Sunday Worship April 16, 2023

Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Spring has sprung, in perfect timing with Eastertide!  We continue our celebration of the resurrection this weekend as we remember the stories of Jesus’ returning to meet with his disciples.  The stories and the hope do not stop there, however, and tomorrow morning we will look at the way in which we are heirs of the same promises. 

Yours in faith and hope, Lisa

Continue reading Sunday Worship April 16, 2023

Easter Sunday April 9, 2023

Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  On this glorious Saturday morning, looking forward to an equally beautiful Easter Sunday, we have much to be thankful for.  That said, there is no moment in which someone we love is not hurting about something.  Suffering as part of our human experience is inevitable, but so is the promise of renewal, of healing, of rebirth.  The depth of these truths has been profoundly expressed in the services of this Holy Week and the joy God promises is something we share tomorrow.  We gather at 5:30 at the parking lot at the Hayes Trail on Blue Hill Mountain for our sunrise service.  Deep thanks to Stu Davis for playing opening music on guitar and to Hunt Gressitt (and her roadie, Robert) for playing her portable organ for our singing! It will be a cold morning, but brilliant in the light of hope! 

At 10:00, we worship again in the sanctuary, and are grateful to Clair Maxwell for offering an organ postlude.  And always, we thank Ann Boudreaux for her leadership of our choir and other musicians, as well as keeping our worship tech running smoothly.  Friends, in the face of despair, we have hope.  In the midst of pain, we have healing.  Let us celebrate together! 

Yours in faith and hope, Lisa

Continue reading Easter Sunday April 9, 2023

Palm Sunday Worship April 2, 2023

Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Grace–we receive it without ever deserving it.  Peace–we long for it as we regularly struggle to understand the degree of violence around us.  As we approach Palm Sunday tomorrow, when we remember with joy the way that Jesus was exalted on his way to Jerusalem, we also know the violence that so quickly follows.  Holy Week reminds us of this contradiction each year, while we await the best news we might anticipate:  the promise of resurrection.  Working through the tensions of this week of remembrance may feel especially profound this year, as we struggle with the sadness and anger that follow yet another school shooting, on the heels of suicide by gun in our own community.  What does our faith teach us about how to respond to grief, anger and the anticipation of loss?  Join us as we seek answers and pose more questions together. 

Blessings and peace, Lisa

Continue reading Palm Sunday Worship April 2, 2023

Sunday Worship March 26, 2023

Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Before I myself forget, this week’s almsgiving for Lent is glasses, whether old pairs of our own, or new readers we might purchase at a drug store. 

Perhaps with this gift we may think of Jesus’ restoring sight to the blind and continue to think of the ways we may do God’s work by different means, with our own gifts.  Jesus’ abilities may sometimes seem so miraculous that we forget their very practical application.  The blind were given sight; the lame walked; the dead were resurrected.  Wait, what?  As we move through Holy Week, knowing with hindsight that we are looking toward Easter, we may forget the story of Jesus’ raising Lazarus.  Tied this week to the prophetic account of the dry bones in Ezekiel, this story of new life and hopefulness invites us toward hope, as well.  In our worship and in our fellowship together, we pray to grow our hope and our resilience.  Join us? 

Blessings and peace, Lisa

Continue reading Sunday Worship March 26, 2023

Sunday Worship March 19, 2023

Worship at Home Materials:

Worship at Home Materials:  We will be offering worship in-person as well as on Zoom this coming Sunday.  Coffee & tea are available after the church service. We ask that if you have not yet been vaccinated you attend worship via Zoom. 

Helpful Hint:  If you are planning to join the Sunday morning worship Zoom call, you might wish to print the following documents prior to joining the call, if you have that capability.  

Sermon:*  

A Reading from the Epistles                Ephesians 5:8-14                                

Message       “Sleepers Awake!”                  Pastor Lisa

*A link to the sermon will be shared on our website during the week following the service.

Continue reading Sunday Worship March 19, 2023

Sunday Worship March 12, 2023

Worship at Home Materials:  We will be offering worship
in-person as well as on Zoom this coming Sunday.  
Coffee
& tea are available after the church service. We ask that if you have not
yet been vaccinated you attend worship via Zoom. 

A Reading from the Hebrew Bible                Jonah1:1-6                   

Message                      “A Great Fish”         George Robbins

Below you will find materials to accompany this week’s Sunday Morning
Worship via Zoom.  An order of service with scripture readings, to
accompany the service, are available by clicking the following
links.             

Helpful Hint:  If you are planning to join the Sunday morning
worship Zoom call, you might wish to print the following documents
prior to joining the call, if you have that capability. 

Continue reading Sunday Worship March 12, 2023