Taking it on the Road

(Posted September 5, 2019)

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.” – J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter Author

And so we enter the season of “all things new.” A new school year. A new season at church when the music is cool and so is the Sanctuary. A new set of opportunities to be bold, to achieve great things, and yes… to learn from our mistakes.

Church Services on Sunday
All are welcome to worship with us. Service begins at 10 a.m.

Homecoming Sunday

So on this Homecoming Sunday at 10 AM, we prepare ourselves, no matter what the age, to “take it on the road” when it comes to living a the kind of life Christ has been preparing us for. He’s taught us how to act in terms of kindness and when confronted by adversity. We learn this weekend from the apostle Paul how we can break people free from being enslaved -- how we can set ourselves free from what holds us back.

Blessing of the Backpacks

Now I’ve also made this first Sunday The Blessing of the Backpacks because backpacks symbolize taking it on the road, and, in essence, bringing with us a little slice of home, where all the tools we need are within our reach. Believe it or not, this Sunday’s gospel from Matthew is in part a story about a backpack and how we are to push back against evil, not with violence but by surprising the heck out of those who would oppress us. The blessing we will do with the help of our children is not just for kids. It’s for adults too who carry the tools of their lives in a backpack. Please make sure to bring your children’s and your backpacks to church on Sunday, and place them up in front of the Communion Table before we start. We’ll be adding a little something to each of the packs so that your church community can journey with you, too, in this year.

Hurricane Dorian Relief

Finally, all of us have been deeply concerned as we witness the devastation that Dorian wreaked on the Bahamas, and still is causing on the US mainland as it chews its way up the Atlantic coast. If you would like to help, you can include in your donation at church this Sunday a check that you have marked for either the Emergency USA Relief Fund or the International Emergency Relief Fund that is gathered by the United Church of Christ. What you donate will be used to help people rebuild their lives and their homes in the wake of this natural disaster. Blessings to all as we take our Christian love on the road. - Pastor Pat Kriss