Living by the Spirit isn’t easy! In fact, it’s a fight. The apostle Paul even described it as a life-long, “good fight.” None of us gets it right all the time. Sometimes we go for days, weeks or, I don’t know, maybe even years (yikes) without experiencing it. But we are still called to live by the “fruit of the spirit” and not by the “works of the flesh.”

How do we know when we are experiencing it? Well… Paul describes it as freedom. But not just freedom to do whatever we want. It is real freedom, the freedom that comes when we know that God is with us and we are in the right place doing the right thing. The freedom that comes when we are experiencing “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

So how can we get it? How, as we walk with Jesus, can we keep in step with the Holy Spirit? How do we experience the fruit of the Spirit? Let’s explore this question in worship this weekend.

Blessings,

This weekend we begin a summer series called “Walk This Way.” We thought summer would be a good time to go back to the basics of what it looks like to follow Jesus.

I have long been inspired by pastor and author Eugen Peterson who saw God as the burning center of life which meant that Christian faith was not abstract or disembodied but integrated, personal, relational. “Spiritual theology means that everything in the Scripture can be lived,” he said.

And so this summer, we are going to look afresh at how we live as Christians, starting with what is most important – the solid rock on which we build our lives: Jesus.

If your life isn’t feeling so solid right now – or even if it is – this weekend will be a good weekend to find some steady ground. We hope to see you at worship!

Grace & Peace,

We really love Pentecost.

Yes, we know, we are, indeed, church geeks. But we think everyone should know how amazing Pentecost is.

This weekend we will be team-preaching about wind and fire, about passion and the movement of the Holy Spirit, about dreams and visions, about being all together in one place and being sent out to go all over the place.

Grace & Peace,

Pastors Tim and Chamie Delkeskamp talk about finding peace in this anxious world: "The source of peace has been waiting for us all along..." And the power of Christian community.

In our reading this weekend, Jesus prays for unity among his followers. Resurrection life weaves us together in love and witness. 

If you happen to be reading this on Thursday, Happy Ascension Day! Ascension Day is always celebrated 40 days after Easter, so it is always on a Thursday. But then, we as a church have the choice to recognize it on the ensuing weekend. And since over 75 years ago those who founded our church decided to name our community after this event, I think we should.

Indeed, we should spend a bit of time exploring what the ascension means for us and why it is important in our faith, and why we might be thinking about it in the wrong way.

If you want a glimpse of what I will talk about, let me just say that it is all about mission. When Jesus went to heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand. He wasn’t saying, “I am leaving you, see you when you join me.” He was saying, “I am going to heaven so that I can be with you wherever you go.” And it is true. He is with us. He is near. He encourages us. Even if we can’t feel it.

Let’s explore this more this weekend!

Blessings,

Imagine it is a last day… perhaps the last day of the school year, or the last day in the town where you have resided for 20 years, or the last day before you die. What might you want your last words to be?

As Jesus’ crucifixion was nearing, he said, “My children, I will be with you only a little longer… as I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Jesus’ last words were about love.

This weekend, we are going to talk about last words. At the 9:00 AM worship service, we are also going to hear some “last words” that our 8th grade confirmation students have to say about their faith as their confirmation journey comes to a close.

Though we are talking about last words, we are also talking about how those last words point us to ways to live life anew in the next chapter.

I am looking forward to worshiping with you all this weekend.

Grace & Peace,

This weekend we are celebrating one of the most complex and difficult human vocations there is. That is being a mom. The virtues of motherhood are many. For example: faithfulness, love — even when it is hard —  patience (thanks mom!), etc. And the task is to raise a human being to the point where they learn the same virtues.

Accomplishing this would be hard enough but the problem is that we live in a world that can be directly opposed to these virtues. So Jesus teaches a way through. One that has to do with listening to his voice. And the analogy he gives? It’s like a shepherd calling out to his sheep and about his sheep learning his voice.

So, there you go: Being a mom is like being a shepherd. Let’s talk more about this in worship this weekend! See you there,

Blessings,

This weekend is the third Sunday in the Easter season and I have the joy of sharing the sermon time with you as I preach on the Gospel reading of John 21:1-19. It’s a fascinating post-Easter story of Jesus and Peter. Jesus, our risen Good Shepherd, asks Peter and us, “Do you love me?” and he tells us “feed my sheep.”

How best do we show Jesus our love and how do we feed his sheep?

The second part of the sermon will be related to that obscure verse 18 which seems like every time we hear it, we hear it for the first time. What did Jesus mean by it?

We’ll take this opportunity, based on verse 18, to briefly lift up the Senior Adult Ministries of our congregation, and for our community!

May the 4th be with you! 

Love in Christ,

This weekend it’s all about old “Doubting Thomas.” But it isn’t really. Let me just dispel that myth right now. It wasn’t just Thomas that needed to touch Jesus’s wounds for reassurance, it was all the disciples. Thomas just missed Jesus’ first appearance. So, maybe instead of calling him “Doubting Thomas” maybe we should call him “FOMO (fear of missing out) Thomas.”

Either way, what we should not miss in the story is that this is an “equipping” story. At this point in the gospel, the resurrection has happened and it’s time for the disciples (students) to become apostles (sent-out ones) and so Jesus gives them everything that they need to go out and be the proof of the resurrection to those who didn’t witness it first-hand. It is a story about beauty and proclamation. And I am excited (along with a special guest) to help tell a powerful “living the resurrection” story this weekend. Be the beauty, be the blessing.

Excited to see you in church this weekend!

Pastor Tim

Blessings,

He is Risen!  He is risen indeed! 

You have probably heard the story before but this year, Pastor Chamie and I want to make sure that you know the whole story.  The history.  We want to make sure that you know that the grace God gives you through your faith is more than enough of what you need for your life.

It’s all been prepared.  The details have been attended to.  I am so excited to see you in worship this weekend!   

Pastor Tim