Pastor Norm Arnold, from the Living Stones Prison Congregation in Shelton, spoke of being Blessed with hearing many different stories in his ministry. In today’s gospel reading, Mark 7:24-37, Jesus wants to get away from the crowds yet people, some non Jews, still seek Him out. Jesus doesn’t care what society thinks of us because…
Tomorrow, Sunday, September 6th, during Children’s Time at our 10:00am worship, there will be a special “Back to School” blessing. Students of all ages, teachers, and school staff are invited to bring their backpacks or school bags for a blessing on the new school year!
This was the 13th Sunday after Pentecost and John 6:56-69 tells us the rest of the story of those who did not understand Jesus’s invitation to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Pastor Eric compared today’s gospel to Paul Harvey’s radio comments always having many parts to them and in today’s text, there is…
In Mark 6:1-13, Jesus calls his twelve disciples and starts to send them out, two by two, with nothing but the clothes on their body, the sandals on their feet and a staff because God’s Grace will take care of them. Pastor Eric spoke of how God’s Love comes down on us abundantly. God’s Love…
In today’s Gospel Lesson (Mark 4: 21-45), Jesus healed a hemmorhaging woman and Jairus’ daughter. For the sermon, Pastor Beth wrote a dramatic reading which was shared by two women in the congregation–Amy B. and Joyce B. In Pastor Beth’s creative interpretation of these stories, we dig a little deeper and see how, although life…
Mark 4:26-34 is the mustard seed parable gospel. Pastor Beth pointed out that we hear hopeful images in all our readings today. She spoke of the Redwood trees in California that have a shallow root system but the roots spread out widely and intermingle with other Redwood tree roots to support each other. We need…
The celebration at St. Mark on this fiftieth day of Easter, Pentecost Sunday, was four fold: Pentecost and the church was ablaze with the color red acknowledging God’s Holy Spirit that is sent to all people baptized in His name, the Confirmation of Drew and Nick, recognizing the high school graduation of Grace, and reaffirming St Mark’s love…
Pizza with Jesus is the new (and improved?) name for Thursday Church. It really captures what we do on Thursdays at 6:00pm in the parish hall: We gather in a come-as-you-are kind of way (informality is normal here) and pray for the food that is prepared, which is, in fact, usually pizza. We remember our…
Today’s gospel reading, John 17:6-19, speaks of Jesus asking his Father in heaven to sanctify in truth and bring joy to His followers and Pastor Eric talked of the meaning of joy and being sanctified in truth. Pastor compared not noticing what happens within our Synod with not noticing the Rhododendrons in his yard until they burst into bloom.…
In a vineyard, grapevines are drastically pruned to preserve energy and concentrate the nutrients in order to yield a crop of grapes that is up to its fullest potential. The best grapes grow closest to the vine. Jesus says that he is the vine. God is the vine grower and we are the branches. …