8th Sunday after Pentecost, 7/19/26

8th Sunday after Pentecost, 7/19/26

Deacon Melanie reflected on Paul's words in Romans 8, reminding us that much of life is spent waiting—through uncertainty, grief, and unanswered questions. Rather than denying the world's pain, Paul tells us that creation is "groaning" like a woman in labor, a sign that God is still at work bringing new life. Deacon Melanie encouraged the congregation to distinguish between optimism, which depends on circumstances, and Christian hope, which rests on God's unchanging faithfulness. She concluded by reminding us that we don't wait alone. Through our prayers, worship, and life together, the Church carries hope for one another, especially when our own hope feels weak. Being Church together means continuing to pray, serve, and trust God's promises, knowing that even in seasons of waiting, Christ's light continues to shine.

7th Sunday after Pentecost, 7/12/26

Fr. Lonnie's Sunday sermon invites us to imagine what it means to be Church together when everyone lives from the conviction that "there is now no condemnation." Rather than motivating one another through fear or shame, the Church is called to be a community where people are free to confess honestly, forgive generously, and extend grace because they already know they are loved by God. As Fr. Lonnie concluded, even on our worst days, we remain "children of the light," because Christ—not our failures—is the truest thing about us.

6th Sunday after Pentecost, 7/5/26

Deacon Melanie preaches about the moments during our service where our confession is immediately soother by the Peace. Where we are asked to lay down our burdens and take up the life that Jesus holds for us.

4th Sunday after Pentecost, 6/21/26

In this week’s episode, we continue our summer sermon series, “Being Church Together,” with Fr. Lonnie Lacy reflecting on what baptism teaches us about the Christian life — and about what it means to truly belong to one another as the Church. Drawing from Paul’s words in Romans 6, Fr. Lonnie reminds us that baptism is more than a symbol of being washed clean; it is a journey of dying and rising with Christ. Through baptism, we are invited into a lifelong process of transformation — letting go of the things that separate us from God and growing into the people God calls us to be. Fr. Lonnie explores how conversion is not just a single moment or experience, but a lifetime of “repenting and returning” to God. The promise we make in the Baptismal Covenant is not a promise of perfection, but a promise that whenever we fall, we will turn back toward Christ. Most importantly, Fr. Lonnie reminds us that this journey is not one we make alone. Baptism itself shows us that faith is meant to be lived in community — because we cannot baptize ourselves, and we cannot grow in faith by ourselves. The Church is the place where we learn patience, humility, mercy, and love through the grace-filled (and sometimes challenging!) relationships God gives us. As we continue asking what it means to “Be Church together,” we are reminded that God is always at work among us — helping us die to what keeps us from love and raising us into new life, together, as members of Christ’s living body.

3rd Sunday after Pentecost, 6/14/26

What does it mean to truly be the Church together? In the second sermon of our summer series, Being Church Together, Fr. Lonnie reminded us that God’s grace always comes first. Before we have everything figured out, before we get it right, before we even know we need it — God is already reaching toward us with love. And because we are people who have received that grace, we are called to share it with one another. Churches are made up of real people — people who sometimes misunderstand, disappoint, or hurt each other. But the work of being the Body of Christ is choosing patience, compassion, and grace even when it’s hard. Being Church together doesn’t mean everything is perfect. It means we stay at the table, make room for one another, and trust that God is still working in all of us.