Bluegrass United Church of Christ

Most of us think of God as a father figure. In almost all of the ancient writings and translations that we are familiar with, God is presented in the masculine. But there are scriptures that allow us to see another part of God's personality apart from that idea. At Bluegrass United Church of Christ, we try hard to be as inclusive as possible, to make everyone feel welcome, and feel valued. One...

The first humans, Adam and Eve, made some bad decisions that they knew disappointed God and found themselves hiding in shame. Come to find out, even though there were consequences for their "sin," the God they were hiding from never stopped desiring to be with them and never stopped seeking them. They discovered, as we have, that their assumptions were wrong, the God they thought was &qu...

These days it seems there is a heavy push by the more traditional and conservative-leaning Christian leaders to move America back to a more hardline version of Christian "law" and away from a more inclusive view of God and scriptures. Today, Pam helps us understand that God's intention is to lead us with love instead of strict laws and heavy-handed penalties. MESSAGE: “Farrah Sea’s F...

We've been invited by God to change our world for the better. We know the charge is not to make every single life better, but to make better those within our reach. The invitation is to try, to make the effort, to accept the challenge, and do our best to live into God's desire for our world to be better, safer, more ready to help when and where we can. We stand ready to accept God's In...

Early in the life of the Christian movement, a wind started to blow... it's still blowing today, and when we allow it to have its space and do its deed, it can move us into meaningful and powerful places. We gathered on Pentecost Sunday to wait and listen for our time to yield to its breeze. It was a wonderful time of learning from the wind. MESSAGE: “The Wind" by Kenny Bishop SCRIPTURE:...

Mother's Day is a wonderful celebration of all the women and others who have nurtured us, cared for us, loved us, and helped us through difficult times. It is the perfect occasion to show our love for those who've loved us so much. Then there are those who don't find reasons to celebrate Mother's Day - for whatever reason. But even for those, there is the promise that God loves us,...

We often try, but we know it is impossible to compare God's love to anything we can know or feel. God's love is not based on any conditions - there is nothing that can suppress it or keep it from being shown. So the question becomes, will we allow ourselves to be rooted in that perfect love? MESSAGE: “Rooted and Grounded in God Love" by Pam Lee-Miller SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 3:16 -19 Lea...

Nature tells us that all of creation is intertwined. We were never intended to live our lives alone. We're not expected to thrive alone on an island, separated from human interaction. We rely on each other, and others rely on us for love, care, support, and companionship. MESSAGE: “It Is Not A Solo Adventure" by Pam Lee-Miller SCRIPTURE: John 15: 1-5 Learn more about us at ⁠bluegrasschurc...

Faith in Harm Reduction is dedicated to mobilizing community at the intersection of harm reduction and faith-based organizing, fostering opportunities for the co-creation of spiritual community and relationship building in partnership with people who use drugs and other harm reduction community leaders. Hill Brown, Southern Director for Faith in Harm Reduction joins us for a special service to sha...

Let's be honest; all of us, preachers and pastors included, sometimes have doubts and times when we struggle with our faith. None of us are immune from wondering if God really is there for us. Today, we read the story of the father who brought his son to Jesus to be healed. In a moment of honesty, the father acknowledges that his faith isn't beyond at least a measure of doubt. Even so, his...

All of us have questions and curiosities about some of the bible's lessons, stories, and characters. This Sunday we're going to spend some time addressing some of your questions. MESSAGE: “Ask the Pastors" with Pam Lee-Miller & Kenny Bishop SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 Learn more about us at  bluegrasschurch.org Facebook:  facebook.com/bluegrasucc Twitter:  twitter.com/bluegrasuc...

Sometimes we have trouble reconciling the rejection we find in many churches with the radical inclusion we find in the bible's Easter story. Three days had passed. The women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body, according to custom. No doubt the journey to the tomb was heavy. Perhaps they approached with heads lowered in defeat and grief. But then they looked up and it changed their lives. T...

