John 6:24-35 The people in this morning’s passage seeking Jesus were the peasant class of Galilee. Perhaps their life was best described thousands of years later by Annie in “It’s The Hard Knock Life”. It's the hard-knock life for us It's the hard-knock life for us 'Stead of treated  We get tricked 'Stead of kisses  We get kicked It's the hard-knock life Perhaps it would be a similar life to West Virginia coal miners or day laborer farmworkers. Getting more than a few days’ worth of food was beyond conceiving and so one can appreciate the passion with wish they sought Jesus; the man who could literally multiply bread. Pearl S. Buck wrote, “ A hungry man can’t see right or wrong. He just sees food.”  They were understandably impressed by Jesus, so much so they tried to make Him a king, (Wouldn’t you rather have Him as king!) so, they combed the countryside chasing after Him. But Jesus, the man with such incredible compassion that Mark uses a word to describe His emotions upon seeing needy crowds,  splangdizomai , which means to have your guts torn apart; because it literally caused Him pain to see people suffer would not respond gently. His love for them was even greater than His compassion.   When they finally find Him, He chastises them. He tells them that they seek Him out for the wrong reasons. It’s like that parable. If you give a child a fish, you feed her for a day. If you teach her how to fish, you feed her for life. Only in this case Jesus was teaching them not how to find food for the body. As important as feeding a hungry stomach is feeding a hungry soul is even more so. As Catholic priest Joseph Donders said,  “They wanted that which would give them the means to continue life as they had been living it for years, a handicapped life. A life that we all know too well.” Arthur John Gossip, a New Testament scholar and one-time professor at the University of Glasgow had this penetrating insight: People are hugely interested in the byproducts of Christianity, but hardly at all in Christianity itself. If [Jesus] ... will give us loaves and fishes, better houses, shorter hours, bigger wages, gadgets to lessen work and add to our leisure these are real things well worth the having, and we will follow him for them. But who wants his spiritual gifts? What would we do with them? What difference would they make?  Clearly Jesus thought they made a world of difference, so He implored them  “Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life.”  Jesus showed the crowd that He loved them too much to allow them to be satisfied with filling their stomachs for a few hours.   …more important than the bread He multiplied was the compassion He had for the lost,  …more important than the water He turned into wine was His teachings about love  …more important than healing people’s infirmities was the gift of forgiveness He offered.   Trusting in the spiritual which we cannot see or touch is hard. We want to see it; we want to taste it; we want to experience it; before we’re going to trust it. And when we finally do, it’s like that pearl of great price, the man sells everything he has in order to obtain it.   But the tricky thing in life is to not mistake a lesser pearl for the real thing. Carl Jung saw this clearly in his many years as a therapist: During the past thirty years, people from all the civilized countries of the earth have consulted me. ... Among all my patients in the second half of life that is to say, over thirty five there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook on life. (Modern Man in Search of a Soul) This is what Jesus was trying to teach that crowd. To see beyond their immediate needs and to hunger not only for bread but food that endures. A religious outlook on life in the end is one that it’s not so much about believing certain things it is about a sense of purpose and a sense of beauty that goes beyond each one of our immediate needs of shelter and food. I was 10 years old when I first remember learning something of what it is to give of yourself and to risk everything for this pearl of great price. Only in my case it wasn’t a pearl it was a tree, a really big tree. My father was driving my brothers and I from Los Angeles to Kings Canyon National Park, to see a sequoia. I believed this tree existed but simply couldn’t see the point in driving ten hours to see it. After a while my dad and brothers, tired of my whining, offered me some cough syrup to put me out of their misery! But finally! When I stood at the base of that sequoia tree I no longer simply believed in its existence. I stood in gleeful amazement with my knees shaking and heart pounding as my eyes soaked in its monstrous, mammoth, monumental, and mountainous awesomeness. I think if Jesus had seen this tree, He wouldn’t have talked about a pearl of great price but rather a tree of ancient majesty. As we gazed in wonder, we noticed a plaque by the tree telling about the importance of fire. I had always thought that fire was bad for trees, and it is, but sequoia’s actually need fire to germinate. As we looked around there was another plaque telling the story of fire fighter, Charlie Castro of the Mono Paiute and Miwuk tribes. There was a picture of Charlie with a rope between two of these mammoth trees. In 1967 a raging fire had taken hold of this incredible tree; they called Charlie in from another fire in Montana and he