What good is a gift that is given which we don’t choose to receive? This question relates to God’s gifts to us—in particular, to the gift of forgiveness, love, and new life. Given in grace.

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for January 30, 2022 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

We find ourselves in situations that seem to happen “before we know it”. We don’t usually think back to what might have been happening before our awareness—but when we do, we realize that things we don’t control bring about our opportunities. That is something like God bringing about the opportunity within which we then can choose one thing or another. Grace is like that more than we realize.

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for January 23, 2022 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

An article about out United Methodist celebration of Human Relations Sunday says this: “In recognizing Human Relations Day, we are called to make an impact in communities where people struggle because they don’t have the tools or resources to reach their God-given potential.”

What does that mean? What tools and resources? What is someone’s God-given potential? What impact can we make?

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for January 16, 2022 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

Baptism is celebrated in the church. Why? What does it mean? We barely scratch the surface of all that it means any time we discuss it—but one thing it means is conveyed in the sermon title, when God says “When you pass through the waters I will be with you.”

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for January 9, 2022 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

What do we look at when a light comes on? The light itself? Whatever the light makes it possible to see? How much do we allow ourselves to see—or how much do we try to see?

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for January 2, 2022 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

At Christmas we celebrate that when Jesus was born “God moved into the neighborhood.” What does that mean? How does that give a deeper meaning to Christmas, and indeed the whole year?

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for December 24, 2021 for further thoughts. We will worship at 7 PM on Christmas Eve, with candle lighting. If you’ll be worshiping online, with Facebook Live or Zoom, be certain to have a candle to light during the worship. And on Sunday, December 26, we will worship at 10 AM. You have three options to attend both on Christmas Eve and on Sunday: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

Jesus is called many things. One of them is “Prince of Peace”—and when the shepherds are invited by the angel to visit the newborn Jesus, the heavenly host proclaims glory to God and peace to those on earth. Have we known peace? What is peace? How does Jesus bring that?

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for December 19, 2021 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

Joy is something that often comes upon us in unexpected ways, at unexpected times. How can it be possible that that would happen at Christmas, when so much of the “joy” would seem to be somewhat manufactured?

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for December 12, 2021 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

Sometimes when we are getting something new, we need to clear the way for it by getting rid of something old. Is it possible that we would receive the gifts (including THE gift) of Christmas better if we clear the way for them?

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for December 5, 2021 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

The gift of God in human form at Christmas is for us—“unto us a child is born” Isaiah says. But it’s not just for me, and you—it is for the world. What does “the world” mean?

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for November 28, 2021 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

The “church year” ends, interestingly, near Thanksgiving, as the four Sundays before Christmas are the first four in the new “church year”. It’s appropriate to end the “year” with thanksgiving and rejoicing. How are the ways and what are the reasons we give thanks and rejoice?

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for November 21, 2021 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

The sermon series “Who We Are” continues with the fifth in the series on our membership vows in our church. We support our church with our witness, so this sermon is “Who We Are: Tell Your Story”—as we acknowledge that our own stories are part of God’s story.

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for November 14, 2021 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

The sermon series “Who We Are” continues with the fourth in the series on our membership vows in our church. We support our church with our service, so this sermon is “Who We Are: Own Our Church”—we take ownership of our part of the church’s ministry.

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for November 7, 2021 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

The sermon series “Who We Are” continues with the third in the series on our membership vows in our church. We support our church with our gifts, so this sermon is “Who We Are: Give Cheerfully.”

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for October 31, 2021 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

The sermon series “Who We Are” continues with the second in the series on our membership vows in our church. We support our church with our presence, so this sermon is “Who We Are: Jump In.”

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for October 24, 2021 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

The sermon series “Who We Are” continues with the first in the series on our membership vows in our church. We support our church with our prayers, so the first sermon is “Who We Are: Pray and Pray Again.”

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for October 17, 2021 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

The sermon series “Who We Are” continues with a double reminder of how we are to interact with others—first, speak the truth, and second, speak it with love. Both are possible, and it is much easier for us to hear the truth if it is spoken to us with love. And it’s much easier to speak it if we speak it with love.

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for October 10, 2021 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church—wearing a mask, tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

The sermon series “Who We Are” continues with a challenge, particularly in today’s polarized climate. Followers of Jesus are to “Assume Positive Intent”—to trust in the integrity of those we are in fellowship with, and not to assume the worst possible motives.

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for October 3, 2021 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church—wearing a mask, tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

The sermon series “Who We Are” continues with affirming that “Listening Generously”—to anyone and everyone, no matter who they are—is a key component of genuinely following Jesus.

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for September 26, 2021 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church—wearing a mask, tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce

The sermon series “Who We Are” continues with recognizing that being a part of a group who follows Jesus means being supportive of one another, and celebrating each other.

Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for September 19, 2021 for further thoughts. We worship at 10 AM this Sunday. You have three options to attend: attend in person at the church—wearing a mask, tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Bruce