December 2, 2024
by Linnea Kickasola
Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing. There is a yearning for deliverance from the evils of the world, first expressed by Israelite slaves in Egypt as they cried out from their bitter oppression. It is the cry of those who have experienced the tyranny of injustice in a world under the curse of sin, and yet who have hope o...
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November 26, 2024
by Linnea Kickasola
Advent is the beginning of the church year for most churches in the Western tradition. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas day, which is the Sunday nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec 24).
The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and ...
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April 4, 2020
by Linnea Kickasola
This has been the strangest Lenten season I have ever experienced. The church has celebrated Lent over the centuries as a means of preparing ourselves for Easter. We try to follow the example of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness by going without some things, in order to focus on self-reflection, draw near to God, and give of ourselves to others in need.
But this year wheth...
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February 25, 2020
by Linnea Kickasola
Celebrating the season of Lent (cuaresma) is one of the oldest practices of the Christian church. It was originally a time for new believers to prepare themselves for their baptisms, which were done on Easter Sunday. But it soon grew to be a time for all believers to prepare themselves for Easter by examining their hearts and lives and repenting of their sin. The English...
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December 3, 2019
by Linnea Kickasola
The Christian season of Advent revolves around the four Sundays that lead up to Christmas Day. Traditionally, Advent is a season focused on preparation. We remember the way God prepared Israel for the birth and ministry of Jesus, and we think about how God wants us to prepare for Christ's return.
How often do you think about the return of Jesus Christ? His second coming i...
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April 15, 2019
by Linnea Kickasola
Ushered in by Palm Sundayyesterday, we are beginningwhat Christians call Holy Week, the week in which we celebrate Christ's Last Supper and final words to his disciples, his humiliation, crucifixion and death, and finally his resurrection on Easter Sunday. We are quickly approaching the Triduum Sacrum, the three days in which all eternity hangs in the balance. Maundy(or Ho...
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March 26, 2018
by Linnea Kickasola
Ushered in by Palm Sunday this past Sunday, we are in the middle of what Christians call Holy Week, the week in which we celebrate Christ's Last Supper and final words to his disciples, his humiliation, crucifixion and death, and finally his resurrection on Easter Sunday. We are quickly approaching the Triduum Sacrum, the three days in which all eternity hangs in the bal...
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February 18, 2018
by Linnea Kickasola
Celebrating the season of Lent is one of the oldest practices of the Christian church. It was originally a time for new believers to prepare themselves for their baptisms, which were done on Easter Sunday. But it soon grew to be a time for all believers to prepare themselves for Easter by examining their hearts and lives, and repenting of their sin. The word "lent" means...
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June 2, 2017
by Linnea Kickasola
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Category:
Worship Service
We celebrate Pentecost this Sunday. The day of Pentecost came ten days after Jesus' ascension into heaven and fifty days after his resurrection, during the Jewish festival known as the Feast of Weeks, when people from many nations returned to Jerusalem. It is connected to and fulfills the worship of the Old Testament, when God commanded his people to celebrate the day af...
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May 25, 2017
by Linnea Kickasola
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Category:
Worship Service
Today is Ascension, and we will celebrate Jesus' ascension into heaven this Sunday, May 28. The church has celebrated the ascension since the early centuries, and we see the importance given to the ascension in the early creeds of the church. The Apostles' Creed says:
I believe in Jesus Christ...was crucified, died and was buried;he descended into hell.The third day he ...
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April 13, 2017
by Linnea Kickasola
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Category:
Reflections
Ushered in by Palm Sunday this past Sunday, we are in the middle of what Christians call Holy Week, the week in which we celebrate Christ's Last Supper and final words to his disciples, his humiliation, crucifixion and death, and finally his resurrection on Easter Sunday. We are quickly approaching the Triduum Sacrum, the three days in which all eternity hangs in the bal...
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April 7, 2017
by Linnea Kickasola
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Category:
Worship Service
The service this week is shaped around Palm Sunday, as well as looking forward into Holy Week and Christ's passion. In the celebration of Palm Sunday, we see two truths about Jesus' ministry--that the hosannas exclaimed by the crowds were indeed true acclamations of his kingship and redemption of his people--were they to remain silent, even the stones would have cried out;...
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March 17, 2017
by Linnea Kickasola
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Category:
Worship Service
This service is built around the theme of what it means to doubt God's promises to us, and the importance of hearing God's promises to us and trusting in them. The lectionary readings focus around Israel doubting God in the desert, after he had freed them from Egypt and God's anger at their faithlessness and mistrust of him....
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March 1, 2017
by Linnea Kickasola
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Category:
Worship Service
Celebrating the season of Lent is one of the oldest practices of the Christian church. It was originally a time for new believers to prepare themselves for their baptisms, which were done on Easter Sunday. But it soon grew to be a time for all believers to prepare themselves for Easter by examining their hearts and lives, and repenting of their sin. The word "lent" means...
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February 24, 2017
by Linnea Kickasola
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Category:
Worship Service
The transfiguration of Jesus is traditionally celebrated the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season. At the transfiguration, Jesus' true glory was revealed to several of his disciples, a foretaste of the glory that will be revealed when Jesus completes his work of redemption in the cross, resurrection and ascension. Like his baptism, in the transfi...
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February 17, 2017
by Linnea Kickasola
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Category:
Worship Service
In our service this week, God reminds us forcefully that his ways are not our ways and his wisdom is not the world's wisdom. By loving and following his law, we see who he is, and are transformed into who he has made us to be. It is only through knowing God rightly that our lives can be changed, and we can bring God's transformation to the world around us....
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