arrived by helicopter. Charlie Castro … gaz[ed] down into the heart of the tree, a[nd saw a] hollowed-out cavity alive with raging red flame… [a few minutes later] Castro stood at the base of the burning sequoia, preparing to hoist himself up to the flames. Helicopters had been deployed to extinguish the fire in the California Tree – but to no avail. Local media reported that even after 13 separate drops, amounting to tons of water, the flames continued to roar in the tree’s canopy and core. Around 9am, it was time to start the climb. Castro knew better than to begin from a sequoia’s base, though. Their trunks were too broad, their bark too spongy, and their lower sections were generally bare of any branches. So Castro turned to a nearby fir tree instead. Equipped with little more than some drinking water, a radio and his climbing equipment, Castro started to ball some rope into what he calls a “monkey fist”: a knot with enough weight to sling over the fir tree’s branches. That allowed him to lift himself into the fir tree, gaining a height of about 170ft – just tall enough for Castro to send another rope into the lofty branches of the [burning] sequoia.  [It took Charlie several hours to make this climb the tree but finally,] With cables and rope, he pulled fire hoses directly into the tree’s canopy, directing the nozzles where others couldn’t reach. When firefighters on the ground turned the water on full blast, Castro could feel the ropes tighten under the strain. He warned the onlookers below to step back. As water surged into the flame-filled cavity, one of the knots on the trunk looked ready to burst. “I hollered at them, ‘Get out!’” Castro recalls. A jet of water and flame and debris suddenly exploded from the trunk. “It pushed that great knot out of the trunk of the tree, blew it on down to the ground.” Castro was soaking wet by the time he set foot on solid land around 9.30 that night, more than 12 hours later. But the flames had been defeated. The chief ranger on site handed Castro a beer. Castro quickly downed it and proceeded to drink another. Right then and there, he took a vow: “I’m not going to ever climb this tree again.” The tree miraculously survived. So did the grove. And the name Castro would become inextricably linked with their legacy... ( The Guardian, September 2023 )  The ranger told us most of this story and near the end of the tale, a somewhat short, average looking man was walking by, and the Ranger pointed him out and said that’s Charlie Castro. The tale that we had just heard was powerful but then meeting the man himself left an indelible mark right here. Oh, it’s a hard knock life for so many people in this world and the heroes are the ones who risk their own lives to bring beauty and hope to others. Jesus knew that stories and tales and even bread and water are no substitute to meeting the people of God whose bravery and courage and grit help you to see what truly is valuable in life. On that day I learned about the ancient beauty of an amazing tree but even more what a person can do when they find that pearl of great price and risk their life to protect it. Charlie is a hero; he climbed into a fire and saved a tree. Jesus is our Lord, for he climbed a cross and saved us all.

Registration is now open for the 2024-25 Youth Choir season! Led by Julianna Grabowski, the Youth Choirs offer advanced musical training and extraordinary leadership opportunities for children. They sing in worship on Sundays as well as signature Brick events such as the Park Avenue Tree Lighting. Rehearsals are on Wednesday afternoons. Cherub Choir (Preschool to Kindergarten) *Must be 4 by November 1st. Wednesdays, 3:00-3:30 PM Carol Choir (Grades 1st – 3rd) Wednesdays, 3:40-4:20 PM St. Cecilia Choir (Grades 4th – 8th) Wednesdays, 4:30-5:30 PM

Registration is now open for Fall Musical Theater classes! Featuring artists from Brick Church Community Theater, these performing arts classes will help students increase their confidence, build self-esteem, and explore self-expression in a supportive environment. Click here to view photos from Cinderella and here for a look behind the scenes!

Confirmation is a year-long opportunity for students (typically 8th Graders) to spend time with their peers, discuss the Christian faith, and get more involved in the Brick Church community. At the end of the year, students may choose to join The Brick Church as an active member. Confirmation Class meets Sundays at 9:00 AM beginning on Sunday, September 29th in the Carnegie Room (3rd Floor). We ask parents to join us for the first 30-45 minutes on that first day of class while we go over the calendar, logistics, and answer any questions. We are extremely excited for the year ahead and can’t wait to get to know your students better. For more information, please email  ivillatoro@brickchurch.org .  Confirmation Class Schedule Carnegie Room | 9:00 - 10:30 9/29/24 10/6/24 10/20/24 10/27/24 11/3/24 11/10/24 11/17/24 11/24/24 1/12/25 1/26/25 2/2/25 2/9/25 2/23/25 3/2/25 3/9/25 4/6/25 4/13/25 5/4/25

Join us for a lighter version of Sunday School: Bible games, snacks and fellowship each Sunday morning during worship! Ages 3 through 1st grade will go to Y South and 2nd grade and up will join their teachers in the Garden after the children’s sermon. Childcare will be available in the Nursery for ages 0-2 with the Babysitters Guild.

