Chrissy and Steve open their podcast series talking about Joan Chittister’s book Scarred by Struggle, Transformed by Hope.

This morning we gather once again from our homes to worship God who is with us wherever we are. Our theme for worship today is the struggle of exhaustion, and so we are considering all the ways that we are being sustained, even in the midst of struggle. Some of you submitted pictures representing the people and the things … Continued

As we are all getting used to new rhythms of life in this season of Coronavirus, I imagine that many of you are growing fond of having the ability to worship in your living rooms, wearing bathrobes, exercise clothes, and pajamas… Others are longing for the return of in-person gatherings and dressing up in our … Continued

On this fourth Sunday in the season of resurrection, we read from the book of Genesis, the story of Jacob wrestling a stranger all throughout the night. It seems appropriate that we read this story of struggle-born hope as we, too, are in the midst of struggle. Some of our struggles are longstanding and some are brought on by social distancing, isolation, and threat of the new Coronavirus. Either way, perhaps today we might fight some hope in the midst of struggle.

Today we place ourselves on the road to Emmaus with two of Jesus’ disciples who are heart-broken and stricken with grief over the events that have taken place in Jerusalem. As they walk the road, a stranger meets them and transforms despair into hope!

I wonder if we might need a little hope in the midst of our own despair? If so, let us worship God this day asking for hope, and opening our hearts to God so that we might see and recognize the resurrected Christ in our midst.

Christ is Risen! Let us worship together this day as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus the Christ and as we consider what resurrection means for our lives. The apostle Paul writes, “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is…” Later, in that same chapter, he writes that … Continued

There has been a lot of talk about resurrection this week. From resurrecting the economy to resurrecting our churches to resurrecting life as we knew it before the Coronavirus changed everything. Liturgically speaking, it is still a little early for resurrection. While we all want to rush over to the empty tomb NOW… there might be a lesson for us in the waiting. Yes, it will require us to face our fear of death in more ways that we ever imagined (death of financial stability, death of certainty, death of our old lifestyles, etc.).

Any kind of death is scary, but there is hope to be found in the book of Ezekiel as God takes the prophet and sets him down in the middle of a valley of dry bones, asking the question: Can these bones live? Join us online in worship this day as we listen for a word of hope from the prophet Ezekiel.

Sometimes change is a good thing. Sometimes change is easy to accept. Sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes our social, political, and financial capital can protect us and shield us from feeling the brunt of tremendous change; and sometimes all we can do is sit back and watch everything around us turn into something totally new.

Even as we are in the midst of all kinds of change (some known and some still unknown), we can know that God, who made us, who knows our name and who sees our struggle, is always working to make us whole… even if it means we need to be born again.

Join us online in worship this day as we listen for a word of hope, deep from the heart of God.

gather to worship, joined by Christians around the world who are discovering what it means to be the people God outside of the sanctuary. With a reading from Exodus 17, we ask God to come into our driest deserts and offer us some hope-filled water. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us…