FirstChurch Message of the Week

As we prepare for the coming season of Lent (that starts with Ash Wednesday), we pause to reflect on ways that Jesus prepared himself for his journey to the cross. In the moments of Jesus’s transfiguration we not only heard affirmations of the importance of following Jesus, but also Jesus’ invitation in the moments that follow for the disciples to “Get up: and do not be afraid.” May we enter this...

We are closing out our “Drawn In” sermon series where we have been diving into how our Creating God calls us to live creative lives with him. Something too often overlooked in the creative process is the need to turn away from productivity, and toward effortlessness and play. In the story of creation, God rested. And this was “good” as well! Then in the commandments, we are reminded of our require...

Everything that is created is in relationship with all other things; nothing exists in isolation, including our relationships. Are we willing to re-integrate, re-vise, re-vision our lives as we come in contact with others who are not like us? New possibilities await if we are willing to offer ourselves fully and be willing to be changed by our interactions. In this message of the week from Februar...

To create is to assert ourselves into that which is risky, as God invites us to step into the unknown. Jesus tells this story about people who did different things with the “talents” given to them… what might you be willing or able to risk to use what God has given you to expand God’s love, grace, and message to the world? In this message of the week from February 6th, Pastor Jen Tyler shares the...

We are currently in the midst of our “Drawn In” sermon series where we are diving into how our Creating God calls us to live creative lives with Him. “Listening” as part of creativity is about perceiving; we open our senses to see what is emerging. Perhaps what we start doesn’t end up looking like what we thought it would. Instead, once the act of creating begins, we listen to how the Spirit is gu...

As we move from Hovering/trying to see the big picture, into action… we are invited to remember that all of creation began with God dreaming and creating abundantly. To put that another way in our present tense: “God’s dreams love the future into existence.” Thus we know that with God, “the sky is the limit,” and we are invited to live – and dream – big. How are you dreaming? In this message from...

In Genesis we are told that God created the heavens and the earth, and called it good. How are we called to create, and to celebrate creation? The truth is, lots of us spend more time and energy being “driven” toward specific goals, and not enough time being “drawn in” to God’s goodness. We focus on what we “should” do – rather than what we are called to do – and what we might feel excited or comp...

Jesus baptism is a gift that we can claim as our own. It is an open invitation to be a part of the body of Christ. All are welcome; all are invited. This every day gift of water reminds us that we are all God’s beloved. Today, Pastor Jen Tyler shares the story of the baptism of Jesus from Mark 1, and the life, love, grace, and forgiveness that comes from the waters of baptism.

Happy New Year from FirstChurch! What gifts did the Wise Men bring to Jesus? How many Wise Men are described in the Bible as visiting Jesus? What is the history of this Epiphany holiday, and where do our traditions come from? In this first message of the new year, Pastor Abigail Ozanne shares from Matthew 2 and the story of the journey of the Wise Men, their origin, and what this passage can tell...

Merry Christmas from us at FirstChurch! At the time of Jesus birth, Bethlehem wasn’t the largest or most well known city in Israel. It was a city with a great past, like being known as the home of King David, but had its best years behind it. Today, we hear from guest speaker, Rev. Dr. Pete Grassow. He challenges us to remember that no matter where we come from, or the reputation of our neighborho...

As we get out the Christmas lights, ornaments and tinsel to decorate our homes this year, many of us are relieved that Christmas will feel a bit more “normal” this year. As we prepare to gather with friends and family to celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us prepare in mind, body, spirit, and space: by Decking the Halls (and our lives) with what matters most: the hope, peace, joy, and love of God....

As we get out the Christmas lights, ornaments and tinsel to decorate our homes this year, many of us are relieved that Christmas will feel a bit more “normal” this year. As we prepare to gather with friends and family to celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us prepare in mind, body, spirit, and space: by Decking the Halls (and our lives) with what matters most: the hope, peace, joy, and love of God....