The 2023-2024 program year was filled with beautiful worship, inspiring music, generous outreach, fun fellowship, vital children's and youth ministries, and a new initiative—a spring musical! Click here to view photos from the 2023-2024 program year. Click here to view photos from Cinderella and here for a look behind the scenes!

Mark 6:14-29 Though this passage is found in the gospel of Mark, it has virtually nothing to do with Jesus. There is an aspect of the story that fulfills prophecy, but it is an overly long discourse that only mildly supports a rather esoteric prophecy concerning the Messiah. Though it is about the death of John the Baptist it is not about him either.  In fact, it is one of the few stories in the New Testament that has a parallel in other ancient literature. The Jewish historian, Josephus, who lived not too terribly long after Jesus, chronicled a great deal of the history of the Jewish people at this time. And he has several stories about Herod, the villain of our story, one of which is about this murder of John the Baptist. It appears Mark inserted this story to offer us some historical grounding…and perhaps because it is a juicy tale worthy of a  National Inquirer  front-page story. It is a tale filled with Shakespearean-like drama in which the petty, jealous, and prideful actions of a king leads to his downfall. Though that’s not obvious from this passage we actually only know about his fate from Josephus. Herod’s first marriage was to the Nabatean Princess, Phasaelis. Nabatea was a neighboring Kingdom that most famously built Petra, those façade homes carved from rock in modern Jordan. They were a rising power and, fearing their military might, Herod solidified the peace through this marriage. However, Herod was famously inept and prideful and divorced her; married his brother’s wife, Herodias. John the Baptist called him out before his subjects for violating Israelite law. Unsurprisingly, Herodias took offense and wanted John dead. This story discloses fundamental flaws of our humanity: vanity, jealousy and hunger for power. When we contrast Herod’s actions with Jesus’ we learn a tremendous amount for following a path that will allow us to thrive and succeed even in a famously challenging city like New York.  Many of us have the same temptations as Herod and all of us have fallen into the same traps, albeit with less significant consequences for others, but no less dramatic ones for our own lives. In our passage Herod fails in the very first action – he throws a banquet and invites the leaders of Galilee. A perfectly normal act in his time and in ours.  But it’s Harrod’s motivation to appear as a person of power and importance in order to curry favor that turns the dinner into a disaster.  The road to character, to borrow a phrase from author David Brooks, is one in which each decision is harder than the alternative decision of expediency but the more we make decisions based on character the easier they become and the more we make decisions based on self-serving pride the harder each one becomes and the greater their consequences. Anne Frank, though very young, had this strength and wisdom. She wrote, “ Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness.” Herod believed wealth and power was the goal of life and ironically that very belief led to his downfall. Contrast Herod’s inviting the most important people of the town with Jesus, who eats with those others wouldn’t be seen dead with in public, the so-called tax collectors and sinners of His time, and frankly probably the more fun people with which to eat. Jesus’ parables underscore the need to host those  in need . Ambrose Bierce in  The Devil’s Dictionary  exposes the so called “hospitality” of his time.“ Hospitality: The virtue which induces us to feed and lodge certain persons who are not in need of food and lodging” Jesus’ parables are even more biting in their critique by telling us the heavenly banquet is not going to be filled with people whose purpose in life was to impress others and tend to their own needs first, but with those whom the world rejected. Jesus’ actions didn’t score any political points with the leaders of His time but for Jesus it didn’t matter.   He truly cared for other people more than He cared about His own reputation. And also, ironically in the end that's what made His reputation far outstrip Herod’s. His vanity multiplied his problems throughout this banquet. After his daughter’s dance mesmerizes everyone, he offers her a prize – anything she wants, even half of his kingdom. Even this offer is filled with self-importance. Because Herod is not really a king! He is simply a servant vassal of Rome, and his power only goes as far as Rome will allow it; so, the kingdom he offers is not even his. Of course, he has laid himself a trap because she is Herodias’ daughter, and she wants John dead. She demands his head on a platter. His prideful act has now put himself in a bind –show all of his important guests that his offer was empty and vainglorious or follow through with his promise and murder a man whom he believes to be a person of God.  