St. Paul's Church - Willington, CT

Although the Teacher of Ecclesiastes is disillusioned with many things, he does not recommend despair. Sprinkled throughout the book are seven passages that call us to enjoy our lives. This week we considered how these passages can guide us in making the most of our "vaporous" lives.

This week: more proverbial wisdom from Ecclesiastes. This time we considered: (1) how death teaches us, (2) receiving correction, (3) our "lizard brains," (4) the hazards of sexual attraction, and (5) "what if there's bears??" thinking.

The Teacher offers us wisdom on a variety of topics. This week we looked at three of Pastor Ryan's favorites, which address nostalgia, overhearing criticism, and being "too righteous."

Has your life ever felt like a nightmare? This week we heard from Chuck Redfern, a minister and member of our congregation with a powerful testimony. Chuck shared his experience of dealing with "incurable" cancer and the insight that experience has given him into Romans 5:3-5 and Colossians 1:24. How do our sufferings "make up for what is lacking in the suffering of Christ"?

This week for the first time in four chapters the Teacher switches from observations to commands. (e.g., Do this. Don't do this.). The subject he feels so strongly about as to warrant direct instruction is how we speak before God. We considered what his instructions mean for us today.

Work, or "toil" as Ecclesiastes often describes it, is a part of life. The Teacher encourages us to recognize that our toil is like vapor, but he also encourages us to find satisfaction in our work. This week we considered the question: How can we find satisfaction in our work, even if it is "like vapor"?

This week in Ecclesiastes: three observations about the harsh nature of life that have power to lead us to despair...or to God.

This week we began a new sermon series on the Old Testament wisdom book of Ecclesiastes. This book surprises many when they discover it in their Bibles: it sounds despairing and cynical. "Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" it declares. As depressing as it may sound, Ecclesiastes offers a perspective that God wants us to hear. It "goads us" toward the holy ache.

The Book of Jonah is a subversive, funny, and profound story that challenges us to ask some tough questions about ourselves.

What does it mean to be truly "free"? This week, guest speaker Bob McCoy used the story of Jesus healing a demon-possessed man to show the difference between false freedom and true freedom.

In light of Earth Day 2019, this week we asked: is caring for the environment something the Church should be concerned about? The Bible presents us with a worldview that answers YES. We identified four characteristics of the Biblical worldview and why they remind us of the value of creation care. We also considered how they relate to the controversial subject of global warming.

This Easter we considered how Jesus's resurrection is an incredible victory over three formidable enemies we all face.

Jesus said "if you've seen me, you've seen the Father." In light of these words, this Good Friday we asked the question: What do we learn about God by looking at the crucified Christ? Pastor Ryan offered four reflections.

This week we concluded our series on Abraham with what might be the most famous (and challenging) story from his life. After waiting for 25 years, Isaac - the promised child - had finally arrived. But before Isaac had any descendants, the same God who promised to build a nation through him also called Abraham to sacrifice him as an offering. We wrestled with the challenging questions raised by thi...

This week we took a break from our Genesis 2 series to hear from Scott Thomson, the director of Cru at the University of Connecticut. Scott talked about why the Gospel message should set us free from fear.

You may be familiar with the story of God's judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, but did you know that Abraham asked God to spare the city before the judgment came? In a bold exchange with God, Abraham repeatedly asked if God would spare the city for the sake of fewer and fewer righteous people within it. We considered what this fascinating exchange can teach us about God's mercy, His judgment, and our...

This week we continued our series on the life of Abraham with another story that showcases the flawed nature of our spiritual ancestors. Abram and Sarai tried to bring God's promise to fulfillment by using an ugly Ancient Near Eastern tradition. We talked about what we can learn from the results of their misjudgment.

This week we took a break from our Abraham series to hear from guest speaker Carrye Burr. Carrye shared how the moon can serve as a metaphor for our relationship with God.

This Sunday we looked at one of the strangest parts of Abram's story: a smoking firepot and a blazing torch pass through a bunch of cut up animals. We identified what this means, and why it's surprisingly beautiful.

Last week Abram gave us an example of faith. This week he gives us an example of faithlessness. We considered the problem at the root of Abram's sin, and how we can avoid making similar mistakes.

God called Abraham to leave nearly everything that was comfortable to him and go to an unknown place in the hope of seeing a seemingly impossible promise fulfilled. We identified three questions this challenging story should inspire us to ask about our own lives.

In a message originally intended for MLK weekend (snow led us to cancel the service), we talked about the problem of racism. We asked the question: How can those of us who are white show love to people of color? All of us are called to love all, but this specific question is important to ask in light of our country's history of discrimination. We identified four particular things we can do: LISTEN...

This week Pastor Keith spoke on why worshiping in community is important. In today's world, we can find good Biblical teaching online, but that should never lead us to think that we can get what we need without being part of a church. We identified four major reasons why.

This Sunday Lucas Dourado, the campus minister for Reformed University Fellowship at the University of Connecticut, joined us to speak more on a theme we've been emphasizing a lot so far in 2019: grace. The letter to the Ephesians was written to encourage unity in the church, but before the Apostle Paul said anything about what the Ephesians should or shouldn't do, he spent a lot of time talking a...

No church "tune-up" is complete without talking about the (often dreaded) subject of giving. At least 2,350 verses in the Bible have to do with how we handle our money and our possessions, so we can't neglect the subject - whether we want to or not! What does the Bible teach about giving?