Worship Services

June 2 -Second Sunday after Pentecost

God is full of surprises. Samuel is surprised to find himself called at such a young age. The psalmist is surprised to be known so completely and to be so fearfully and wonderfully made. The epistle writer is surprised that the power to shine God’s light resides within us. And Jesus is surprised that the gift of the Sabbath is used as a weapon against God’s own people. May we continue to be surprised, and may we use this surprise to continue God’s work in the world.”

June 9- Third Sunday after Pentecost

How do we build something that will endure? Do we put our trust in human families, in human ingenuity and cleverness, or do we put our faith in God? God came to the boy Samuel, pronouncing judgment against the house of Eli because his sons had blasphemed against the Lord. In today’s reading, the elders of Israel ask Samuel to appoint a king to govern them since Samuel is old and his own sons do not follow the ways of the Lord. Yet, God yearned to be Israel’s only ruler and King. Jesus’ mother and siblings seek to reign in his ministry, but Jesus has a larger vision and defines family as those who do the will of God. Paul reminds the church in Corinth that while our earthly bodies age and decline, our spiritual temple is being renewed daily and will last into eternity. God calls us to build things that truly last, to look beyond simple biology to find our true families, and to look beyond the outward nature of things to see God’s renewal of our inner nature.

June 16: Fourth Sunday after Pentecost; Father’s Day

Today’s scriptures invite us to observe the work of our Covenant God—the One who sees the king inside the child David, the greatest of all the shrubs inside the smallest of seeds, and the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. The Gospel reading reminds us that the mystery of growth and transformation unfolds over time. Paul reminds us that death makes way for the birth of God’s new creation for all who live for Christ. When we experience trouble along the way, the shepherd-boy-turned-king, David, invites us to place our trust in God.

June 23: Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus uses the command: “Peace! Be still” (4:39 RSV). Whether we have anxious hearts, tumultuous situations in our families, adversaries that seem to be set against us, tests of our endurance, or responsibilities to care for our neighbors, peace is craved by all.

June 30: Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Where do we turn in times of trial? The psalmist invites us to wait for the Lord, more than those who wait for the morning, for God is faithful and true. In Mark’s Gospel, both the leader of the synagogue and the woman with the issue of blood turn to Jesus for healing. And since the Christian Community is the body of Christ, Paul invites us to turn to one another in our need. When others turn to us, Paul urges us to respond with love and generosity. The reading from 2 Samuel does not fit this theme but does depict a beautiful response to the death of a loved one.