Category: Readings

Removing the Training Wheels from Epiphany Epiphany Pastor Mitch Coggin January 1, 2023 Epiphany A For me, it was a sudden moment of understanding. I remember the day I announced to my dad that I was ready for him to remove the training wheels from my bike. I was convinced that I no longer needed… Continue reading Removing the Training Wheels from Epiphany

Service of Lessons and Carols Pentecost Pastor Mitch Coggin December 25, 2022 Christmas Christmas Day Readings First Lesson Micah 5:2-5 But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old,… Continue reading Christmas Day Service

Let’s Keep Christmas Christmas Pastor Mitch Coggin December 24, 2022 Christmas My favorite holiday story is “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Every year I hear the Grinch’s discovery that Christmas is not in the ribbons and boxes and bags and that Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. Christmas must come from a deeper place… Continue reading Let’s keep Christmas

The Agony and Ecstasy of the Unexpected Advent Pastor Mitch Coggin December 11, 2022 Advent 3A When I was 8, I set my hope on a GI Joe for Christmas. I secretly hoped for all the equipment that came with that toy. On Christmas morning, the package under the tree with my name was the… Continue reading The Agony and the Ecstasy of the Unexpected

The Blessing of Waiting Advent Pastor Mitch Coggin November 27, 2022 Advent 1A Advent is about waiting. Waiting is hard for most of us. What is the blessing of waiting? How do we make waiting purposeful? The scriptures we read from Isaiah and Matthew were about waiting. In Isaiah people were waiting for resolution of… Continue reading The Blessing of Waiting

Citizens of the Reign of Christ Pentecost Ruth McCowan November 20, 2022 Pentecost 24 Prayer: Gracious and Loving God, speak in this place, in the calming of our minds and in the longing of our hearts, by the words of my lips and in the thoughts that we form. Speak, Loving God, as we listen… Continue reading Citizens of the Reign of Christ

Journey to the Cradle Pentecost Rev. Wayne Stretch November 13, 2022 Pentecost 24 Glenn Hinson was a greatly respected professor of mine at seminary. I remember one chapel he led… now 50 years later. Dr Hinson said he had uncovered the key ‘hermeneutical’ principle for understanding all the Jesus’ difficult sayings. He called it: “reverse-ism”.… Continue reading Journey to the Cradle

The Pain of Memory – The Power of Memory Remembrance Day Pastor Mitch Coggin November 6, 2022 Pentecost 22 Richard Wagamese writes in his novel A Quality of Light, “When we find ourselves standing against the hushed palette of evening, searching the sky for one singular band of light, we’re filtering the spectrum of our… Continue reading The Pain of Memory – The Power of Memory

All Saints – Festival of Friends Pentecost Rev. Cathy Victor October 30, 2022 Pentecost 21 This passage from Matthew is generally described as the Beatitudes, taken from the Latin – meaning the state of being blessed. Luke has his own version in Chapter 6 but it takes place on a plain. No – Not the… Continue reading All Saints – Festival of Friends