Would that Abraham Lincoln were nearby to offer him advice. “ Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. ” In contrast Jesus refuses on multiple occasions to show His power as a means to impress people and gather followers. He tells some people to not share their stories of healing. At other moments He won’t perform the miracle until He is alone and in secret. And most famously He rejects Satan’s request to lead from the temple and put on a grand display for all the people of Israel. His reputation means nothing to Him, His character means everything. Jesus knows what Booker T. Washington voiced so many years later, “ Character is power.”  Booker T. Washington began life enslaved in Virginia. The Civil War freed him, and he took this freedom to build a life not only for himself but for other freed blacks throughout the south. He led the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, increasing the size of a college while enlisting the students to be a part of literally building the college. That work was considered fundamental to the students’ education. Eventually because of his character he was the first black man to eat with the President of the United States on equal terms in the White House, Theodore Roosevelt. Those some of his ideas were later repudiated by the likes of WEB Du Bois, he was a critical figure in helping people to live their freedom. Booker T. Washington’s strength was in his character, not his political power or his birth, as it was in our Lord’s. That’s why the Apostle Paul famously writes in Philippians, “ that though he was in the form of God he did not regarded quality with God as something to be exploited rather humbled himself and took the form of a servant .” In fact, it was Herod’s lack of character that led to his ultimate undoing, we don’t learn of this in the Bible but from Josephus. Remember he married not for love or for building a family, but to solidify power. But so caught up in his own needs he divorces this Nabatean princess and formed an illegal marriage with his brother’s wife. Can you guess what the consequences are? Any father would not be happy to see his daughter left behind for another woman. The king of Nabatea, Aretas, deployed his forces and Herod suffered a devastating defeat and eventually was exiled for a conspiracy against the emperor.  His rule ends in shame. In trying to protect his reputation he destroyed it and trying to impress the elite people of society he brought himself shame. And in some ways, perhaps worst of all, he knew that John was a man of God and yet he treated him like garbage. The 18th century English preacher, Charles Spurgeon, wrote, “ A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.” Seeking to have his name carved in stone, Herod’s reputation became as dust, and seeking to carve love onto the hearts of others, Jesus’ name now circles the globe and people worship Him as their lord and savior. Amen.

Mark 6:1-13 Before our passage, Jesus had a spectacular streak of miracles. He had ejected a spirit strong enough to burst chains, that was filled with enough frenzied evil to take 2,000 swine over a cliff. He healed a woman who suffered for 12 years not only from her sickness but also from the treatments by doctors. She simply touched Him and was better. For His finale He comes to the house of a prominent official whose daughter had died. He simply says, “ Talitha Cum , ‘Get up’”, and…she…does.  Jesus was on a hot streak and feeding off the crowd as great athletes do. He must have felt like, well,  He could rule the world , which I think makes the events in our text so much more jarring for Jesus…and us. After such success He might have been afraid His hometown would mob Him with requests for healing and laud Him as a hero. Not going to happen. It turns out that even Jesus can’t go home again. The novel by Thomas Wolfe,  You Can’t Go Home Again,  tells the fictional story of George Webber, who writes a successful book about his hometown. Only his hometown is not flattered by their portrayals. Wolfe writes: He had learned that in spite of his strange body, so much off scale that it had often made him think himself a creature set apart, he was still the son and brother of all men living. He had learned that he could not devour the earth, that he must know and accept his limitations. If there was something Jesus had to learn it was that even He was limited.   Yes, his body was limited. It too would grow tired and need rest, but something more than that; something much more painful than that. He could not change the hearts of humankind, not by mere talk anyway.  Even though He had shown them what He was capable through His miracles they would not trust Him. They still would not follow Him. They,  we,  would stubbornly keep kicking the can of life down our own path.  And perhaps worst of all it didn't first come from strangers. But His hometown. From His family.   George Webber, who was never so assured of his purpose as when he was going somewhere on a train. And he never had the sense of home so much as when he felt that he was going there. It was only when he got there that his homelessness began. When Jesus was beyond His hometown His miracles sent awe and amazement through the crowd. When He was home Mark tells us,  “He could do no deed of power.” Jesus had just brought back a little girl from the dead. Now He was reduced as Mark describes it to only curing a few sick people. No deeds of power.  