March 16, 2014 Psalm 121 Genesis 12: 1-4a Romans 4: 1-5, 13-17 Charissa C. Howe Close your eyes for a moment and think about a time you felt close to God. A time you knew that God was in control and that you felt fully reliant on God’s grace and love. Perhaps it was when you first heard the good news of the Gospel. Perhaps it was when you started an exciting new job.…
March 9, 2014 1st Sunday in Lent Romans 5: 12-19 Matthew 4: 1-11 Rev. Catherine Purves Do you ever get the feeling that the world is teetering precariously and could easily tip into war, financial ruin, or environmental disaster? Is the situation in the Ukraine not frightening? Will we ever feel secure in our health care? Is ‘fracking’ the answer to our energy needs or a dangerous threat to the environment? What will…
Ash Wednesday March 5, 2014 Psalm 51 Rev. Catherine Purves Psalms are kind of like poems, poetic prayers or hymns. I read at least two Psalms every day as part of my morning prayers. I read them, and I try to be attentive to what I’m reading, but sometimes, I hate to confess, they don’t stick. Afterwards I can’t even remember what I’ve read. They are words without a context, abstract phrases describing…
March 2, 2014 Transfiguration 2 Peter 1: 16-21 Matthew 17: 1-9 Rev. Catherine Purves When my kids were small and I was a stay-at-home mom, I confess that I would often sit with them while they watched children’s programs on television. I was happy enough to postpone doing a load of wash or starting dinner. I wasn’t so tempted to snuggle up on the couch with them to see the umpteenth rerun of…
February 23, 2014 Leviticus 19: 1-2, 9-18 1 Corinthians 3: 10-11, 16-17 Rev. Catherine Purves “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” That is what God directed Moses to say to the people of Israel. “You shall be holy.” If you think of someone being holy, what do you envision? Is it a pious looking person with hands clasped in prayer adorned with a halo? Is it someone…