BEGIN:VCALENDAR
PRODID:-//Solspace/Calendar//EN
VERSION:2.0
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:39578e90d43c9cd4835818f01df08ca9@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The first week of our worship series opens on a shared ecumenical observance of living our faith together: World Communion Sunday. While this is a great Sunday to highlight the global nature of the universal church\, it also presents a unique opportunity for local ecumenical collaboration. Consider reaching out to your local clergy or lay colleagues in the community and asking them to write a prayer to include in your service. Offer the same in return.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191006
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191007
SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:e53c37f652563edc9b63fdf63b83b63a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This week is one of those great moments when there is harmony between the United Methodist programming and worship calendar with the Revised Common Lectionary. On October 13\, many United Methodist congregations honor “Children’s Sabbath” Sunday. Not to be confused with Children’s Sunday or Youth Sunday\, Children’s Sabbath “engages places of worship across the country in focusing prayers\, worship\, education programs\, and action on learning more about the urgent problems facing our nation’s children exploring sacred texts and teachings that call us to love and protect children\, responding with outreach and advocacy.”
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191013
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191014
SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:15ea5f843125172ea4416ed86a947229@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It is Laity Sunday in The United Methodist Church\, which usually has three different responses from congregations: (1) ignoring this week and continuing on with business as usual\, (2) having your church’s lay leader or a certified lay speaker deliver a sermon\, or (3) having multiple speakers offer mini-sermons or testimonies. For this week\, we are hoping you consider options two and three.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191020
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191021
SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d8dd8e11980efc9075311b27739ea931@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Many United Methodists around the world acknowledge this Sunday’s commemoration and celebration of the Reformation. The Reformation often seems to be “too heady” to discuss on a Sunday morning or even “irrelevant” to our everyday lives of faith. One way to approach Reformation Sunday is through the lens of unity. “Unity” may seem to be an odd approach because in the last 500 years\, the DNA of the Reformation can be characterized by fracturing and splintering. So why focus on unity?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191027
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191028
SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:c9febc877d4b13d905669ae9804ce0aa@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:In the United Methodist Church\, the first Sunday in November is usually a combination observance of two major feasts: All Saints Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls Day (Nov. 2). Whereas All Saints Day commemorates the great historical forerunners to our faith\, All Souls Day helps us remember some of the “everyday saints” who have gone before us and have entered into God’s rest. Both of these observances coalesce well with this week’s theme of “abiding.”
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191103
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191104
SUMMARY:Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:7aa4177c58be4c6d6dffe251c0d475f8@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:God is doing a new thing among us. In our congregations across the globe\, the Holy Spirit is breathing new life into fresh ideas\, innovations\, and creative demonstrations of faithfulness among us. Multiple scripture passages this week refer to the new things that God is doing\, be it the “latter splendor of this house” in Haggai\, the joyful and fearful anticipation of Christ’s coming in 2 Thessalonians\, or the enduring reality of the resurrection in Luke 20.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191110
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191111
SUMMARY:Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1416bfcdd80491192520528a49cd405a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:These scripture passages intersect at the themes of labor (Isaiah 65\; 2 Thessalonians 3)\, God’s blessing (Isaiah 65)\, and the faithfulness of God in equipping us for our labors (Luke 21).
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191117
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191118
SUMMARY:Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9544ac305ef07db23699c57df8e97c50@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:These lectionary readings present quite the juxtaposition for Reign of Christ/Christ the King Sunday\, which is the concluding week of the Christian liturgical year. When we think of Christ’s lordship\, the Colossians 1 passage is an obvious choice\, as it speaks to the preeminence of Jesus and his Lordship over all creation. At the same time\, Christ is one who was crucified like a standard criminal\, offering forgiveness up until his final breath. Put together\, these scripture readings paint an image of Christ as our crucified God who reconciles the whole world to himself through his death and Resurrection.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191124
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191125
SUMMARY:Reign of Christ\, Christ the King Sunday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:3628387b0c10fb20eaf9151048666ba6@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Journeys begin with a choice. Shall I go or not? Shall I stay and embrace the known and the comfortable\, or shall I go and maybe find something wonderful\, or maybe be unsettled\, upset\, uncertain?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191201
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191202
SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:e11090ad935baec37e9f3ea71ed0ef30@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:In any journey of length\, there will come times when questions arise. A question such as\, “Are we there yet?” is only one possibility. Other questions such as\, “Should we turn around?” or “Do we really want to make this journey?” or even “Are we making progress?” may occur.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191208
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191209
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:05cd18ac5dd2a11c62818c25f0abfe96@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete” Sunday. Each Sunday in the season of Advent is supposed to be feast day\, a celebration\, but this week is especially so. The third week of Advent is a time of joy\, a time of being thankful for all that has been given—the promise of the Savior who has come\, who is present\, and who promises a return.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191215
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191216
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:621cd267c7911073d236a465fdbbe322@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Perhaps you\, too\, have become suspicious of your GPS. You’re following the directions to a destination where you have never been. Then you’re directed to make a turn that doesn’t feel right. You’re in an area of the city that doesn’t look right. The directions keep coming\, but they don’t seem to be on the right path.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191222
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191223
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9c48571cd8241e74c060ecff21c2932b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:What a glorious night\, what a precious moment\, when we gather as a family in the darkness of the world to sing and to remember and hold our candles up into the night as we celebrate the light.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191224
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191225
SUMMARY:Christmas Eve\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:dcd863f8ed48a23f686764408bb119fc@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The post-holiday blues hit hard sometimes. It was a frenetic journey to the celebration of Christmas\, but now the lights don’t seem so bright and colorful\, and the music grates on our ears. Or worse\, things have fallen apart\, and the family closeness lasted only a minute or two before the rivalries and resentments returned.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191229
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191230
SUMMARY:First Sunday After Christmas Day\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a15224708f7d0129655d995ce12e9246@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Watch Night is another night to gather together to worship and to hope. Watch Night is not simply the culmination of the Advent and Christmas series\, but a new beginning. It is an opportunity to set a course for the journey that continues.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191231
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200101
SUMMARY:New Year's Eve / Watch Night\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d511446d6cc5e2bfa956dcd4ca052686@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This stand-alone service is an opportunity for the church to celebrate the Light that shines in the darkness.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200105
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200106
SUMMARY:Epiphany Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:fb84680a7dc0fda6f014294933d89ade@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Another stand-alone service\, this one is designed to give a sense of solidarity with Jesus by joining him in the experience and confession of baptism.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200112
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200113
SUMMARY:Baptism of the Lord\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:e622e1a7a56febda273d477b4aaf369d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The salutation of I Corinthians contains a wealth of material for preaching and worship\, not least is the enthusiasm with which Paul addresses his readers and hearers.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200119
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200120
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1eb2b79239071f87817cf631b91ed432@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Paul doesn’t waste any time getting to the main point. He discusses the division and some of the sources of it. But again\, there is hope in our common baptism\, in our belonging to Christ.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200126
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200127
SUMMARY:Third Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:3b7557d8071922b7a49b36e13442881a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The fools that we are called to be does not diminish us as people\, but rather reminds us of the source of our strength and our wisdom. If we are able to move our egos out of the way and truly focus on the unity of the body and the centrality of the call\, it just might be possible to be in mission together as the church of Jesus Christ.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200202
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200203
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:e548080f238a81164d0e727c48701b72@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:“Preach the gospel at all times. When necessary use words.” This quote is still attributed to St. Francis of Assisi\, even though historians can’t find a single time he said this. It sounds like Francis though\; don’t you think? And he did say something similar: “It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.”
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200209
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200210
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:b0d0540bc1acfbd36c73852c56aa2481@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Elders in The United Methodist Church submit to the itineracy system\, moving from church to church throughout their ministry. Some argue that it is a system no longer sustainable in our culture that needs to be phased out. Perhaps\, but one outcome of the system is a visceral understanding of the idea presented in I Corinthians 3 about servants together in fields of the Lord.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200216
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200217
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:17e138d80cdde088ca918a0ffd05771c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:So why Transfiguration Sunday? Why let it be significant enough to stand alone? This has not been a significant event in the life of most churches. Plus\, in our attempt to connect with the wider community\, it seems like a hard sell to those unfamiliar with church talk. So why bother? Because we need it.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200223
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200224
SUMMARY:Transfiguration Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f7fd39cd477621ce9a0efd6ff5aeb732@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Ash Wednesday begins with a need for repentance and the call to walk with Christ.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200226
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200227
SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:b82a1e622645b91ed97c8cc07abda9fb@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Happy isn’t a mood we associate with the season of Lent. Lent seems to call for something a little more somber\, reflective\, and inward looking. Certainly\, the Lenten journey calls for attention to the inner self and the working of spiritual disciplines in the life of the individual and the community of faith.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200301
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200302
SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:ac21fa31fd98b02d28cf45d1ecebe0b4@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It’s only week two in Lent\; there’s a long road ahead of us. Yet\, if we’re not careful\, we can begin to stop paying attention.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200308
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200309
SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:77c1fa8726c94697b8356130e6754188@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Worship is not just\, or even primarily\, a head thing. It is a whole body thing\; we pour ourselves out in worship. We enter the worship space and nothing else matters but the community who gathers and the God we worship.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200315
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200316
SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:7c3721e99fe4a684db3c2ec9e94c4354@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Of all the songs in the hymn book of the people of God\, the 23rd Psalm is probably the most beloved. It is almost impossible to read these six verses without hearing a favorite version sung.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200322
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200323
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:275d5e68f8046441112a5bde57cb8c41@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Psalm 130 provides a proper ending to the series and an anticipation of what is to come. The psalm is a cry from the depths of pain or despair. And there is no clear resolution\, no clear fix to the brokenness\; the separation still abides. And yet\, there is hope.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200329
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200330
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:73c19c658fc239e190b9251f02ea0741@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:From the waving of palm branches while shouting “Hosanna!” to the gathering of the mob shouting “Crucify Him!”\, Palm/Passion Sunday is the beginning of a difficult journey to the cross. Whether the last Sunday of Lent or the prelude to Easter\, this act of worship is rich with meaning and presence.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200405
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200406
SUMMARY:Palm/Passion Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6e8443590583804b81fc0ab77203abc6@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Gathering with the Twelve in the upper room before Christ’s Passion\, Maundy Thursday is a moment to hear Christ’s “new commandment” – to love as He loved – even as we share in the sacramental grace we call Holy Communion.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200409
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200410
SUMMARY:Maundy Thursday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:2abba36906ffbe774a9f195e4a634db4@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:In darkness and in silence\, we stand with the first followers and through our tears we watch the Lord of our life shed blood for us and die in pain and in victory. That is what Good Friday has been throughout the centuries and in a variety of traditions and practices. “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?”