I wonder how this must have felt for Him. Jesus had the power of God’s Holy Spirit coursing through His veins, and He had used that power to great effect. But now in front of those who knew Him best He could do nothing of significance. Mark says He was “ amazed at their disbelief .” He was amazed that they could be so cruel. He would hear the praise and thanks from strangers whom He only met momentarily. They were ready to give up their lives to follow Him but those who know Him best, since He was a child, and His very own family rejected Him so thoroughly that He was unable to do for them what He wanted more than anything – to make them whole. Physically whole, yes, but He is after something more profound. He is after a deeper place and from their attitude He knows He is having even less success in changing hearts than in healing bodies. His words were not working.  Perhaps Jesus did so much traveling because He was searching for something. Listen to this synopsis of Wolfe’s novel: Family and friends feel naked and exposed by the truths they have seen in his book, and their fury drives him from his home. He begins a search for his own identity that takes him to New York and a hectic social whirl; to Paris with an uninhibited group of expatriates; to Berlin, lying cold and sinister under Hitler's shadow. At last Webber returns to America and rediscovers it with love, sorrow, and hope. (Goodreads synopsis) This is how I feel about this amazing country of ours, love… sorrow… hope... When I look at the founding documents, I read something incredible…a dream…a country with justice equality and freedom for all.  We hold these truths to be self-evident …all are created equal. I love that our country has built into it this deepest of truths found in our faith. I love that people have the freedom to express their conscience, to speak the words that God has laid upon their heart and to do so with passion, with conviction. But I also feel sorrow.  Sorrow that people use their words not only to build up to break people down and to tear apart. People have used words to demean women, people of different races, people of different professions, people of different gender and sexuality, and people of different politics. And so, as we have seen, even in Jesus’ case words can only take us so far. We need actions that demonstrate we truly believe in our central tenet of equality for all, that we are made in the image of God. And so, I also feel sorrow that here in the city we live in, during an historic time of prosperity, of bounty, of plenty, that there are people that go hungry, there are people whose medical needs are not met, there are children who have substandard education and housing.  Jesus also felt sorrow. He knew that humanity could not go home again, that is, we couldn’t return to the Garden of Eden, to a time of ignorant bliss, and so He had to chart a path forward. Jesus knew that even God couldn’t return to the past, that is a time when God relied on the hearts of humanity to be obedient and shape a world of love.  And so, Jesus’ sorrow took Him on the path of sacrifice and in that act, He solved the problem of home once and for all, and for everyone. We would all find an eternal home with God and in that place, we will discover that not only will we find a warm reception from strangers, but we will find that hometown reception, that hometown  feeling , from those whom we’ve been estranged from. But that time is not yet. We know that there are many people in this city that “cannot go home again.” That feel rootless and homeless even if they have a roof over their head. That don’t feel home in body, mind, and spirit. And there are people like George Webber and Jesus who feel like a stranger in their hometown.  And so, the Session has made a commitment. “To be a spiritual home for all.”  And so, I also feel hope for our country.  Because I believe that the great majority of people do want this land to not only espouse truths of equality but to do the work necessary to include more and more people. I feel hope that The Brick Church wants to reflect more deeply the fabric of our city. That we want to share God’s love in such a way that those who have no home, that feel forgotten, that feel rejected as Jesus did will find a place of welcome of love and respect within our house. I feel hope because I see people gathering on Sunday evenings in the garden, children playing, older adults sipping cold drinks, people chatting and sharing their lives. I feel hope because Brick Church welcomes in people that have no home on Tuesday evenings, not only to share a meal but just share fellowship, and that this is their church home as much as it’s mine or yours. That is the commitment of the Session – a spiritual home for all people, regardless of their faith, we simply welcome them in the name of God’s love. I feel hope because people who have no faith or of a different faith have come through our doors, come to our events, and found acceptance, and found love, and found welcome. In short, they have found a home a spiritual home at Brick. So, you can’t go home again, and maybe that’s not all bad because the promise we have through Jesus is eternal home that we can experience right now when we share God’s love with openness with acceptance without judgment and without limit. Amen.