As we get out the Christmas lights, ornaments and tinsel to decorate our homes this year, many of us are relieved that Christmas will feel a bit more “normal” this year. As we prepare to gather with friends and family to celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us prepare in mind, body, spirit, and space: by Decking the Halls (and our lives) with what matters most: the hope, peace, joy, and love of God....

As we get out the Christmas lights, ornaments and tinsel to decorate our homes this year, many of us are relieved that Christmas will feel a bit more “normal” this year. As we prepare to gather with friends and family to celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us prepare in mind, body, spirit, and space: by Decking the Halls (and our lives) with what matters most: the hope, peace, joy, and love of God....

As we get out the Christmas lights, ornaments and tinsel to decorate our homes, many of us are relieved that Christmas will feel a bit more “normal” this year. As we prepare to gather with friends and family to celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us prepare in mind, body, spirit, and space: by Decking the Halls (and our lives) with what matters most: the hope, peace, joy, and love of God. In the mid...

In our current sermon series titled “Grateful,” we will talk about ways to live in gratitude, reflecting on our past, present, and lives that are yet to come as we celebrate all that God has given us, all that he provides for us, and all the opportunities he leads us to. Gratitude often moves us beyond ourselves from “me” – to “we.” As we live into our gratitude in this way, it becomes impossible...

Studies have shown that gratitude is not only good for our relationships, but it’s also good for our health – physical, emotional, and spiritual. Thus to practice gratitude is to live into more than a feeling: it is to make a choice to be grateful by practicing it. To do that well, we need to first step back to see – and appreciate – all that we already have (and are). In this message of the week...

In our current sermon series titled “Grateful,” we will talk about ways to live in gratitude, reflecting on our past, present, and lives that are yet to come as we celebrate all that God has given us, all that He provides for us, and all the opportunities He leads us to. As we remember and celebrate the saints who have gone before us today, we give thanks for the gift that keeps giving: Gratitude....

Are zombies in the Bible?! In what may be a familiar story from John 11, we hear the story of Lazarus dying, and being resurrected by Jesus. Yet… with the lens of Halloween in front of us, is this story what we think it is? What are the risks associated with bringing him back to life? What does resurrection look like for us today, in the here and now?  In this message of the week from October 31st...

Revelation paints a portrait of the diverse crowd around the throne, singing God’s praise, whom Christ will guide to the springs of the waters of life. Our faith promises us that there will come a time when we will no longer have to do the backbreaking work of well-digging to taste Christ’s goodness. We give to the church as a way of creating a glimpse of that kind of world, where all have comfort...

In scripture, love stories, like Rachel and Jacob’s, often happen around a well. Church is also the site of love stories–not romantically, but the place where we fall in love with ordinary, sainted sinners.  In this message of the week from October 17th, Pastor Abigail Ozanne shares from Genesis 29, and the story of Rachel and Jacob. This story highlights what it means to serve others in ordinary...

What we offer God sometimes requires us to dig deep with immense trust and sacrifice. The widow of Zarephath digs deep and sacrifices much to trust Elijah’s promise of abundance. How can digging deep to give meaningfully to the church help connect us with our trust in God? In this message of the week from October 10th, Pastor Jen Tyler shares from 1 Kings 17 and the story of Elijah and the widow....

This week begins our stewardship series titled A Deeper Well . This series will focus on how we can live into lives of abundance; not scarcity.  What Christ offers us is deeper than what the world offers us. The church is like a well. We need it to survive, but it can also be exhausting. It is dug by our hands, and the water we draw from is hefted by our own tired arms. Yet the water is Christ’s,...

Scripture invites us to be “imitators of God” – to practice and give witness to our faith, by first imitating the faithful examples of those around us. In today’s scripture reading from Hebrews 12, Pastor Jen talks about the gift of being a part of the cloud of witnesses past, present, and future. There is no better time or place or way to live out our faith, than by starting with small things, he...

Have you ever wondered what you can learn from books that are thousands of years old? What does scripture have to say that matters to us today? In this message of the week from September 19th, Pastor Abigail Ozanne shares from Psalm 119, and explores what scripture can teach us still today.