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200410
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200411
SUMMARY:Good Friday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f2e977fab744465b05c81135ad7c465f@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The grand and glorious reversal of all we thought we knew about life and about death\, Easter is God’s yes to love and to life eternal through the Son\, Jesus the Christ. This is a day of color and light and joy as we celebrate resurrection with all that is within us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200412
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200413
SUMMARY:Easter Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:860d255b42e9ff2d55b4003730d70d73@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Eastertide is a season of celebration\, a season of embracing the proclamation of Easter. It is an embrace of life itself.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200419
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200420
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9192e47939d7a79408adef6ea52d1077@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We too often want to get back to normal\, to the same old\, same old. But that’s the whole point of Easter\; there is no same old anymore. Everything is new. We might be living in a Good Friday kind of world\, but we are of Easter.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200426
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200427
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f008fa5eb7c673f05ea2c25031cee240@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:What makes it a revival? All kinds of things could be considered\, but it comes down to two things: first is an invitation to discipleship\, and second is the hospitality of a loving community of faith.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200503
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200504
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:4f54ec4ff85eab1d939efe806496aed1@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This series is about Jesus and about us. It’s a celebration of the gift of Resurrection and the new life that it brings to us and to the world.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200510
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200511
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a2a98779183254c409d87f8e0bae630b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:“Chosen and precious” refers to the one chosen for us and precious in God’s eyes. But now\, because of the Resurrection\, that phrase includes us. We are chosen and precious in Christ.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200517
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200518
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:27613f377f7242af8394d8905cf32de8@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It is time to turn back to the one who is “chosen and precious\,” except\, as you’ll see\, he turns it back to us. Even when talking about himself\, his own glory\, he turns back to us. It’s amazing\, really. in this moment\, you’d think he would be focused on himself. But even in the final moments on this earth\, we’re the objects of his attention and his prayer.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200524
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200525
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9dd758a721224f5c9661d94cfa77675d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Pentecost: Another high holy day of the Christian calendar. Called by many the birthday of the church\, Pentecost represents a passing of the mantle of sorts—from the Incarnate Christ to the ever-present Spirit\, the reminder of the God within\, the sustainer\, the teacher\, the strengthener. Pentecost is a day of celebration for all that God has done and is doing within the life of the church.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200531
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200601
SUMMARY:Pentecost Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:156d6c66dca2549eb92bdf3d51c4ecec@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The first Sunday after Pentecost is also called Trinity Sunday. One explanation reports that this is the Sunday where you explain the Trinity. Good luck with that.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200607
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200608
SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9acb1bc107bd6d15b599d6dfe042cac9@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:How do you count? Does that seem like an odd question? Maybe it is\, but it is still valid. We are entering the longest season on the Christian calendar. Some call it Ordinary Time\, and some call it the Season after Pentecost.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200614
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200615
SUMMARY:Second Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:2d553f462c12610ccad3c73a5abfdd72@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This is the third Sunday after Pentecost. It is also the Summer Solstice\, or the first day of summer. And\, of course\, it is Father’s Day.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200621
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200622
SUMMARY:Third Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:3335a12321d76111591c3d19c7235c9c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:So\, what is the word for our final week of the series? Love all the people. That’s where we’re going next with this series.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200628
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200629
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f9bffbef14ebd18371b4c9c8937021ac@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:How do we observe Independence Day in worship? With thanksgiving. It is always appropriate to give God thanks for the blessings we too often take for granted.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200705
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200706
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:91de1d427108ef78815a494fb3fc2256@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Here we are in the midst of summer\, wondering how we will hold on to folks when summer fun calls. Of course\, COVID-19 might have something to say about what and where and when we can gather\, even out in the wilderness of the great land of ours.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200712
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200713
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:ec1c52fc32f913c711600766d3793638@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:“We are debtors.” That’s the opening statement for our text this week. We are debtors. We’ll focus more on the text in our preaching notes\, but here we will state that the obvious learning from this statement is that we are not alone.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200719
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200720
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:51fc17220459fd9a24723be3ec007d14@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This house shall be a house of prayer. That isn’t the text for this week. But it is a sentiment behind the thrust of Romans 8:26-39. We are about prayer this week: prayer that transforms\, prayer that equips and enables\, prayer that overcomes\, prayer that conquers. Worship this week should be centered around prayer.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200726
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200727
SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday After Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:62899ce069ee4597e2e164ec27a0e646@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Our focus is Jesus. Always\, yes of course\, but particularly in this series we are looking at Jesus and then looking at us. Not so much so we can emulate Jesus\, but so that we can find motivation for what it is that we do. God’s how is our why\, remember?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200802
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200803
SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:2b6875925d9951a4a162d7fe91b80abb@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The Word is near you? How do we celebrate that this week? How do we claim the gift we’ve already been given? Perhaps that’s the key—what we’ve already been given. This is a time for celebrating who we are as the people of God. Instead of prayers asking for what we don’t have\, maybe we can claim with joy what we already have.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200809
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200810
SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:50da8b4b52fcacc978ff0165a354737f@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This week’s topic is difficult. It is so difficult the worship team might be inclined to choose a different text. Both Paul’s letter to the Romans and Matthew’s Gospel present to us complicated texts that will be hard to wrestle into an easily digestible form for a comfortable Sunday morning. Yet\, this is precisely why it is worth the struggle.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200816
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200817
SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:fab2a4264530d09dc677fced35d8b6ae@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Last week may have been a struggle\, text-wise anyway. But this week\, ideas just fly off the page. We have two texts that leap into our heads and hearts from which we can bring the community of faith to a resounding shout of joy.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200823
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200824
SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:344b4ca395a6bef275910b795ede92a8@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Let us celebrate the working of love in the midst of the people of God. Find stories to tell\, pictures that reveal\, people who have experienced genuine love\, who have never lagged in zeal\, who have contributed to the needs of the saints.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200830
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200831
SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:02b1d361120ac56376f60b40338e6df8@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:If there is an emotion that seems to resonate throughout the texts for this first week of our new series\, it is anger. If there is an emotion that often will launch us into a wilderness experience\, it is also anger. So\, this seems to be where we need to begin.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200906
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200907
SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:8fdeefc1d6f31b389f5c6e8ec1922a1e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Remember\, we are in the wilderness. The people standing on the shore\, amazed at what God had accomplished\, were not done with their journey. They had only just begun. We are on a journey too\, making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. And we have only just begun.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200913
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200914
SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:289f3a3da37f24b7036bd2a1cd2fbd1e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Manna\, that’s what we’re celebrating today. Manna in the wilderness\, sustenance for the journey. But also a question. “Manna” in Hebrew translates as\, “What is it?” The perfect question for this odd stuff that just appeared in the wilderness every morning.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200920
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200921
SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f9535520b01ec039dfc90f6cc2977ac5@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:What if the theme for the week\, “Strike the Rock\,” becomes a call for deeper living? “Strike the rock” means lean on God\, trust in Jesus. Strike the rock means find the joy even in difficult moments\, even in the wilderness. Striking the rock is trusting that there is a way forward even when it seems like there is no way. Striking the rock is a declaration of faith\, even when it seems like giving up makes more sense.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200927
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200928
SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:71301741e7625ba276508e58dd9b24c2@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This is World Communion Sunday\, a service that could certainly stand on its own. It carries enough weight and meaning to not need the support of a larger theme. Many worshiping communities have traditions and practices that accompany World Communion Sunday\, and those should remain in place. Let this service be significant in the minds and hearts of the congregation.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201004
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201005
SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:3e4c608005e63421f33a6e9e85b7189d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Does it seem that there are simply too many things to think about these days? It’s overwhelming\, to say the least. And many in your worshiping congregation may seem overwhelmed. It just might be time for a reset. The Rev. Junius Dotson\, General Secretary of Discipleship Ministries\, has written "Soul Reset\," a book about finding space to breathe\, about reorienting one’s life with gospel priorities. It might be a good resource for planning the service this week\, which is a week of getting our thinking straight.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201011
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201012
SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:e6d78ee98e1b59d4e61415425be990db@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The word for today is presence: God’s abiding and constant presence — not a random\, “force-like” presence that just is. This is an intimate presence\, a personal presence\, a presence that knows your name. What a proclamation to bring this week! You are known. In our over-mediated society\, it is often the individual who gets lost in the mass of voices and noise that surrounds us. There are many in your congregation who can attest to feeling lonely in a crowd. This week could be an antidote to those feelings.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201018
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201019
SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:5523a3b944ed31228b8dd2983810d329@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Reformation Sunday is an interesting event. In one sense\, it has become an opportunity for all non-Catholic churches to celebrate their history that Luther and then others led in a break from the Roman influence in Europe. Some historians claim that it was on October 31 that Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the Wittenberg church door. So\, this is the Sunday closest to that event.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201025
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201026
SUMMARY:Reformation Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:246c97cb1e96c760f28ca7cd77c46a1a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:All Saints Day falls on a Sunday this year. John Wesley considered it one of the greatest celebrations in the life of the church. “How superstitious are they who scruple giving God solemn thanks for the lives and deaths of his saints!” said Wesley in 1756. Year after year\, he commented on the celebration of the saints. It was a festival he dearly loved.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201101
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201102
SUMMARY:All Saints Day\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:57c08c8379c8b9c779445b68674e3eba@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This worship experience is both an inspiration to live each day aware of that presence and to acknowledge that all of us are closer to the one we follow than we realize.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201108
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201109
SUMMARY:Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1a8ec4f34eff83cec7bcb5ed3bde7496@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:In every gospel message\, there is a call. But let it be a call to joy\, not to shame or to heaviness. Let it be a call to the possibilities of transformation and growth. Invite the community to more— more love\, more joy\, more fellowship\, and connection.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201115
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201116
SUMMARY:Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d127313b1e5a649409dba5f94f2b0757@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Reign of Christ or Christ the King Sunday is an opportunity to be reminded who is the one we have chosen to follow. It is an opportunity to give thanks for the author of salvation and the one who has given us the gift of the church\, the fellowship of the body that we celebrate each time we gather in person or online.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201122
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201123
SUMMARY:Reign of Christ/Thanksgiving Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:483537b8f139ded0862e809425f5f213@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:What excitement this season brings! Certainly\, you’ve done it many times before\; the rituals may be set in stone\, the expectations ripe\, and the patterns already unrolling. But there is something about the season of Advent that brings forth the kid in us\, and we all lean into the hope. So\, let the excitement grow\; let the buzz be felt.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201129
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201130
SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:5e00e627906c2b6b405637fc93ffb675@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It is one thing to notice that there is work to be done. It is quite another one to determine that you are the one who needs to do that work! This week’s worship is about commitment. That could be hard when a large part of the congregation is still online. How do we get folks to commit to ministry when getting together is difficult? What does ministry look like in this pandemic era? These are some of the questions the worship team might consider answering\, or at least making suggestions about this week.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201206
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201207
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:981f7117964718d9e317cdf9a995a0db@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:After finding the mess and cleaning it up\, what now? Decorations! We’ve got to make the place look great for those who are coming. We want our welcome to be beautiful and our hospitality to be breathtaking. So where do we start? What do we include? What does it matter?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201213
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201214
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9ee3d97bb08caa073b7ac697236c477c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It’s the fourth Sunday of Advent\, and the tug of war is over. Christmas now takes center stage. Families who have come home and may not join you for Christmas Eve services are expecting a Christmas message. It won’t do to keep to the Advent theme of anticipation of the second coming of Christ. We need to relive the first. We need to live into the first. We are on the threshold of a new world.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201220
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201221
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1cb679d9db92055134c161436be2fad2@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:What a feeling of celebration\, what a joy that all this anticipation has come to a kind of fruition. True\, there will always be the questions about whether anything will change in the world around us because of this event. Transformation always takes longer than we think it should. And it often begins with something small\, a new vision\, a stronger hope\, a baby in a manger. Something small that will change everything.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201224
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201225
SUMMARY:Christmas Eve\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f3c8ac23bc1f40533b060ad317281de0@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:There is an inevitable let down after Christmas. This is December 27\, only two days after the day that most are still digesting. The other phenomenon that normally occurs at this time is that folks are starting to depart\; families are returning home\; people are going back to work. That may all be different now\, even as we will still be recovering or enduring the pandemic. But there is still a shift in thinking\, in focus\, in direction in these Christmastide worship experiences.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201227
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201228
SUMMARY:First Sunday after Christmas\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a79b3824e44942936ce25d4196bb1a92@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We’re wrapping up Christmas this week. Some may have already packed everything away\; others may still be sitting in the glow of the lights and tinsel. But the goal isn’t to shuffle it all away\, but rather to embrace the fullness of the community that we have become – incorporating the new but becoming one in Christ.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210103
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210104
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Christmas\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d8da99e78df0a11f49f4bbedf57d80a5@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Worship should be a celebration\; this is the beginning of a new year. We survived 2020\, and while there might still be lingering effects of the pandemic and the unrest\, it is time to embrace a new possibility\, a new hope. The heavens have been torn open. But this isn’t a threat\; it’s a promise of something new\, something better. Let us commit ourselves to a closer walk with Christ. Let the waters of baptism renew us and cleanse us for our mission and ministry as followers of Jesus.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210110
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210111
SUMMARY:Epiphany/Baptism of the Lord\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:e2013ec1307da829b79bfdb554ba6f20@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” That’s our guiding phrase from our gospel text for this week. “Anything good?” Surely you can hear how that sounds. Surely in our contentious environment\, you hear the presupposition behind the sarcasm. You can hear the prejudice tucked away in such an innocuous joke. We are potentially dealing with some difficult topics this week. They are not difficult because they are complicated but because they are threatening. And personal. And most folk have some pretty entrenched positions on race and ethnicity.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210117
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210118
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:283489891c65e36758e8eb30f444c38b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:How do we convince people that following Jesus is not simply about a state of being\, but a call to doing? Certainly\, there is a need for training\, for preparation\, for growing as disciples\; but the end is always an outward focus\, always looking for ways to connect\, to widen the net.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210124
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210125
SUMMARY:Third Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:7d04e552f7271284822706b3cfddf0b6@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We are people on a journey of transformation\, and it isn’t always easy. Today\, we acknowledge the hard work of becoming disciples and of setting aside the weight that clings so closely\, of handing over the reins of our lives so that we can be led into wholeness. And so\, we can proclaim wholeness to the broken world around us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210131
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210201
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:ba869b964f2426241b1ff2ef84ab321b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Let us celebrate service today\, but not as another call to do more\, to give more\, to work harder or to fill our overburdened schedules with work. Yes\, there is always a call to more service. But instead\, let’s celebrate service by saying “thank you.”
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210207
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210208
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:c5913122a84b2f3c0638946014717382@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Transfiguration Sunday might not be a common observance in the United Methodist tradition. There are those who do attempt to pay attention to this significant moment in the life and ministry of Jesus\, but many do not. Now\, as a part of the “Follow Me” series\, would be a time to take a moment and consider this event.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210214
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210215
SUMMARY:Transfiguration Sunday\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:cc70ff0fd1ac128787ec0dfdeef59954@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:There is something powerful about a season that starts in the middle of the week\, at night (or in the morning\, if that is your tradition). It suggests that the Lenten journey is a high calling\, not for the faint of heart\, not for the casual observer. It requires a level of commitment from the beginning. Issue the call to worship as a reach\, a stretch\, not as a barrier to access\, but as a reminder of the strenuousness of the journey ahead.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210217
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210218
SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:cbd1590252edf18798a7b1c01bdd2f64@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Lent begins on Ash Wednesday\; we admit that. But this first Sunday is when many people become aware of the season. If there are rituals to be adopted\, they will often begin today. So\, we are on the brink again\, or still\, or even for the first time\, of the journey. That’s why we begin with promise\; we begin with covenant.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210221
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210222
SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:16042c5505a2b0c831504b4dd58a118a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Rending of the hearts\, or what we have come to see as giving something up for Lent\, has become somewhat anemic these days. Abraham gives an example of a true rending\, a true sacrifice. It makes our no chocolate or coffee for a few weeks seem kind of meager. Yet\, a sign is a sign. It is about our willingness and our patience.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210228
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210301
SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:5230e144bdfd5c6969ee28097d31a30d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Designing a worship experience around the commandments seems a daunting task. Yet it need not be a heavy or finger-wagging experience. Instead\, it could focus on the commitments we make to one another within the life of the community of faith. It could be a celebration of who we are as the body of Christ. It could be a reminder that we live in covenant with one another.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210307
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210308
SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:41ba0b6d40c4497bad3ff3955633762d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This is another occasion of Jesus predicting his death and the doorway that it opened for all of us. And by “another occasion\,” we don’t mean how repetitive\, but instead we mean we need to pay attention here. This is important. Worship\, then\, should be centered around the offering that Christ makes to all.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210314
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210315
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6f2f5bab43b2a82d7aa5d94c8d8b029d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:That the gospel is countercultural is beyond debate. But texts like this one are so subtly against our way of thinking that we might not even realize the pull to deny this proclamation even as we preach it. Yet\, how can we make such a claim about a magnificent vision of the kin-dom of God? It seems something that we all long for on a regular basis\, particularly during a time of unrest and division. This is a utopia worth claiming\, so why would we be reluctant?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210321
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210322
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:3c58ef1b243e2426b620174184f9779b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Palm Sunday is not just Palm Sunday\; it is more properly Palm/Passion Sunday. That slash is important. It is a reminder that there is risk involved in taking the side of the marginalized. There is danger in trying to upset the status quo. And just when you think you’ve won your point and gathered your crowd\, you discover you are alone again.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210328
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210329
SUMMARY:Palm/Passion Sunday\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6fd3e7c998c353f14a2bfdffd8879333@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This Maundy Thursday\, we remember what Jesus did\; we go back to that moment. But if we stayed in that past\, if we didn’t see that this command was\, as Exodus states\, “a perpetual ordinance” to be observed\, to be enacted with our whole lives\, then we’ve missed something significant about this moment.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210401
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210402
SUMMARY:Maundy Thursday\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:c70a2853036b3e17b12e5746cca37eef@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:In a way\, Good Friday is not so much about understanding\, but experiencing. That’s why mood is so important. What do you want to have happen in the core of those who participate in worship in this service? We can’t always give a meaning that will satisfy the mind. Who can explain this sacrifice of blood on a cross from one we have come to call Lord or Savior?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210402
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210403
SUMMARY:Good Friday\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:18d3568dc1b2e306d748fbc64de81dc0@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Let there be joy – however it takes to project it\, whether in person or through a screen or even in print. Tell jokes\, funny stories\; let there be laughter. Easter is a day to feel\, even more than to understand. It is a day to accept more than a day to explain. Even though our foundations have been shaken\, we move forward\, because that is where the Risen one is going. He is going ahead of you. Let’s keep moving forward.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210404
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210405
SUMMARY:Easter Sunday\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6b9f67344a8ae103add7c85815c7ec30@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:On the Sunday after Easter\, there is a general let down. It is hard to maintain the heights that we attain on the celebration of Resurrection Day. The pastor is often on vacation\; the choir scales back. Even in this still uncertain time of pandemic\, there might be a tendency to relax a little bit on this week. Resist that tendency!