Make no mistake, the powers-that-be in Jerusalem sat up and took notice at the actions of Jesus and his motley crew of palm-waving followers on that morning. It was a show of the "power" of love and injustice for the "least of these," in stark juxtaposition to the military might of the Roman rulers. It was a non-violent action featuring a man sitting on a donkey - an action tha...

“When nothing else would help, love lifted me!” says the old Gospel song. To be lifted up is to be drawn into the love of God. Jesus drew all kinds of people to him during his short tenure on earth, drawing no boundaries for who was invited into that love. As his hour to die drew nearer, he spread the message that all things would be enveloped in his love even after he was gone. What uplifting mes...

John 3:16 is probably one of the most famous and oft-quoted scriptures in the Bible. What follows that verse is important for our Lenten journey. God did not send Jesus to condemn the world, but to offer it saving light. As believers in that light, we are called to be those who will continue to light up the world through our lives so that the world might see the hope it yearns for. We're excit...

The story of Jesus' response to the temple being made into a marketplace was profound and may have been another step toward his ultimate demise on the cross. He refers to raising up a new temple in three days - something his disciples later remembered as a foretelling of his resurrection. How might we raise up as the Body of Christ and be a holy temple - a holy dwelling place of God - in the w...

Jesus was very clear that following him might not be a smooth ride. He was bound to choose the just way, not the easy way, through life. To take up the cross was to lose one's life - to let go of certain expectations of safety and acceptance in order to stand for the Gospel message of love. How are we to take up the causes of Jesus - justice, righteousness, and mercy in our day? MESSAGE: &quot...

The first Sunday of our new Lent series brings us to the moment at which Jesus comes up out of the water of baptism to hear, "You are my beloved." We are called to come up out of the depths of whatever seeks to keep us under and know that we are beloved of God. Come up, for now is the time to be fully who you are created to be for the sake of the world. MESSAGE: "Coming Up" by...

Many of us grew up with an apocalyptic view of the future. The fear and dread that resulted were both motivation and intimidation. But was that the message that Jesus was trying to convey? Is our relationship with God supposed to be based on fear? MESSAGE: "Coming Soon" by Kenny Bishop SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 41: 10, Psalm 23: 4, 2 Timothy 1:7, Matthew 14: 27 Learn more about us at  bluegrassc...

Most of us have never experienced a world as divided as it is today. Things that usually bring us together are pulling us apart. Issues that have historically not been political suddenly are. As a nation and as a people, we are being forced to choose sides, even when there shouldn't be any. How do we navigate the anger and divisive rhetoric without compromising our core understandings of what...

Have you ever felt like you were all by yourself and have had to accomplish every task alone? This Sunday we examine Hebrews 10: 24-25 and Ecclesiastes 4:4-10 to explore the reasons why God has called us to community and why living together enhances our life, our church, and the world. MESSAGE: "Together" by Pam Lee-Miller SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 10: 24-25 - Ecclesiastes 4:4-10 Learn more abo...

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King gave what would become one of the great speeches of the twentieth century. Even though it seems our nation has taken steps backward in recent years, we still dare to march toward Dr. King's vision of America as a place that truly believes that all are created equal, is a place where former slaves and slave owners will sit together, where oppression wi...

For many, Christmas is over when the sun goes down on December 25th. But there is still more of the Christmas story to tell. Today we look at the experience that the magi had when they traveled from a faraway place in search of the rumored Christ child. We learn they were not looking for salvation or repentance, but only to honor the one who would bring the good news so many needed to hear. MESSAG...

Today, instead of a sermon, Pam and Kenny take questions from the congregation about the bible, certain passages, the church's role in society, and several other topics on the minds of BUCCers. Questions & Answers with Pam Lee-Miller and Kenny Bishop SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 Learn more about us at  bluegrasschurch.org Facebook:  facebook.com/bluegrasucc Twitter:  twitter.com/bluegrasu...

This Advent season we have been celebrating the gift of being truly present - to each other and to the call of God to make this world a better place. We believe that we are called to claim the gift of being fully present with all people - those who mourn, those who grieve, those who have suffered indignity and oppression. In our final Advent service, which happens to also be Christmas Eve, Pam sha...