the life of your church….! FROM THE MINISTER’S DESK News of the discovery of unmarked graves of children on the sites of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools dominated news outlets this week. There are no easy answers in knowing how to respond to this, another tear-stained blood-soaked page in this painful history. In Psalm 130 we read, ‘with … [Read more…]
the life of your church….! FROM THE MINISTER’S DESK In the Church calendar this coming Sunday is Trinity Sunday. Trinity—the teaching that the one God exists in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But why is it important? For one thing, Christian faith is rooted in the oneness of being between Jesus Christ and God the Father. According … [Read more…]
the life of your church….! FROM THE MINISTER’S DESK Pentecost is observed on the seventh Sunday after Easter—this coming Sunday. It marks the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in power upon the church. The following reflection on the Holy Spirit is from a fourth century sermon by the theologian Saint Basil the Great. “Simple in himself, the Spirit … [Read more…]
the life of your church….! FROM THE MINISTER’S DESK Today is Ascension Day in the church calendar—forty days after Easter. The gospel writer Luke tells us that when Jesus ascended to heaven the disciples “returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” It is apparent that the disciples did not take this as being abandoned by Jesus. They do … [Read more…]
the life of your church….! FROM THE MINISTER’S DESK Jesus said, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” It is wonderful to think that God wants his joy to be ours. It is instructive to remember that Jesus said this as he … [Read more…]
the life of your church….! FROM THE MINISTER’S DESK If you have friends who belong to churches of Eastern Orthodox confession I remind you to greet them with “Happy Easter” this weekend. Sunday, May 2 is Easter in their tradition that marks dates according to the Julian calendar. The Western church—that includes Central United—follows the Gregorian calendar … [Read more…]
the life of your church….! FROM THE MINISTER’S DESK “I am the good shepherd,” said Jesus, “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” In the larger context of this saying of Jesus, you could understand the word translated ‘good’ as ‘genuine’ or ‘true,’ a meaning the word also connotes. I am the genuine … [Read more…]
the life of your church….! FROM THE MINISTER’S DESK “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?” The risen Jesus asked this of disciples when he appeared to them on the eve of that first Easter Sunday. I could think of reasons for their fright; the gospel writer Luke mentions one—they thought they … [Read more…]
the life of your church….! FROM THE MINISTER’S DESK The 20th century astronomer Carl Sagan said, “Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.” A little over three thousand years ago … [Read more…]
the life of your church….! REGISTRATION TO ATTEND IN-PERSON WORSHIP SERVICES IN THE MONTH OF APRIL Due to current guidelines limiting attendance at religious services, we are asking anyone wishing to join in-person worship services for the month of April to register. Registration is now open. You can register through the church website or by … [Read more…]