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210411
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210412
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:67595eba2e27d257bf64e59e7f91a763@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Jesus is trying to ground the disciples’ faith in the reality of his presence\, in the concreteness of his being. He told them to touch him\; he ate in front of them. He was announcing that he was real. What can we provide\, what hands-on proof can we give that Jesus is alive among us? Of course\, we have been in a pandemic and touching is still not something we want to engage in. But we can still give examples of lives being touched\, hearts being touched.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210418
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210419
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:cd38e69818cf5ce937588464a4460a8e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The real question for us today is not\, “Will God speak to me\, to us today?” Instead\, will we listen for that voice that is speaking? Jesus doesn’t say\, “Listen and maybe I’ll have something to say.” He says\, “Listen to my voice.” “I am speaking” is the implied message\, so pay attention.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210425
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210426
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:8a3ec267d3ba63697207f79d7ce2a0b7@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We are practicing this abiding in Christ as we worship together with the hope that it will continue after the benediction is pronounced and the postlude ends. Cultivating habits for lifelong worship is a part of what we do when we gather for worship – however we gather these days.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210502
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210503
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:43600ea4d31ef83d2eed6fedd21e6a01@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It is not our intention to dampen the spirit of the day\, but to remind worship teams of the delicate nature of recognition. By all means\, find ways to give thanks and to give honor. That is one of the tasks of the followers of Jesus (Romans 12:10). At the same time\, however\, offer prayers of healing for those who are struggling on this day.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210509
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210510
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:cf451f6d240674d0029bd91c8d61163d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Worship this final week of Eastertide needs to be a celebration of living the Resurrection with the Resurrected one at our side. It is a reminder that we are not alone\, that we continue to journey with the one who calls us and the one who saves us\; even as we look forward to the one who will empower us to continue the work of building toward the kin-dom of God.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210516
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210517
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday of Easter\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:758d6262393de8412a0866af5ee517f5@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Pentecost worship is about joy\, and the invitation is to let the Spirit be poured out on you. But remember\, that “you” is plural. Let the Spirit be poured out on all y’all. It was because they were gathered together that this happened.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210523
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210524
SUMMARY:Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a22658d6dad4769563d39b3a8b86cc13@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This is the first Sunday after the Pentecost. It is the beginning of a long season that takes us all the way through the rest of the liturgical year until we reach Advent once again. So\, it is a journey of some length. It is also the church’s story.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210530
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210531
SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:fc9c3e13ea325e11f37acefe6e09708a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Worship is\, of course\, about God and not about us. And yet there is a dimension where when we come to completely focus on God\, and God in Christ\, then we are renewed in the Spirit to continue our discipleship path. So\, while we don’t measure worship by how it makes us feel\, there is a correlation between being built up and the worship experience where we encounter God.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210606
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210607
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d0db0f8eae267a7db67e5b1409ce97ea@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Worship this week is about growing into the new creation that we are called to be in Christ. So\, think about talking about growing. Those who are raising kids find themselves telling stories about the latest thing\, the latest mischief\, the latest accomplishment that their child has gotten into. We need stories to help us see what living as a disciple is like. We tell our stories\, and we tell stories of others as examples of a faithful life.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210613
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210614
SUMMARY:Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:52339e1cfdc0b64c1ba44e17ff9e4617@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Green is the dominant color of this long after Pentecost season. It is the color of life and of growth. Here is where the focus switches from the story of Jesus to the story of the church. Not that we leave Jesus behind\, of course\, but Jesus is now working through the body of Christ\, the church\, to continue his ministry and invitation in the world. This is our story\, who and what we are called to be. This is the story of disciple making day to day\; this is our reason for being.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210620
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210621
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:3e4b6ce2b17e77910df01ab20113f57c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Stewardship is not simply a once-a-year item. This week’s texts provide a perfect opportunity to talk about stewardship without following it up with a pledge card or a capital campaign. Though the impetus for the Corinthian text is a monetary collection\, it could easily be shifted to sharing of gifts and offering of grace\, stewarding what we have been given in a way that gives glory to God.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210627
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210628
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:b55dd63f11d428a41b20a1c02315fd17@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Discipleship begins with relationship. With whom are we willing to be in relationship? Who is included in our understanding of bone and flesh? Who is “us” in a world of “us” and “them”? Worship on this day can be about drawing the circle as wide as possible – to acknowledge our common kinship through the Spirit. Let there be less of a nation of boasting and more of a nation striving to be the light on the hill\, the shining example of the kin-dom of heaven on earth.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210704
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210705
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:07ce9728029446d0f0f0a87aaf46e66e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It’s midsummer\, and it may be hard to maintain focus. So what can we do to bring folks back to what worship can be or needs to be for the body of Christ? Throw a party!
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210711
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210712
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:246f75af6cc1dad7aeddb028da64eaa9@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:What does it mean to be the dwelling place or a dwelling place for God? How can we present the church and/or the community of faith of something worthy of that designation? In this second chapter of Ephesians\, this is the description that we are given of the church: the dwelling place of God. God takes up residence among us. What does it mean to be God’s home?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210718
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210719
SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9bb10b0204805a02c53e7cddfbb4683a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The only way we can know something as deep and as profound as the love of God that we experience through the grace of Christ is through the witness of the church. How do you understand any one’s love? By living it\, by sharing it\, by talking about it.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210725
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210726
SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:3801f98c708a786e98a74f1dc5d93c9b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Now we’re moving from preaching to meddling\, as the old cliché goes. To declare that there is a life worthy of the gospel is to claim that there is a life that isn’t. There are choices to be made in how we live out our faith. And some of those choices reveal whether we are indeed “rooted and grounded in love” or not.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210801
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210802
SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f708acc97a4d5ea8fd9f13cbcd03d146@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Our text this week places a high calling on the people of God. Two of them in fact. The text ends with the urging to be imitators of God. It is difficult to imagine a higher calling than that. But this is why we spend most of our lives in the process of knowing God.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210808
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210809
SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:27304b794d82259325437f7b200cd07d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Every fourth week of November\, we tell ourselves that Thanksgiving should not just be a once-a-year thing\, but a way of living every day. Ephesians 5:15-20 is a call to remember that belief. This brief text sums up with “giving thanks to God the Father at all times.” At all times! What if we held a thanksgiving service here in the middle of August?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210815
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210816
SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:e646be4421fef11943e30c7cca5aaff5@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Accessorizing – that’s the image from the preaching notes that we might work with this week. The author of Ephesians wants us to realize that we are not left without resources as we seek to be made into disciples and to make disciples. In a way\, this is the gear we have been “gearing up for life” throughout the series. So\, what are these tools and how do we employ them in our daily lives?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210822
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210823
SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:e16063d1839b3936eb72f1859bd34022@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Our series begins here on the last Sunday in August. Many schools have been in session for a while\; others wait for the Labor Day weekend next week. But on the brink of that immersion into learning and community exercise\, we focus on being doers of the word.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210829
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210830
SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:bcc90798e7247bea1908721bf171f3a0@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Let this be a worship experience of reconciliation\, not just between individuals\, but between the church and world\, between economic status\, between races\, between orientations.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210905
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210906
SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:8b8ba218db90ffeeedee84b67b8a7840@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We must be even more vigilant in how we present God and what words we are wanting to put in the mouths of those who worship with us this day.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210912
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210913
SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9a49497b3630c08cde9ccbed4718e117@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Peace is possible\, even while we are works in process. This isn’t about completion and the satisfaction of a job well done\; it is about a journey of discovery and transformation.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210919
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210920
SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9d54413818705c6a77161bfed3fccd60@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Worship can offer forms for prayer\, prayers that show how prayer is shaped. That way worshipers can use the prayers provided but can also craft their own prayers following the form or shape of prayer. It gives a running start to those who may feel that they don’t know what to say.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210926
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210927
SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:e22c9617e94bc78875da59f4433c47d4@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Care needs to be taken as we launch into this series. If ever there was a time where the worship team needs to take the congregation by the hand and walk them through the expectations of worship\, it is in this series.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211003
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211004
SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1669c9d613411d8d9ff9838e57e9bf6e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:“What shall we pray about today?” Perhaps your congregation is used to hearing such a phrase in worship on a regular basis. Many congregations have a regular time of sharing “joys and concerns” during worship. But for others\, it seems like an intrusion on the order of worship\; and should the attempt be made\, there would be an uncomfortable silence. Yet scripturally\, we know we are called to pray for one another. How can we do that without hearing what the needs might be\, or where the hurts are?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211010
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211011
SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:bd9ee2e16eaea822472737c554600613@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:What ought we expect when we come to worship? To ease into some comfortable bubble protected from the difficult world out there? Or to be shaken to the core by the awesome majesty of the God we worship? To be honest\, there is nothing wrong with the warm comfort of the presence of God through the caring community that is the church. We don’t mean to suggest setting that aside. But once in a while\, we do need to be reminded of what it is that we mean when we speak of the awesome God.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211017
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211018
SUMMARY:Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:dfec60566399a928b7b2afb209c22995@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:So\, what do we do in worship this week? We give thanks\, even as we wait for the coming of the kin-dom. This is an Advent-like moment to embrace the now and the not yet in tension or in coexistence. We celebrate new life and new hope\, even as we grieve death and loss. We point toward the glimpses of grace at work in our community\, even while we confess the times “we have failed to be an obedient church” as the traditional liturgy states. So\, we sing the praises of a God who answers prayer\, even while we continue to call upon the Spirit to bring justice and an end to hate.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211024
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211025
SUMMARY:Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:82b04269c51e6be1cf356665d10a4717@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:All Saints Day is one of those moments where we celebrate and remember those who have made the journey or who have taken the next step. We remember them because they are still a part of us\, shaping us\, mentoring us – maybe not in a direct way\, but in a real way.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211031
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211101
SUMMARY:Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9314e4ac119ede4193fc7bf4a3f6509a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The first attribute of a life that matters that we will examine is generosity. Maybe this is an opportunity to refresh our call to stewardship. Stewardship isn’t something that should be heard only once a year and then when we are asking for a commitment to give. Generosity\, as reflected in our gospel text this week\, is about how we hold the stuff of this life lightly\, even as we hold people and Christ tightly.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211107
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211108
SUMMARY:Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:60cf7770c121cf70178fe868dab04e2c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This is an opportunity here almost at the end of the Christian year (since it all starts with Advent) for us to remind ourselves that we are people looking forward to a promise. It need not be a longing for heaven\, but more a hoping for the kin-dom to come on earth as it is in heaven\, just like we pray each week. Part of our worship experience week after week is to open ourselves up to the vision God has for all of creation\, which includes us!
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211114
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211115
SUMMARY:Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:879cf02b1c09b9ad841f3921cf8789ce@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Reign of Christ Sunday is a marker for the end of the liturgical year. It is a way of saying we wrap up a year’s worth of worship by claiming again whose we are. We reiterate our mission – to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The emphasis this week is in the middle – “of Jesus Christ.” That is the kind of disciple that we are. We aren’t disciples of our own wisdom\; we aren’t disciples following the winds of this world. We are disciples of Jesus Christ.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211121
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211122
SUMMARY:Reign of Christ\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:709b9b6397a52fd9c3026675196127b6@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The first week of Advent has to deal with the shock. Is it time? Already? Sure\, the world has been giving Christmas hints for months now\, but it still seems to surprise us every year.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211128
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211129
SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:97e8e035876f6b75351501cdb4aec8b5@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:For many\, the second Sunday of Advent is when we light the candle of peace. This is a time of coming together\, of building a community of faith that is open to all.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211205
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211206
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a89afbd2588ded242afa7c2674861ebb@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Week three is the time to throw the parties! This is the joy Sunday\, the celebration of the gift that comes and the gift we are to and with one another. Let there be shouts of praise and hope. Let there be laughter and joy.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211212
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211213
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:0a25ee97213a93aef5f96d1859f3444b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The story takes over this week. Let’s just admit it. The story that we’ve learned and told and retold\, the story that we’ve sentimentalized and Disney-fied\, the story that has produced songs and dramas\, movies and poems. And yet through it all\, the story persists. The story draws. It defies explanation.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211219
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211220
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:da7a26510318af8c3b70251791975907@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It’s Christmas Eve. You don’t need me to tell you what to do. Do what you’ve always done. I know\, there is something in you\, in the faithful worship team\, that says you’ve got to do something new\, you’ve got to come up with a different way of telling this story. That sentiment is understandable.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211224
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211225
SUMMARY:Christmas Eve\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d2552481347ef9be273301edd993e1fa@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Yesterday was Christmas. Whew\, we’re worn out. The crowd will be thin today\, most likely. Only those faithful ones who come whenever the door opens will be present. Too many others say they have to tend to their guests or that they are the guests because they went home for Christmas. That is understandable. And we can’t really blame them\, especially after weeks of saying\, “Come Home for Christmas!”
