My dear friends. It is Easter morning. I am standing in a nearly empty church sharing a message about an empty tomb. This was not how I planned to proclaim Easter, and I know it was not how you planned to celebrate Easter, either. Empty is not the word we usually focus on at Easter! We use words like “risen” or “hallelujah”…
If you are meeting us here this morning, I might know something about you. Without a magazine or online quiz, I may deduct that you are a morning person, a lark, early bird. You may even be wondering why we didn’t make the time for this service earlier as the scheduled sunrise was 6:05 am this morning! You will then understand how…
Deliver us from evil. Jesus taught the disciples as they wanted to learn to pray. At West Grove, we have been studying the familiar and profound words of Lord’s Prayer this Lent. In the somber and realistic evaluation of our world, the sixth petition of Jesus’ prayer levels with God- bring us not into the time of trial and rescue us from…
Maundy Thursday, 7pm There is nothing like summertime with bare feet and the grass and sand between your toes! Beachgoers the world over, know that after you have spent time on the sands, whether you call it the shore or beach, you need to wash your feet well before you enter the house. Regardless of whether you wore sneakers, sandals, or let…
Maundy Thursday—Noon There is nothing like summertime with bare feet and the grass and sand between your toes! Beachgoers the world over, know that after you have spent time on the sands, whether you call it the shore or beach, you need to wash your feet well before you enter the house. Regardless of whether you wore sneakers, sandals, or let the…
What does it mean to celebrate Palm Sunday in the time of covid 19 and shelter in place? Our Hosanna has a sharper focus. Being a part of the crowd is bit more cosmic. And our journey with Jesus is more tender. On Palm Sunday, we cry together: Hosanna, which literally beseeches “God save us”! In a different year, we would have…
There is an old tale told about a preachers’ get together from days gone by. Maybe you know it. Four preachers met for a friendly gathering. During the conversation one preacher said, “Our people come to us and pour out their hears, confess certain sins and needs. Let us do the same for each other. Confession is good for the soul.” In…
As a young girl, I can remember playing a game with neighborhood friends. We would make soup. In order to do, you need as many sticks as you could gather, rocks, leaves – dried and crunchy from the ground, and any nuts and berries you could find. I would mix it in the round aluminum container that my family kept our fresh…
March 15, 2020 Sermon – Heaven on Earth Good morning! Today’s message is focused on Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Last week turned into a week like none other most of us have known. Before I understood the concept of “flattening the curve”, I was quite incredulous with (what I will…
Are Are We There Yet?The kingdom of God is like a man who takes up knitting in his retirement years. Ed Mosley, an 86-year-old resident of the Atlanta Georgia Dogwood Forest assisted living facility learned to knit and purl in his golden years. With an introductory loom and instructions given to him by his granddaughter, the retired engineer taught himself to make…