Sermons

2020-09-27 Worship Online

Worship Guide (v1) for September 27, 2020

Readings September 27, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 4-7 for September 27, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 8-12 for September 27, 2020

This week is the perfect time to join in our worship online or in-person. We simplified our online service and made it even easier to participate, and viewing does not require a Facebook account! Join the video stream on Facebook Live (www.facebook.com/coldspringchurch) or, if you don’t have internet access, use our New call in number: +1 (929) 205-6099. Enter Meeting ID: 875 2479 7260.

You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Once you and your family are ready, share the picture with us by posting to Facebook #ColdSpringChurch or Instagram #coldspringchurchnj. You may want to subscribe to our weekly Connections email newsletter. Sign up here!

Worship and Message theme:

Our worship theme this week is all about action. Doing our faith instead of just talking about it. (We do love to talk about faith!) As we worship in-person, online, and in our daily meditations, remember that God wants us to put our experience with Christ into practice. It’s not easy. We struggle and stumble. But putting faith into practice is simple. Well done is better than well said. Our message this week from Matthew 21 is the first in a series of three stories Jesus told about the kingdom: the two sons, the rented vineyard, and the banquet.

This week, we learn about a dad who asked his kids to work in the vineyard. The first said “No. I don’t want to.” The second said, “Yes.” But as the day went on, neither did what they said they would do. The first who said “No!” did the work, while the second, who initially said “Yes!”, never showed up. So Jesus asked the crowd, “Which child responded to their dad’s request?” What do you think?

Which child are we most like in this parable? The one who says, “I will go” and does not, or the one who says, “I will not go” but has a change of heart and does? This week, let’s keep it simple but visible. Act justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly. Well done is better than well said.

Welcome Back!

Music Preview:

We begin our worship about putting our faith into practice with Chris Tomlin’s stirring worship hymn, “God of this City.” This song has been offered as a prayer for cities around the world including Dallas, Boston, L.A., and Chicago, and now Cape May, too! Our sending hymn, “Hope of the Nations,” is worship leader Brian Doerksen’s expressions of God’s love for the world and offer of hope found in Jesus Christ. Music that stirs our spirits can help equip us for loving, merciful, and humble acts of kindness we can do this week.

2020-09-20 Worship Online

Worship Guide (v1) for September 20, 2020

Readings September 20, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 4-7 for September 20, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 8-12 for September 20, 2020

This week is the perfect time to join in our worship online or in-person. We simplified our online service and made it even easier to participate, and viewing does not require a Facebook account! Join the video stream on Facebook Live (www.facebook.com/coldspringchurch) or, if you don’t have internet access, use our New call in number: +1 (929) 205-6099. Enter Meeting ID: 875 2479 7260.

You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Once you and your family are ready, share the picture with us by posting to Facebook #ColdSpringChurch or Instagram #coldspringchurchnj. You may want to subscribe to our weekly Connections email newsletter. Sign up here!

Worship and Message theme:

In the future, when we’re asked to recall the worst year ever, there is no doubt that 2020 will be the #1 choice! In January, our annual meeting was filled with expressions of gratitude for God’s blessings as we launched our “Brave New Year!” mission theme. Little did we know that as we were enjoying food and conversation in Price Hall, 7,570 miles away, the coronavirus was spreading. In our hyper-connected world, everything spreads. Within eight months, almost one million people around the world, including 200,000 in the United States, are dead. Besides COVID-19, hurricanes, fires, and everyday stressors and hardships have taken a tragic toll. Our Brave New Year has not turned out the way we had imagined. We say Life isn’t fair. God isn’t fair. This week, God is inviting us to embrace and lean into these truths as good news. Yes, that’s right. We will explore how God’s unfairness, life’s unfairness, is good news because if we all received what we deserved, we’d be in big trouble! Instead of expecting or demanding fairness, we can expect God’s grace and mercy. (Much better!)

Our response to Life’s Not Fair! is this week’s worship theme: Living at the Corner of Grace and Mercy. Our first in-person and online hybrid worship experience is September 20. In the new and improved Worship Guide you can read about Jonah. He shockingly responded to personal success by sulking and complaining that God wasn’t fair when showing grace to people Jonah felt undeserving of mercy. Then consider Jesus’ story in Matthew 20:1-16 about employees’ angrily complaining about unfairness. As they picked up their paychecks at the end of the day, they compared theirs to others. Even though they worked more hours, everyone got the same amount. “Wait,” they cried, “That’s not fair!” Well, it isn’t fair. It’s not about fair, its about grace and mercy.