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211226
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211227
SUMMARY:First Sunday after Christmas\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:be266f009a527ff80b177ec9a5a338d7@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This week can be a continuation of last week\; the Christmastide desire to hold on to the hope of Christmas. Except this week\, we go from a position of strength and not of loss. Instead of focusing on the cloud\, we look to the light.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220102
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220103
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Christmas\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a5b409fe2ecf8c8551680e14143fe245@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Epiphany is about the revealing of the light to the world. Not all see it\, of course\; this is why Jesus frequently said\, “let those who have ears to hear\, hear.” Even we have moments where we aren’t so sure that we have seen that light. Yet\, we who gather for worship have caught a glimpse of something\, and we come to celebrate and to lean into that hope.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220109
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220110
SUMMARY:Epiphany/Baptism of the Lord\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:95bacf85873149ef007dedc8c1705fd2@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:“Love never ends” is the guiding theme for the whole series\, but it is manifest in a variety of ways through these texts from I Corinthians. We begin this week with an emphasis on giftedness. God’s love for us is shown in the work that we do and in the gifts that we use. But not just in the doing itself\, we see God’s love in the way service builds relationships and then those relationships create community.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220116
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220117
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d5c5e68fdc68273eea4ae1850f6fec44@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We are continuing the focus on gifts of the Spirit this week. But while last week was to emphasize the unity of the whole community of faith\, this week shifts to the individuals who are gifted among the body.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220123
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220124
SUMMARY:Third Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9fd97762c5fd275acb6c50bee0b1c079@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:As we worship\, let us sing about loving\; let us pray to be more loving\; let us hear stories of powerful and transforming love\, all with the intention of shaping our everyday lives along the pattern Paul describes in I Corinthians 13.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220130
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220131
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:96c2aaf2c5e50dc80b3a24b4dc63b9f5@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This week\, the text invites us to go back to where we started. We can reclaim our initial acceptance of the faith\, when we first said yes to Jesus\, or first said it in public in the presence of the loving and supporting church family.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220206
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220207
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f3234b31ee2a434be14a3bb0c2f1b505@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Jesus is the model of living and loving and dying and rising. And while we may not really know what happens at that threshold moment between this life and eternity\, we embrace the promise and the hope wholeheartedly.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220213
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220214
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:46bbedea951f36aa4bfcc2eb76f6f678@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Our discipleship path and our journey to heaven are the same journey. That is the glory that we are aiming toward\; that is the promise that Paul reminds us of when he tells us that we will be raised in glory. Thanks be to God.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220220
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220221
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f6573707ae9acb07e4a85a3d149fb9ef@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:If your church is itching for a praise service\, this is it. All the hymns and songs about the greatness of our Lord can be sung on this day. All the music that speaks of the awesomeness of God\, of the wonder of Christ\, of the mystery of the Spirit. This is a moment that defies explanation. And that’s a good thing.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220227
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220228
SUMMARY:Transfiguration Sunday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:7603092f800a31a38bf2b27fd1d5bfaa@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Ash Wednesday is an observance built around the imposition of ashes and not on the proclamation of the Word. The worship team should make sure that the focus is on the ashes and the symbolism that is inherent in them. Even if you don’t actually apply them to the forehead or any part of the body\, the ashes can still remind us of our mortality and our human sinfulness. This is essentially a call to the Lenten observance\; therefore\, it needs to take the center place.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220302
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220303
SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:70bc54f2d69bd0ae3fc213a4db76ad58@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This week\, worship needs to be seen as a second beginning. Unless your congregation is unusual\, many will not have come for Wednesday worship\; therefore\, this week is their entry into the season of Lent. Much of what was said about Ash Wednesday could be repeated here.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220306
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220307
SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6ef84f9a03a38b93c04534f4cf15c9e1@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It might be time for someone to tell his/her story. A testimony of the healing power of grace and love can be a big help to worshipers in comprehending this gift. Perhaps there is a story in the serving ministries of the church\, someone who was loved and accepted and served\, even while feeling unworthy of such a gift. These stories are ways of letting folks know that grace abounds and still has the power to change lives.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220313
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220314
SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1f45e58b7cde0aa1beb815d5d2481e09@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The Christ who gathers us up invites us to live a life of fruitfulness. That’s the call hidden in our text for this week. The text starts with questions about blame\, about getting what is deserved. Jesus wants to change the conversation. Like a poem from Mary Oliver\, he is asking us “Tell me\, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220320
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220321
SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:168cd7669d0047c4e19d9e888440471f@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Luke 15:1-3\, 11b-32 is a familiar story to many\, yet it bears retelling. The message of grace and acceptance no matter how far one falls is one we need to hear again and again. But perhaps we might consider reflecting on the older brother as we worship this week. His story might come closer to ours than that of the younger prodigal son – particularly if we are trying to emphasize radical hospitality.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220327
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220328
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:082f90342675320d9363a3531ce71bee@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We are nearing the end of this season\; next week is Palm/Passion Sunday. So\, here we can focus on giving honor to the Christ who as journeyed with us throughout this difficult season. Like Mary\, we can pour out in blessing praise and worship as we gather. We can offer something precious as we approach the one who loves us more than his own life.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220403
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220404
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6b59043dca5d76c0f9bf4a7e10e49625@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Here we are again. We are on the brink of the remembrance of the central event of our faith. Holy Week and Easter shape our understanding of who we are as followers of Jesus Christ more than any other single event. We are\, as others have said\, Easter people living in a Good Friday world. We are defined by this sacrifice and by this gift of eternity. And it all begins with Palm Sunday.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220410
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220411
SUMMARY:Palm/Passion Sunday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f0a03ba7d0ea4f13adf6057f7bad6022@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:A recommitment to obeying that command is a part of why we gather. We remember Jesus\, and we remember his words\, and we once again pledge to learn to live by the command. In other words\, on this night\, we gather and offer ourselves to be gathered up in Jesus by choosing to live by the call to love.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220414
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220415
SUMMARY:Maundy Thursday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:3d992b657fd59a8b45107c113a69491c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:How do you capture this moment in all its horror and glory? How do you communicate the depth of suffering and the height of sacrifice and love that this day represents? The short answer is that you can’t. Not completely. Not in a way that becomes as transformative as we would like. And yet there is so much here that every attempt can bring us something of the day when it is done with sincerity and respect.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220415
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220416
SUMMARY:Good Friday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:054a356015ab112fec48b55370a6cfb9@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It’s Easter. In many ways\, this day plans itself. It forms itself. There are patterns and rituals and traditions to this day that are unique to you and to your congregation. It doesn’t do to disappoint on this day.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220417
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220418
SUMMARY:Easter Sunday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:74395e69d8073ce5ab39dde108678a6e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Now is the time to decide how you’re going to invite the worshiping community to make the commitment to become witnesses for the kin-dom. It might be at the end of series or it might be here.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220424
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220425
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:824513c48ceae209cfe1ab81a14918b1@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:One approach to this week’s theme would be to talk about call. How do we hear the voice of God and how do we respond? This dramatic story of conversion seems to set a standard that not many are able to meet. Yet\, we believe that the voice of God comes to each of us and to all of us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220501
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220502
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:5f5d78c530d23b182ac912314971d5f9@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This Mother’s Day\, celebrate those who have nurtured\, no matter if they are mothers or not. We have all been shaped and cared for by a variety of people\, not just mothers. And remember\, as you give thanks for those whose experience of mother was positive and healing\, that you need also to acknowledge those who have a different experience.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220508
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220509
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:bc523afde09d8da715bb28416e22f92f@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Change is all around us\, even in the church. And change is never easy. Our text this week is about a whole new direction for the beginnings of the church.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220515
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220516
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:cd19ecc2fc6f7809288f0896cad0143b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:If the Third Sunday of Easter was about hearing God’s call for the first time\, then this week is about carrying on that conversation. God doesn’t tap us on the shoulder and then leave us alone to figure it out from there. God is a constant presence\, guiding\, advising\, hinting\, strengthening us for the journey into discipleship.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220522
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220523
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:79d22f7ea7c8aa7060ac896e509b3815@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:“Good trouble” is a phrase that has grown in the consciousness of the nation. Representative John Lewis\, a towering figure for civil rights\, coined the phrase\; and more than that\, he lived it. Our text for this week says there are wrongs that need righted. But maybe it isn’t quite that clear.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220529
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220530
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday of Easter\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:10dc56fcfcac0715a8b500bbf24bac7a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It’s Pentecost! Go all out. Use red everywhere\, depictions of flame\, varieties of wind catchers—kites and streamers and balloons. It’s time for a celebration. That may feel over the top for many congregations\, but there are ways to appropriately pull out the stops and enjoy worship this day.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220605
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220606
SUMMARY:Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f6909cb9503dd85f8401d2d5798751ea@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Every year on Trinity Sunday\, a plea is made to the worship teams planning for this day that you avoid the inclination to try to explain the Trinity. The church has wrestled with the precise meaning of this theological concept from the very beginning. So\, freed from the expectation of trying to make sense of the Trinity\, worship can be engaged in experiencing the Trinity.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220612
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220613
SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:fadbab9c2836732fe8b687c71299f876@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This week\, the theme is redirection. Whether we feature the Gerasene demoniac or the prophet Elijah\, there is an invitation to reorient or refocus—from the multi-voiced madness to the single call of Christ\, or from the wildness of nature and of personal despair to the silence or stillness of God at work in and through the prophet and through the church.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220619
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220620
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a68caa030d3f425b4076e63422ae42e7@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Home is a recurring theme for worship. The call to come home\, the desire to go home\, feeling a sense of home all strike at the heart of who we are as human beings. This is why we return again and again to these themes.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220626
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220627
SUMMARY:Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:168b2c2c53691352de6035df1eecf53f@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Our text is about obedience and about submitting to authority\, but it is also about recognizing the voice of God in the voices of others. Naaman had little reason to listen to Elisha\, except that he listened to the voice of the refugee girl whom he made a servant in his house. What does it take to hear the voice of God? To whom do we listen?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220703
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220704
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:ebd8f71e6e9363a34396dfc0c81afa02@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:If Elisha wants us to listen\, Amos wants us to look. God’s repeated word to Amos was\, “What do you see?” It was an invitation to pay attention\, to take off the rose-colored glasses and really see what was before him. How often do we really pay attention to the world around us?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220710
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220711
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:626f478c9ae12f34e7bb4f77ecb5f250@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:What is underneath our wealth\, our comfort\, our excess? Who is suffering\, who is hurting\, who is decaying like the basket of summer fruit in our text\, which is coming to the end of its summer? That’s the look that we’re invited to take today.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220717
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220718
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9d79641add37e0bfc89f8ec11ae43bc7@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Hosea puts to rest that old cliché that the Old Testament is about the God of Law and Judgement and the New Testament is about the God of Love. The God of the Hebrew Scriptures is much more complex than such an adage can describe. As is the God of the New Testament\, of course. But here we have a God who calls for risky love. It is a love that responds lovingly even when hurt\, even when not returned.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220724
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220725
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:260194c3a08df30e4162e5483a24daed@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:In part one of this stage\, we were given the model of love of husband and wife. Now our text brings us the image of the love of children given to our care. This seems like familiar ground\, even if we’ve not been parents.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220731
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220801
SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6401d96ddd2ed38f52e164ec9783c783@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:If there was a stage you’d probably prefer to skip\, it would be this one. Isaiah seems at his grumpiest height. Sure\, that’s the rep that prophets have. But it seems excessive here. Yet\, as a crusader for justice\, you have to ruffle a few feathers from time to time. To get something done\, you need a “just saith the Lord” now and again. And Isaiah is ready to step up to the plate for this one.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220807
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220808
SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f616245d5799186eaf3da97a0223fe76@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:What if we celebrate the church by featuring what happens outside the church? What if we lift up ministry that may be happening in small ways throughout our neighborhood\, or city\, or world? What if we take time to point out that the church is wherever the congregation is and does whatever it is each member does?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220814
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220815
SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6afecf2bb6a985d1a99c196c24f6b6e4@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We’re back on more comfortable ground this week. Here we have the promise of presence. Supposedly\, John Wesley’s final words were “best thing of all\, God is with us.” We love to celebrate that God is with us and we are not alone. That is a powerful message at any time of the year.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220821
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220822
SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1f0d386359787fc5f4bf1ba261202b70@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Part of what worship could offer this week are ways to practice the presence of God in the in-between times. What can we do throughout the week to be reminded that God is with us? How could we pray\, what could we read\, what might we do with and for one another to keep us on track and close to God? This is an opportunity for the spiritual disciplines.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220828
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220829
SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:57913c0ffd43166a9e5a3171832c5a71@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This first week of this “Having Words” series is a great time to remind ourselves of the commitment that we made to make and to be made into disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220904
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220905
SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:71a2bd15c8be6c7cde3cb0038e97c6d0@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Worship is not only about receiving marching orders or getting our weekly assignments. But it can be a reminder that we are a people with a mission and that we cannot be content with the status quo.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220911
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220912
SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:fc0d767b0cbc62d54d8cfc8594ea4112@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Worship needs a vision that looks first to God and then to community within and then to the world beyond the walls. We are driven by the question\, “How do we share this gift of faith?” We are constantly seeking ways to be a witness to the treasure we have found\, to the joy we live.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220918
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220919
SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:574cea4e43cfbaf7d70e621fe7ad0797@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This week\, we have a powerful story of reversal\, the world turned upside-down. Or rather\, right side up. This parable is what Mary sang about in the Magnificat way back at the beginning of Luke’s Gospel. The poor are filled with good things\, and the rich are sent away hungry\; brought down the powerful and lifted up the lowly. Here it is acted out in the parable Jesus told to those who were ridiculing him because they loved money more than God’s kingdom.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220925
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220926
SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6e7cc6879e874bdbb39e5326f7623837@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This series is about claiming the faith we’ve been given with boldness and enthusiasm. But it is also about honoring those from whom we learned about Christ. So\, there can be space for both: making new commitments to following or renewing commitments long standing.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221002
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221003
SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9e8afb36b527f5e716f6422675092f3e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Let our prayers look inward and outward at the same time. We pray for our own growth\, our own healing\, our own transformation. At the same time\, we pray for a hurting and hungry world and for the will to reach beyond our walls in service and love. Let our songs sing of the Christ of faith\, who sustains us with a powerful presence but also of the Jesus who ate with sinners and healed the sick\, the one who went out approved by God.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221009
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221010
SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:59208db60ba2cbc700fe1e3acd9655e5@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This week is about distractions. Well\, not about distractions so much as about loss of focus\, or maybe even loss of trust in the foundations of the faith. Once again\, we are called to celebrate our faith and to embrace ways of living out that faith that might grow and change but in the end will remain true to the words and witness of Jesus Christ.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221016
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221017
SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:5ce10a6733421cf619350cdcbacc2339@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We conclude this worship series completely out of breath—or we ought to anyway. This week\, we’re about giving our all. About living full out\, about being alive the way Jesus describes living. “I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10 NRSV). This is what the life of faith offers\; this is the example that Paul presents with his full-out life\, embracing all that came to him\, the good and the bad.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221023
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221024
SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:7da8463d015cbaf37470c00e5bb76684@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:What would it be like to encounter Jesus face to face? That’s the question this series sets out to help us answer. We can’t know\, of course\, but we can get a glimpse of what happened to those who did meet Jesus in the Gospel texts we examine here.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221030
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221031
SUMMARY:Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:b7dc7a56e5c1155700682dd5fc3a20a9@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The gospel writers love these stories—stories where Jesus gets the better of those who seek to outsmart him appear in all the gospels. But a key to the stories is that Jesus always engages.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221106
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221107
SUMMARY:Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:8f9b1c008445ba1e9ef8f8fcd20b6089@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:What are you distracted by? That’s a question underlying our text this week. What is it that draws your attention away from your call to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world? Not that followers of Jesus aren’t allowed to enjoy the beauty and wonder that this world has to offer. The Christian life is marked by joy and surrounded by wonder. Yet\, like the disciples in our text\, we can be distracted by what we see around us and lose sight of our reason for being\, to live a life of proclamation and invitation.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221113
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221114
SUMMARY:Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:e69264d5d03b60be0314fa5527268bd2@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This text may seem out of sequence. Here we are on the last Sunday of the Christian year\, and we are reading Holy Week texts? And where does “Reign of Christ” Sunday come from? Has someone done away with the traditional designation of Christ the King Sunday?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221120
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221121
SUMMARY:Reign of Christ\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:2ca27fadf26abec0ca34158ec82e1f50@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It’s Advent! Surely the season speaks for itself\; no need for notes from us\, right? Well\, there are always some questions that we ask this time of year. How soon should the Christmas decorations go up? When can we start singing Christmas carols? All those are the usual questions the worship leaders struggle with year after year.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221127
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221128
SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f07898e4a3127f7313370555d9b49b56@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It is the second Sunday of Advent\, and we’re making a declaration. Whether we are heeding the call of John the Baptist to “bear fruit worthy of repentance” or longing for the peaceable kingdom of Isaiah\, we are taking our stand for the promise that Jesus offers for beloved community\, a new way of living. We are declaring and leaning into this kin-dom of heaven\, living it now in all the ways we can.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221204
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221205
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:b307b804e0a0f556071df4b1af8ae049@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Joy Sunday says it all. The third Sunday of Advent is marked by the pink- or rose-colored candle in the wreath in many traditions. It is the one where we are reminded of the news that shall be a great joy to all people—the news that Emmanuel is born\, God with us. And we stand in the promise even today\, even here\, in this place\, in your place – God is with you. There can be no greater joy than that.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221211
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221212
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:017b286e82e078be3e200f245f47f968@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This is odd\, isn’t it? The last Sunday of Advent\, yet there is a whole week until Christmas. May this extra time allow us a little breathing space to listen to Isaiah and to Matthew before we rush off to the exuberance and extravagance of Christmas.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221218
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221219
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:77e1f78a2e858ff78b35ed018a699b2e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Las Posadas is not really a preaching service\, so there aren’t any preaching notes this time. What we provide in this space is the encouragement to embrace this gift that comes from the Hispanic tradition.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221219
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221220
SUMMARY:Las Posadas\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6aeb98b68051aa02268256acece86ad2@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The Christmas season is often presented as unending joy and peaceful family celebration from beginning to end. There isn’t much room for grief\, for a sense of loneliness\, or for any other emotion considered to be negative. Except\, emotions aren’t negative or positive\; they just are. Here space is created to allow participants to feel what they feel and to be accepted for that.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221221
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221222
SUMMARY:Blue Christmas\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6f7cf2e08cff93966ecf654c8fbfeba7@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It’s Christmas Eve! You have your traditions and practices. There are moments that must take place\, or the community will rise up in indignation! Well\, maybe not\, but you know that there are expectations for this service.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221224
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221225
SUMMARY:Christmas Eve\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:0938f86d61ddb62b4f36b3c5f19504d6@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:I love Christmas Day on Sunday. I think it should always be on a Sunday. I think it would be easier to hold on to the “real meaning of Christmas” if it were on a Sunday and the day began not with the frenzy of presents under the tree\, but with worship in the family of God. I think that is the way it ought to be.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221225
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221226
SUMMARY:Christmas Day\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:7047a0ff519bb18318e5291120ad9c12@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:For some\, this is a quiet observance\, spent in prayer and reflection in anticipation of the new year to come. Others use the opportunity for a joyous celebration of the grace already shared and the promise of God’s presence in the future.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221231
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230101
SUMMARY:Watch Night\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f291bee37217159306cbb7a8ecef295f@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Let us lift up the name of Jesus today\; let us make our pledge and follow his star. Let us be about the one who guides us\, who finds us even when we are lost and gives us direction and hope. Let our worship be full of songs of praise of the name of Jesus\, and let our prayers be prayers of commitment to follow.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230101
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230102
SUMMARY:New Year's Day\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d12e06cd0a2b0539c489d4742e146079@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The Baptism of the Lord is a perfect time to remind ourselves of the commitment to living a life of grace and hope outwardly. If you observed Epiphany Sunday last week\, then this week follows in the usual pattern. If you focused on New Year’s last week and saved the Epiphany recognition for this week\, then you can combine the two.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230108
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230109
SUMMARY:Baptism of the Lord\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f783ff68d3cfc126803890a1f8121bd3@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Our text this week includes Paul’s assertion that the church has everything it needs to be the church. That’s an amazing and powerful statement of faith. Too often\, we spend time wishing – wishing we had more people or more resources or more volunteers or more activity. But what if\, instead\, we were simply thankful?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230115
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230116
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:fe80fede8249b4c8328dec5ec65cc0ae@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This is a hard one\, don’t you think? In our increasingly contentious society and world\, to consider that a sign of the kin-dom is that the community has the same mind might be a bit of an overreach. Yet here is the call from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. And we’re still in chapter 1!
