April 12 – Second Sunday in Easter
8:30 AM, Worship in Sanctuary
10:30 AM Worship in Sanctuary and Livestream
The Rev. Fred Wenner will be preaching and leading service. Spirit will sing.
April 5 – Easter
8:30 AM, Worship in Sanctuary
10:30 AM Worship in Sanctuary and Livestream
The Rev. David Cooney, Ph.D. will be preaching and leading service. The Senior Choir will sing.
April 3 – Holy Friday
12:00 PM, Worship in Sanctuary
7:30 PM Worship in Sanctuary and Livestream
The Rev. John Shillingburg will be preaching and leading service. The Senior Choir will sing at the 7:30 PM service.
March 29 – Palm Sunday
Transgender Day of Visibility
10:30 AM, Worship in Sanctuary and Livestream
Mark 11:1-11
Roman triumph usually occurred during Passover week as a show of Rome’s might. The governor would have been surrounded by the wealthiest and most powerful citizens. In contrast, Jesus’ march is for the people—all the people: the hungry, the poor, the afraid. As Jesus enters Jerusalem, the crowd responds to Jesus’ authenticity and humility. Perhaps they can see through the pageantry of the Roman parade; in contrast, the goodness of Jesus’ leadership shines through, mobilizing the crowds to take action by throwing cloaks in the street and waving palm branches in the air. The energy is infectious, a climax moment in the grassroots movement of Jesus’ ministry. This week’s sub-theme intentionally places us in the crowd, inviting us to shout “Hosanna,” to throw our coats down, and to wave branches. What will the good news inspire us to do? How will the gospel move us? As we head into Holy Week, how will we put Jesus’ teachings into practice?
Rebecca Shillingburg will be preaching and leading worship. The Senior Choir will sing. Market Street Brass will perform.
March 22 – Fifth Sunday in Lent
10:30 AM, Worship in Sanctuary and Livestream
John 8:2-11 | Matthew 23:23
As we move toward Holy Week, we acknowledge the ways Jesus’ ministry was increasingly at odds with the religious leaders who prioritized loyalty to legality and perceived Jesus’ teachings as a threat. While Jesus is teaching in the Temple, some scribes and Pharisees interrupt Jesus to put both him—and a woman caught in adultery—on trial. Their questioning intensifies as they cite Mosaic Law and put the woman’s fate in Jesus’ hands. Instead of focusing on punishment, Jesus flips the script and invites each person to consider their own sin; Jesus defuses the spectacle by condemning no one. Much of Jesus’ teachings were grounded in his understanding of the Torah; however, many of his actions called for reinterpreting the law. As we wrestle with our own rules, we should ask, “What is the most just, merciful, and faithful interpretation?”
David Cooney will be preaching and leading worship. The Senior Choir will sing.
March 15 – Fourth Sunday in Lent
10:30 AM, Worship in Sanctuary and Livestream
Matthew 19:13-15 | Deuteronomy 24:17-22
In many modern contexts, it may seem sweet that Jesus welcomed little children; however, in Jesus’ setting, spending time with children would have seemed wasteful or useless. When Jesus blesses a crowd of children (after the disciples rebuke them and try to send them away), he once again reorients socially-constructed hierarchies to center the vulnerable. Throughout his ministry, Jesus emphasized the last, the least, and the lost, building upon the mandates of the Hebrew scriptures to care for the immigrant, widow, and orphan among you.
Deuteronomy repeatedly reminds the Israelites, “you were once slaves in Egypt.” Their memory of oppression should impel them to provide for anyone under-resourced or cut off from the protection of a household. Similarly, Jesus uplifting children is a reminder that we were all once children and we have all been vulnerable at some point in our lives, relying on the protection and care of others. If we’re truly living out the good news, then anyone vulnerable will not only be protected from harm, but cared for so they have the chance to thrive.
Rebecca Shillingburg will be preaching and leading worship. The Senior Choir will sing.
ERUCC also holds a healing worship service with Holy Communion at 8:30 AM.
March 8 – Third Sunday in Lent
10:30 AM, Worship in Sanctuary and Livestream
Mark 6:32-44 | Ephesians 3:20-21
As Jesus and his disciples head to a deserted place, perhaps seeking peace and quiet, many from the surrounding towns follow them. Instead of turning them away, Jesus expresses compassion and begins an impromptu teaching session. As the day goes on, the disciples have logistics in mind and urge Jesus to send the people back into the villages so they can feed themselves. Instead, Jesus presents them with an impossible task: “You give them something to eat.” Dumbfounded, the disciples can only fathom the limitations and financial constraints of Jesus’ suggestion. Yet when they “go and see,” their meager provisions multiply so that thousands are fed. This week we focus on building networks of collective care in order to meet people’s needs. Jesus models a way to be in community by coming together and sharing what we have, dispelling perceived impossibilities. The good news empowers us to believe in the miracles that can become possible through the power of community.
Kirstin Shrom-Rhoads will be preaching and leading worship. Spirit will sing.
ERUCC also holds a healing worship service with Holy Communion at 8:30 AM.
March 1 – Second Sunday in Lent
10:30 AM, Worship in Sanctuary and Livestream
Matthew 25:31-40
Simon and some Pharisees host a dinner for Jesus and an unexpected guest arrives: a woman from the city who kneels at Jesus’ feet and washes him with expensive perfume. Simon scoffs at this party foul, but Jesus reorients his focus, asking him to truly see the woman and recognize that she has shown “great love,” offering the tender hospitality he was not granted when he entered Simon’s home. The woman with the alabaster jar shows a shocking, extravagant love that exemplifies the Greatest Commandment: to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. Will the other guests see that loving God goes hand in hand with loving neighbor? We’ve paired this story with Jesus’ words in Matthew 25. When we care for the hungry, the naked, the imprisoned—each of whom are created in the image of God—we are showing love for God, too.
John Shillingburg will be preaching and leading worship. The Senior Choir will sing.
ERUCC also holds a healing worship service with Holy Communion at 8:30 AM.
February 22 – First Sunday of Lent
10:30 AM, Worship in Sanctuary and Livestream
Matthew 13:31-32
This week we focus on the subversive and playful nature of the good news. The kin-dom of heaven is so good it should catch us by surprise! Like a mustard seed, the good news can grow from the smallest seed into the tallest tree. Like an unruly weed, or fine wine saved for last, the good news is abundant and cannot be contained. As we sink into Jesus’ teachings throughout the season, we may not always be comfortable, but we can trust that these teachings are good, rooted in love, and worthy of celebration.
Tommie Bradshaw will be preaching and leading worship. The Senior Choir will sing.
ERUCC also holds a healing worship service with Holy Communion at 8:30 AM.
February 15 – Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
10:30 AM, Worship in Sanctuary and Livestream
Exodus 24:12–18 | Matthew 7:24–29
As the Sermon on the Mount draws to a close, Matthew presents Jesus as one who teaches with authority rooted in transformative truth. Jesus calls his listeners not only to hear his words, but to build their lives upon them. The image of Moses on the mountain in Exodus reminds us that encounters with God can be awe-filled and unsettling, calling us into deeper faithfulness. Together, these texts invite us to consider what it means to build our lives on a foundation strong enough to withstand the storms, trusting that God’s wisdom continues to guide and sustain us.
The Rev. David Cooney will be preaching and leading worship. Jonas Dawson will be our guest organist. The Senior Choir will sing.
ERUCC also holds a healing worship service with Holy Communion at 8:30 AM.
