“Always Being Made New.” 

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.”  In a moment of ecstasy, John of Patmos has a vision of a new creation … the world shining forth in a new glory.  And he hears a voice from the throne of heaven saying, “See, I make all things new!”  In the wonderful imagery of Revelation, we hear the resounding truth that creation is an ongoing act of God.  All things, all life, the natural world and everything in it are continually in flux, continually being newly made.  As we celebrate the Reformation, we remember pivotal events and new directions in the unfolding history of the church.  But more so, we celebrate the truth that God reveals – semper reformanda ! – that the church, the people of God, indeed all creation is continually reforming, always being made new.  In this light we look to the future with great hope and expectation, with a sense of confidence and boldness, that God is in the midst of the world, at work for the good in all things.

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"Loving Your Neighbors"

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The calling to love God with the whole of our being is the foundation of Biblical tradition and practice.  It is as central to Jesus' ministry as it has been to the faith of all his Israelite forbearers.  Jesus teaches this love in a variety of different contexts in the Gospels as "the greatest commandment" and as "the key to inheriting eternal life."  In Jesus' spiritual heritage, it is the morning prayer of the Israelites: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.  You shall love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength."(Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

It is a calling upon our lives today, just as it was upon the lives of believers in Jesus' time.  When he teaches on this truth, Jesus always connects it with loving others ... "love your neighbor as yourself." For him, the two are inextricably linked:  we love God best when we love others as we would be loved ourselves.

In this Pentecost season we will be exploring our calling to love God in all that we say and do - with all that we are - and to manifest this love in our relationships with others.

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"Loving Yourself"

 click here to listen to the whole service 

 click here for the Children's Sermon Audio Only

 click here for Sermon Audio Only

The calling to love God with the whole of our being is the foundation of Biblical tradition and practice.  It is as central to Jesus' ministry as it has been to the faith of all his Israelite forbearers.  Jesus teaches this love in a variety of different contexts in the Gospels as "the greatest commandment" and as "the key to inheriting eternal life."  In Jesus' spiritual heritage, it is the morning prayer of the Israelites: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.  You shall love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength."(Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

It is a calling upon our lives today, just as it was upon the lives of believers in Jesus' time.  When he teaches on this truth, Jesus always connects it with loving others ... "love your neighbor as yourself." For him, the two are inextricably linked:  we love God best when we love others as we would be loved ourselves.

In this Pentecost season we will be exploring our calling to love God in all that we say and do - with all that we are - and to manifest this love in our relationships with others.

October 19 - Loving Your Neighbors

"Loving God with all your Strength"

 click here to listen to the whole service 

 click here for the Children's Sermon Audio Only

 click here for Sermon Audio Only

When Jesus calls us to love, it is with our whole being. That includes not only our spiritual, mental and emotional capacities, but also our sheer strength and physicality. Our strength – the gifts and abilities, the physical power we wield – is a vital part of this whole response.  In addition to the wisdom and creativity and passion for God’s calling, there is the embodying, the “enfleshing” of that calling. Strength addresses the “doing” of what God is about. But strength is more than just muscle and sinew;it is conviction, character and commitment to justice, as well. Sometimes it is defending the poor and the powerless. Sometimes it is patient endurance.  Today we engage strength in all its forms, as it is manifest in us, and as it flows into us from God.

The calling to love God with the whole of our being is the foundation of Biblical tradition and practice.  It is as central to Jesus' ministry as it has been to the faith of all his Israelite forbearers.  Jesus teaches this love in a variety of different contexts in the Gospels as "the greatest commandment" and as "the key to inheriting eternal life."  In Jesus' spiritual heritage, it is the morning prayer of the Israelites: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.  You shall love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength."(Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

It is a calling upon our lives today, just as it was upon the lives of believers in Jesus' time.  When he teaches on this truth, Jesus always connects it with loving others ... "love your neighbor as yourself." For him, the two are inextricably linked:  we love God best when we love others as we would be loved ourselves.

In this Pentecost season we will be exploring our calling to love God in all that we say and do - with all that we are - and to manifest this love in our relationships with others.

October 12 - Loving Yourself
October 19 - Loving Your Neighbors