Category: Readings

The Faith We Live Easter Pastor Mitch Coggin April 30, 2023 Easter 4A Our scripture is found in the 23rd Psalm, a passage you know well. No matter what translation of this scripture you know, it is a scripture about hope. We most often hear this Psalm read at a funeral. However, Psalm 23 is… Continue reading The Faith We Live

The Walk to Emamaus Pentecost Rev. Wayne Stretch April 23, 2023 Easter The walk to Emmaus is the culmination of the scriptural account of the first day of the resurrection. Luke’s account of the first day of the resurrection begins with women who had come to the tomb with spices to prepare the body of… Continue reading The Walk To Emmaus

Hallelujah! Easter Pastor Mitch Coggin Abril 16, 2023 Easter A Hallelujah! Our first hymn has multiple versions. The tune and lyrics in our Presbyterian hymnal is close to the hymn Charles Wesley wrote in 1739. However, this is not the version I grew up singing, and perhaps that is true for you, too. Charles Wesley… Continue reading Hallelujah!

The Human Side of the Resurrection Easter Pastor Mitch Coggin April 9, 2023 Easter A Our Lenten study focused on the book and movie, Chocolat, the story of a French village controlled by traditions that repress carnal nature and emphasize penance for our human failings. The mayor controls the townspeople including the new priest, Pere… Continue reading The Human Side of the Resurrection

What Does The Lord Need Palm Sunday Pastor Mitch Coggin April 2, 2023 Palm Sunday A This is a long week in our faith. Palm or Passion Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. We begin Jesus’ dangerous journey to Jerusalem. The liturgy of the Palms and the Liturgy of the Passion occupy the same… Continue reading What does the Lord need?

When Death Stares Us in the Face Lent Pastor Mitch Coggin March 26, 2023 Lent A As we come nearer to Holy Week, all the stories we have been reading about Jesus are coming to a climax. Jesus continues to face questions about who he is and from where his authority comes. In today’s story… Continue reading When Death Stares Us in the Face

Seeing Through The Muddy Details Lent Pastor Mitch Coggin March 19, 2023 Lent A Samuel had a long and faithful history as Israel’s prophet. God had led him to choose the first king of Israel, King Saul. But Saul turned his back on God and God rejected him as King. This, naturally, grieved Samuel and… Continue reading Seeing Through the Muddy Details

Who do We Think We Are? Lent Harold McNabb March 12, 2023 Lent A Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; Let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving And extol him with music and song. That’s how Psalm 95 opens. It’s a song… Continue reading Who do we think we are?

We Journey by Stages Second Sunday of Lent Pastor Mitch Coggin March 05, 2023 Lent In her book, Speaking Of Sin, Barbara Brown Taylor wrestles with the difficult language used by the church, words like “sin,” “salvation,” and in today’s reading “born again.” I grew up in a community that used and thought we knew… Continue reading We Journey by Stages

The Land I Will Show You First Sunday of Lent Pastor Mitch Coggin February 26, 2023 Lent Last Sunday, 32 of us gathered after worship for discovery and discernment. We met to be motivated and energized as a community of faith. We didn’t begin by identifying problems, we identified assets with greater clarity. For example,… Continue reading The Land I will Show You