A Note from Pastor Ryan This week many of my prayers have been dedicated to next week's VBS. I have been praying in part, because I love VBS. Yes I love the fun of it. I enjoy playing with the kids, I enjoy the decorating and the excitement the week brings. From a strategic standpoint, VBS is great for us as an organization. It is healthy for Christians to serve together. Working together deepens relationships and helps with missional cohesion. Furthermore it shows active fa

June 7, 2026 Proper 5 Announcements Invocation Scripture: Psalm 50:7-15 7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me.9 I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds.10 For every wild animal of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.11 I know all the birds of the air, and all that moves in the

A Note from Pastor Ryan This past Sunday we had the joy of celebrating Trinity Sunday with a baptism. like Christians have for centuries, we baptized Asher in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While Pastor John was preaching in the sanctuary, I got the joy of teaching Children's church where we learned about the Trinity. I took the opportunity to make them "smarter than the adults." by telling them what the Trinity is NOT. We talked about the Trinity is not lik

May 31, 2026 Trinity Sunday Announcements Invocation Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2:4a 1 When God began to create the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God] swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Ni

A Note from Pastor Ryan Sunday’s Sermon was a lot. At least it felt like a lot for me to get through. This week I listened again to a lecture by Dr. Willie James Jennings and he points to a word which can be used to summarize God’s movement in the world. He points to how God moves to “joining” people. God creates out of love and joins people in the garden. Humanity runs away, but God still joins them outside of the Garden. Eventually God joins humanity in Jesus who is Emmanu

May 24, 2026 Pentecost Announcements Invocation Scripture: Acts 2:1-21 2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit g

A Note from Pastor Ryan “We live in a highly sophisticated culture that conspires in many ways, maybe not to kill Christians, but to kill faith, to make faith in Jesus Christ seem puny, unrealistic. So maybe we, too, can be helped by the vision John offers his congregation, to strengthen them against the seductions and coercions of a powerful, impressive, and faith killing culture” These are words from Rev. Dr. Ellen Davis in her sermon “Worship the Lamb.” She’s commenting on

5/17/2026 Ascension Sunday Announcements Invocation Scripture: Acts 1:1-11 1 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying wit

May 10, 2026 Sixth Sunday of Easter Announcements Invocation Scripture: Acts 17:22-31 22 Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely spiritual you are in every way. 23 For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything

A Note from Pastor Ryan I recently heard someone say, “Disillusionment is a superpower.” It struck me as odd because we usually use that word negatively. However, he pointed out that when we are disillusioned, we are willing to see the truth and not wooed by illusions- things which seem to be true but are not. I heard this not long after reading 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28. (From today’s Book of Common Prayer reading) This passage is a favorite among Nazarenes because we get our

May 3, 2026 Fifth Sunday of Easter Announcements Invocation Scripture: Acts 7:55-60 55 But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. 58 Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him, and the

A Note from Pastor Ryan God has gone up with a joyous shout— the Lord with the blast of the ram’s horn. Sing praises to God! Sing praises!- Psalm 45:5-6 As I was reading the Psalms for today's reflection, my free associated brain went straight to my teenage years when I would listen to Third Day. They wrote a song called "Sing Praises" (here is the Link) They follow the Psalmist instructions to Sing Praises to God. Singing praises to God is almost always an appropriate

April 26, 2026 Fourth Sunday of Easter Announcements Invocation Scripture: Acts 2:42-47 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day

A Note from Pastor Ryan One of the readings for today is from Psalm 119:33- 40. In this Psalm, the writer cries out to God for instruction. He wants to know God's way, God's decrees, Gods law. In a round about way, it is asking for wisdom. We live in an age where people seem to want to be right rather than taught. Learning is not always an easy thing, it changes and challenges us. But this Psalmist has the correct desire, we should long for God's precepts, but do we? Do you

April 19, 2026 Third Sunday of Easter Announcements Invocation Scripture: Acts 2:14a, 36-41 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Fellow Jews and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 36 “Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and

A Note from Pastor Ryan One of the Psalms for today in the Book of Common Prayer is Psalm 12. It starts by saying "Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race." As I read those words, I thought what a common complaint. Today we make this common lament as well, people aren't as faithful as they once were. This type of lament can lead to despair. We can wonder how God could accomplish anything with such faithless and disloy

April 12, 2026 Second Sunday of Easter Announcements Invocation Scripture: Acts 2:14a, 22-32 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Fellow Jews [ a ] and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves

A Note from Pastor Ryan My friend Jason Byasse wrote "The Psalms are a rich feast" in the introduction to his commentary on Psalms 101-150. In my mind a rich feast includes a variety of foods so there is something for everyone- though not everyone will enjoy every dish. Perhaps you've discovered that a meaningful psalm to someone else doesn't carry the same weight to you. This Eastertide we'll be going through the Psalms on Sunday mornings. But I would also encourage you, if

April 5, 2026 Easter Sunday Announcements Invocation Scripture: Isaiah 25:6-9 6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. 7 And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the covering that is spread over all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from

March 29, 2026 Palm Sunday Announcements Invocation Scripture: Isaiah 50:4-9 4 The Lord God has given me a trained tongue, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens, wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. 5 The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I did not turn backward. 6 I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult an