Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  I am looking forward to being with you in worship very much!  We can know that this is a place and a people where we live into our best selves, trusting that we look with a similar vision.  Vision is at the core of our lessons for the weekend, with the story of Blind Bartimaeus and of God’s mercy.  How we understand the possibilities for our lives and how we enhance the possibilities for others’ lives is tied to our understanding of both–of vision and of God’s mercy.  So, in this season in which we too often are asked to look at the ways we see things differently, let’s come together in worship, celebrating the way we are seen as one by the One who made us. 

Blessings and peace, Lisa 

This Sunday in worship we will explore how a change in perspective can change us – or at least change our understanding of who God is and how God is present and working in our lives and in this world. In our scriptures we hear first from the Hebrew Scriptures God’s response to Job’s searing questions concerning why, since he (Job) has done all he can to live a righteous life in accord with God’s commandments, he has suffered so much? In Mark’s Gospel from the New Testament we see how Jesus responds to James’ and John’s request to sit at Jesus’ side when he comes into his glory. What are our responses when we human beings come face to face with what we don’t know or don’t understand? Many of you know I’m never without questions! I’m looking forward to being with you and exploring together!
 
Blessings,
 
Deb Jenks

Grace and peace to you, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ! Join in celebrating new members this weekend, with delight in that moment and hope the word of the day!  We can confidently say this, even when we pass through difficult times.  It was true for the Psalmist, and it was even true for Job, whose calamities are the stuff of legend.  So, too, is his faith.  Our relationship with God, perhaps like all our good relationships, allows for our questions and our occasional frustrations as we walk together through this gift of life.  In our worship together, we learn and grow in our faith, even as we wrestle with life’s challenges.  Join us, in celebration, in prayer and song, and in our asking the hard questions.

Blessings and peace, Lisa

Grace and peace to you, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  In a time of global unrest, it seems especially fitting that we recognize World Communion Sunday this weekend.  We will gather around a common table, celebrating our unity–with each other and with our neighbors, our family of God around the world.  Maren Tirabassi has written a helpful introduction to this “holiday,” which I share with you to include the same invitation.

“Those who are blessing and receiving the sacrament at home, please prepare a slice or small loaf of bread, corn tortilla, or rice cake or what is sacramental and joyful to share and a cup or small cups of juice — perhaps grape or cranberry — or wine, with or without alcohol, or coffee, or coconut water all of which are used in worship in different places.
In addition, you are invited to spend this week praying for a country in the world which is not your own. Often on this occasion we celebrate the “world” in a particularly generic “global” way rather than actually thinking about real places. For the days [following] World Communion Sunday choose one country to pray for – it may be in the news or may be one that you have visited or may be part of your ethnic heritage or may be one with a cuisine you find delicious or a writer or artist who inspires you. There is no right or wrong choice. Read an online article on this country – its history, its products, its religious heritage, the challenges it faces right now, certainly including how it stands in this [particularly fraught time.] Learn a word in one of its languages – maybe peace or gratitude or blessing. Google translate is a helpful resource and includes an audio pronunciation feature. You might even find a recipe to make sometime this week. This too will be communion.”

We also welcome to worship tomorrow guest musician Bill Schubeck to join our new Music Director, Tina Spencer Dreisbach and her husband, Paul. 

Blessings and peace, Lisa

Grace and peace to you, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Grace and peace . . . what we all long for from each other as well as from our Creator.  I want to share with you the words (by David Sparks) to the anthem the choir is sharing tomorrow morning.  In this unsettling time, with war being waged on too much of God’s good earth, we look for our hearts to be eased and to learn new ways forward in faith.  God’s word is and always will be love.  What are the stories from scripture that we continue to tell so that all humanity may learn this in a way that sustains?  How, indeed, may we be saved?  Blessings and peace, Lisa

Unsettled world, where people long to find their way, to feel secure,
from lives of turbulence and rush we come, to seek your peace, our God, your word to hear, our faith to live.

Unsettled world, where money rules and greedy systems call the tune:
for strength to keep our values straight we come, with trust in you, O God, your word to hear, our faith to live.

Unsettled world, where angry poor from grinding need at affluence stare, with tears and thirst for truth and right we come, with longing in our hearts, your word to hear, our faith to live.

Unsettled world, unsettled church, whose structures creak and doctrines swirl, by faith, and in the strength of Christ, we strive, in true community, your word to hear, our faith to live.
Words © 1994 Hope Publishing Company.

Grace and peace to you, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  If you have ever sought to read just one book of the Bible as a guide for human behavior and an explanation of why to live in such a way is a worthy idea, you might consider picking up the book of James.  We have been reading our way through it as a companion to the Gospel of Mark for the past several weeks, and tomorrow’s lessons again are fairly straightforward.  That said, we have to be ready to have our expectations of what is good and desirable completely upended.  We have to be ready to have our Alpha become Omega.  And don’t worry if this seems a little confusing to you.  We’re in good company in not quite understanding how our Prince of Peace; how the one meant to usher in the reign of God could allow himself to be the lowliest, even to the point of crucifixion.  Our confusion may be right in line with the disciples’ own.   

As we also gather as a congregation for our annual meeting tomorrow after worship, we have the opportunity to put into practice what it means to respond to these calls on our life.  We gather together in hope as we pray for peace. 

Blessings, Lisa