A Blessing for Letting Go of the Things that Shine
Blessed are we, when the heart shudders to ask, is it me, Lord? Am I one who has chosen to follow a proxy? What does my life point to? When I look at the decisions I make and the ways I spend my time and my money, what is it that I love? What does the evidence tell me about the cause that I care for the most?
As we here at McKnight pray and plan in our coming back from the pandemic, it’s important that we think about what the church is. As we go on together we have a chance to do some thinking about why we are doing what we are doing, so that we can focus our efforts, and sometimes our budget, more intentionally and more effectively.
Rebecca has been appointed to serve as McKnight's new pastor beginning on July 1, 2022. Please join us as we welcome her to our church family!
About Rebecca Konegen
Rebecca was born in Rome, N.Y., and lived in Massachusetts, North Dakota and New York while her father served in the Air Force, before settling in Santa Clara, California her senior year of high school.
Her undergraduate degree is from DePauw University, in Greencastle, Indiana. Afterwards, at the University of California, Riverside, she completed an M.A in English Literature, with a focus in Medieval and Renaissance Literature.
When her husband's job transferred the family to Pittsburgh, she planned to finish her Ph.D. but wasn't able to find a similar program locally. Continue to the to read her complete bio on the link below.
The guest speaker at McKnight for June 26 will be Mr. Matthew Grubbs. Details of Matt’s upcoming new ministry opportunity can be found when you follow the link below.
Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for June 26, 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 is optional), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.
The guest speaker at McKnight for June 19 will be Ms. Katie Peterson, Director of the Eastbrook Mission Barn. A brief biography can be found when you follow the link below.
Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for June 19, 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 is optional), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.
The guest speaker at McKnight for June 12 will be Mr. Matthew Grubbs. A brief biography can be found when you follow the link below.
Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for June 12, 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 is optional), tune in on Facebook Live, or connect on Zoom with your phone, computer, tablet, or whatever other device works for online connecting.
I have a book called “Life is Goodbye, Life is Hello”. It is a book about grieving, as life offers us many opportunities to grieve. But it affirms the importance of acknowledging and engaging those times when transitions of whatever kind happen. I guess we’re at one of those transitions. We’ll be saying goodbye, and there will be, both for me and for you, new hellos coming.
Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for June 5, 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 is optional), 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
sus has advice for us about how we should live. It applies to how we should respond to the recent mass shootings.
Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for May 29, 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 is optional), 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
Imagine what could happen if we didn’t get all caught up in who should get the credit for it.
Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for May 22, 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 is optional), 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 welcome Jeff Miller to the pulpit at McKnight UMC.
Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for May 15, 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 is optional), 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
“A change would do you good” Sheryl Crow sang in a song that came out 11 years ago. Is that always true? It seems that we’re not always all that happy about change. Where is God when change happens?
Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for May 8, 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 is optional), 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
It seems like there is plenty to be anxious about in our world today. There is much to worry about. But hasn’t this always been true? And doesn’t the Bible have something to say to us about that?
Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for May 1, 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 is optional), 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 Rev Dr. Steven Tuell will be the guest preacher Sunday, April 24. Having recently retired from the faculty of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Steve hold the title of James A. Kelso Professor Emeritus of Hebrew and Old Testament. His sermon will be “Comedy Is Hard” from John 20:19-31 and Psalm 150.
Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for April 24, 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 is optional), 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
As Holy Week goes on, it seems like the powerful are going to crush the hopes and dreams of Jesus and his disciples. Their expectations will be dashed. But in those expectations not being met, new ones that are better emerge. They emerge for us, too, as we let go of how we want it to be.
Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for Holy Week April 10-17, 2022 for further thoughts. We worship at 7 PM on Maundy Thursday and 7 PM on Good Friday. Easter Sunday worship will be at 10 AM. You have three options to attend all three of these worship gatherings: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask is optional), 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
Holy Week—the commemoration of the last week of Jesus’ life before his crucifixion—begins with Palm/Passion Sunday, Jesus’ “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem where the crowds proclaim him King. And then it doesn’t quite pan out the way the people expected it to.
Yet it was still triumphal. How so, if it turns out so badly? Do we have triumphs in our own lives that don’t really look like it?
Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for Holy Week April 10-17, 2022 for further thoughts. We worship at 7 PM on Maundy Thursday and 7 PM on Good Friday. Easter Sunday worship will be at 10 AM. You have three options to attend all three of these worship gatherings: attend in person at the church (wearing a mask is optional), 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
“Church”. Chances are we have two thoughts when we hear that word. The first is a building, and the second is what happens in that building. In the second case, “church” calls to mind Sunday morning when people gather for worship.
Why has that Sunday morning worship service it been the focal point of church life for centuries? Why does worship matter?
Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for April 3, 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 is optional), 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
Some things in life we do by ourselves. Other things we do with others. Engaging with the Bible ought to involve both. Why? What is the difference?
Follow this link to the Pastor’s Ponderings for March 27, 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 is optional), 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