Shared during Sunday Worship on June 23, 2024. Dear Lord, We come before you today in thanks for all the earthly abundance you have provided for us. We bow before you in awe of your eternal, unchangeable, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent reality. We kneel before you in gratitude for your holiness, righteousness, love, kindness, generosity, understanding, insight, sympathy, compassion, mercy, and GRACE. But today we are especially grateful for your GRACE. Your GRACE is indeed amazing. It is like the air we breathe. It is unmerited. You give it without cost. You offer it before we think of it. You provide it before we ask for it. It is a unique gift. You give us this gift in the hope we will accept and embrace it. Therefore, we pray that you would help us to accept your GRACE more often. Knowing your willingness to forgive when and if asked, we pray that you help us walk this path more often, melting away any reluctant attitude, rigid mindset, or personal hardheartedness that might prevent acceptance of your GRACE. And we pray that you would help us also to embrace your GRACE. May we meditate on our lives and actions so we can uncover what the Psalmist called our hidden faults and what Jesus called the logs in our eyes. May the promise of forgiveness in the GRACE you offer lead us to make our confessions. May we truly repent, rejecting the idolatry of worldly things, and enter your Kingdom, able to grow in your wisdom. So many aspects of our world are so disquieting and painful to our souls: the horrors of war, the upheaval of peoples, the cynicism of governments, the hypocrisy of politics, the imprisonment of poverty, the depravity of injustice, the animosity of group conflict, the sport of animosity, the disregard of neighbors, the egotism of individuals, and the numbing of souls. May we remember that your GRACE begets confession, confession begets reconciliation, reconciliation begets peace, and peace begets wisdom. This is the Way as the Psalmist (Psalm 23) said to "...dwell in the house of the Lord forever," despite all the worldly disequilibrium and cacophony. All this we pray in the name and Spirit of your Messiah Jesus. Amen.

Shared during Sunday Worship on June 16, 2024. Dear God of life, we come to you this morning trusting in your love for us. We pray especially today for those you have placed around us as fathers, grandfathers, fathers-to-be and those who “father” us whatever their relationship may be in our lives. We thank you for the stories, the guidance, the wisdom, and joys they share with us in celebration of your guiding love. We praise and thank you for all the members of this congregation, that we may hear your voice, and follow your way, in all we do. God of resurrection and compassion, you call us to serve by your example, to heal the broken and troubled of this world, in this city, this neighborhood, our homes. Shine your holy light on all the places that face violence, war, dissension, hunger, illness and fear. We trust and pray that your loving grace will bring order and healing to all who need it. Give us peace, comfort, tolerance, understanding, and strength, to cope with all that is ahead of us. God of grace, we pray for ourselves, with all our doubts and worries. Forgive us when our steps falter, hesitate, or doubt. Grant us grace, understanding, and courage to allow the Holy Spirit to enter our hearts and transform us. We give thanks for the blessing of your son, Jesus, and trust in you and the power of the Holy Spirit, to guide us through this world today. We offer these prayers as your children. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Shared during Sunday Worship on June 30, 2024. Dear God,    Thank you for the gift of Life, and the love you show us every day, and the example you gave us in Jesus Christ. Help us to keep the knowledge of this great gift up front in the decisions we make during the day! Help us to understand that loving you and others is our primary purpose.    Dear God, please help us to be patient and accepting of all people.  Those who we agree with and those we don’t.  Help us to live by example, following Jesus’ teaching, given to us in the gospels and letters. Help us to understand the love you have for all people teaching us to show compassion and caring to others.     Help us to understand that only you have the answers and judgement.  We have the greatest gift! Life! Thank you for Summertime, the outdoors, the magnificence of this city! Thank you for this church home.  Old friends, new friends, beautiful music, singing and the dedicated loving Christian leadership of our pastors and staff. Thank you for the opportunity to give of our time, talent, gifts, and service.  In Jesus name we pray, Amen

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 (NRSV) My mother used to tell me, “Sunday is the day of rest.” She didn’t mean it was a day for sleeping and napping. Sabbath means to stop, desist, and rest. It means having a restful spirit. Do you ever feel anxious? Rest is a gift from God. God rested after creating the whole world. On Sunday, God wants us to have a day of rest — of serenity and calm. This means being still and feeling God's presence. Times of quiet and worship allow us to bask in God's love. My hope for you this summer is to experience God's rest, not just on Sundays, but every day. Summertime can be a Sabbath from worries and anxieties. Let go of your anxious mind and agitations, and bask in God’s glorious creation. Center your life in the holiness of God in every moment. My prayer for you is that this summer will be a time of rest in God. To "be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10).