Services
Sunday Worship services
8:30am (informal) and 11am (traditional)
Gatherings
Wednesdays, 6pm, Fellowship Hall
Casual, interactive, family-friendly message and music by the Indie-Gospel Band, and a lot of interactive, family-friendly worship experiences. We are forming a group of 30-40 folks who are willing to commit to attending this service for the first year in order to help provide the critical mass needed to help new people feel comfortable and to demonstrate support for this ministry. Please e-mail Tracy to be part of this.
Christian Education for all ages
9:45am (see Education page)
Communion
Usually the first Sunday of each month and at special services. Home Communion is brought to shut-ins. For information, contact Rev. Jim Mehler.
Baptism
As scheduled during worship services. Contact Rev. Tracy Keenan.
Weddings, Funerals, and Memorial Services
Contact Rev. Tracy Keenan. See the Publications page for wedding brochure, application, and fees.
Sunday Sermons
Audio files of Sunday sermons are available in MP3 format. Open with Windows Media Player, Real Player, or similar program.
- September 4, 2011: “Love What You Do”; Ecc. 3:1-13, Rev. Tracy Keenan. MP3 link >
- September 11, 2011: “September Eleventh”; Rom. 14:1-12, Mat. 5:44, Rev. Tracy Keenan. MP3 link >
- September 18, 2011: “Anything But That”; Rom. 14:7-8, Phill. 1:20-30, Rev. Tracy Keenan. MP3 link >
- September 25, 2011: “Hard to Be Humble”; Prov. 11:2, Phil. 2:1-13, Rev. Tracy Keenan. MP3 link>
- October 2, 2011: “The Big Ten and the One Thing”; Exod. 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Phil 3:4b-14, Rev. Tracy Keenan. MP3 link>
- October 16, 2011: “Chidren’s Sabbath”; parents preaching. MP3 link>
- October 23, 2011: “The Two-pronged Commandment”; Matt. 22: 34-46, Rev. Tracy Keenan. MP3 link>
- October 30, 2011: “What’s Wrong with This Picture?”; Matt 23: 1-12, Rev. Tracy Keenan. MP3 link>
- November 6, 2011: “What Happens When We Die?”; 1 Thess 4: 13-18, Rev. Karen Ware Jackson. MP3 link>
- November 13, 2011: “Pay Attention (Don’t Miss This!)”; Matt. 25:1-13, Rev. Tracy Keenan. MP3 link>
- November 20, 2011: “I Got Mine!”; Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Matt. 25:31-46, Rev. Tracy Keenan. MP3 link>
- November 27, 2011: “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”; Isaiah 64:1-9; Mark 13:24-37, Rev. Tracy Keenan. MP3 link>
- December 4, 2011: “A Perspective Sandwich”; Isaiah 40:1-11; Peter 3:8-15a, Rev. Tracy Keenan. MP3 link>
- December 11, 2011: “The Broken Places”; Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; 1 Thess. 5:16-24, Rev. Tracy Keenan. MP3 link>
- January 1, 2012: “One Voice”; Genesis 1:1-5, John 1: selected verses. Music, lyrics, and narrative written by Tracy Keenan. Musicians include the Chancel Choir; tenor, Scott Henning; soprano, Kate Heffernan; cellist, Cora Kuyvenhoven; flutist, Rodolfo Vazquez; narrator, Katie Kinnison; director, Rob Rucker. MP3 link >
- January 8, 2012: Genesis 1:1-5; Mark 1:4-11; “Water and the Spirit”; Rev. Karen Ware Jackson. MP3 link>
- January 15, 2012: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; “Whose Body Is It Anyway?”; Rev. Tracy Keenan. MP3 link>
- January 22, 2012: &1 Corinthians 7:25-31; “Or Not”; Rev. Tracy Keenan. MP3 link>
- January 29, 2012: Mark 1:21-28; “Cleaning Up The Act”; Rev. Tracy Keenan. MP3 link>
Why We Do It
Of course, you can praise and worship God any time you want. You can do it when you’re alone and it can be quiet and meditative. So why gather together, when worship is something you can do on your own?
It reminds us that we are not alone. We are part of the Body of Christ. We have sisters and brothers who are also God’s beloved children, and when we worship together, we celebrate that community.
We learn from one another. We learn music and prayers, some ancient, some new. We hear the Word of God as it is found in and through the words of Scripture. We hear different people’s faith perspectives. And we lift our hearts together with the music and the Word. Again, we are part of something bigger than each of us could be alone.
It equips us for the living of our faith in our daily lives. We are strengthened, encouraged, challenged, and called in worship to step from the church into the days and duties of our lives more lovingly.
And when we worship and praise God, we grow closer to God and recognize that powerful Love that is limitless and enduring.
How We Do It
We know that folks have busy lives. If we are asking them to make worshipping God a priority, we want it to be worthwhile. (Worship really should not be something you have to endure. That’s just plain rude and does not do justice to the Gospel!) We try to design worship so that it is engaging, interesting, reverent, warm, reaches back to our ancient roots, and still has plenty of room for newness and joy.
We begin with greeting one another in peace.
Then we listen to the Prelude to hear what it might be saying about the Holy One, and how it might open our hearts to God.
We sing, we remember our need for forgiveness and hear that God does indeed forgive.
We remember the words to ancient creeds and sing some more. Sometimes people sing or play instruments on our behalf and we let the music take us to new places.
There is a talk with children, and then the youngest and most wiggly of them, if they have their grown-ups’ permission, are excused for Bible stories, crafts, and games. But we welcome children in worship, and many of our children prefer to stay with everyone else. (There are children’s activity bags, puzzles, and pictures available.)
We hear stories and more from the Bible and a sermon that helps to bring that Word to the kinds of lives that you and I live each day. If it doesn’t connect with you, we’re not doing our job as worship leaders.
We sing some more, and then we are sent out with encouragement and a blessing.
The Postlude music sends us out with Oomph. Attitude. Joy. Just what we need.
There are some variations.
The 8:30 service in the summer is held in the courtyard.
Sometimes we have a jazz Sunday or another kind of special music Sunday. Music runs from Traditional to Gospel to Renaissance to Pop.
Once a month, usually the first Sunday of the month, we have Communion.
Once a month, on Sunday nights, we have a Something Different Worship Service, with multimedia, more interactive liturgy, and Communion.
Sometimes there’s a baptism. Youth Sunday. Celebrating the Gifts of Women or Men.
And of course, the rich variety of the liturgical year lends rhythm to our faith. There is Advent leading up to Christmas, Epiphany, Lent leading up to Easter and Eastertide, Pentecost, and its season.