Welcome to July! What an exciting month for our country (July 4th), and our church. I say this because we are here! We continue to worship, and we continue to support Our Churches Wider Mission (OCWM) as well as our community! I love Sunday morning! My greatest joy is worshipping with you all. As I […]
Category: Pastor’s Corner
From the Pastor’s Desk
The meaning of Easter – What does it mean to you? My hope…my prayer…is that everyone received from Lent the preparation to celebrate he Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; worship, fasting […]
From the Pastor’s Desk
Worry “It is distrust of God to be troubled about what is to come; impatience against God to be troubled with what is present; and anger at God to be troubled for what is past.” (Simon Patrick 1625–1707) There is an organization established by a professor of psychology to study the whole question of […]
From the Pastor’s Desk
Fear is an interesting human emotion. Many intentionally seek out haunted houses and scary movies for the exhilaration and intensity of this emotion. Beyond the entertainment value, it seems we live in a culture dominated by fear. The news cycle maintains its constant appeal mostly through generating feelings of anger and angst. Our political landscape […]
From the Pastor’s Desk
To my friends and family at Emmanuel UCC, Happy Easter! Yes, we will continue to celebrate the risen Christ the rest of this liturgical year. We have come a long way. I say this because last year we celebrated Easter Sunday remotely. Now, April 4th saw our Easter celebration face-to-face as our togetherness is Jesus’ […]
From the Pastor’s Desk
WHAT DOES JESUS’ DEATH HAVE TO DO WITH EASTER? ☑ Bunny suit ☑ Basket of candy ☑ Egg hunt ☑ Elegant dress or fancy suit ☑ Reservations at favorite brunch spot Sounds like Easter, doesn’t it? But while all these traditions might be fun, do they really tell us what Easter is all about? Is […]
From the Pastor’s Desk
Some of us never tire from singing Christmas hymns and carols! One of my favorite is “The First Noel,” a traditional English Carol. Not only does it tell the whole manger story, it also gives us the essence of the promised Messiah coming to earth in the form of the baby. This is truly the […]
From the Pastor’s Desk
Why Go To Church? You may want to share this month’s letter from the Pastor with friends, family members, or strangers. That is because I am answering a question that many have asked. The question is “Do you think it’s important to go to church regularly?” I get a lot of religious questions asked of […]
From the Pastor’s Desk
Yes, I did look this up:! Here are ten bad things to happen in the US this year, in chronological order. 1. January: Over 100 troops are diagnosed with brain injuries; 2. January: Death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others; 3. February-June: Wildfires in California; 4. March-April: Tornadoes in the South: 5. May: […]
From the Pastor’s Desk
I would imagine that everyone is thrilled at finally being together bodily and holding religious service in our sanctuary on Sunday, May 31, 2020. It has been a long road of precaution and decision making for our community, our nation and the world. And that particular Sunday was Pentecost Sunday where we celebrate the birth […]