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Our annual Christmas Program takes place during our Worship hour this Sunday. This year the animals get to tell their side of the story! Come for the costumes, for the bells, for the singing, and especially for the story: a baby born to be king, but born in the humblest of circumstances.  Jesus gave his followers strong encouragement to watch and wait for him to return. What does that mean for us today as we begin the season of Advent, the four Sundays that mark Jesus' coming and his return?  Jesus made bold, sweeping claims. Do you believe what he says about himself? Has he claimed you, too?  Thanksgiving and gratitude spark worship. Remembering the good things God has done in the world and for us can create authentic gratitude in us. What small and great things are you thankful for?  As we come near the end of the Gospel of Matthew, we seek Jesus betrayed, arrested, mocked, crucified, and then dead. This is the king of the Jews? This is what it looks like to reign? God’s answer is yes, but what can this mean? Join us for worship to know more, and to know Jesus better.  We all are so used to using means to achieve an end, like exercising to maintain our health, raking leaves so the lawn doesn’t die, or watching TV to fill an evening. But sometimes the means and the end coincide: having a meal with someone you love just to spend time with them. That’s what the kingdom is like. It is the means and the end.  Jesus loves people enough to warn them away from danger. He has an encounter with a young man who is seeking God-- to an extent-- and shows him the way.  Jesus spoke as if he was handing the "keys to the kingdom" to Peter. What did that mean for Peter? What does that mean for Christians?  Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9) Karen Zuckerman is our guest preacher today.  Normal people and Christians can make similar mistakes in thinking about Jesus, two mistakes in particular: Jesus was only human, or Jesus is not really human. But in the Gospel of Matthew we see two worlds overlap -- the spiritual world and the mortal world -- in the clash of two kingdoms.  |
Pastor MarkPastor Mark loves his wife and grown children, the Word of God, and words. And coffee, chocolate chip cookies, Apple products, small video projects, and the New England Patriots. 
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