“What does God require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). We are to love mercy, not justice. We are to love mercy, not fairness. Get ready to explore why we don’t seek a future of fairness, but a future of hope, depending on God’s grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. Good news!

Welcome Back!

Music Preview:

Today’s theme of God’s grace and mercy are featured in our two musical selections. We begin with Great Is Thy Faithfulness. The popular song refers to Lamentations 3:22-23 but especially fits today’s readings. Our sending hymn is Grace Greater Than All Our Sin. We are recipients of God’s grace and also extenders of that same grace to others. The lyrics, “marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, freely bestowed on all who believe,” finds a scriptural basis in Paul’s teaching about faith in Romans 5:1-2: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

2020-09-13 Worship Online

Worship Guide (v1) for September 13, 2020

Readings September 13, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 4-7 for September 13, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 8-12 for September 13, 2020

This week is the perfect time to join in our worship online. We simplified our online service and made it even easier to participate, and viewing does not require a Facebook account! Join the video stream on Facebook Live (www.facebook.com/coldspringchurch) or, if you don’t have internet access, use our New call in number: +1 (929) 205-6099. Enter Meeting ID: 875 2479 7260.

You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Once you and your family are ready, share the picture with us by posting to Facebook #ColdSpringChurch or Instagram #coldspringchurchnj. You may want to subscribe to our weekly Connections email newsletter. Sign up here!

Worship and Message theme:

Our worship theme this week is courage. Fires, hurricanes, social unrest, injustice, the contentious election season, the pandemic and regular obstacles we face stress all of us differently. Living in a community requires courage. We need the courage to be present for others. We need the courage to be humble. Courage to be patient. Courage to serve others and take steps in a new direction. We need courage to forgive others. That’s really a challenge.

Our scripture readings this week are about courage as we meet Moses at the Red Sea when a vanguard of courageous Israelites walk into the sea on dry ground, and we will hear Jesus’ story of the merciful King and his cowardly unforgiving manager.

When we authentically sacrifice for others, doing the right thing in the right way, we are acting courageous. As Paul instructed his student Timothy, “make full use of the gift that God gave you…use it well. God’s Spirit doesn’t make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:6-7). Jesus said, “Freely you have received. Freely give” (Matthew 10:8). How do you love your neighbor as yourself? How are you experiencing that love yourself? When do you ask God for courage? When should you ask God for courage?

It takes courage to believe God, to forgive as we have been forgiven. Whatever seas and obstacles you are facing, God’s abundant grace will give you abundant courage so the Spirit can empower you to mirror God’s love, forgiveness, and grace to others.

In Two Weeks—September 20th—Welcome Back!

Music Preview:

We begin worship prayerfully asking that Christ “Help Us Accept Each Other,” a musical and visual offering of the United Japanese Christian Church in California. The scriptural basis for this song is Romans 15:7. Living as people who have been accepted by Christ inspire us to accept others, too. The solo, “Got Any Rivers” is offered by the Rev. Larry Moyer. Written by pastor Oscar Carl Eliason in 1942, he based the chorus on the Panama Canal Gang’s lyrics about uncrossable rivers and cutting through mountains! He added scripture references about Joshua, who like Moses in today’s message, crossed a mighty body of water with courage. We conclude with is “Build Your Kingdom Here,” with Jesus’ teaching and parables about the 

2020-09-06 Worship Online

Worship Guide (v1) for September 06, 2020

Readings September 06, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 4-7 for September 06, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 8-12 for September 06, 2020

This week is the perfect time to join in our worship online. We simplified our online service and made it even easier to participate, and viewing does not require a Facebook account! Join the video stream on Facebook Live (www.facebook.com/coldspringchurch) or, if you don’t have internet access, use our New call in number: +1 (929) 205-6099. Enter Meeting ID: 875 2479 7260.

You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Once you and your family are ready, share the picture with us by posting to Facebook #ColdSpringChurch or Instagram #coldspringchurchnj. You may want to subscribe to our weekly Connections email newsletter. Sign up here!

