Jesus Crosses Boundaries

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Dear church,

This Sunday we hear again the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. On an ordinary day, beside an ordinary well, Jesus crosses boundaries and opens a space for a life to be no longer defined by what has been, but by what God is making possible. And we believe that God is still at work in this way!

In a similar way, I have also found our midweek Lenten worship especially meaningful this year. These services have been helping me linger more deeply in living, active, working love. It sounds simple but there is so much competing against this right now. And so this week we will gather around that promise again: Love is greater than tensions. I hope you will come and be part of it.

See you in worship,
Pastor Kyle

Take it to Heart

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Dear church,

Some texts don’t just speak to us, they hold us.

Psalm 121 is one of those psalms for me, a prayer that has steadied countless hearts across the centuries.

If you are looking for a simple practice this week, I wonder if you might take these days to commit it to memory, or simply to read it once each day, slowly, letting the promise sink in.

The Great Litany

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Dear church,

This Sunday, the First Sunday in Lent, we will begin worship as we did last year with a special prayer called The Litany or the Great Litany.

The Great Litany has been spoken or chanted by the people of God for centuries. It is persistent, urgent, and full of confidence that help will come.

It plumbs the depths of our common humanity and gives voice to our deepest needs. It is unselfish in its intercessions, reaching beyond ourselves to pray for all who suffer, all who struggle, and all who long for mercy.

Epiphany Season

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Epiphany is the season of Christ revealed, light for the world, good news that keeps showing up in unexpected places and people. This Sunday we will celebrate that joy together with an all-church (yes, that means you!) Epiphany pageant at 9:30 am in Henderson Hall.

Worship also resumes this Sunday at 8:30 am and 10:45 am. Come for the pageant, come for worship, come for both. However you arrive, may the light of Christ meet you and guide you into the week ahead.

In Christ’s peace,
Pastor Kyle

Saying the Creed Without “and the Son”

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Each Sunday during the season of Easter (at least when we don’t have a baptism!, we join our voices with Christians across centuries and continents in confessing the Nicene Creed. This ancient summary of faith, from 1700 years ago this year, grounds us in the core beliefs passed down from the early Church: the Triune God, the incarnation of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. But if you’ve listened closely, you may have noticed a small but important difference in the version of the Creed we use in worship. We now say that the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father,” rather than “from the Father and the Son.”

Epiphany Home Blessing

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Twelfth Night (January 5) or another day during the season of Epiphany offers an occasion for gathering with friends and family members for a blessing of the home, using the following as a model. Someone may lead the greeting and blessing, while another person may read the scripture passage.

Following an eastern European tradition, a visual blessing may be inscribed with white chalk above the main door; for example, 20 + CMB + 15. The numbers change with each new year. The three letters stand for either the ancient Latin blessing Christe mansionem benedica, which means, “Christ, bless this house,” or the legendary names of the magi (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar).

November Daily Prayer

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As we enter November, the spirit of All Saints’ Day invites us to reflect on the saints who have shaped our lives. This month, consider embracing a simple but profound prayer practice: daily gratitude for those who have touched your journey, now departed yet enduring in their influence. Each day, you’ll be guided to remember someone specific—a mentor, a friend, a family member, or even a challenging figure—who has left a mark on your soul. Let this practice deepen your appreciation and connection to these beloved saints, grounding your days in gratitude and remembrance.

Speak the Truth

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In a time when deceptive and hateful speech has become increasingly normalized, our ELCA bishops have offered a powerful call to action. In their recent statement, they remind us of the importance of truth and the role we play as followers of Christ to be vigilant in guarding it.

I encourage you to take time to read their full letter, and to join us in this intentional commitment to speak truth, resist falsehood, and amplify voices of justice.

You can read the full letter from the Conference of Bishops here.