We all go to God with questions. It’s what happens next that can be interesting. Conventional wisdom is turned on its head by God’s wisdom. We don’t get the answers we were hoping for. In today’s readings, God responds to Job and Jesus responds to the disciples in ways that illustrate the true nature of God’s wisdom.
Jonas Dawson will be our guest organist. The Senior Choir will sing.
We will welcome Mateo Calvert Fisher through the Sacrament of Baptism. Mateo is the child of Harrison and Stephanie Fisher and the grandchild of Robert and Betsy Fisher.
God delights in creation and declares it good. We celebrate, remember, and advocate for creation as an act of faith.
Pastor Kirstin Shrom-Rhoads will preach and lead worship. Spirit will be sharing in music leadership this morning. At Fellowship, The Transition Team will present on the church’s heritage and then a special Congregational Meeting will be held where members of the congregation will vote on whether we should consider changing the name of our congregation from “Evangelical Reformed.” A meal will be served.
October 6 – World Communion Sunday | Consecration Sunday
Psalm 133 | Luke 19:1-10
We will celebrate communion with Christians around the world, symbolically gathered at a common table, and give God thanks by consecrating our gifts to God’s work in the coming year. The Rev. Sam Chamelin, pastor of St. Mary’s United Church of Christ in Silver Run, Maryland, will preach and lead worship. Children’s Music and Movement and the Senior Choir will sing. A Consecration Sunday Luncheon will follow worship in the Community Room. All are welcome!
September 29 – Faith and Democracy Sunday | Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 | Mark 9:38-50
Our Gospel reading for this Sunday is from Mark 9:38-50. In a cultural context where who is in, who is out, and who is right is an important concern, the first disciples find themselves preoccupied with another who is not a part of their group.
Today we recognize Faith and Democracy Sunday, a time of worship and mobilization to call on citizens to vote in the 2024 General Election organized by the Justice and Witness Action Network of the Central Atlantic Conference UCC around faith and democratic principles of valuing and affirming the voice and dignity of all, especially “the least of these” among us. We will also hear from Marj Berkheimer as part of our Season of Stewardship. The Senior Choir will sing.
The epistle from James may be understood as a meditation on the contrast between godly and worldly leadership. The attributes of a godly leader are laid out in James 3:13: evidence of works born out of good conduct that are done in the gentleness of wisdom. In the passage from Mark 9, Jesus tells the disciples that he is to be betrayed, killed, and resurrected on the third day. The disciples turn to arguing with each other about who is the greatest among them. Jesus teaches his ambitious followers about the shape of faithful discipleship by taking a little child in his arms and blessing the child. God’s wise children are called to welcome and care for the “little ones” among us. Wise ones reach out with encouraging presence to those who are vulnerable.
Our Season of Stewardship continues as hear from Justin Coen. The Senior Choir will sing.
The letter of James speaks of the qualities of teachers and the power of words and speech for good and for will. In our reading from Mark 8: 27-28, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” Peter responds by answering, “You are the Messiah.”
Our Season of Stewardship begins with thoughts from Tommie Bradshaw. The Senior Choir returns to share their wonderful gifts with us.
We are excited to share this first edition of a refreshed Trinity Chimes.
Earlier this year, after much reflection and discussion, we decided to embark on a journey to transform our newsletter into something that goes beyond simply sharing information—it will instead seek to serve as a source of inspiration, connection, and spiritual nourishment for our entire congregation.
Our goal is to create a newsletter that truly reflects who we are as a church family, highlighting the stories, experiences, and faith journeys that make our community so special. We want to use Trinity Chimes to showcase God’s work in our lives and to provide encouragement to deepen our discipleship.
Through this refreshed format, we hope to foster greater community and connection, inspire active engagement with our mission, and nourish spiritual growth. We’ll be incorporating more photos, short-form pieces, and human-interest stories to bring the life of our congregation into these pages.
Our previous format required a demanding cycle to produce a quality piece each month. Our new approach will be published on a quarterly basis. We hope this new schedule will alleviate some of the pressures placed on volunteers and staff who serve as contributors, designers, proofreaders, and editors while still delivering a meaningful and impactful newsletter that truly reflects the heart of our church community.
Thank you for being part of this journey. We look forward to seeing how God will use Trinity Chimes to bless and inspire us all.
Read the Fall 2024 edition of Trinity Chimes below or download HERE.
Be sure to subscribe to receive e-news from ERUCC directly to your inbox at http://eepurl.com/gDNCu5.
September 8 –Rejoice in Our Welcome Sunday | Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
James 2:1-17 | Mark 7:24-27
The first lesson, James 2:1-17, relates the responsibilities of Christians, emphasizing charity as a sign of living faith. In the Gospel lesson from Mark 7:24-27, Jesus is encountered by a Syrophoenician woman who earnestly asks him to heal her daughter. Though the woman and her daughter are Gentiles, Jesus reaches out in compassion and heals the daughter.
We will celebrate Rejoice in Our Welcome Sunday! We will commission and bless those leading Christian education and formation for the coming year. Spirit will be sharing in music leadership this morning.
God acts in our lives with generosity and love. We are children of the God of lights; we are fruit born through the generosity of God and by the word of truth. Generosity is at the heart of who we are. How do we act on our beliefs about God? How do we live out the word of God? The reading from James challenges us to find connections between what we believe and say about God and the actions we take each day.
We will share in communion at the chancel rail this morning. The Rev. Phyllis Byrd, a Global Ministries mission co-worker in Nairobi, Kenya, who serves with the Organization of Africa Instituted Churches (OAIC) as its Director of its Just Communities program, will share about her work. Rev. Byrd’s appointment to mission work by the United Church of Christ is made possible in part by our contributions to Our Church’s Wider Mission. Jenna Duranko will share music on the marimba.