Worship and Message theme:

Our worship theme this week is We Are All In This Together. You’ve read this affirmation on lawn signs and t-shirts, in shop windows, roadside displays, and on websites. You may have spoken these words to comfort or feel connected to others. It’s an almost universal response to the pandemic, We Are All In This Together! But if twenty-six weeks of quarantine restrictions have taught us anything as a nation, it’s that together does not fit what we are experiencing. Some have beautifully renovated beach houses with manicured lawns, and some of us live in public housing with broken elevators and no safe outdoor space. Some are safe and sound while others are staring at the devastation of Hurricane Laura, grieving lives lost to COVID-19, police abuse, or pervasive racial inequities. Many have managed to work from home and stay employed while others are either laid off or called “essential” and must report to work in unsafe and risky workplaces. Many children have access to the internet, while others do not and find it almost impossible to be successful in online learning. When we affirm, We Are All In This Together, let’s also ask ourselves how we can help make this statement real.

The message from God’s word in Exodus returns to Moses who also tells the enslaved people of Israel that We Are All In This Together. Moses explains that the Passover ritual is a group undertaking. If one household can’t afford a lamb, they are to join with their closest neighbor who can. God’s way means that provisions are made for everyone to participate in God’s freedom mission. In the Gospel reading, we learn that the community of faith is responsible for showing respect to everyone. When any of us misses the mark, trespasses, or sins, God’s way means that provisions are made through a loving process of redemption and restoration. Then, in our Epistle reading, God’s way means that conditions are made to tangibly show love to because when we love others as ourselves, we demonstrate the Lord Jesus Christ living among us. God is for us. God is with us. God sends us like Moses to prepare, protect, preserve, protest, and prevail together, to release the captive, enslaved, embittered, hurting, sick, lonely, and struggling.

This week, let’s be open to our togetherness that spans geographic, social, spiritual, racial, economic, age, gender, and political differences. God has made provisions to unite, not divide us. We are neighbors, nations, and human beings created in God’s image. Instead of taking sides, let’s take heart as Jesus’ peacemakers, ambassadors of reconciliation, heralds of hope, because Jesus came to save sinners and eat

Restricted In-Person Worship To Resume September 20:

We anticipate that a restricted 30-minute in-person worship will resume on September 20. We are designing a hybrid worship experience to enjoy either online or in-person, whichever venue you feel most comfortable in. For the safety of our in-person worshippers, mask or face coverings and physical distancing protocols will be followed. Also, for the safety of everyone, there will be no congregational singing. Our online participants can enjoy the live 30-minute service that begins at 10:40 AM, preceded and followed by several music videos with lyrics. More details will follow.

Music Preview:

We begin worship joining together with All Who Are Thirsty. return to our communion hymn, All Who Are Thirsty as we gather at the Lord’s Table. Worship Online concludes with the priestly blessing found in Numbers 6:23-27 put to music in The Blessing. This song has been sung online simultaneously with the aim of spreading hope and encouragement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020-08-30 Worship Online

Worship Guide (v1) for August 30, 2020

Readings August 30, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 4-7 for August 30, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 8-12 for August 30, 2020

This week is the perfect time to join in our worship online. We simplified our online service and made it even easier to participate, and viewing does not require a Facebook account! Join the video stream on Facebook Live (www.facebook.com/coldspringchurch) or, if you don’t have internet access, use our New call in number: +1 (929) 205-6099. Enter Meeting ID: 875 2479 7260.

You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Once you and your family are ready, share the picture with us by posting to Facebook #ColdSpringChurch or Instagram #coldspringchurchnj. You may want to subscribe to our weekly Connections email newsletter. Sign up here!

Hand to hand holding connect relationship

Worship and Message theme:

Where is God in relation to where you are? Join us this week in worship as God’s place meets our place. We start with Moses’ “non-burning bush” experience when God got his attention. God calls Moses by name and , in case is he was unsure, that wherever he stands is holy ground when God is there! Then God expresses the pain and the suffering on behalf of the Israelites. Empathy is God’s communication channel that resonates with us. God feels you. God gets you. And when God calls you to do amazing things, God is with you. Then we jump 1200 years forward to Peter who says Jesus can’t handle the path ahead that includes suffering, pain, and death on a cross. Like with Moses, and Peter, and Jesus, when God sends you on a mission, even a difficult one, God is with you and will see it through with you, too. What if God called your name and you said, “Here I am” — and then it got real. Maybe your life already has. We all need to hear God say to us right where we are, “We can do this!” We need our community to hear God say to them, too, “We can do this!”.

