On Pentecost we celebrate the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, who takes our groans (including our sighs, cries, prayers, and swears) and transforms them into signs of grace. It takes time, not unlike the birth of anything new. It takes patience and hope to see what is unfolding. But the Spirit can transform our […]
After Jesus ascended into heaven, his followers had to figure out what to do next. They prayed, planned, gathered, and chose a new leader to take Judas’ place by flipping a coin. Little did they know what the Holy Spirit—about to enter the scene—would do next by choosing the unchosen. This worship service includes a […]
God is love. Simple as that. But the meaning of that statement is far more profound. Love is tenderness; love is justice; love transcends our human limitations; love changes the world. Love is part of our unique stamp as those who bear the image of God; we love because God first loved us, and Jesus […]
In the Great French Wine Blight of the mid-1800s (a real thing), grafting French vines into American rootstock saved the wine industry and made vines around the world healthier and hardier. Jesus tells a story where he is the vine, we are the branches, and God is the vinegrower, but what Jesus forgets to mention […]
Good Shepherd Sunday often conjures up peaceful images of fluffy white sheep frolicking in green pastures without a care in the world, as their kind and loving shepherd keeps watch. Real life is not so idyllic. There are thieves and wolves who seek to do harm and hired hands who are only in it for […]
In the middle of grief and trauma, it’s the little things that we remember. When Jesus appeared to his disciples later on the day of his resurrection, they were still in shock from his death and struggling to believe he was alive. While he does explain everything to them, first he greets them in small, […]
Alleluia! Christ is risen! We celebrate Easter after a year when we need to hear about resurrection more than ever. We don’t like to admit that it’s been a fearful time. But the women were also filled with fear when they went to anoint Jesus’ body and found that he was missing—and terrified when they […]
In this worship service we hear the entirety of the Passion of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to the gospel of John, beginning with 18:1 and concluding with 19:42. We travel to a variety of locations in the Oneida-Rome area, chosen to resonate with the different human elements of the story, and respond […]
On the night before Jesus’ crucifixion and death, he ate a final meal with his disciples, washed their feet, and gave them a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you. That love is much more than human affection; it is both the overarching principle and the deep foundation that guides and defines […]
Are you feeling a bit undone these days? Hopeful in one breath and cautious in the next, unsure of where to land right now? You are in good company. On Palm Sunday, we hear that Jesus comes for people that are conflicted, people shouting “Hosanna!” in one breath and “Crucify him!” in the next. He […]