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230122
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230123
SUMMARY:Third Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f77c8a1c3a6410e6928e0264c5bc81df@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:For the next three weeks\, we dip into the Sermon on the Mount\, perhaps the most famous extended teaching from Jesus from the gospels. This week\, we look at what are called the Beatitudes\, the first part of the Sermon.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230129
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230130
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:99b490a6e80de188be9dd95b864c813c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Here again\, Jesus asks us to reflect on the power we already have. “You are salt. You are light.” Not\, “Do you want to be salt\, or do you want to be light?” You already are. So\, given that declaration from our Lord\, how will we season? What will we light up?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230205
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230206
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:812fe62b98fafbda2d47a6fad078c125@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Relationships within the body are important\, but so is the relationship of the church with the wider community. How can you lift community concerns or needs in your prayer time? What acts of service within the community are already in place that you can celebrate? What additional needs could be met\, or invitations issued? Who is missing from the body of the church? Jesus calls us to go above and beyond in our attempts to see all the people.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230212
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230213
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:dcec79434b6adae4ced673bdd85d09e6@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Transfiguration Sunday\, like Reign of Christ or Christ the King Sunday\, is about the identity of the one we follow. Jesus the Christ is revealed in glory on the mount of transfiguration. Like the disciples who were privileged to be with him in that moment\, we often miss the significance or the opportunity to praise in our struggle to understand. This day is not about knowledge\; it is about faith. It is a day for creeds or affirmations of faith. Let us rise to our feet and declare our allegiance to our Lord on this day.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230219
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230220
SUMMARY:Transfiguration Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:038ef86118ce184352f80af4a831d193@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Ash Wednesday is an inside-out act of worship. We come and confess and are reminded of both our sinfulness and our mortality. And yet we are given a visible mark in the imposition of ashes\, a way of letting the world know that we are people of faith.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230222
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230223
SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:86344aea562e9d6152b734ac2acd6640@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:If we endeavor to work in the world around us\, we will fall down. From time to time\, we will fail\; our efforts will not be received in the spirit intended\; the fruit will be slow in coming. So\, if we must fall\, let us fall down in worship of the one who redeems us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230226
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230227
SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:4ad946b458520b4bcdbc1ad6e0fb43f2@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This is the week that the “moving out” part of our theme is most obvious. Whether we are talking about the call to go to a new place\, like Abram in Genesis 12\, or to move to a new understanding\, like Nicodemus in John 3\, movement is required. Movement means change\, which is always difficult and scary. So this is a week about faith and about trust and the willingness to commit to the discipleship path.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230305
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230306
SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:bfdf228eb38d9f652a64a1c3120c5f4c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We’re thirsty this week. That’s the point. Thirsting for the living waters that Jesus spoke about to the woman at the well. And not simply a one time or easy but unsatisfying spiritual refreshment\, but a recognition of the deepest thirsts that we have and how we seem to always be thirsty\, no matter how often we drink.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230312
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230313
SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:4d75018644d648fdc3f1eaa60fcb6927@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Do you know what it is like to be chosen? Well\, you do because you were. Our texts this week are about being chosen by God. Most of us don’t think that we were chosen\, certainly not to be king like David. But surely\, we chose the jobs that we do and the hobbies that we pursue and the service that we perform\, didn’t we? Well\, yes. But God chose too. And not just in the past tense\, God is still choosing.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230319
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230320
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:648628f736ef2094974080133172c24c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Here at the end of the Lenten observance (well\, almost the end anyway)\, we have hints of Resurrection. We have “a foretaste of glory divine\,” as the hymnist Fanny Crosby says. As if the Spirit and the lectionary preparers knew that we would need something to help us through the next couple of weeks. As if they knew that without this reminder\, we would find it a very hard road as we made our way stumbling behind the Christ who suffers and dies for us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230326
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230327
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:45f9cf04a5016bd87c7e14589c8e7ce2@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This is the day that the Lord has made. For us. Because of us. It could be argued that out of all these high and holy days\, this one is the most … human. “Well\, of course\,” you might think. This week is a divine and human encounter\; in fact\, we might argue it is THE divine and human encounter. This is true\; but hear me out. This day\, this slash day\, this Palm/Passion Day is the most human day of this whole event.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230402
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230403
SUMMARY:Palm/Passion Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6727b1eea9e0371ae20d095798eeb362@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Maundy Thursday. Or perhaps you prefer Holy Thursday. Either fits this day. But the title you choose might depend on the emphasis you wish to provide during this act of worship.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230406
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230407
SUMMARY:Maundy Thursday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1df5e96fec585af605ec062fa0a2d0d2@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:How do you preach on this day? Maybe you don’t. Maybe you simply tell the story. Read the Passion story\, extinguish the candles one by one\, and leave the sanctuary in darkness.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230407
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230408
SUMMARY:Good Friday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:2b4636b42848356b973eec70f3b3fe64@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Holy Saturday is a chance to pause and listen\, to wait and to watch\, a moment of hush. It is time to prepare to head to the cemetery in the early morning\, hoping to catch a glimpse of the risen Christ.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230408
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230409
SUMMARY:Holy Saturday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:171a5336a766aafa8383fbeab9739c78@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:You will see him\, that’s the message of Easter. You will see him\, the living one\, the alive one\, him. And in that seeing\, you’ll be able to breathe deeply again. Happy Easter.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230409
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230410
SUMMARY:Easter Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:c3a5d5073e42f092c59a06560ce9693e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We’re still basking in the glow. Maybe we’re exhausted from the excesses of the Easter celebration. Maybe even the choir wants a week off. Maybe the associate pastor is preaching. But we’re still celebrating\, or we should be.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230416
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230417
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:b2ff278e0b35513dbd289382d9846e85@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Today is a day for testimony. We need to remind ourselves and one another that we have indeed been set free. Maybe we can talk about what we’ve been set free from. Maybe we talk about obstacles overcome. But the simple fact of freedom is what we focus on today.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230423
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230424
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:20515c5e3a6951cd5f53a43fa9bdb335@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:How many ways can we present the 23rd Psalm? Let’s sing it\; let’s pray it\; let’s read it\; let’s recite it together. So many know this psalm and love it\; it is a heart song for many of us. Lean into it. Ask the youth to rewrite it\; ask the older adults to reinterpret it. Find different ways of living into this psalm.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230430
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230501
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:c9096d293ca7a8c34cbbe741f7f09200@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:“You are my rock.” How many songs can we sing about the rock of our faith? Lots\, no doubt. So\, sing them\, but also bring a rock to hand out to everyone who gathers.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230507
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230508
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d70c57edf4690f689f9ea6b398e1adcf@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:What are we supposed to be ready to do? Tell our story! It’s as simple as that. And it’s as complicated as that. Peter says that we are always “ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15 NRSV.) But what does that mean\, and who demands such an account these days?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230514
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230515
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d4fd1d098192c6065dcb833f2a154114@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:If you are one of those who believe that worship should leave you feeling lighter\, unburdened\, and set free\, then this is the week for you. “Cast all your anxiety on him\, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 NRSV).
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230521
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230522
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:2bd97797cba23291cf8c556207c91b3c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Pentecost calls for celebration\, for signs and symbols of a God who pushes through\, who rushes in when it seems all is lost.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230528
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230529
SUMMARY:Pentecost Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1b06d999e24c260a42642f0ff0fd185f@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Trinity Sunday is about God and not about us. And yet\, because we can know God only in relationship\, it has to be about us too.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230604
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230605
SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:2deaa2e81c6422e9231bc0f790560580@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This week\, we focus on the starting point\, hearing and responding to the call. Even when it scares us\, or challenges us\, or asks a lot of us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230611
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230612
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:7e9e186f0d39c5f066d5f54f777ce731@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:What incredible\, almost impossible-to-believe event has happened in your community? What stretched your understanding of God at work in the world? What blew your mind with wonder and joy? Grab hold of that today and celebrate the goodness of God at work in your midst.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230618
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230619
SUMMARY:Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:5dca894a96549ef6eda0fd3e1028ba7e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:“What you hear whispered\, proclaim from the housetops” (Matthew 10:27). This week\, we’ve got whispers and we’ve got shouts. That seems like a common human experience\, doesn’t it?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230625
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230626
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6b751c0b36add0e23bc7f83857073f0e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We’re about hospitality this week. That sounds like a casual\, or maybe even an extra kind of thing. “It’s not something essential\,” we might think. It’s part of the social niceties that make us look good. But\, in fact\, we would be wrong\, if that was our position. Jesus sees hospitality as central to our discipleship.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230702
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230703
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:ad5232fe873f3808383d45f68fc98214@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:On the path of a disciple\, we are learning to grow in our relationships with Christ and with the community. It begins when we take the yoke.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230709
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230710
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:86dc492b8b01333b8d38088fe2a611ec@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The theme for this part of the “Path of the Disciple” series invites us to look at potential. We are asked to imagine fruitfulness and then to work for that in the whole ministry of the church.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230716
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230717
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:48eb0ba31becdcf974bc4a73a85701a7@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We never know who we might see shining like the sun. We are learning to imagine a new reality where even flawed humans\, like ourselves\, can be disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230723
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230724
SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:455b1e46ff3ffe98d6284b3daa1b7e9b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We prefer the obvious. We like to be sure. But faith is something else indeed. Hebrews 11:1 reminds us that faith “is the conviction of things not seen.” Not seen? Like a treasure hidden in a field\, or like yeast mixed in the flour\, hidden and mixed in. That’s how grace works.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230730
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230731
SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:69bd6b73c672adaa76cd62e92e311c74@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Worship this week can be a reminder that we are seeking the face of God when we gather but also when we scatter. Our hunger for God is not only met when we gather for worship but also when we are at work\, when we are in fellowship\, when we engage in conversations and build relationships\, when we serve and love as we are sent to do.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230806
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230807
SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:afac283ad6bf1a32dbf98adddef65079@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:When we ask\, “What are you seeking?” we are talking about kingdom living. We are talking about the community of faith representing the body of Christ. As we worship this week\, we celebrate the signs of God’s presence among us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230813
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230814
SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d613bcbbc963c0f737cddd87867b59a9@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:When we are truly seeking the face of God\, we go beyond fair and move into grace manifested in love in all our relationships.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230820
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230821
SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:71b8d994b608e8876ab49f605cf97010@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Out of nowhere\, it seemed\, as they traveled along\, Jesus asked his disciples a question of identity. “Who do you say that I am?” It’s a question we must answer again and again as we seek to become disciples of Jesus Christ.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230827
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230828
SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a95becea26f349ac2583b1dbdaa09d19@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Who are we to shoulder the burdens of the world? Especially when we get it wrong more often than right\, it seems. We remember that we are just beginning\, again or for the first time. We recommit ourselves to the call to become disciples.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230903
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230904
SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:dce72d60a18304fb306e888f9b63d83f@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:As we launch or continue our journey of faith\, are we called to look for signs of God’s presence or are we called to be a sign of God’s presence? The answer\, as you might expect\, is yes!
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230910
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230911
SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1b049cb8db933109af800ff7edf996e1@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We can be honest with ourselves and with God as we realize that we too often have asked that same question\, "How many times must I forgive?"
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230917
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230918
SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:280a8d999def042d89585ea4316f9347@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:God provides. It seems clear that this is one of the messages from our texts this week. But it would also be clear that God provides for our needs in unusual and sometimes confusing ways.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230924
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230925
SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:331ad2929d318d166737f108dc796a73@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:How do we deal with conflict in the church? Certainly not by pointing fingers and calling folks out during worship. But worship can be the place where we remember under whose authority we stand.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231001
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231002
SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:7f2658f994dfb144e533bed9ec3c4e59@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:How do we view the commandments? We honor them\; we treasure them\; we wish there was more obedience to them in the world out there. But do we see them as descriptive of our lives? Rather than seeing them as normative to everyone\, what if we decided to see them as something we chose to be the guide for our lives?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231008
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231009
SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9db1cc804eb057e205ffd22ee87b9a5e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The theme this week might seem harsh. It might also lead us to point fingers at those out there or over there who are stiff-necked. Rarely will we realize that we are the ones in need of a neck massage. Perhaps worship this week begins with confession.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231015
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231016
SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:19696fe2fb2ff744ebf8af08a479bc10@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The invitation this week in worship is to adjust our vision. We are called to see God in the world in which we live. We are called to identify the things that are God’s\, including ourselves and the people around us. Even the surprising ones.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231022
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231023
SUMMARY:Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:abf60cb6f4eeeeff486af61333601390@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We continue to envision what it would be like to live in the kin-dom of God as a community of faith. But this week\, we focus on the doing.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231029
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231030
SUMMARY:Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:0f8e17eac95e4af7f8e15785c5a9959c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:All Saints Sunday can be a glorious celebration of the body of Christ in your local context. There is no church like yours\, no collection of gifts and graces\, no accumulation of wisdom and experience\, no place of joy and sorrow exactly like your congregation. This is a time to celebrate who you are in Christ.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231105
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231106
SUMMARY:All Saints Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:954d2f442c5b56d0f9038f1d839e77f5@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Three weeks before the end of the liturgical year\, and we turn to gratitude as the guiding theme for worship. What does a life of gratitude look like? Or perhaps more importantly\, what does it feel like?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231112
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231113
SUMMARY:Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:389ebe59a29b853db9096b4dd21bbd0a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This is Thanksgiving week\, so it is an appropriate time to reflect on the pervasiveness of the life of gratitude that the gospel suggests.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231119
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231120
SUMMARY:Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1269a9d51a9f72ecba4e04b6025290bf@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:If the Sunday before Thanksgiving invited us to look at the community and the family that surrounds us\, this Sunday encourages us to look up to the Christ as we give thanks for the kingdom he asks us to see and to lean into.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231126
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231127
SUMMARY:Christ the King / Reign of Christ Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:bf405180b74091a06fb3e6f0756dfc6c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It’s here! The season of waiting we’ve all been waiting for is here! Too much? Probably. But nonetheless\, this first Sunday of Advent comes with a sense of arrival.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231203
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231204
SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:aba382df9b18ea3cc055fea8f97f7fd9@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We’re less than two weeks into December\, and I don’t know about you\, but I need a break. My sensory overload is at a maximum. My calendar is overbooked\, but what am I supposed to let go of?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231210
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231211
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:50ef3b00b91b941f88a481b6386ee743@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:In the midst of all the traditions\, let Gaudete Sunday also be a practice session\, a rehearsal for living with fierce joy in the midst of the tension of the now and the not yet.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231217
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231218
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6db836c72405c3be02eb75806cfacecd@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:With the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve falling on the same day\, this year presents unique worship planning challenges and opportunities. You will find materials for both worship services on this page.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231224
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231225
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent / Christmas Eve\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d67aa2fccf9847138ce1c04c6893838c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This year\, the calendar gives us the opportunity to gather for Sunday worship on New Year’s Eve.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231231
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240101
SUMMARY:First Sunday after Christmas Day\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:c7efb3f24c226797847131e0877f5b6b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Take a deep breath. You made it. We’re officially on the other side of Advent\, Christmas\, and New Year’s Day. After all the preparation\, the complex emotions\, and the celebrations in December\, the allure of the return of Ordinary Time in January is probably all too real. But don’t put those white paraments or festive altarscapes away quite yet!
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240107
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240108
SUMMARY:First Sunday after the Epiphany / Baptism of the Lord\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:0d30208d93831f2415cd9dba875eb54e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:As we enter fully into Ordinary Time this week\, the calendar reminds us that there is nothing ordinary about becoming the people of God.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240114
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240115
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a25970d28ad1de912f60828e9e90188e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Today is a day to celebrate that\, by grace\, it is never too late to join in God’s song of good news and abundant life.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240121
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240122
SUMMARY:Third Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:78340e8a0e1db5e8477f0d3a22cbacff@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:As the title of today’s sermon indicates\, discernment occurs from among the people. That is why we must nurture and support the work of discernment within communal worship.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240128
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240129
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:592a3359ccbe8acc9c0bc5373e7cf60c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Though this is the final week of this worship series\, our journey to become the people of God continues as sanctifying grace works in our lives to form us more and more into the image of Christ.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240204
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240205
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1933fa53855c8b282351f2d854dd5b9c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Here we are\, once again\, at the cusp of a change in the season. Sometimes we treat Transfiguration as if it’s the last Sunday in the season after Epiphany\, a kind of exclamation point to the Ordinary Time that takes us from Epiphany to Ash Wednesday. But this year\, we chose to make this a stand-alone Sunday\, which is appropriate given that this day belongs not to Ordinary Time or Lent but in the liminal space between the two.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240211
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240212
SUMMARY:Transfiguration Sunday\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:2baa524c3c273410cd9c7e9bb18f620d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Ash Wednesday is about refocusing and realigning ourselves in relationship to God and one another. We must encounter our sinfulness and frailty not with shame and blame but with honesty and truth\, trusting that God receives our confession.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240214
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240215
SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:ed8b42786a6286c7ddd3f7e269118aab@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This first Sunday in Lent is quite the roller coaster ride\, which is honestly quite typical of Year B in the lectionary cycle.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240218
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240219
SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:c9fd2f1acfd3892475c74525586f835d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:If Ash Wednesday and the First Sunday in Lent set us off on our Lenten journey\, this week we find out just what this journey will require of us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240225
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240226
SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:b17860cdef9860e4dbe727edbe3b3f5d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This Third Sunday in Lent is an opportunity to lead the congregation to reflect on the individual and communal work we do in worship.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240303
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240304
SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:ef00e3974c34374e40ca92841d4b00ce@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This week\, we continue our mid-Lent excursion into the Gospel of John by listening in on Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240310
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240311
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:220f30cb80442fe5ff4e89e3d19869db@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:At this stage of our Lenten journey\, we encounter the fruit and the charge that comes with losing our life to find it in God—service.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240317
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240318
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:cdfee067a8b05dd63e79213417639137@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:As we return to Mark for Palm/Passion Sunday\, it is striking that even Mark has slowed down the action a bit\, filling in details about Jesus’ instructions to the disciples and the response of the bystanders who questioned them when they went to find the colt for Jesus to ride.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240324
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240325
SUMMARY:Palm / Passion Sunday\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:ac9291c76b159f100e173646c51d3f4b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:I think this is the point of Maundy Thursday: to be able to recognize when we are loving as Christ loves us because we’ve encountered and practiced that love together in worship.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240328
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240329
SUMMARY:Maundy Thursday\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:75f619b5a08c01f4a475deb820ddba48@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We come to Good Friday and are able to remember it for what it was because we are Resurrection people who know Sunday is coming.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240329
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240330
SUMMARY:Good Friday\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:4f97afb3c7a9df5021744d203041cd1a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Easter Sunday is here. Easter Sunday comes with a lot of pressure—the pressure to bring our very best\, to adorn the sanctuary in flowers and signs of new life\, to preach an amazing sermon declaring the good news of the Resurrection\, to sing our hearts out with songs of joy and new life.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240331
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240401
SUMMARY:Easter Sunday 2024\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:225d0856ee525adf5facc44ac8d7af2a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This week\, we explore what God is revealing about how we should live. Our worship materials and worship settings can demonstrate the revelation of God through word\, song\, image\, and silence.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240407
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240408
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f4ddbe21c58bb84453bc38b1cd3e5488@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Easter is such a joyous\, colorful\, and vibrant celebration! Now in Eastertide\, this second Sunday\, Christ is still risen! The Creation is still waking up!
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240414
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240415
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1b4d9556a797e1519ea11f0df925c1fe@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Our final week in the series\, “How Shall We Live?” calls us to live out the love and joy we have found in our life in Christ.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240421
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240422
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:b59b924a149a556456a1e2cf48b58c87@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Throughout the three weeks of this series\, the theme of giving glory or glorifying God arises again and again\, which raises important questions for worship planners and leaders: "How do we give God glory?"
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240428
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240429
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:b052ea7f173dfc56af9c684fa9f52a50@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Every single one of us can probably use a refresher on what it means for us as Christians to bear fruit. That is what this week’s text is all about!
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240505
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240506
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:86c757de28d24f50296a63f5245c2399@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We need the opportunity to submit ourselves as individuals and as a community to the work of living in peace with one another\, working together toward the flourishing of all people.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240512
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240513
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday of Easter\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:31b785cffe4d3f62bac0633a0a81fc34@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Do you ever feel like planning for Pentecost is like planning a birthday party? This momentous day is almost here\, and you find yourself rushing around\, collecting all of the bright colored streamers and tablecloths\, curating the best party playlist\, and wracking your brain for how to make this one day extra special.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240519
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240520
SUMMARY:The Day of Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6df7b8d3676482192e11e66c3455b295@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:How often do we plan and show up to worship expecting to encounter God? It feels like the right answer should be\, “Every week!” But\, in reality\, I’m sure many of us would prefer not to be scared witless by the glory of God as Isaiah was in today’s passage.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240526
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240527
SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:71e5bc72209857262147c46eff1c98cd@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Of course\, this week’s psalm invites us to recognize that we are also a mystery to ourselves. So\, how do we invite people to enter into the mystery of themselves as well as the mystery of God? Perhaps begin with singing and reading the assigned verses from Psalm 139 together.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240602
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240603
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:b1758ea99d6f1f1dabd50bcf4903c893@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Immutable. That’s not a word we hear much in everyday conversation. However\, it is a word that gets a lot of play in the study of the doctrine of God.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240609
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240610
SUMMARY:Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:427dc8322183004b4722a6316f2a361f@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:As we conclude this series that interweaves the doctrine of God with the Psalms\, I cannot help but reflect on belief and knowledge as partners in the Christian life.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240616
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240617
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:ccc6eedd00f11af831a868585860d7e7@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:As we enter this three-week stretch focusing on Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth\, we also focus on what I think is one of the key questions of Ordinary Time\; namely\, how do we live our faith day after day after day?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240623
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240624
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:ba8bb2f865739b8ddb0e69fea0e0f5cf@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:If last week was about the call to open our hearts\, this week is about putting your money where your mouth is. Or more accurately\, where your heart is.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240630
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240701
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:c2bb6c1a30bed8fb71c14b4c4dc2429a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:In some ways\, Paul invites us to plan worship around a fairly simple idea: opening our hearts to our weakness and God’s strength.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240707
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240708
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:2a76518d614c720b725042f27917ed4a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:A worship series about worship: that feels kind of meta\, I know. Over the years\, though\, I’ve found that people really do need regular reminders about what it means for us to gather for worship week in and week out.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240714
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240715
SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:47586fc883d91c490441373c119dc129@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Growing up in church\, I considered the call to worship something of a mystery. Where other parts of the service were being done extemporaneously (like the pastoral prayer)\, here was something written down that everyone said together\, but we weren’t singing it.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240721
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240722
SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:4e9099c186cdfc24a237fb41aee87fd9@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:For those who have cycled through Years A\, B\, and C of the lectionary a time or two\, you probably knew this text was coming. For many\, it is one of the most uncomfortable texts in the Bible.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240728
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240729
SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f8531dcb5cf78e8e2eff4c0f20adad40@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Few stories highlight the power and responsibility of preaching like Nathan’s confrontation with David. This can certainly be a day for pulling back the curtain and speaking directly with the congregation about preaching.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240804
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240805
SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:76f279c65458bbcabdadda665da2ebb2@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:If you’re breathing a sigh of relief now that we’ve moved past 2 Samuel 11 and 12\, think again. Just a few chapters later\, David is embroiled in a family drama that has escalated to a violent war against his son\, Absalom.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240811
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240812
SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:63a7fc3801f3931b5667f87992733e28@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:“Ask what I should give you” (3:5). Notice that God doesn’t ask Solomon a question. God commands Solomon to ask. We often end up focusing on the wisdom Solomon requests\, but what if we began with God’s command? What might God’s command and Solomon’s response tell us about benediction?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240818
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240819
SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:46044fce4ea2681b43883e229416af7f@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:If you got to last week and thought that must be the last week of this series since it focused on benediction—SURPRISE! The benediction isn’t the end of worship—nor is it the end of this series—because worship does not end when the gathered Body of Christ disperses.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240825
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240826
SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6437e9406ec416664c17206a74174b58@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It is fitting that we begin with a passage from Song of Solomon that is\, at its heart\, an invitation to notice\, to pay attention\, and to respond to the love of the beloved with singing.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240901
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240902
SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:840e48ef337c28be47ca1042abfa1fd6@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This week\, the lectionary text features three different couplets from Proverbs 22\, all of which point us toward how to engage wisdom-driven decision-making in our daily lives.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240908
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240909
SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:289cb79f6b7c46e4fb63e2d1d426f711@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:If\, as today’s title suggests\, we are going to hold onto wisdom\, it is important for us to know who we’re holding onto.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240915
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240916
SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost\, year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:0f19e489660e465dcc0deaa7d6edec92@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Over the years\, Christians have done a good job of heaping historical and cultural baggage onto Proverbs 31\, which makes it hard to come to the text with a fresh perspective.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240922
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240923
SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:e5f4c8bfe3dd3a1c63c1a2a5a44f4590@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:No matter where you are\, no matter what is happening in our world\, God’s wisdom calls us to listen\, to notice\, and to enact God’s love in our world for such a time as this.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240929
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240930
SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:00df84551e59c0fa0f246f60c3d178b3@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:May this celebration draw you and your congregation into the surprising and beautiful depths of what it means to worship as the Body of Christ in different places and yet all at once.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241006
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241007
SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:11573d4db31995323a13428a095b4017@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:For those of us who are focused on stewardship this month\, today’s Gospel reading offers a lot of potential … potential for engagement\, potential for exploring the meaning of generosity\, and the potential for tying ourselves up in interpretive and linguistic knots!
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241013
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241014
SUMMARY:Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:165988cd7ccc2a0604925d3444e751dd@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:On this leg of the journey with Jesus\, take the time to pray and celebrate the ways God is already at work and will continue to work among you!
