January 4 – Eiphany

10:30 AM, Worship with Holy Communion in Sanctuary and Livestream

Fear Doesn’t Stop Us

Matthew 2:1-12, 16-18

Christ is born, yet it feels as if the world has not changed. The temptation to give up is strong, especially in the face of violence. But the magi don’t let Herod’s fear-driven demands stop them from honoring the newborn Christ or returning home by a different way. They model for us what it looks like to be led by hope, moving through fear without letting it paralyze us. As the new year begins, we proclaim: our journey continues, and fear won’t have the last word.

We will share communion at stations this morning and receive our star words for the year. The Senior Choir will sing.

Sunday Worship Bulletin

ERUCC also holds a healing worship service with Holy Communion at 8:30 AM.

December 28 – First Sunday after Christmas

10:30 AM, Worship with Holy Communion in Sanctuary and Livestream

Let Fear Fuel a Fire for Justice

Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

The Holy Family fears for their safety and for their child’s life, like so many refugees around the world. Their valid fears motivate them to move—and so they seek refuge in Egypt until it is safe for them to return home. Instead of trying to push fear away, what if we used it as fuel? What if we harnessed that incredible source of energy for good, fighting for a world where no one fears for their safety? Utilizing our fear wisely not only helps others; taking concrete action also interrupts the fear that so easily paralyzes us. The work helps others, but the act of putting our fear to work changes us, too.

The service will include our “Letting Go and Letting God” ritual, when the congregation will be invited to write down on a piece of dissolvable paper those things that each person wants to let go of from the ending year, receive God’s grace, and move into the new year with divine blessing and hope. The dissolving pieces of paper will be placed in a water bowl at the front of the chancel. The Rev. Kirstin Shrom-Rhoads will be preaching. The Senior Choir will sing.

Sunday Worship Bulletin

ERUCC also holds a healing worship service with Holy Communion at 8:30 AM.

December 14 – Third Sunday of Advent

10:30 AM, Worship with Holy Communion in Sanctuary and Livestream

Even in Our Fear, We are Called Forward

Jeremiah 1:4-10  |  Luke 1:26-39

Sometimes saying “yes” to God’s call fills us with fear. Like Mary and Jeremiah, we fear that we aren’t enough, we’ll be alone, and no one will listen. And yet, God calls us forward, inviting us to live fully into who we are created to be and promising to be with us every step of the way as we move forward through our fear. Too often, we talk about bravery and courage in terms of hero narratives or big actions, but each day presents many moments to practice small, quiet acts of courage. May we say “yes” to God, even when our knees shake and our voices tremble.

Spirit will be sharing in music leadership.

Sunday Worship Bulletin

ERUCC also holds a healing worship service with Holy Communion at 8:30 AM.

December 7 – Second Sunday of Advent

10:30 AM, Worship with Holy Communion in Sanctuary and Livestream

When We’re Running Out of Hope, God is At Work

Isaiah 43:19-21  |  Matthew 11:1-11

John the Baptist sends word to Jesus from his prison cell, asking, “Are you the one?” John has spent his entire life preparing the way for Jesus; but from his prison cell, now certainly facing death, the future looks grim. Like John, even the most confident of us wonders from time to time: Is all this work worth it? Does anything I do matter? Am I on the right track? We can’t always see the fruits of our labor, yet God is at work anyway. How might we, like Jesus and Isaiah, point to the places where God is at work in our world? How might we keep hope alive?

We will share in Communion at the chancel rail. The Senior Choir will share a cantata.

Sunday Worship Bulletin

ERUCC also holds a healing worship service with Holy Communion at 8:30 AM.

November 30 – First Sunday of Advent

10:30 AM, Worship with Holy Communion in Sanctuary and Livestream

In the Time of Herod, We Long for God to Break In

Lamentations 3:55-57  |  Luke 1:5-13

“In the days of King Herod…” With these words, Luke’s Gospel grounds the birth of Jesus in a world shaped by violence, occupation, and fear. The author of Lamentations cries out in personal pain while his homeland is under Babylonian rule. Our global and personal heartache are intertwined, and the wait for promised rescue is hard to bear. Whether in exile, under the rule of a puppet king, or in the depths of personal pain, we long for God to break through the fear and bring us hope.

The Rev. Kirstin Shrom-Rhoads will be preaching. The Senior Choir will sing.

Sunday Worship Bulletin

ERUCC also holds a healing worship service with Holy Communion at 8:30 AM.

November 23 – Reign of Christ Sunday

10:30 AM, Worship with Holy Communion in Sanctuary and Livestream

Colossians 1:11-20 | Luke 23:33-43

Today’s readings reveal the upside-down nature of Christ’s kingdom. Paul’s soaring hymn celebrates Jesus as the cosmic ruler in whom all things hold together, while Luke shows us this same Christ dying between two criminals, extending grace to a thief in his final moments. What kind of king reigns from a cross? What kind of power looks like weakness? Both passages invite us to see that true authority comes not through domination but through self-giving love that transforms even death into victory.

The Senior Choir will sing.

Sunday Worship Bulletin

ERUCC also holds a healing worship service with Holy Communion at 8:30 AM.