Restricted In-Person Worship To Resume September 20:

We anticipate that a restricted 30-minute in-person worship will resume on September 20. We are designing a hybrid worship experience to enjoy either online or in-person, whichever venue you feel most comfortable in. For the safety of our in-person worshippers, mask or face coverings and physical distancing protocols will be followed. Also, for the safety of everyone, there will be no congregational singing. Our online participants can enjoy the live 30-minute service that begins at 10:40 AM, preceded and followed by several music videos with lyrics. More details will follow.

Music Preview:

Following our countdown video featuring “Hosanna, Praise is Rising”, will be WM video “Lord I Lift Your Name on High. Written in 1989, by Rick Founds, who wrote this song because he was “amazed at the love of God” & struck by God’s divine plan, which left him in awe of the cycle of events of Christ’s life and death for us. The closing WM Video “You Never Let Go” was inspired by Psalm 23 verse 4 in the darkest moments we need to find something firm to stand on, and the Lord “never lets go”. The composer Matt Rodman says this song has caused many people to write to him about how God has been at work personally for them.

2020-08-23 Worship Online

Worship Guide (v1) for August 23, 2020

Readings August 23, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 4-7 for August 23, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 8-12 for August 23, 2020

This week is the perfect time to join in our worship online. We simplified our online service and made it even easier to participate, and viewing does not require a Facebook account! Join the video stream on Facebook Live (www.facebook.com/coldspringchurch) or, if you don’t have internet access, use our New call in number: +1 (929) 205-6099. Enter Meeting ID: 875 2479 7260.

You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Once you and your family are ready, share the picture with us by posting to Facebook #ColdSpringChurch or Instagram #coldspringchurchnj. You may want to subscribe to our weekly Connections email newsletter. Sign up here!

Worship and Message theme:

Identity is this week’s worship theme. Simon Peter was asked by Jesus: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered: “You are the Christ” How we answer this question is also critical. To be a Christian means believing that Jesus is the Son of God. The Christian faith is a journey- an exciting journey of getting to know Who God is. We learn as we put our faith into practice. Professing that Jesus is the Christ, is just the beginning. What we do with that is what truly matters. “We show our faith by what we do.” I admit, sometimes my faith becomes a little shaky. This is why Jesus had to come and die. That’s why we confess our sins and turn to Christ. It is a daily, minute by minute, life-long journey. Who we say Jesus is, has everything to do with who and how we are and will be!

Restricted In-Person Worship To Resume September 20:

We anticipate that a restricted 30-minute in-person worship will resume on September 20. We are designing a hybrid worship experience to enjoy either online or in-person, whichever venue you feel most comfortable in. For the safety of our in-person worshippers, mask or face coverings and physical distancing protocols will be followed. Also, for the safety of everyone, there will be no congregational singing. Our online participants can enjoy the live 30-minute service that begins at 10:40 AM, preceded and followed by several music videos with lyrics. More details will follow.

Music Preview:

Worship Online begins with the very popular hymn written by Thomas O. Chisholm, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”. Chisholm wrote hundreds of poems during his lifetime. In 1923, he was inspired by the verses of Lamentations 3:22-23 to write the text for this hymn. Those verses are as follows, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Our second hymn, “Take My Life And Let It Be”, is a classic hymn of Christian commitment written by Frances Havergal. In her own words, the hymn is a “consecration hymn” in which the singer commits all of her possessions and being to the Lord for his purposes. It expresses what each of us ought to feel and long for, even if at times we see so much disparity between the words and our actual state that we have to sing most of it in hope and faith.

2020-08-16 Worship Online

Worship Guide (v1) for August 16, 2020

Readings August 16, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 4-7 for August 16, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 8-12 for August 16, 2020

This week is the perfect time to join in our worship online. We simplified our online service and made it even easier to participate, and viewing does not require a Facebook account! Join the video stream on Facebook Live (www.facebook.com/coldspringchurch) or, if you don’t have internet access, use our New call in number: +1 (929) 205-6099. Enter Meeting ID: 875 2479 7260.

