Do I Not Fill Heaven and Earth?
This Friday, of course, marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. It was a day that changed our world, our nation, and our immediate area forever. For some of you, it changed your lives personally in ways that I can’t even begin to imagine. You may have lost family members, friends, or neighbors on that horrific day. I know that some of you lost people who, in amazing acts of self-giving love, courageously rushed in to the towers
A New Prayer for a New School Year
A blog by Next Generation Pastor, Rebecca DeLucia. It is hard to believe I am already writing this back-to-school blog. Summer has flown by, with what feels like the most rain I can remember in the first half, making the second half the busiest one yet as we tried to squeeze every possible moment of precious, sunshine-filled time into our days. But here is the thing; we don’t have to stop cherishing those moments with our kids just because school starts.
A Chilling Reading
I didn't get a chance to get this week's weekly email to you this morning because I was traveling, but I figure it's better late than never
The Transfiguration
In yesterday’s bible reading, we read Matthew 17 – which has the story of the Transfiguration. If you’re not familiar with it, I encourage you to take a few minutes and read the story. It’s always been a story that is a bit (or a lot) puzzling. Here’s the rough gist: Jesus and some guys go up a mountain, he’s ‘transfigured’ (whatever the heck that means – besides the fact that he’s glowing and shining!), a couple of dead guys appear to Jesus (ghosts? spirits? bodies?
Beside the Sea
Today’s bible reading, Matthew 13, begins in a way that *kind of* reminds me of what we do at the gazebo on Sunday mornings in the summer: 1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. I put “kind of” in asterisks because, a) I’m most definitely NOT Jesus, b) we had a good crowd
Authority & Allegiance
By Rebecca DeLucia, Next Generation Pastor Today’s Bible reading, Matthew 8, reads more like a comic book than a passage of Scripture. Miracle after miraculous miracle unfolds before us, each one building to one epic conclusion: the authority of Jesus. His authority extends to and supersedes disease, distance, downpour, and demons
Pray For…
This Sunday is our final Sunday before we venture outside for the summer gazebo services (it’s also our Mid-Year Business Meeting!). I’ll be doing a sort of one-off sermon on our role as the church in the world, to prep us and hopefully inspire us for our gazebo services. I love our time at the gazebo, because it gives us a chance to take the church outside, and into the world. It gives us a chance to be more of a
With My Own Two Eyes
My family and I just had the absolute gift of travelling to Italy for 9 days to attend a wedding, and while we were there, we saw as much of the magnificent country as we could. It was an unbelievable trip. We had never been across the Atlantic, so on many levels, it was simply amazing. I am so grateful for the trip. We saw a lot when we were there (Rome, Tuscany, Florence, Pisa, Venice, Cinque Terre), but the thing that kept
Boats, Booths, Banquets
A guest blog by Next Gen Pastor, Rebecca DeLucia This past Sunday we looked together at Luke 5:1-11 in which Jesus calls Simon Peter alongside James and John; his co-workers who also left behind that miraculous catch to follow Jesus. Last Wednesday evening during our first Central Youth Bible Discussion of the summer we looked just a few verses later at Luke 5:27-32 in which Jesus calls Levi. At first glance, the two stories feel very different. Peter, James, and John are
A Month & a Day Away
Tomorrow marks one month from our first gazebo service. I’m really looking forward to it this year, as I’m excited about what I’ll be sharing. It’ll be a series called “Off the Map” about finding Jesus in unexpected places, and it’ll be geared towards all of those people who think that God has written them off. We all know people like that…he people who think lightning would strike the church building if they ever walked in…the ones who, deep in