Zoar

I know I’ve said this before, but I feel like it bears repeating: I don’t give nearly as much time and attention to the news media as I once did. I just can’t. And based on a number of conversations I’ve had recently, I think many of you resonate with that…. So, these days I dip into the news just enough to stay informed because it’s important to be aware of what’s happening in our community and in our world – in all the places where you and I live and work and play. One

A couple of weeks ago, I had the honor of attending a bat mitzvah for a dear friend's daughter. I always enjoy going to synagogue services even though I don't speak or understand a lick of Hebrew. But I appreciate the depth of dedication to the Torah and the intimacy of the Jewish community in that sacred space. And as I was basking in the beauty of the service and delighting in the pride of the entire community centered on that bright 13-year old girl, I wrestled with today'

Perhaps I only imagined it or maybe it showed up in one of my dreams because I've searched all over, and I've never been able to find it since.... I'm talking about a cartoon drawing I saw several years ago that shows Jesus behind a gated wall. In the cartoon, there are people standing inside the gate, alongside Jesus, and one man is scratching his head and saying to another one, "I just don't understand it. The gate is locked, so how do all these people keep getting in?" The

Luke the Evangelist tells us that the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus is a distance of seven miles, but you and I know better.... We know better, because even though most of us have never been to Jerusalem, at one time or another, we've all walked that stretch of road to Emmaus, though we probably know it by a different name— A name like Death. Depression. Divorce. Abuse. Addiction. Alzheimer's. ....You can fill in the blank!... And yet whatever name we give that road, you an

I love today's gospel. It is one of my absolute favorites. Poor Thomas. My memories of sermons related to this story centered on Thomas's failures to believe. They shame poor Thomas for his suspicions. I mean what do we normally call this story? The story of Doubting Thomas! Thomas has been labeled for millennia by his - quite rational, in my opinion - disbelief and need for reassurance. While Jesus's post-resurrection appearance is also recorded in Luke 24, there is no men

"All of life is grief...." My friend's voice was gentle, but her words jolted me. I opened my mouth to protest, but something stopped me in my tracks. I closed my mouth, pursed my lips, and nodded silently because those words had stirred up a truth somewhere deep within me. "Yes," I thought. "Life is laced with grief, AND at the same time, our grief is born of love, and so, it's all woven together with beautiful strands of love and hope and faith. That's what gives life mea

Just last week, I was at Fred Meyer with my son, Jack, loading our groceries into the car when an older man approached me in the parking lot. He said, "Did you see that guy who came up to me just now?" I filled with dread, wondering what had happened and thinking about keeping Jack safe. I said, "No, I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention." The man said, "He just walked up to me and gave me this" and reached into pocket to pull out ... a fat wad of cash. He continued, "'I...

Oftentimes on this Palm Sunday, the story about Jesus’s procession into Jerusalem is coupled with the Passion story. But today, we’re going to hang out with just the procession story because it is so rich, so meaningful, and so relevant for many of us today. It’s such a vibrant story that we read it twice! Come back for Good Friday services and we’ll experience the Passion story gospel then. Let’s set the stage for today’s gospel. Scholars generally agree that Jesus and his

During this season of Lent, our Thursday morning Bible study group has been exploring a small book that offers great insights into some of the characters on the fringes of the Palm Sunday path. The book is titled An Unlikely Lent: Extraordinary People of the Easter Story. Using the insights we've gleaned from the author, United Methodist pastor Rachel Billups, along with our own God-given gift of imagination, we've been able to step back and take a fresh look at the Palm S

I feel like the gospel of John is love wrapped in a hug wrapped in a blanket. And today's gospel blanket is equal parts warm and fuzzy and uncomfortable and scratchy. Now our synoptic gospel writers Mark, Matthew, and Luke, tell the intimately familiar Last Supper story of Jesus breaking bread and sharing wine and saying the words we hear each time we come to the communion rail. Fun fact: Mark's and Matthew's Jesus says "Take; this is my body." (Matt. 26: 26, Mark 14: 22) whi

I wonder: Who else besides me is struck by how eerily on point today's gospel reading is? {Show of hands, if that was your reaction as you listened... ] In this passage from Matthew 24, Jesus tells his disciples, "You will hear of wars and rumors of war," and before Jesus even finishes his thought, our finite human brains are already off to the races, thinking, "Whoa! The Middle East and much of the rest of the world are under fire and on fire.... Does that mean we're living

Today's gospel is the story companion to Jesus's riddled question that stumped his enemies in Mark Chapter 11. The chapter just before today's gospel is Mark's version of the Palm Sunday text that we heard last week. And then after riding through the streets on a colt, Jesus goes to the temple and what does he do? That's right, he overturns the tables of the moneychangers and says, '""Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'?" But you

Confession #1: It's kind of a tough call, but 'Lent just might be my favorite season of the church year. Over the years, I've enjoyed the Lenten focus on spiritual practice and self-reflection because it reminds me to slow down - at least a little bit!... So, I'm curious: Does anyone else have a particular fondness for the season of Lent? [Show of hands, if you do!...] Yeah, so some of us appreciate the gifts of Lent. BUT at the very same time, I'm aware that some of us also

One Sunday morning, a long time ago, I sat quietly on the wooden pew, wedged between my dad and my stepmother, staring down at my little legs dangling several inches above the floor. My dad had just retrieved me from Sunday School, where the teacher had asked our class whether we knew what the word "reverent" meant. When we responded by shaking our heads "no," she informed us that "reverent" means "quiet" and "respectful" in God's house. Then she asked the class another quest

The first time I met God face-to- face was when I was struck by lightning. I was about 19 or 20 years old and pumping gas for boats at a marina on Lake Erie in Ohio. My college didn’t start school until later in the summer than everyone else, which meant that I was often working alone on the dock and there weren’t as many boaters out that time of year. The dock was a rectangle with gas pumps on three sides where boats could pull up with a small shack in the middle that housed

Pastor Joshua Stager was invited to share a message with the congregation while Pastor Michelle enjoyed some vacation time. There are no written notes for the sermon, but you are welcome to listen to his message from our YouTube channel { CLICK HERE } beginning at 37 minutes 30 seconds or just enjoy the entire worship service. "I Have Come Not to Abolish but to Fulfill"

If you were in worship last week, you may recall that after John the Baptist has been arrested, Jesus, who's been divinely commissioned and spiritually prepared to manifest God's saving presence, takes up his cousin's prophetic mantel. Matthew the Evangelist tells us, "From that time on, Jesus began to proclaim, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near "' Again, if you were here last week, you may also remember my saying that the word "repent" essentially means "pay a

Ash Wednesday Prayer February 18, 12 pm In preparation for our Lenten journey, we will gather in the Kindness Room for a short noon-time service of prayer with Scripture readings, a reflection by Pastor Michelle, and the imposition of ashes, which remind us of our mortality and our dependence on God’s care. Holy Communion will be celebrated. Ash Wednesday Worship February 18, 7 pm We will gather in the sanctuary to receive ashes as a reminder of our mortality and our

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany, January 25, 2026 Isaiah 9:1-4 and Matthew 4:12-25

Second Sunday after Epiphany, January 18, 2026