Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Faithful Foundations” Our Scripture passage comes from 1 Peter 2:2-10 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 34. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 34)
Leader: I will bless the Lord at all times;
People: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Leader: My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
People: Let the humble hear and be glad.
Leader: O magnify the Lord with me,
People: And let us exalt his name together.
Leader: I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
People: And delivered me from all my fears.
Leader: Look to him, and be radiant;
People: So your faces shall never be ashamed.
Leader: This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,
People: And was saved from every trouble.
Leader: The angel of the Lord encamps
People: Around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Leader: O taste and see that the Lord is good;
People: Happy are those who take refuge in him.

Questions for Further Reflection:
In this passage, Peter encourages his readers to pursue the simple truths of their faith.
What are the building blocks of faith?
How do they help you delve into deeper truths?

Today is the Fourth Sunday of Easter.

Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Devotion” Our Scripture passage comes from Acts 2:42-47 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 66. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 66)
Leader: Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
People: Sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.
Leader: Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
People: Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.
Leader: All the earth worships you;
People: They sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.”
Leader: Come and see what God has done:
People: He is awesome in his deeds among mortals.
Leader: He turned the sea into dry land;
People: They passed through the river on foot.
Leader: There we rejoiced in him, who rules by his might forever,
People: Whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
Leader: Let the rebellious not exalt themselves.
People: Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard,
Leader: Who has kept us among the living,
People: And has not let our feet slip.

Questions for Further Reflection:
Luke casts a vision of what the early church looked like.
Which of the early church’s practices (v. 42) caught your attention?
How could you incorporate that practice into your daily life?

Today is the Third Sunday of Easter.

Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Building Faith and Community” Our Scripture passage comes from 1 Peter 1:17-23 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 116. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 116)
Leader: What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me?
People: I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord,
Leader: I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.
People: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.
Leader: O Lord, I am your servant;
People: I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.
Leader: You have loosed my bonds.
People: I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
Leader: And call on the name of the Lord.
People: I will pay my vows to the Lord
Leader: In the presence of all his people,
People: In the courts of the house of the Lord,
Leader: In your midst, O Jerusalem.
People: Praise the Lord!

Questions for Further Reflection:
In this passage, Peter emphasizes the need for Christians to be in community together.
How does God’s character enable us to build lasting relationships? How can God’s character help us navigate challenges?

Today is the Second Sunday of Easter.

Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “The Outcome of Our Faith” Our Scripture passage comes from 1 Peter 1:3-9 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 16. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 16)
Leader: Protect me, O God,
People: For in you I take refuge.
Leader: I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
People: I have no good apart from you.”
Leader: The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
People: You hold my lot.
Leader: I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
People: In the night also my heart instructs me.
Leader: I keep the Lord always before me;
People: Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Leader: Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
People: My body also rests secure.
Leader: For you do not give me up to Sheol,
People: Or let your faithful one see the Pit.
Leader: You show me the path of life.
People: In your presence there is fullness of joy;
All: In your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Question for Further Reflection:
The author of 1 Peter wants to make it clear that our salvation has already been accomplished.
How should that fact inspire your actions in the present?

Today is Easter Sunday.
Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “From Fear to Faith” Our Scripture passage comes from Matthew 28:1-10 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 118. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

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:
In this passage, the women who approach the tomb are asked to move from fear to faith, quickly.
What role does fear play in the life of faith?
How does God help us move past fear and place our faith in Jesus?

This Sunday is Palm Sunday.
Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Preparing the Way” Our Scripture passage comes from Matthew 21:1-11 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 118. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

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:
On Palm Sunday, Jesus showed the world he would be a different kind of king.
How do God’s priorities differ from the rulers of our world?
How can our expectations of a king lead us into sin?

This Sunday is The Fifth Sunday in Lent.
Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Impossible” Our Scripture passage comes from Hebrews 10:4-10 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 130. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 130)
Leader: Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord,
People: Lord, hear my voice!
Leader: Let your ears be attentive
People: To the voice of my supplications!
Leader: If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
People: Lord, who could stand?
Leader: But there is forgiveness with you,
People: So that you may be revered.
Leader: I wait for the Lord,
People: My soul waits,
Leader: And in his word I hope;
People: My soul waits for the Lord
Leader: More than those who watch for the morning,
People: More than those who watch for the morning.
Leader: O Israel, hope in the Lord!
People: For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
Leader: And with him is great power to redeem.
People: It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

Questions for Further Reflection:
In this passage, we are called to do more than just believe.
How can sin stop us from acting on our beliefs?
What can we do to make sure our actions match our words?

This Sunday is The Fourth Sunday in Lent.
Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “What Do We Deserve?” Our Scripture passage comes from 1 Samuel 16:1-13 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 23. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

Call to Worship (from 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, God sees differently and rejects worldly signs of power.
How can we do the same?
How does sin twist our sight and hold us back?

This Sunday is the Third Sunday in Lent.

Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “The Wilderness of Sin ” Our Scripture passage comes from Exodus 17:1-7 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 95. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 95)
Leader: O come, let us sing to the Lord;
People: Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Leader: Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
People: Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
Leader: For the Lord is a great God,
People: And a great King above all gods.
Leader: In his hand are the depths of the earth;
People: The heights of the mountains are his also.
Leader: The sea is his, for he made it,
People: And the dry land, which his hands have formed.
Leader: O come, let us worship and bow down,
People: Let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
Leader: For his is our God, and we are the people of his pasture,
People: And the sheep of his hand.

Questions for Further Reflection:
In this passage, the people of Israel grapple with change and uncertainty.
How do our we engage with God differently
throughout our lives? Why can that feel so unsettling?

This Sunday is The Second Sunday in Lent.
Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “What Do We Deserve?” Our Scripture passage comes from Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 121. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 121)
Leader: I lift up my eyes to the hills—
People: From where will my help come?
Leader: My help comes from the Lord,
People: Who made heaven and earth.
Leader: He will not let your foot be moved;
People: He who keeps you will not slumber.
Leader: He who keeps Israel
People: Will neither slumber nor sleep.
Leader: The Lord is your keeper;
People: The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
Leader: The sun shall not strike you by day,
People: Nor the moon by night.
Leader: The Lord will keep you from all evil;
People: He will keep your life.
Leader: The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in
People: From this time on and forevermore.

Questions for Further Reflection:
In this passage, Paul emphasizes that we are saved by the grace of God.
Why is that so important?
How would sin try to convince you that’s not true?