Special music by the chancel choir.

Often when asked what we are looking for, we are clearly searching for something in particular--likely an object we have misplaced--and we give a quick and concrete answer. "I'm looking for my glasses," or "I can't find my keys!"

In this week's scripture passage, Jesus asks this question of two men who have begun to follow him, "what are you looking for?" and the men reply with a question of their own. Sometimes we know what we are looking for, and sometimes it is not so clear, and we need more information to clarify what we want to find, and how we will go about seeking it. Jesus invites them to come and see, and they do.

How might we respond to the invitation to come and see? Come join us on Sunday, and let's see. 

Prayers of the People for Sunday, January 15, 2023 by Pastor Mike.

Special music by Brandon Coz.

We often sell ourselves short, emphasizing our weaknesses rather than our strengths. When confronted by significant challenges, whether they’re our own or someone else’s, we sometimes feel inadequate to meet those challenges and defer to other “more capable” people to deal with them for us. This can be on a small scale, such as confronting an unfair HOA rule, or a much larger scale, such as global warming. Regardless of the scope, significant effort is sometimes needed by others to convince us that we can make a difference and should step up to the challenge.

This was the case for John the Baptist in this week’s passage. Jesus came to the Jordan river from Galilee so he could be baptized by John, but John was reluctant to baptize him. John felt inadequate, saying he should be baptized by Jesus. Jesus had to convince John that it was proper for him to baptize Jesus, and, in fact, it was necessary to “fulfill righteousness.” Join us this week as we reflect on John’s dilemma and consider how we may be holding ourselves back from accomplishing great things for Christ.

Prayers of the People for Sunday, January 8, 2023 by Avery West.

 This Sunday, we celebrate Epiphany, a celebration of the revelation of the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ. Although it’s a seasonal celebration for the entire church, it’s also a time to reflect on our personal revelation of the nature of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to us as a Jewish child in the first century, but he has been revealed as the Son of God to so many people in various cultures around the world for centuries. Each revelation is a story to be told and a gift to be celebrated.

This week we will talk about the revelation to the Magi. There’s not a lot of information in the Bible about the Magi, but we do know they were not Jewish, and they came from a different culture. They were so confident in the revelation they received that they apparently traveled a great distance in search of this new king. Join us this Sunday as we reflect on the journey of Epiphany and consider where the revelation of Christ may take us.

Prayers of the People for January 1, 2023 by Brandon Coz.

Special music by the chancel choir.

Isn’t it wonderful that Christmas falls on a Sunday this year? After rising early on Christmas morning to exchange gifts and maybe have a nice breakfast, we get to come together with friends and our church family to sing and celebrate the ultimate gift offered by God to humanity – the gift of the Christ child. We get to be vividly reminded of the reason for this season on the day of celebration that is all too often marked more by its economic rather than its spiritual impact on our lives.

This is a day that was eagerly sought by prophets, celebrated by angels, and remembered by Christians over thousands of years. It is a special day when we recognize the humanity of Jesus, born in a manger, as well as his divinity, the Son of God through whom all life was created. Come, join us on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day as we take this opportunity to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior within the regular rhythm of our weekly worship, and witness to the gifts of love and compassion that God has given us through this newborn King.