Grace to you, and peace from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Hunt and I have been pleased to fill in for Pastor Lisa as she takes a much-deserved vacation, and I will be leading worship tomorrow.  This Sunday, we will continue our study of the Gospel of John by considering John 6:51-59, which contains one of Jesus’s most mystifying and divisive statements: that his flesh and blood are real food and drink and are essential for eternal life.  Why did he say these things, and how did people react when he said them?  And what might they mean for us?

Enjoy your weekend in this magical corner of Creation.

Looking forward, Derek

Grace to you, and peace from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  In this fractious political landscape do we, as followers of Jesus, have any particular responsibility? What does God want us to do? Is it best that we stay out of it and not let ourselves be contaminated by the anger and hate speech? Or should we jump in with both feet and make certain that our voices are loud enough to be heard over the din? This Sunday we will take a look at Scripture and try to discern what guidance God is giving us on this topic.

Blessings and peace, Hunt

If raining on Saturday, the Festival will be held indoors.

Grace to you, and peace from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  On this first weekend of August, we look forward to celebrating the sacrament of Communion together.  With our text from the Hebrew Bible and from the Gospel of John reflecting on God’s provision in surprising ways, we may look at the symbols of our central ritual differently.  How are we fed?  And what does Jesus mean when he speaks of living water?  Sometimes our getting back to basics is a good reminder of some of the elements of our faith life we may take for granted.  Whether at home with your own crackers and juice representative of the feast, or in the sanctuary partaking with friends, we come to the table that God has laid to celebrate our unity and God’s grace.

Blessings and peace, Lisa

Grace to you, and peace from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Tomorrow is the last Sunday of the month, which means that we invite our children to join us for the entire worship service.  So, we will share in an upbeat hymn and some more contemporary music in other ways, as well.  We also will have something in the way of an interactive sermon for all–a children’s sermon writ large.  The message to us is one of comfort in disconcerting times and we are asked to think about issues not far from any of our minds these days.  Are we praying for a king?  And just what is a king for us in our time, anyway?  We also hear the familiar story of miraculous provision represented by the sharing of loaves and fishes with a multitude.  What do we look for in our leaders?  Is it for provision?  Is it for peace?  Dare we say that we look to them for love?  We come together in our worship of the one who would lead us from death and discomfort to life abundant.  See you in church!

Blessings and peace, Lisa

Grace to you, and peace from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ! In the midst of a week of clear skies and sunshine, we are profoundly aware of the unpredictability of our lives, of the constant vicissitudes of life.  We read and watch the news with concern and even deep fear, and wonder what will bring us peace in every sense.  We look to each other and we look to God for comfort.  Sometimes comfort and a sense of safety feel distant, and so we look for the lasting Word of hope, for some deeper truth that can counter the clamoring and discordant messages around us.  We are not the first to feel this way, nor will we be the last, and through all time we have the One through whom we know our greater peace.  Join us in worship tomorrow as we gather strength for the journey.

Blessings and peace, Lisa