Call to Worship Coming from places that have seen better days, God bids us to celebrate this day, a day full of new possibilities. Coming with our breath taken away by grief, the Holy Spirit breathes new life within us, renewing our connection with God and with one another. Coming to worship seeking a hope […]
Call to Worship (inspired by John 1) Come and see, come and see! We come to see for ourselves who this Jesus person is. Come and see, come and see! We come with open hearts to experience Jesus Come and see, come and see! We come to follow Jesus Come and see, come and see! […]
Psalm 95 John 4:5-15 As darkness fell in Siena, Italy on Thursday, neighbors struggled with the strain of social distancing. They prayed for the bereaved as 1,266 have died in Italy from Covid-19 and more than 17,600 have contracted the virus. Life has dramatically changed as those numbers continue to rise. From inside their […]
Salt and Light Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany February 9, 2020 Isaiah 58:1-12 Psalm 112:1-10 Matthew 5:13-20 Lately, soon after going to bed at night, I’ve been getting up again and heading to the TV room, hoping for a better night’s sleep in an upright position. Nighttime heartburn, due to a course of antibiotics, has […]
February 2, 2020 Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany Justice, Kindness, Humility “How many times do I have to tell you?” she asked. And then, the frustrated mother gently but firmly removed the candy bar from her child’s hand and placed it back in the rack. Her eyes half-closed, she took a deep breath. Her lips […]
January 26, 2020 Third Sunday after the Epiphany Psalm 27, Matthew 4:12-23 What Makes Me Sing? A decade ago, when I was pastor of First Christian Church of Atlanta, GA, I spent most Sunday afternoons in the church nursery, often accompanied by my son Matthew. Our charges were a room full of small children who […]
January 19, 2020 Second Sunday after the Epiphany John 1:29-42 Come and See Reflecting on an outgoing class of seminarians who were about to be conferred Master of Divinity degrees, Professor Rodger Nishioka said: I love what I do. I feel tremendously privileged to journey with these students for these years as they study and […]
“On the nautical maps of long-ago sea captains, it is said that the edges of the charts were labeled, “Beyond here, there be dragons.” Uncharted seas were obviously dangerous. Sailing into the unknown, who knows what you might encounter? And surely, after watching other ships sail off the charts never to return, speculation was natural. […]
When Our Daughters Cry Rev. Kris Light University Place Christian Church, Champaign, IL September 22, 2019 My little brother called. It was one of those calls which begins with an enthusiastic greeting because, as much as you love each other, you don’t call as often as you ought to. So, when I saw it was […]
Do you have any hand-thrown pottery at home? I do. I keep it on display, even though only a few of my treasures regularly make it to the table. Whether they are useful to me or not, I treat them all carefully, gingerly washing them after use and returning them to the shelf like pieces […]