Bethany UCC

Preaching on things lost and found, Pastor Rebecca’s sermon this week tells the story of Lambie by Susannah Pratt, while also citing Kathryn Schulz' Lost and Found.

Pastor Vince’s sermon centers an historical marker in Kentucky commemorating the site of a divine revelation. He ponders on a world where more moments of spiritual connection are given tangible, historic form.

Pastor Rebecca on the importance of hiring the right nanny for your baby. (Kidding! Sort of!) We kicked off our Show and Tell theme with some of the 5 words the gospel-writer would use to describe Jesus (bible-based, guest, revelation) and some of the 5 words he’d use to describe us and other disciples (remember-ers, witnesses) as he shows and tells in Luke 24: 28 - 32. (*Plus* stories about nannying.)

To close out our “Bless this Mess” theme, Pastor Vince preaches about the temptation to resolve the conflict between our messiness and blessedness. To paper over our problems or deny our goodness. But God calls us to hold both fiercely.

Last month, Pastor Vince led a group of Bethany members on a pilgrimage along St. Cuthbert’s Way in Scotland. This week in worship, we heard reflections from some of those pilgrims describing their journey.

As part of our “Bless this Mess” worship theme, Vince preaches about the challenge of human relationship and the inconvenience (and necessity) of human connection.

In his first sermon back from his trip to Scotland, Pastor Vince reminds us that when trying to do difficult tasks, it generally doesn’t help to add a countdown. On the subject of mortality, he also reminds us that a countdown to death doesn’t do us much good either.

On listening toward enthusiasm, a hermeneutic of generosity, and the ways that being part of a faith community leads to a family resemblance (or, the ways that dogs start to look like their people, but that's neither here nor there).

Rebecca’s sermon this week covered Luke 4:14 - 21, some Seminary 101 vocab words, the Golden Girls theme song, and lessons learned by pausing for CTA trains.

Lists from a best friend, an op-ed columnist, the Apostle Paul and Romans 12: 9-21 — on what is and isn’t Christian.

BONUS CONTENT: A Grieved Soul