The Holy City

May 18, 2025
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Revelation 21:1-6
“The Holy City”
Rev. Benjamin J. Wines

We look forward to joining you in Worship this Second Sunday of Easter, starting at 11:00AM in the Sanctuary. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “The Holy City”. We will be reading from Revelation 21:1-6 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 148.

Call to Worship, Psalm 148:1-2, 7-8, 11-14
Leader: Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens;
People: Praise him in the heights above.
Leader: Praise him, all his angels;
People: Praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Leader: Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,
People: Fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!
Leader: Kings of the earth and all nations,
People: You princes and all rulers on earth,
Leader: Young men and women,
People: Old men and children.
Leader: Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted;
People: His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
Leader: And he has raised up for his people a horn,
People: The praise of all his faithful servants,
Leader: Of Israel, the people close to his heart.
People: Praise the Lord.

Questions for Further Reflection:
John’s vision of the new heaven is the climax of Revelation.
What kind of hope does his vision inspire in you?
How does this new city show God’s power?

The Good Shepherd

May 11, 2025
Fourth Sunday of Easter
John 10:22-30
“The Good Shepherd”
Rev. Benjamin J. Wines

We look forward to joining you in Worship this Second Sunday of Easter, starting at 11:00AM in the Sanctuary. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “The Good Shepherd”. We will be reading from John 10:22-30 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 23.

Call to Worship, Psalm 23
Leader: The Lord is my shepherd
People: I shall not want.
Leader: He makes me lie down in green pastures;
People: He leads me beside still waters;
Leader: He restores my soul.
People: He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
Leader: Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
People: I fear no evil, for you are with me;
Leader: Your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
People: You prepare a table before me,
Leader: In the presence of my enemies;
People: You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Leader: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
People: All the days of my life.
Leader: And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
People: My whole life long.

Questions for Further Reflection:
In this passage, Jesus talks about holding his sheep in his hand.
How does that image comfort you?
What does it say about the power of God?

Old Habits

Brothers and sisters,

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been in the process of picking up an old habit, an old hobby of mine. The fact that I’m picking it back up actually crept into a few of my sermons lately. A few weeks ago, I talked about making choices and used the example of whether or not to dedicate eight weeks to a class. Well, a month or so ago, I signed up for a seven-week class available in north Raleigh. And last week, it very obviously creeped into my sermon, considering I talked about a specific strategy I used to use while playing it. I’ve signed up for my first formal tennis lessons since high school!

And let me tell you, since signing up, my nights have been filled with anticipation. The class doesn’t start till July (that’s how far out you have to book things now!), but I’ve been going through all my old tennis equipment to see what’s still usable. I’ve still got my three racquets from high school, though all three need to be restrung. My old tennis dampeners have dried out and are basically useless now. And the overgrips on my racquets literally crumble in my hands when I spin the racquet. But that’s the fun thing about this — as I’m searching for things to update my racquets and gear, I’m reminiscing on all the fun I had while playing tennis. I’m remembering the friends I made, the great matches I played, and the feeling of pushing myself to reach new goals. It’s fantastic!

I tell you all that because I think there is a lot of joy that can come from picking up old hobbies and remembering that God experiences joy with us as well. In other words, as I reflect on who I was when I was playing tennis before and how much tennis helped shape me as a person, I have this sense that God remembers that version of me, too. God remembers that version of me and remembers the joy of those times. Stepping back into tennis reminds me of God’s presence with me throughout my life. It reminds me of how much God has loved me from an early age—not because I am special, but because God is. Stepping back into tennis reminds me of who I am and reminds me of the joy of God.

So, take some time over the next few days or weeks and think about some of your old habits, your old hobbies. See if there are any you’d like to pick back up. Remember the love and joy God had for you then and remind yourself that God loves and rejoices with you now! If you used to love hiking, ride over to a state park and go hiking one day. If you used to be a movie buff, pull out one of your old favorites, make some popcorn, and watch it. If you loved knitting or crocheting, take this article as a sign to give it another go. But always remember, God loved you then and God loves you now.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

P. S. When I played tennis in high school, I loved fun colors and patterns for my gear. So, while my main racquet is black, it will have a neon green overgrip. My shoes have lots of bright blue on them and my new dampener is in the shape of a to-go cup of coffee. Because if you’re doing something for fun, why not have some fun, right?

