The Refuge of His Wing, March 13 Worship

Jesus made many references to birds. Science tells us birds have been around a long time. No wonder the Eternal One has a fondness for them. Birds are miraculous, and that is why they lend themselves well to many things Jesus wanted to express. When Jesus laments over Jerusalem’s lack of regard he says, “I have longed to gather you, like a bird would cover their young under their protective wing.” We want to say, Yes Lord, cover us under your protective wing.”

Jesus Shows Us the Way through the Wilderness. Worship: March 6 2022

Jesus enters the wilderness of temptation, joining us in all of our humanity. We will watch as Jesus defeats the devil’s temptations by putting the way of His Father before his own needs.  Jesus can inspire us to meditate on our own lives and the agendas that drive them. Lent can be a kind of spring time for the soul as we find spiritual renewal.

The Glory of Our God, Transfiguration Worship, February 27

On the day of his Transfiguration Jesus revealed the glory of God as we will see Him in heaven. In dramatic fashion, Jesus reminded His disciples that staying in the glory on the mountain was not an option. The fulfillment of Christ's mission was down on the plain. As we relive the moment of Transfiguration on the mountain we celebrate that God can sustain us through the dark valleys by His living presence before us. Jesus has revealed the great glory of God, and we are privileged to glimpse a little peak of what we will see forever in eternity

Our Creative God, February 20 Worship

When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery they could never have imagined what God was going to create by their misdeed. God is consistently creative. His goodness and love is a powerful recipe for surprise. God sees our circumstance differently then we do. Jesus teaches, “Love your enemies.” He is confident that love is creative. His love has even created a way for our life to be eternal. We celebrate our Creative God.

The Wisdom of Jesus, February 13 Worship

Jesus echoes the wisdom of the prophets, like Jeremiah, who preceded him by six hundred years. As a teacher Jesus builds on ancient wisdom: to trust God is a life-giving choice. Jeremiah says that instead of being a dry desert, the one who trusts God is like a tree planted by the water. With his truly eternal perspective, Jesus, the Son of the Living God brings wisdom alive forever.    

God is Present, February 6 Worship

We have been visited by God. In the season of Epiphany we celebrate the entrance of Jesus, the Son of the Living God into our world. Even more wonderful is that God wants to stay with us. He wants to be present in our work day and in our time of relaxing and reflection. We celebrate that God is present with us.

In His Presence by Amy Donaldson

The Voice of Our God. Worship: January 30, 2022

Sometimes a parent will catch their child getting a little too excited and need to ask them to use their “indoor” voice. Each of us have many different voices and we don’t always use them in an appropriate way. In contrast God has a lot of different ways in which He can speak to us, and He always gets it right. In our Gospel lesson we see Jesus teaching in the synagogue, healing a man possessed by an evil spirit, healing Simon’s mother-in-law, healing more of the sick and diseased, casting out demons. In each one of these situations He uses a different tone of voice. If we listen carefully God may use different voices with us, sometimes challenging us to live better lives, and then at other times comforting us with an accepting voice that says we are ok just the way we are. God can speak to us in a variety of ways. Are you listening?

Jesus, in the Power of the Spirit. Worship: January 23, 2022

Jesus returned to His hometown in the power of the Spirit. Today we rejoice to be able to recognize that the same One who created all things comes to us in the Spirit. He comes with the heart to care for us and bless us. He comes in love, serving goodness and righteousness for us.

Jesus Rejected In Nazareth. Painting by Jeff-Watkins.

The Joy of His Presence. Worship: January 16, 2022

Jesus was invited to a wedding and there he turned water into wine. It was the first of his many miracles. Through that moment we see that God has this incredible ability to turn one thing into another. He can turn bread and wine into His body and blood. He can turn a bad day into a good day. He can turn a hopeless situation into one in which we are blessed. It is our privilege to invite Him into our moments. As Psalm 65 says, “Your miracles and wonders inspire songs of joy.”

Great Guiding Star that Leads Us. Worship: January 9, 2022

Our celebration of Christmas now turns into Epiphany when the Magi followed a star that led them to Bethlehem. There they found the Christ Child, Jesus, and worshiped Him as King.

As we consider the mystery of just how that guiding light might have worked, we can celebrate that God has arrived in our midst to guide us. He is a real guiding light. Wise men and women still seek Him because the True Light that enlightens all things has come! Today we bring Him the gift of our worship and rejoice in His glorious guiding light.

Three Wise Men. Mark Messman