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241020
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241021
SUMMARY:Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:df762155ca293268a019b409bf681a92@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Have you ever walked through your neighborhood with someone who has never been there before? If not\, try it sometime. It’s amazing what a new person will notice about your street that you just don’t pay attention to anymore.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241027
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241028
SUMMARY:Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:e5e8df59c7a33fe29e8f8f4617770a88@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:A new heaven and a new earth. Mary crying\, Martha stoically stating the facts\, Jesus weeping and then bringing a dead man back to life. These are our images\, our companions\, for All Saints.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241103
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241104
SUMMARY:All Saints Sunday\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:27ff6955bc48213b4a271c03b2652b47@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:In the active soundscape of today’s text\, the sound of two coins would easily be drowned out. Except\, Jesus noticed and makes us notice too.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241110
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241111
SUMMARY:Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6d21f78772d4e4bb645ce589541779f8@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Remember\, Jesus didn’t attempt to make the evil of the world and the goodness of God make sense. Instead\, Jesus proclaimed the goodness and love of God in the face of the terrible things we humans do to one another and creation. May our worship—our prayers\, our creeds\, our proclamation\, and our blessings—do the same.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241117
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241118
SUMMARY:Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:4b528434a7b91650e4908bd60a7a3b60@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Established in 1925\, Reign of Christ (or Christ the King) Sunday may be just a year away from its one-hundredth birthday\, but it is still a newcomer in comparison to other celebrations on the liturgical calendar.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241124
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241125
SUMMARY:Reign of Christ Sunday\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:60cc0e11fc444a533160f6b9ebc86da8@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:With Advent comes\, for many communities\, the lighting of the Advent wreath. As you plan for how to incorporate the lighting of the Advent wreath into worship\, consider what role this ritual plays in worship.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241201
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241202
SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:891c4674ee0cb5a09ba317614ef450f3@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Today’s scriptures also give us a wonderful starting place for imagining visuals. As you add light to the Advent wreath each week of the Advent season\, consider adding more light to the altar each week so that the altar/chancel creates a visual crescendo into Christmas Eve.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241208
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241209
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:e7f1110bd28af93a1eac610865544f0d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Gaudete Sunday holds a special place in many congregations with a gathering full of music\, joy\, and light as we get closer and closer to the darkest night of the year.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241215
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241216
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:91e6cbdca9b3db1ac3e045c730154f05@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:On this Fourth Sunday of Advent\, we receive promise with the hope of fruition—not hope as a wish but hope actively moving toward fulfillment.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241222
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241223
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:79e1958339309a994d09b7d991b0d5ee@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Friends\, we made it! Through the preparations and the passion\, our presence with another as we receive God’s promise—we made it!
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241224
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241225
SUMMARY:Christmas Eve\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:73e1c22db72b23198fdff12ad7155476@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:“I’ll be home for Christmas…” Sorry\, I couldn’t help myself. Here we are on the Fifth Day of Christmas and the First Sunday of Christmastide\, and you’re probably either tired of being home or loving it. Or both.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241229
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241230
SUMMARY:First Sunday after Christmas Day\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:97f74449d63b6de35373caac89d4bb07@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The old saying is true\, “If you want to go fast\, go alone\; but if you want to go far\, go together.” Let us gather together.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250105
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250106
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Christmas Day / Epiphany\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:04b44804e25d2986b321b15d4e5e5c7b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:So\, if last week was about community\, this week ought to be about the individual. Right? Well\, no\, not really.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250112
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250113
SUMMARY:First Sunday after the Epiphany / Baptism of the Lord\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6c48395f29f9ed7c4b2a3da0978c9f4b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Where is our mission field? That’s the question behind this week’s theme for Ordinary Time. And the quick answer is\, right where you are.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250119
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250120
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d34b98a7cc93a886b1e3d51c72323dd7@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Why do we do what we do week after week? There is power in ritual\; there is presence in repeated action\, in habits that build up.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250126
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250127
SUMMARY:Third Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:b74b009a620109d4ce6acbef3cde162e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Developing a habit for regular gathered worship is an essential part of our growth as disciples and our witness to the world around us and an effective foundation for the work of transformation.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250202
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250203
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6be34b39989746a189afcf97360f2d83@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We are talking about priorities this week. In what do we put our trust? By what scale do we measure our value? This could be a day for a statement of faith to remind us where our allegiance lies.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250209
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250210
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a27de62dbc4f57fa3c4efb3aa5507221@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We are familiar with the Beatitudes\, Matthew’s version of these sayings from Jesus. We aren’t as well versed in the Sermon on the Plain\, which is our text for this week.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250216
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250217
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a1e058e2bc7087f4e6f7d283f2dac112@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:You might argue that listening is something we do well. We gather week by week and listen to sermons\, listen to the choir sing\, and listen to the leaders guide us through the liturgy. But are we really listening?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250223
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250224
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:bce1f68eda2a434c5e938a3bfe12741d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Transfiguration is about astonishment. It is about amazement. It is about awe. It’s something that might be hard to capture in worship in your overly familiar sanctuary with the people you know so well. So\, how do we capture this sense in our weekly expression of worship? We sing it. And we see it.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250302
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250303
SUMMARY:Transfiguration Sunday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:7cd62ab48e3fa24166b33ea48cadc509@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Ash Wednesday begins our Lenten journey\, and it can be – needs to be – both an individual and a corporate experience.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250305
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250306
SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:148ba119e401115f2fa1c646f6d5e8ba@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:As we worship today\, let us celebrate the Christ who knows us and our journey because he has walked this same lonesome valley.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250309
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250310
SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:88a5746db81ab08011a4e8ed3cf0eee7@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Let worship give space for being this week. Sometimes that is silence. Sometimes that is prayer. Sometimes that is song. Wherever you make the space for sanctuary\, for protection\, for a plea to God to come and help keep our heads above water. That’s our need this week.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250316
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250317
SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:255bb7279face716986b32db493f42b2@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The Christ we cling to often can be found in the people around us. The faith we cling to can be seen in the relationships of faith. We don’t cling to abstract ideas\, but to real incarnations lived before us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250323
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250324
SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1a681a732f1e34f9edf6c69106de12e4@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Worship is catching our breath in the busyness of living. It is that moment when we pause and reflect and remember who we are and whose we are. We need selah moments in our lives daily.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250330
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250331
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:e5d367d96ee715883cb4dbc642d06ee9@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The psalm for this week has a hint of overcoming. While the psalmist doesn’t say much about what has been overcome\, there is the remembrance of rescue.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250406
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250407
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:002f49adc8daf1da1d90532577dd966b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This day is surely the most paradoxical of any on the liturgical calendar. Is that a controversial statement? Perhaps\, but it seems true.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250413
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250414
SUMMARY:Palm/Passion Sunday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:5085819b6fd5cb473c8e1f2fa8ca557f@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:When we rise from the Table or from washing feet\, we rise to a life of Spirit-directed service. We know that such a life will gather others\, and together we will go to this brand-new home.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250417
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250418
SUMMARY:Maundy Thursday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:7ed554f0ad7ca8e1654f6ad8d886cba2@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Worship this day is about standing in silence at the foot of the cross. Too many words get in the way of the weight\, the meaning\, the moment of this day.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250418
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250419
SUMMARY:Good Friday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d59734a8dd4029ba6b367f8156344880@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:It is Easter\; let there be light! Let there be color and music and joy. In everything\, let there be joy as we worship this day.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250420
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250421
SUMMARY:Easter Sunday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1488c349c70501931ba57363bf4d4efa@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Our beliefs connect us to Christ\, in whom we believe and into whom we grow\, by embodying the assents we make. See if worship this week can be an embodied\, participatory experience.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250427
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250428
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9dbde938aeb1b108c066e99cca1635e9@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Try to make worship this week a rehearsal of the justice-oriented practices that will bring about a world where God’s abundance is available to all.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250504
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250505
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:5866f6522f135a628c14ee7f22140f5b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:An old song\, “Spring\, up O Well!” reminds us that the river of life flows in us and out of us into the world. This week\, we celebrate the living water that nourishes us and the world when we share it with those around us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250511
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250512
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a51488c711963d104b7081e6ceab18b8@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:God is creating a new world out of this one. God is making all things possible\, starting here and now. God is renewing life\, love\, and connection for the benefit of what is and will be.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250518
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250519
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:5a01d5c29fe3708fa3efdbdd3d7b015a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The imagery of trees is centered in this week's texts and our worship experience because trees are sources of life. They provide oxygen we breathe\, food that nourishes us\, and shade that protects us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250525
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250526
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9e4a0f692a390412eead1ab07beb69ab@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:On this final week in the series\, we recognize how interdependent we are with creation\, and we celebrate that when we benefit\, we also benefit others.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250601
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250602
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday of Easter\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:866c216d2ab048b1ea65e6fc9fcfe6d7@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Is it possible to go overboard on Pentecost? To do too much? Probably\, but push the limits where you can.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250608
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250609
SUMMARY:Day of Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:bf0917e65f29a4995634d89485a70c2f@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The celebration continues. Perhaps it is hard to see much to celebrate in what is essentially a doctrinal observance. Yet\, the writer of Psalm 8 finds much to enjoy in the contemplation of who God is.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250615
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250616
SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:98904f3ea60c32b8b17951b5cc84b40d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Today\, the surprise of Pentecost and the glory of Trinity Sunday propel us toward…Ordinary Time. This is always the way of it in the liturgical year and in the Christian life\, this juxtaposition of extraordinary and mundane\, the shocking revelations and the ordinary question of "What do we do now?"
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250622
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250623
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a9f84c3f5985b6cb100aa9ae28183a45@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Our passage from Galatians this week includes one of those well-known texts that many of us were required to memorize at some point in Sunday school or youth group.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250629
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250630
SUMMARY:Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:fa3900c362e6ffb184e918b8a9c5e8f3@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Since many congregations celebrate Holy Communion on the first Sunday of the month\, consider how you might incorporate the themes of communal care and God’s new creation into the Communion liturgy.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250706
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250707
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1a55242fab11b9798de2fab296646835@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Sometimes\, the Pauline epistles feel like we’re picking up in the middle of a conversation or perhaps an email thread.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250713
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250714
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:80a0d11a6f96f1c6641b7e5cc5b8e9c6@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:In this week’s text\, Paul draws on the power of communal singing by quoting a hymn about Christ in the middle of his letter to the Colossians.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250720
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250721
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:353cbd21e0ef83a9b5b1c3af46e2bcdc@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:How have you encountered God in the fullness of who you are—body\, mind\, and spirit—in this church community?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250727
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250728
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:934de259125121552ba045869b1630ce@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This week marks the last "email" from Paul to the Colossians in this worship series\, the last reminder about who the Christians of Colossae are and how their story forms their identity as a community.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250803
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250804
SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:0bf13e09499ab6ca1fbdbde69429095a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:As we enter this third part of the “Dear Children of God” series\, I encourage you not to lose the verve and vitality that flows between the lines in the letter to the Hebrews.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250810
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250811
SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:23313e41e89859c79e725e00e4c7b759@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Joy can be a hard thing to nail down. Last week\, we talked about defining yet not grasping faith. The substance of faith sweeps us with it toward the “better country.” This week\, we turn to joy.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250817
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250818
SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:539872b95de68eafc4b39f60ba188a2f@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Week by week\, we gather to sing\, pray\, and proclaim our praise of God and the good news of the gospel as a community. How might you help your congregation connect that the work of worship is also the work of building home together in Christ?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250824
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250825
SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:45027843d428b04134da49f0e6167cae@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We encourage you to approach worship planning with honesty about what it means to be a community of mutual love.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250831
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250901
SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f97c8bcc38ffe28951e7b6adf6baec14@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Seen. Heard. Known. However you put it\, we humans long for relationships where we trust others to care about who we are\, what we feel\, and how we experience the world.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250907
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250908
SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a73a98f86e60575cf233e897cd3286fc@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We find and keep hope when we name all that is hard in our world\, take a breath\, and then remember\, but God.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250914
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250915
SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:90373d608d85b8a370609976334340fa@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Worship is not an escape from the world but a place where we are edified and equipped to live as the people of God in the world.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250921
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250922
SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:49d05f61f6380429f983aef1d6606498@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Take time in worship to create a sense of safety. Sing a comforting hymn\; take time to breathe and calm everyone’s collective nervous systems\; give a little extra space for the passing of the peace\; engage in guided meditation together.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250928
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250929
SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f5275e636e811740959b3b77a0fc68e3@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Worship is a moment in and of itself\, but it connects to and feeds other moments in our lives and faith. This week – indeed\, every week – focus on those connected moments.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251005
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251006
SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:5275992e2f8f59819cd8b0c965557a03@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:When Jesus asks in our text this week\, “Where are the other nine?” (verse 17)\, he isn’t fishing for gratitude. Instead\, he is declaring that gratitude that leads to praise is part of the way of the disciple.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251012
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251013
SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9ff0dfb34c335ac354eece7b7c073f6e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Persistence. What does that mean for us in worship? Just the fact that we gather week after week when the community around us doesn’t see the point might be a part of that persistence.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251019
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251020
SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:424e6fe46a357cf9e610b8ea20c1e68d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:How shall we pray? This isn’t the text where that question appears. But it does seem to be behind the parable that Jesus tells.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251026
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251027
SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a09f4b6d9709f87762f83a9a9fcde471@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:All Saints Sunday is one of the most precious in the life of a community of faith. It is an opportunity to celebrate beloved members of the church and to acknowledge a worldwide connection with those who claim the name of Christ.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251102
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251103
SUMMARY:All Saints Sunday\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:4173c61b39880d052728d63bbc592607@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Leaning into the invitation of Advent before the season actually begins allows the worshiping community to consider the promise of the kingdom apart from the machinery of Christmas.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251109
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251110
SUMMARY:Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:bfff4cd7d6950f4740cbfdf1c2aa75af@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:There are so many directions the worship team could take the theme for this week. “Rejoice Forever in Creation” elicits a host of natural images and creation-based words and invitations\, so this Sunday could be a mini “Earth Day” at the end of the year.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251116
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251117
SUMMARY:Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:3452dd67ca22b1927d3ee208ba5a3ded@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Whether you use the traditional title for this final day of the Christian Year\, “Christ the King Sunday\,” or the newer designation\, “Reign of Christ Sunday\,” the emphasis is on allegiance to the Savior\, Jesus the Christ.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251123
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251124
SUMMARY:Christ the King / Reign of Christ\, Year C
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:7cb2f124e1322ce6c5575e91b2e6509e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Stop. Take a moment. Breathe deeply. We have arrived—again—at the beginning of the journey.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251130
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251201
SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:de8ddce8088cb887f3ea6564eb73e204@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:As you plan worship for this day\, consider how to present and represent the stories you tell in this space.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251207
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251208
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:dab7a86424a8995d3539723ff4e91f5e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The Third Sunday in Advent\, often called Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday\, is perhaps one of the most paradoxical Sundays in the liturgical calendar.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251214
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251215
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:80e04318b3ae51286963000de148798b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Mary is pregnant\; Joseph comes up with a contingency plan\, and an angel throws new information into the mix that changes everything. Do you feel the frenzy in the story?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251221
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251222