Redeeming Peter

May 4, 2025
Third Sunday of Easter
John 21:1-19
“Redeeming Peter”
Rev. Benjamin J. Wines

We look forward to joining you in Worship this Second Sunday of Easter, starting at 11:00AM in the Sanctuary. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Redeeming Peter”. We will be reading from John 21:1-19 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 30.

Call to Worship, Psalm 30:1-5, 11-12
Leader: I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
People: And did not let my foes rejoice over me.
Leader: O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
People: And you have healed me.
Leader: O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
People: Restored me to life from those gone down to the Pit.
Leader: Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
People: And give thanks to his holy name.
Leader: For his anger is but for a moment;
People: His favor is for a lifetime.
Leader: Weeping may linger for the night,
People: But joy comes with the morning.
Leader: You have turned my mourning into dancing;
People: You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
Leader: So that my soul may praise you and not be silent.
People: O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

Questions for Further Reflection:
This passage is one about restoring balance.
How does Jesus bring balance back into the disciples’ lives?
Why would balance be important for discipleship?

Rather Than

April 27, 2025
Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 5:27-32
“Rather Than”
Rev. Benjamin J. Wines

We look forward to joining you in Worship this Second Sunday of Easter, starting at 11:00AM in the Sanctuary. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, ““Rather Than””. We will be reading from Acts 5:27-32 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 150.

Call to Worship, from Psalm 150
Leader: Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary;
People: Praise him in his mighty firmament!
Leader: Praise him for his mighty deeds;
People: Praise him according to his surpassing greatness!
Leader: Praise him with trumpet sounds;
People: Praise him with lute and harp!
Leader: Praise him with tambourine and dance;
People: Praise him with strings and pipe!
Leader: Praise him with clanging cymbals;
People: Praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Leader: Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
People: Praise the Lord!

Praying for Students

Brothers and sisters,

We are at a unique time of year. Spring has fully sprung as flowers are blooming and sunny days are becoming more common. The temperatures right now mean that spending time outside grows increasingly tempting. We’ve had a few hot days that remind us that summer is coming, but for the most part the world is opening up and inviting us to take time to relax and enjoy ourselves.

At the same time, students at colleges and high schools across America are having to stay indoors and pore over notes and books and articles as they prepare for final exams and write final papers. I was reminded of that this week as I prepare for the fantasy book club I’m in.

You’ll remember a couple months ago when I wrote about Water Moon that I’ve been attending a book club in Chapel Hill once a month. Well, most of the people in the book club are undergraduate students and back in March they were already dreading the end of the semester. Several of them have multiple exams within a day or two of each other. A few have final papers to write in the midst of those exams. Our book choice this month was purpose-fully short so they wouldn’t be stressed.

In addition to the universities, though, high schoolers all across the country are preparing for AP exams. I would imagine you all know this already, but AP stands for “advanced placement” and are college level courses taught at high schools. If the students can pass these ex-ams, they get college credit when they go off to school. Needless to say, there’s a lot of pressure placed on these kids.

So, as good neighbors, I want us all to take time over the next few weeks to pray for these students. Pray for them as they study, that their studying would be effective. Pray that they would get good nights of sleep the day before their exams. Pray for nutritious breakfasts that al-low them to focus on their tests and not on their stomachs. Pray for calm nerves, that they would be able to show all that they have learned over the last semester or the last year. For those writing final papers, pray that they would be able to communicate their thoughts effectively. For those running final experiments, pray that they are able to run them efficiently and analyze the results correctly. Pray that all these students would have a sense of accomplishment regardless of the final results.

We can be good neighbors to these students even if they don’t know that we’re praying for them. God has made each and every one of them and given them talents. Let us pray that they can learn to use those talents for the good of God’s kingdom!

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

The Whole World Shook

April 20, 2025
Easter Sunday
Matthew 28:1-10
“The Whole World Shook”
Rev. Benjamin J. Wines

We look forward to joining you in Worship this Easter Sunday, starting at 11:00AM in the Sanctuary. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “The Whole World Shook”. We will be reading from Matthew 28:1-10 and our Call to Worship comes from Isaiah 25.

Call to Worship, from Isaiah 25:6-9
Leader: On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
People: A feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
Leader: Of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
People: And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
Leader: The covering that is spread over all nations;
People: He will swallow up death forever.
Leader: Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
People: And the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
Leader: For the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day,
People: “See, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
Leader: “This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
People: “Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
All: For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.