You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Once you and your family are ready, share the picture with us by posting to Facebook #ColdSpringChurch or Instagram #coldspringchurchnj. You may want to subscribe to our weekly Connections email newsletter. Sign up here!

Worship and Message theme:

A horizontal view of the Cape May NJ lighthouse against a deep blue sky and fluffy white clouds.

Joy is this week’s worship theme. Through the weariness, uncertainty, and pain in our COVID-19 world, and ordinary life experiences, we can receive Jesus’ joy! From the joy of a family reunion when Joseph greeted his long lost brothers as told in Genesis, to our Psalm reading about unity, and the Gospel that captures the joy when Jesus heals the sick daughter of an uninvited lunchtime guest, there is joy in God’s presence. Joy was Jesus’ focus as he endured the cross. Joy is our experience as we trust in God. Without joy, we lack strength to live the abundant life. If you don’t have joy, Jesus will meet you right where you are and lift you up. Without joy in Christ, whether in-person, online, or out in the world, the church is empty of spiritual life. Discover joy this week as we worship online.

Restricted In-Person Worship To Resume September 20:

We anticipate that a restricted 30-minute in-person worship will resume on September 20. We are designing a hybrid worship experience to enjoy either online or in-person, whichever venue you feel most comfortable in. For the safety of our in-person worshippers, mask or face coverings and physical distancing protocols will be followed. Also, for the safety of everyone, there will be no congregational singing. Our online participants can enjoy the live 30-minute service that begins at 10:40 AM, preceded and followed by several music videos with lyrics. More details will follow.

Music Preview:

Our worship begins with Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee, a resounding tune based on Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. One morning, casually sitting down to breakfast, hymn writer Henry Van Dyke handed a text to the president of Williams College and said, “Here is a hymn for you. The Berkshire Mountains were my inspiration. It must be sung to Beethoven’s ‘Hymn to Joy.’” Our second selection is The Blessing inspired by the priestly blessing found in Numbers 6:23-27. This song has been sung online simultaneously with the aim of spreading hope and encouragement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020-08-09 Worship Online

Worship Guide (v1) for August 9, 2020

Readings August 9, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 4-7 for August 9, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 8-12 for August 9, 2020

This week is the perfect time to join in our worship online. We simplified our online service and made it even easier to participate, and viewing does not require a Facebook account! Join the video stream on Facebook Live (www.facebook.com/coldspringchurch) or, if you don’t have internet access, use our New call in number: +1 (929) 205-6099. Enter Meeting ID: 875 2479 7260.

You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Once you and your family are ready, share the picture with us by posting to Facebook #ColdSpringChurch or Instagram #coldspringchurchnj. You may want to subscribe to our weekly Connections email newsletter. Sign up here!

Worship and Message theme:

What kinds of storms do you face? Recently, Tropical Storm Isaias devastated parts of our region. Tragic explosions rocked Beirut. COVID-19 deaths and cases are rising. Storms are dangerous. We always ask God to calm the storms. There are other storms we face, too. Emotional storms. Economic storms. Spiritual storms. Storms can also look like chaos, confusion, and complexity. Though God does not calm every storm, Jesus can calm us in every storm. This week, who will you invite into your “boat” when you’re stuck in the storms you face? Find out how Jesus is ready to enter the boat of your life, your family, your community, your church, and future. It’s time to experience calm in the storm.

Music Preview:

Worship begins with a powerful hymn of praise titled Raise A Hallelujah, a song of prayer for all those affected by COVID-19. It was written by Jonathan & Melissa Helser in 2013 as they prayed for a friend’s critically ill child. Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) is a 2013 song by Australian worship group, Hillsong United that tells the story of today’s Gospel lesson. Oceans was the #1 Christian song of the last decade on the Billboard music Hot Christian Songs Chart. We close the service with a well-loved Fanny Crosby hymn written in 1872, To God Be The Glory, first Introduced at a London Crusade in 1954 by Billy Graham.

2020-08-02 Worship Online

Worship Guide (v1) for August 2, 2020

Readings August 2, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 4-7 for August 2, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 8-12 for August 2, 2020

This week is the perfect time to join in our worship online. We simplified our online service and made it even easier to participate, and viewing does not require a Facebook account! Join the video stream on Facebook Live (www.facebook.com/coldspringchurch) or, if you don’t have internet access, use our New call in number: +1 (929) 205-6099. Enter Meeting ID: 875 2479 7260.

You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Once you and your family are ready, share the picture with us by posting to Facebook #ColdSpringChurch or Instagram #coldspringchurchnj. You may want to subscribe to our weekly Connections email newsletter. Sign up here!

Worship and Message theme:

Hello.

Thank you for taking time to read this edition of Connections! You will find useful resources for Sunday’s worship online as we give thanks for God’s abundant blessings in our COVID-19 pandemic world. Our text this week recalls the only miracle of Jesus that is included in all four Gospels when a huge crowd was extravagantly fed. Does God meet your needs? Are you experiencing Jesus’ compassion? What do you have to offer Jesus for him to bless and use to feed others? Maybe you’re experiencing compassion fatigue. As God meets our needs, there’s even more God wants to do!

Music Preview:

We will enjoy new Countdown music titled Praise Is Rising. Worship begins with a traditional hymn, I Stand Amazed, How Marvelous, followed by a favorite, I Need Thee Every Hour. We return to our communion hymn, All Who Are Thirsty as we gather at the Lord’s Table. Worship Online concludes with the priestly blessing found in Numbers 6:23-27 put to music in the The Blessing. This song has been sung online simultaneously with the aim of spreading hope and encouragement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Worship Guide (v1) for July 26, 2020

Readings July 26, 2020

Notes to Share for July 26, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 4-7 for July 26, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 8-12 for July 26, 2020

This week is the perfect time to join in our worship online. We simplified our online service and made it even easier to participate, and viewing does not require a Facebook account! Join the video stream on Facebook Live (www.facebook.com/coldspringchurch) or, if you don’t have internet access, use our New call in number: +1 (929) 205-6099. Enter Meeting ID: 875 2479 7260.

You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Once you and your family are ready, share the picture with us by posting to Facebook #ColdSpringChurch or Instagram #coldspringchurchnj. You may want to subscribe to our weekly Connections email newsletter. Sign up here!

Message Preview:

Hello.

When have you felt God’s love even in the midst of a really difficult time? How was God’s love made real to you? Like archeologists of the holy, this week’s Scripture readings from Matthew 13 and Romans 8 will help us excavate our spiritual landscapes for things of worth and resources that help us re-discover God’s presence in our COVID-19 experience. 

God’s mercies are new every morning, even COVID-19 mornings. We can re-discover what is truly valuable: people, relationships, creation, beauty, mercy, truth, kindness, joy, love, faith. All things, God says, work together for the good. “That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good” (Romans 8:28). What good can possibly come from something so atrocious and painful as a world pandemic? We can re-discover that God is in the business of turning sadness to joy. We can re-discover spiritual wellness, and the intersection of faith and science. We can re-discover that church is not an indoor place but an outdoor activity of God’s people. We can re-discover Jesus’ (and our) ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing. We can re-discover the mandate of caring for others. We can re-discover home.

I hope to see you Sunday for Worship Online when we Re-Discover God’s Goodness in a COVID-19 World.

Pastor Kevin

Music Preview:

Our worship includes our weekly musical selections offered by Jayne McDonough at our grand piano and a beautiful solo by the Rev. Larry Moyer. We will also enjoy two other inspiring hymns, Graves Into Gardens, and It Is Well With My Soul (When Peace Like A River).

In March 2020, artists Brandon Lake, Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, and Tiffany Hammer of Elevation Music wrote Graves Into Gardens in response to our COVID-19 pandemic world that is causing unimaginable pain, anxiety, and fear with its spiritual, emotional, physical, financial, and social traumas. God accepts and loves us just as we are and delivers treasures of resources to discover. Let’s sing the fantastic news that God turns our graves into gardens, bones into armies, and overwhelming seas into highways of hope. Only God can do that!

Our second hymn, It Is Well With My Soul (When Peace Like A River) offers comfort when things go horribly wrong. In 1873, Horatio Spafford sent his wife and four daughters on a ship to a vacation in France, planning to join them later. Tragically, of his family, only his wife survived. Taking the next boat over, as he passed the spot where the ship went down, he began to write, “When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll,” drawing comfort and assurance from Christ in times of physical and spiritual crisis, offering us hope today. His friend Philip Bliss composed the tune that will lift our spirits.