Words of Welcome

Hallelujah - Mike Moyers Philippians 2:5-11 Holy Week begins today. Normally the choir and the children would process into the sanctuary waving palms as we sang “King of Kings, Lord of Lords” This year Holy Week looks very different. We didn’t have a palm procession, though we did sing “All Glory, Laud, and Honor.” As Holy Week begins, we won’t be gathering in person to observe Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, or Easter. There will be a variety of online opportunities, but Holy Week will be different this year as we gather as the virtual body of Christ. The reading from Philippians 2 doesn’t speak of the Triumphal Entry that marks Palm Sunday, but it does take us on the way of obedience that moves from glory to glory. However, this path of obedience involves Jesus emptying himself of his divine stature so that he might become a human being and experience death on a cross. Thankfully the hymn doesn’t end with Jesus hanging on the cross. It goes on to celebrate God’s vindi...

John 15:9-17 Even if we’re not mothers ourselves, we’re all daughters and sons of mothers.  That means that we all have stories to tell about motherhood.  This is especially true of our newest mothers (and fathers, of course).     When we think of mothers, whether it’s Mother’s Day or not, what comes to mind might be that special intimacy that seems to exist between mother and child, which  begins at birth.  Or, perhaps it begins even earlier, during that long period when a child begins to take form in the womb.  This relationship is often complex but it’s also very powerful.   Although Protestants have struggled to find a place for Mary in our faith story, she remains an important contributor to that story.  Catholics, on the other hand, have tapped into the image of Mary the Mother of God, and seek Mary’s intercession with Jesus.  Catholics don’t pray to Mary because she is divine, but because of a belief that since ...