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:8fa47bc8d8934ffda061a74886599fa8@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Christmas Eve has arrived! The Advent wreath is ready\; the candles are waiting to be lit\; the familiar carols are ready to be sung. This is a worship service (or services) to relish in the traditions of this day.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251224
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251225
SUMMARY:Christmas Eve\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9c9f63cb8c3b19baf750e39d195caa78@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Four days ago\, we were rejoicing at the manger. Today\, we hear a story that\, unfortunately\, is an all-too-familiar tale of powerful rulers using violence to maintain their control and influence.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251228
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251229
SUMMARY:First Sunday after Christmas\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:562fe2a51a56f462ed57851d187feda9@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Epiphany is all about light. The star in the sky leads the magi to Jesus\, the light of the world\, the revelation of divine love who came to dwell among us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260104
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260105
SUMMARY:Epiphany of the Lord\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:2bdc2eb6906dcaf112ec7e48c9380927@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:After the pomp and circumstance of Christmas\, Baptism of Our Lord Sunday can sometimes get overlooked.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260111
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260112
SUMMARY:Baptism of the Lord\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:fb37664937549b1b4a3f1d34b44bf10b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:As we move deeper into the season after Epiphany\, we continue to explore the glory God reveals among us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260118
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260119
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1df47906fd78b1d3de77fe67f04f1e9c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The light has come. We’ve received the light and the call to bear the light to all the nations. Got it. Can do. Easy peasy\, lemon squeezy. Right?! Well…maybe not.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260125
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260126
SUMMARY:Third Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:3594cf928fae6c56b19ae7248ab8059b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:At the center of worship today is…worship. Yes\, that may sound redundant and even unhelpful\, but bear with me. Micah 6:1-8 is about worship.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260201
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260202
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:fd6e822bb871458ecf720adbe7161725@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Last week\, we explored how Micah helps us discern whether we are aligned with God’s call to live with justice\, mercy\, and humility. This week\, Isaiah calls us to action.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260208
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260209
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d5869595a0a167e1ca63906ad408b77d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The Transfiguration is a foretaste of the glory of Resurrection\, a revelation of Jesus’ divinity that has been hidden\, yet is no less real.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260215
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260216
SUMMARY:Transfiguration Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:5238e4b09b62a76a9aeeb235c540d5c4@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Though Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of our Lenten journey\, we must remember that all long journeys begin not with the first step or rolling down the road\, but with preparation.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260218
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260219
SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1513b0bf0f782307ed7a802bcee6da5f@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The First Sunday in Lent invites us to consider how to set the space for the journey ahead.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260222
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260223
SUMMARY:First Sunday in Lent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:0a38fca53c5123ff80779d65949dc6b7@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This Sunday\, the gospel reading from John 3 is one that many people know by heart. Its familiarity is a comfort\, yet we must not let comfort become complacency.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260301
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260302
SUMMARY:Second Sunday in Lent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a6eeaf64ae33ee5f81b96c41cdebd4c1@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The psalms often provide us with an excellent map for planning worship. In a world where we struggle to acknowledge our emotions as individuals\, much less as a community\, the psalms are master classes in how to faithfully express our emotions and experiences to God as a gathered body.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260308
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260309
SUMMARY:Third Sunday in Lent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:90b55f64a08706f4f919cfafbba3d171@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This year\, the lectionary once again gives us a very familiar text. Whether read at a baptism\, wedding\, or funeral\, Psalm 23 has accompanied many of us through important moments in our lives.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260315
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260316
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:445d9a99b45cf9832cebb72f97b3d7dc@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:However you approach this constellation of passages\, pay attention to how they point your congregation toward the redemption road\, the road that leads us toward the cross\, resurrection\, and into the whole world.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260322
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260323
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday in Lent\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:feb52420d4f72a5fc5f2895af3ba6e14@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Holy Week begins with a journey—or rather\, picks up in the middle of a journey to Jerusalem.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260329
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260330
SUMMARY:Palm / Passion Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:31b4ffe3483e343eb362f942dc552c98@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:We may linger at the table for a few moments this evening. But we gather\, already prepared to eat and run because the world needs us to be at work for the kin-dom.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260402
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260403
SUMMARY:Maundy Thursday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a1be12681d3a1868f40bcae6190720ef@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Tell the story. but leave room for hope. Tell of the destination to which we arrived\, but hear the word that says even this was preparation. There is something more. But that is another story.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260403
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260404
SUMMARY:Good Friday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:dbf2764502a57973a472e009aa320b1a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Easter is a new start for all of us who journey together in grace as the Body of Christ\, for it is the good news that binds us together and empowers us to continue on the path set before us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260405
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260406
SUMMARY:Easter Sunday 2026\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:0df0d19daf497a6c010b70f9af1f210a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Thomas reminds us that the power of Resurrection is inseparable from its reality. This service invites worshipers to engage all their senses—sight\, sound\, touch\, taste—to notice Christ’s risen presence among us and within us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260412
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260413
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6998904975257f298549987695dc50de@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Resurrection unsettles our certainty and invites us into astonishment. This week’s worship explores how joy and disruption coexist as we live into the astounding news that Love has conquered death.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260419
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260420
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:8f411cbaa2a5aa5b6f3e3ce20148265a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Like sheep\, we learn to recognize the Shepherd’s voice together. Worship this week focuses on discernment as a communal practice and listening for Christ’s call to abundant life.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260426
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260427
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:563ef187eed9a33584d1a40506a2217e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Jesus declares\, “I am the way\, the truth\, and the life.” This service invites us to unite belief with holy living\, exploring how faith shapes our daily choices and communal witness.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260503
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260504
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:cebfcba845964f808a498823cb66409c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:The Spirit abides in us\, preserving and weaving our shared story as the body of Christ. Worship this week celebrates testimony\, memory\, and the ongoing narrative of God’s love in our community.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260510
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260511
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:8da8b76ea342392c85a27e168e0bd5d6@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Ascension marks the completion of Christ’s work and the beginning of ours. This service frames worship as blessing—receiving Christ’s promise and responding with praise and mission.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260514
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260515
SUMMARY:Ascension of the Lord\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:5fc833381c6e3a9138b01126aa82bb2d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Jesus prays for our unity and glorification in him. This service invites creative engagement with what it means to live as answers to Christ’s prayer for oneness in the world.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260517
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260518
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday of Easter\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:270faab9178e435561f3bd707d7bb789@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Pentecost Sunday celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all believers\, empowering the church for mission and proclaiming that God’s Spirit is unbound and available to all.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260524
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260525
SUMMARY:Day of Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:20cb9c9ba3218c40096ac3a31664a436@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Trinity Sunday invites us to celebrate the mystery of God’s partnership in creation—Father\, Son\, and Holy Spirit—calling us to join in God’s ongoing work of love and renewal.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260531
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260601
SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:d7db108fe521b369f295e1c54046c47c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:For the next four weeks\, we will journey with Abram/Abraham and Sarai/Sarah in all their earnest\, imperfect\, and all-too-human attempts to believe God’s promises and live accordingly.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260607
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260608
SUMMARY:Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:0db3c64d9e92ea007f27408760007251@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:What Abraham\, Sarah\, and a few holy detours teach us about laughter\, attention\, and God’s surprising grace.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260614
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260615
SUMMARY:Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:fcf6b60ef72a47d86d65486aa3971fac@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Listening for God amid a painful\, confusing story—and learning how God meets the cast-out and suffering.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260621
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260622
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a8d01c0720ddaee9f2612901eeb7e4e9@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:When Scripture makes us want to flee\, learning to stay\, pray\, sing\, and tell the story faithfully.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260628
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260629
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:aa60b71d6064a504e514892a1f38585b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:At 250 years\, we find ourselves celebrating our nation’s ideals while honestly confronting our failures\, discovering - like Paul - that true hope comes not from self-reliance but from being rescued and transformed by Christ.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260705
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260706
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:71b93024683af918c2f9b80ae327156b@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Romans 8 invites us to wake up each day with our minds set on Christ\, discovering life and peace not through self-centered striving but by letting the Spirit shape how we see\, live\, and love in the world.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260712
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260713
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a97116ec54924dcdb43dae73b567a926@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Romans 8 calls us to see creation’s groaning as bound up with our own salvation\, inviting us to exercise dominion not as exploitation but as Christ-shaped care for a world longing to be reborn in hope.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260719
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260720
SUMMARY:Eighth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:1c94fe2c573aba959e87296ce2debe8c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:For the Ninth Sunday of Pentecost\, this reflection on Romans 8 invites the church to wrestle honestly with suffering\, hope\, and God’s grace. It reframes being “more than conquerors” not as power or triumph\, but as redemption through Christ and deep belonging in community\, where the Spirit intercedes\, sustains\, and draws us closer to God and one another.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260726
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260727
SUMMARY:Ninth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:8fd93b40b92c59d18567f0e29715c479@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This opening week of a praise-focused series invites us to recognize God’s presence in both ordinary and extraordinary moments. Centered on awareness\, it encourages embodied worship practices that engage the whole self—helping individuals and congregations connect action with reflection as they grow in gratitude\, attentiveness\, and praise.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260802
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260803
SUMMARY:Tenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:5f378a0a2d9dbba41bd022374779d0ec@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This week centers on remembering as an act of praise\, highlighting how singing helps us tell the story of God’s faithfulness. Drawing from the psalms and the tradition of hymn-singing\, it invites congregations to use music as a way to share personal and collective stories—turning worship into a participatory expression of gratitude\, memory\, and praise.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260809
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260810
SUMMARY:Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a7be0a36b6a97ccf6572d6b59bdbee57@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This final week highlights belonging as the heart of praise\, drawing on the unity described in the psalms. It invites congregations to embrace practices like singing and prayer that foster connection\, reminding us that as we worship together\, we grow in belonging—to God and to one another—and offer praise as a shared\, communal experience.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260816
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260817
SUMMARY:Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:add0c960b8d3d7561438e7bbe24c409a@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This worship explores the complex theme of power by highlighting unconventional biblical leaders who bravely used their influence to defy oppression and champion truth. Recognizing that power itself is simply a tool\, the service will challenge us to examine how we wield our own influence and confess where we fall short. Through focused prayers\, hymns\, and storytelling\, we will come together to seek the wisdom and humility to use our power faithfully for God's purposes.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260823
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260824
SUMMARY:Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:411bc73eec52e9eb9c2b6c21cf4cb63c@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This worship focuses on overcoming our natural resistance to God's call\, drawing parallels between reluctant biblical leaders and our own modern hesitations. The service provides a space to honestly acknowledge our reluctance to lead or serve\, helping the congregation actively move from resistance to acceptance. Ultimately\, it encourages us to lean on God and our faith community to boldly fulfill our shared mission together.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260830
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260831
SUMMARY:Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:a3872e21870b4e450b330bf544b5f69d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This worship service addresses the uncomfortable but unavoidable reality of conflict\, looking to Jesus' clear roadmap in Matthew 18 for faithful reconciliation. Rather than airing grievances\, we will use this time to practice empathy\, praying for those we experience friction with and recognizing them as fellow image-bearers of God. Ultimately\, we will be reminded that we do not navigate these difficult challenges alone\, finding our refuge and strength together in God's protective presence.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260906
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260907
SUMMARY:Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:12d8ee4510bcb88dc01bdb4145d6fbf7@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Concluding our series on leadership\, this worship focuses on the transformative power of leading with grace and the ongoing work of reconciliation. We will explore how true grace isn't about avoiding conflict or being overly permissive\, but rather acting as a conduit for God's abundant forgiveness while maintaining healthy boundaries. Through communal reflection\, confession\, and specific rituals of reconciliation\, the service will provide a safe space to lament our hurts\, extend forgiveness\, and discern our next right steps together.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260913
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260914
SUMMARY:Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:7041b660ca968d3a94dffac3d40e6a12@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:One of the key points to remember throughout this series is that we are not called to wear ourselves out.  Pressing on is not about throwing ourselves against brick walls with no regard for our own well-being.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260920
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260921
SUMMARY:Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:7324eb860e2b4273aaea725566454ca5@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:How do we press on together?  What does it take to live well as a community?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260927
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260928
SUMMARY:Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:845e9dc9659fb164b4a8d8c5e4763cac@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:For Paul\, faith is a deeply embodied journey that calls us into the present\, embodied reality of loving and living with God\, self\, neighbor\, and all creation.  We press on together here and now by the grace through which Christ saves us.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261004
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261005
SUMMARY:Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:4e815b8532c1e6bda5ca5dc4458bfbcf@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Joy gives us sustenance to maintain life\, hope\, resilience\, and perseverance\, even in the most impossible circumstances.  Joy isn’t an escape.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261011
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261012
SUMMARY:Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:b2a46a23648ade50569fc2d8774b2afa@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:But the lectionary invites us to start our thanksgiving early.  Before the turkey and pumpkin pie and even before the trick-or-treaters come to our doors\, we have the opening salutation of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians: “We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in…
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261018
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261019
SUMMARY:Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:9475a0fc2b0a9b0b87ad47e1d3e96626@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:People who have been in the church a long time may hear the same words and assume they know what they mean\, when in fact\, we could all use a refresher on what Paul is and is not doing in this passage (see Preaching Notes).  So\, as worship planners\, how do we keep everyone engaged?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261025
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261026
SUMMARY:Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:be68a4e73e34bef0e0d1dd79ea537dc9@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:First\, we are chosen\, then we are tested.  Now\, we witness.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261101
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261102
SUMMARY:Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:cc6cd46ddd352838ac35e671b4ccb6db@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Keep your lamps trimmed and burning\, the day is drawing nigh. This week's parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids isn't about judgment\, but about staying present with one another and keeping awake to what God is doing among us here and now.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261108
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261109
SUMMARY:Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:279f7eb8ebf6b03f31be3e923def484e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Whom do you serve? This week's parable of the talents may not describe the kingdom of heaven\, but expose the kingdom of this world - one that rewards production over people. As worship planners\, we're left asking: does our liturgy invite people into that anxious economy\, or into the joy of a God whose love isn't earned?
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261115
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261116
SUMMARY:Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:7fc1b0de1d024eebc09088eaf2b329ef@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:This Reign of Christ Sunday\, we meet the sheep and goats—and the question of whether good works earn God's favor or flow from it. As Wesley reminds us\, these acts of mercy are the fruit of grace\, not its price\, as we celebrate Christ's reign already among us even as we wait for its fullness.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261122
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261123
SUMMARY:Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost\, Year A
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:bc85f66da3406b5a3d5aafd09eb47898@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Methodists are a singing people.  The hymns of Charles Wesley did as much or more to teach and edify the early Methodists as John’s sermons and treatises.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261129
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261130
SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:f178c584cfb4aa210c1b2b573ea34572@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Maybe peace and righteousness can’t meet without hope to guide them.  I think if we can answer this question\, we are well on our way to infusing worship with opportunities to listen for God speaking peace among us and calling us to speak peace to our world.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261206
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261207
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Advent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6357560b68f75d1acc6a9b9d6ad2a846@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:One of the challenges of focusing on the Psalms for a whole series is that we lose the element of story or narrative.  The gospels and many of our Old Testament texts are full of stories that invite us to explore different characters\, settings\, and meanings.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261213
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261214
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Advent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:293747dfaa5903b549a55e567a6d8f8d@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:Surely\, climate change is demonstrating just how volatile the atmosphere can become when we humans don’t tend creation well.  None of this sounds like a good description of God’s faithfulness.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261220
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261221
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Advent\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:e088dd12dce49deae47f9f54096c4f99@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:A key point to remember is that God’s glory does not always arrive in sudden\, dramatic moments. Sometimes\, glory unfolds gradually\, inviting us to slow down\, pay attention\, and recognize God’s presence in the ordinary moments of our lives.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261224
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261225
SUMMARY:Christmas Eve\, Year B
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:db57a5729849c1022bbca7d11689fb3e@solspace.com
DTSTAMP:20261010T064327
DESCRIPTION:A key point to remember is that Christ’s light calls us to move forward together\, welcoming others into God’s love and allowing our communities to be shaped by hope\, hospitality\, and intergenerational connection.
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261227
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261228
SUMMARY:First Sunday after Christmas\, Year B
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR