First things First // Rev. Matt Kennedy // Jul 19 2026

First things First // Rev. Matt Kennedy // Jul 19 2026

One of the major shifts that took place in the human mind during the age of enlightenment and the rise of democracy is the idea that religion was simply one "part" of your life among many. It has resulted in the idea that "worship" is simply what we do on Sunday mornings, and is related to the very specific spiritual activities like saying a prayer, singing a song, or attending a service. This was a departure from the pre-modern worldview that had no distinct categories of religious and secular: everything was spiritual! Worship is more than just a set of pious activities. Worship is what your entire life orbits around. One psychologist suggested, "Your 'god' is whatever is at the top of your hierarchy of values." Where you put your focus and what you spend your days pursuing will say more about who your god is than what box you check on a religious questionnaire. The first of the Ten Commandments tells us to worship nothing and no one except, "the God who brought you out of Egypt" (Exodus 20:2-6). The commandments begin with what we worship because worship will direct every other motive and method in our life. Like a ship whose course is off by a mere single degree, when our worship is misdirected it will not take long to become completely lost at sea. This Sunday we'll unpack the meaning of worship and tackle some challenging questions that have an incredible impact on the direction of our lives.

Walls of the Playground // Rev. Matt Kennedy // Jul 12 2026

Historians sometimes observe a kind of see-saw in the life of societies and nations. In one era, a culture may become permissive and libertine. Once this gives way to anarchy, the pendulum swings back towards the rule of law in response. In some ways, we might be seeing this in our moment. An increasing number of people who have grown up with lawlessness are growing curious about tradition, religion, and moral order. There are signs that "rules" are coming back in fashion, and a good number of these people are growing curious about what the Bible teaches about morality. When the Bible lays out it's most famous set of rules, it is interesting to note the setting and context. Moses delivers the Ten Commandments to a people recently liberated from Egyptian slavery and tyranny (Exodus 19:1-6, 20:1-21). Newfound freedom is guarded by a call to law and obedience. But it's essential to note the order of things: God does not first give the Hebrews a list of rules and then offer liberation as a reward. God liberates first, then in response invites his people to live lives ordered around God's character. Historic Christian theology has always been careful to say that the Law does not save God's people. The Law shows us our need for the Gospel (God's grace in Christ) and upon the freedom we find in unconditional love, a new kind of moral order follows. This summer we'll examine the Ten Commandments not as more rules to follow for the sake of our salvation, but as insights into God's character-- leading us out of slavery and into the freedom of his love and grace.

Bridgebuilders: A Hole in the Wall // Rev. Matt Kennedy // June 28 2026

To wrap up our Bridgebuilders series, we will return to the Old Testament prophets, where we started, to consider Isaiah’s words to the people of Israel post-exile. In Isaiah 58, they ask the question: “Why have we fasted and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?” But, they seem to lack self-awareness as it turns out that when they “fast” their workers are exploited and violence breaks out. God replies, “You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.” God continues: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” This Sunday we will consider this call from God and how we can joyfully and boldly live into the call for his glory and our neighbor’s good.

Bridgebuilders: Peaceful Reliance // Rev. Michele Arndt // June 21 2026

One of the fun things about the Bible is that it is full of little sayings we throw around in everyday conversation without even realizing where they came from. This week, we will spend some time in Luke 10 which has not one - but two! - of these sayings. If you've ever referred to "a wolf in sheep's clothing" or "shaking the dust off your feet", you're squarely in Luke 10 territory. We find Jesus sending out the disciples in pairs with specific instructions. The mission at hand is urgent, so Jesus tells them to pack light - not even an extra pair of sandals! Don't dilly dally along the way. The message the disciples are entrusted with is this: "The Kingdom is near." And in the middle of it all, Jesus warns the disciples that they will find themselves like a lamb among wolves. In other words, they will be vulnerable. At the same time, he says not to linger if their message isn't well-received. Sometimes we can feel like it's up to us to build the kingdom, but this passage will remind us that our work is mostly to prepare the soil where it will land. What does it mean for us to recognize the nearness of the kingdom in our own communities? And how do we join Jesus in preparing others to receive it? Strap on your favorite summer sandals and join us this Sunday as we take our marching orders from Jesus and the disciples.

Bridgebuilders: Beautiful Feet // Pastor Karina Johnson // June 14 2026

Who has told you the good news of Jesus? I can list a whole slew of people who turned my heart toward Jesus in small and big ways. Their influence moved me to consider God in deeper, truer, and more personal ways. They ‘evangelized’ me (evangel = good news). Sometimes when we think of evangelism we think of street preachers or formulaic gospel presentations and we get the ‘ick.’ And, because we don’t want to do that, we excuse ourselves from any form of sharing God that involves words. We decide we’ll stick with sharing God through our actions — which early church leader James does declare as vital in his letter to early Christians (2:18).   But, as usual, it is rarely the either/or we want it to be. Along with just and loving actions, our public witness must involve words — giving explicit voice to God’s goodness and truth. Paul writes to the Roman church that this is only logical: “How can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it?” (Romans 10:14—15 MSG). This coming Sunday my hope is that we can recover our identity as those sent to speak, rid ourselves of fears or insecurities, and discover our voices to use on behalf of another. After all, we have the best news to share!