Questions for Further Reflection:
The resurrection of Jesus changes everything.
How can it affect the way you interact with the world and with other people?

“The Lord Needs It”

If you are unable to attend the service in person, you can watch it online at this link:

April 13, 2025
Palm Sunday
Luke 19:28-40
“The Lord Needs It”
Rev. Benjamin J. Wines

We look forward to joining you in Worship this Sunday, starting at 11:00AM in the Sanctuary. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “The Lord Needs It”.  We will be reading from Luke 19:28-40, and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 118

Call to Worship, from Psalm 118

Leader: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

People: His steadfast love endures forever!

Leader: I thank you that you have answered me

People: And have become my salvation.

Leader: The stone that the builders rejected

People: Has become the chief cornerstone.

Leader: This is the Lord’s doing;

People: It is marvelous in our eyes.

Leader: This is the day that the Lord has made;

People: Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Leader: Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!

People: O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!

Leader: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

People: We bless you from the house of the Lord.

Leader: You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;

People: You are my God, I will extol you.

Leader: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

People: For his steadfast love endures forever!

Questions for Further Reflection:

Palm Sunday is a day for unrestrained joy!

What does it mean to you to think of God as joyful?

How can you cultivate joy within your own faith?

Holy Week Services 2025

Brothers and sisters,

Next week is Holy Week. Starting on Sunday the 13th, we will make our annual pilgrimage through the final week of Jesus’ life. It is a week in which we will celebrate his arrival, consider his service, contemplate his death, and celebrate his resurrection. Holy Week tends to be a rollercoaster of emotion, but it is a re-minder to all of us of the wondrous love of God in Christ and his commitment to all of us. So, let me give you a quick rundown of what these services will look like.

First, on Sunday, April 13th, we will celebrate Palm Sunday during morning worship! This service is one of joy and celebration as we remember Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Our children will wave palms as we all join in song to praise our God and remember the promise of eternal life he brings.

Then, on Wednesday, April 16th, we will have our annual Service of Handwashing. That service begins at 6:30 PM and will be in our sanctuary. This service will be focused more on those last few moments Jesus had with his twelve disciples during the Last Supper. It is a service that is focused on service and calls us all to humility. We will take time that evening to wash each other’s hands as tangible signs of our love for one an-other and our commitment to serve God together.

Next, on Friday, April 18th, we will have our Good Friday Service. It will begin at 7:00 PM in our sanctuary. This is a service that leans into the difficulty of that first Good Friday. We remember the crucifixion. We remember the sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf. As part of that, the Good Friday service ends in darkness and silence as we contemplate the gravity of what has happened—the light of the world has been snuffed out. It is always a powerful service; be sure not to skip out on it!

While it’s not a worship service, do remember that on Saturday, April 19th, starting at 10 AM, we will have our annual Easter Egg Hunt and Crafting Fair. All children are invited to come and participate, so be sure to invite kids, grandkids, neighbors — whoever! If you’d like to volunteer, we’d love to have you and will be more than happy to find work for you!

Finally, on Sunday, April 20th, we will celebrate Easter. We will celebrate the resur-rection of our Lord and the defeat of both sin and death! That morning we will have a time of fellowship before Sunday School starting at 9:15 AM. More details on that are printed in this newsletter. But this Sunday morning will be one of exuberant, joyous celebration! We look forward to seeing all of you that Sunday!

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Creation Waits

April 6, 2025
Fifth Sunday of Lent
Isaiah 43:16-21
“Creation Waits”
Rev. Benjamin J. Wines

We look forward to joining you in Worship this Sunday, starting at 11:00AM in the Sanctuary. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Creation Waits”.  We will be reading from Isaiah 43:16-21, and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 126

Call to Worship, Psalm 126

Leader: When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,

People: We were like those who dream.

Leader: Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

People: And our tongue with shouts of joy;

Leader: Then it was said among the nations,

People: “The Lord has done great things for them.”

Leader: The Lord has done great things for us,

People: And we rejoiced.

Leader: Restore our fortunes, O Lord,

People: Like the watercourses in the Negeb.

Leader: May those who sow in tears

People: Reap with shouts of joy.

Leader: Those who go out weeping,

People: Bearing the seed for sowing,

Leader: Shall come home with shouts of joy,

People: Carrying their sheaves.

Questions for Further Reflection:

How do we see evidence of God’s grace in Creation?

How do we see abundance in Creation?

How might our redemption be good for the world around us?