her ministries has made in the lives of individuals and the community. We invite you to think about the difference your connections made at HUMC have made in your faith journey and to share that with us online by tagging the Church in a FaceBook post or sending your word to the church office email or mail to the church P.O. Box 970, Harrisburg, NC 28075
Sermons:
Anthem in honor of Gwynn Morris. All The Way Savior Leads Me
Building Blocks of Faith
John Wesley was known to have quoted the maxim “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” In a world where christians are often divided by different ways of thinking, what are the “essentials” in which we are to be unified? This season we will use the Nicene Creed to explore the teachings and beliefs that form the foundation of our faith upon which all else in built.
The last week of Jesus’ live often passes in a holy week blur.
This Lent we will slow the story down to focus on the events of that last week in order to focus on each movement and be challenged to reflect on how the story of Jesus shapes our lives. As we seek to find ourselves in the story of Jesus we will consider
What will we risk to follow Jesus?
Feb. 26th Ash Wednesday: Preparing the Canvas Worship at 6:30 pm
March 1st - The Parade: Risking Reputation (Matthew 21:1-11) Communion Sunday
March 8th - The Temple: Risking Righteous Anger (John 2:13-21)
March 15th - The Teaching: Risking Challenge (Matthew 22:15-22)
March 22nd - The First Dinner: Risking Rejection (Mark 14:3-9)
March 29th - The Last Supper: Risking the Loss of Friends (John 13:3-16) Communion Sunday
April 5th - Palm Sunday
9:00 The Garden: Risking Temptation (Mark 14:32-36)
11:00 Cantata: The Last Week
April 9th - Holy Thursday Worship 6:30
The Last Supper: the Rest of the Story
2020 Confirmation Class will help lead worship
Every generation complains about those that follow them, but what younger generations need is for adults to see them, understand them and invest in them
Kids today need you and you need them too!
February 2nd - Kids today need to know they belong
February 9th - Kids today need to know that they matter
February 16th - Kids today need to know that they have a purpose
February 23th - Transfiguration Sunday
Wednesday - February 26th - Ash Wednesday Service 6:30 p.m.
The last week of Jesus’ live often passes in a holy week blur.
This Lent we will slow the story down to focus on the events of that last week in order to focus on each movement and be challenged to reflect on how the story of Jesus shapes our lives. As we seek to find ourselves in the story of Jesus we will consider
What will we risk to follow Jesus?
Feb. 26th Ash Wednesday: Preparing the Canvas Worship at 6:30 pm
March 1st - The Parade: Risking Reputation (Matthew 21:1-11) Communion Sunday
March 8th - The Temple: Risking Righteous Anger (John 2:13-21)
March 15th - The Teaching: Risking Challenge (Matthew 22:15-22)
March 22nd - The First Dinner: Risking Rejection (Mark 14:3-9)
March 29th - The Last Supper: Risking the Loss of Friends (John 13:3-16) Communion Sunday
April 5th - Palm Sunday
9:00 The Garden: Risking Temptation (Mark 14:32-36)
11:00 Cantata: The Last Week
April 9th - Holy Thursday Worship 6:30
The Last Supper: the Rest of the Story
2020 Confirmation Class will help lead worship
It’s the start of a new year and an opportunity get your vision checked and corrected by God so you can see more clearly and live more faithfully in 2020.
VISION 2020
January 5 Seeing Yourself Clearly - Communion Sunday
January 12 Seeing the Situation Clearly
January 19 Seeing the World Clearly
January 26 Seeing God Clearly
Special Congregational Meeting
*Town Hall to review final Building Team proposal
1:30-3:00 in the Sanctuary
*Church Conference to approve 2020 Building Plans
2:00 in the Sanctuary
(All Full Members may vote)
State of the Church and Annual Charge Conference
Tools for the Spiritually Stuck
November 10th I Believe, Lord Help My Unbelief
Putting the Habit into Practice: Listen
November 17th A Thorne in the Flesh
Guest Preacher: Rev. Steve Cheyney
3rd Grade Bible Sunday
Christ the King Sunday
November 24th In Him All Things Hold Together
Putting the Habit into Practice: Learn
You're Speaking My Language
Gary Chapman developed a theory known as love languages in his book The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Last. Chapman suggests that everyone has a way that they choose to give and receive messages of love to others, a language that they speak. The 5 love languages are: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Gifts, Physical Touch, and Quality time. The main idea is simple: the way we most easily get the message, “I love you, you matter” is the way that we are most likely to show others that they are loved and matter to us. The key to healthy relationships of all kinds is to pay attention to the way that others most often show their love and then to learn to speak their (love) language. In paying attention and learning to speak a new language we can intentionally BLESS others in effective ways that help share God’s love.
October 13th -- Introduction and Words of Affirmation
October 20th -- Acts of Service and Quality Time
October 27th -- Physical Touch and Gifts
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September
How to Live Like a Christian
Living as a faithful disciple in our world offers real challenges. Whether we’re dealing with the temptations of social media or wondering how to engage those we disagree with the Book of James is full of practical advice for Christians. Using these tools can make all the difference in our daily life. -
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August
All the Feels
The Psalms show us a full range of human emotions that the writers felt without censoring them. What would it look like for us to talk honestly about the feelings we experience without hiding them from God and others? Knowing God created all these emotions and understands can give us “all the feels.”
