This coming Sunday, April 28, will be my final Sunday as your pastor. It is a bittersweet time of saying good-bye, but we are also faithfully looking to our future, knowing that the Holy Spirit is with us and all shall be well. So let's gather together to worship God—to celebrate our time together and to give thanks to God for the blessings that have been showered upon us. We'll be focusing on Micah 6:8 and 1 John 4:7-12—and the call of love. Love makes the world go round! Our work as followers of Jesus Christ is to love God and one another and the world. John declares that "God is love." Ultimately, if there is love, there will be a way. 

This Sunday's service will be led by Jim Guida as I will be away on vacation. The scripture lesson will be from John 3:16-24. There will be a time of informal sharing during the sermon and Jim has asked you to consider the question, "What is your favorite memory of Bethany?" 

This coming Sunday—April 14th—we'll be reading the story of the "Road to Emmaus" from Luke 24:13-35. This story takes place just after Jesus has been crucified; there is rumor that he has been resurrected. After the devastation of all that happened in Jerusalem, the disciples were all wondering "What's next?" We, ourselves, often find ourselves in the same position—when changes and troubles find their way into our lives, we wonder "what's next?" Let's gather as a church family to worship together, to gather around God's word, and to pray for God's guidance as we all ask the question, "what's next?"   

This coming Sunday, April 7th, is "Holy Humor Sunday.” It's actually an older tradition of many churches that has been experiencing a resurgence of popularity over the past few decades. You'll learn more about the purpose of this service in worship, but you can start thinking about a joke to share and feel free to dress appropriately for the spirit of the day! 

This Sunday, March 31, is Easter Sunday! We find ourselves in the midst of the Passion Story; tomorrow is "Maundy Thursday" followed by "Good Friday." You might take some time to read through one or more gospel accounts of the "Greatest Story Ever Told" in the coming few days. We'll be reading Mark's account this Sunday.

This Sunday, Palm Sunday, is the beginning of Holy Week. We remember when Jesus led a hopeful crowd into the holy city of Jerusalem to shouts of "hosanna!", "save us!" The masses had so many expectations for Jesus and the Romans were feeling threatened, so when Jesus arrived on a small colt, everyone was probably confused. This gospel accounts of Jesus' triumphant arrival into Jerusalem remind us that Jesus operates in ways that always seek to shatter our cycles of violence and power. Indeed, Jesus regularly upends our expectations and we are forced to see God, the world, and ourselves in new ways.

We seem to be facing many overwhelming problems in our nation and our world—global warming, wars and political crises, natural disasters. Right here in our own community, we struggle with how to best help those people living on the streets. Christ calls as stewards of creation and servants. We find meaning in helping others, but we also admit that sometimes our batteries get drained. And when we feel exhausted, other pieces of our lives can feel like they are falling apart. 

This Sunday, March 10, is the fourth Sunday of Lent. Our scripture lessons for the day will be Luke 10:25-37—the famous story of the "Good Samaritan." We need to consider this story with some fresh perspectives, so we'll also be sharing a skit! 

Our scripture lessons for Sunday, March 3, will be from Psalm 19:1-14 and John 2:13-22. John shares the story of Jesus overturning the tables of the money changers in the temple. It is an intense but powerful text about the nature of God and worship. 

For we Presbyterians, holy scripture remains an anchor for us as we seek to navigate the turbulent waters of being the church in the 21st Century

Happy Valentine's Day!  Hope your heart is warmed today. 

This Sunday, February 18, is the first Sunday of Lent. Lent is a holy time of repentance, reflection, and renewal—for 40 days—as we make our way to the miracle of Easter morning. Lent officially begins with Ash Wednesday; we remember that we are human—flawed and temporary—while God is eternal and God's love is unending. As you begin this sacred "journey," you might consider taking on a spiritual practice or two.

Hospitality and sharing meals together is an important part of our Christian life together—it's how we show love and gratitude to friends and strangers alike. 

This Sunday, January 21, I'll be attempting to say a few words about a Christian approach to the Palestine/Israel conflict. I certainly have no answers, but seeing as how we just celebrated Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, perhaps we can at least open our hearts to the many emotions swirling around this troubled part of the world. In fact, the theme of our service concerns prayer; our text is from Luke 18:1-8 which features a widow's prayer and persistence in working with a wicked judge. I appreciate your prayers as I attempt to craft a sermon that can offer something of value for such a messy situation! 

This Sunday, January 21, I'll be attempting to say a few words about a Christian approach to the Palestine/Israel conflict. I certainly have no answers, but seeing as how we just celebrated Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, perhaps we can at least open our hearts to the many emotions swirling around this troubled part of the world. In fact, the theme of our service concerns prayer; our text is from Luke 18:1-8 which features a widow's prayer and persistence in working with a wicked judge. I appreciate your prayers as I attempt to craft a sermon that can offer something of value for such a messy situation! 

This Sunday, January 14, we'll be celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday—a Christian leader beloved around the world. I'd like you to think about your heroes—who are they and why? During my sermon, we'll have some time to share about our heroes.   

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a restful and fun few weeks!  We are excited for the blessings of a new year—to experience the many ways that the Holy Spirit is moving in our lives and our church. This Sunday, January 7, we'll be celebrating Epiphany. We'll be reflecting on the many lessons to learn from the wise men.