Speaker: Rev. CJ Valenti
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Epiphany: Courageous Defiance
The story of Epiphany unveils God’s presence in unexpected places and people and courage. Today we celebrate the fullness of the Christmas story and the faith and trust of so many people to make it happen. We will also celebrate our pledged financial gifts for 2026 and give thanks for the ways God’s love moves…
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Christmas Eve Worship: Embodied Promise
The Christmas story beckons us to remember how all life begins- small, vulnerable, and yet undeniably sacred. Mary’s yes to God transforms the word. The shepherds, outcasts of their society, are the first to hear the good news. Isaiah’s promise of light breaking into darkness find fulfillment not in the empire’s grandeur but in a manager among…
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Second Sunday in Advent
On this second Sunday of advent we met another dreamer, John the Baptist. In John’s vision, peace is when everything is set right—where people are treated fairly, everyone has enough, creation is cared for, and no one needs to be afraid. This week we are invited to boldly imagine peace and remember that preparing for…
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First Sunday of Advent: Vigilant Hope
This week we begin Advent, the first season in the church year. We remember in Advent that God’s love came close to us in Jesus and we look forward with hope to the ways God is still at work in our world. Hope is not just wishing for something but believing and acting as if…
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Christ the King Sunday
In our anxiety we want Jesus to be our magical savior. Instead of one who fixes everything in an instant, Jesus is the King who walks beside us through the ups and downs. The reign of Christ invites us to lives of service—and again and again as we care for the needs of others we…
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23rd Sunday after Pentecost
The world is ending and yet our texts remind us today not to lose hope. God promises to be right here in the midst of the mess-the messes we make, the messes that find us and the messes beyond our control. Accompanying Scripture:Malachi 4:1-2, Isaiah 12:2-6, Luke 21:5-19
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All Saints’ Sunday
In holy baptism God makes saints out of sinners. In holy communion God forgives the sins of all the saints. In worship today we give thanks for all the saints “who from their labors rest.” In the same breath we petition our God for the strength to hear and lean into the wholeness of the…
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19th Sunday after Pentecost
The theme in our texts for this week is don’t give up. Jacob wrestles with his broken relationship with his brother and ends up wrestling God. Jesus describes a parable where a widow wrestles with injustice and faces a grumpy judge. In faith we too are invited to be persistent, be honest, ask questions and…
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18th Sunday after Pentecost
Today is a day of unexpected blessings, surprising signs of how God is active and alive and present in our world and in our lives in the most unlikely of places. Naaman, a commander and mighty warrior and enemy of Israel, suffers from leprosy and is offered healing through disappointing ordinary means. Also afflicted with…
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16th Sunday after Pentecost
The story of the rich man and Lazarus infamously and painfully reminds us of the uncomfortable truth that money will not earn us salvation and God deeply cares for the poor. In worship all are welcome, all are loved. As God continues to love all of who we are, we are invited to do the…