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.

November 16 – Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

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

Isaiah 65:17-25 | Luke 21:5-19

Today’s readings hold together two seemingly contradictory truths: the promise of God’s new creation and the reality of present suffering. Isaiah paints a vision of restored Eden where wolf and lamb dwell together, while Jesus warns his followers that following him leads through persecution and upheaval. How do we live with hope when the world seems to be falling apart? Both passages suggest that God’s ultimate victory doesn’t bypass present pain but transforms it into something redemptive and life-giving.

The Senior Choir will sing.

Sunday Worship Bulletin

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

November 9 – Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost

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

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 | Luke 20:27-38

Today’s scriptures anchor us in eternal hope while addressing our deepest questions about the future. Paul steadies an anxious community with reminders of their calling and God’s faithfulness, while Jesus transforms a trick question about marriage into profound teaching about the nature of resurrection life. When uncertainty about tomorrow threatens to overwhelm us, where do we find our footing? These passages point beyond our limited understanding to the God who holds all time and promises a future beyond our imagining.

Spirit will share in music leadership this morning.

Sunday Worship Bulletin

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

November 2 – All Saints Sunday

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

Psalm 139 | Luke 19:1-10

Today’s readings celebrate the God who sees us completely and loves us still. The psalmist marvels at being known from conception to grave: searched, understood, and pursued by divine love. Zacchaeus discovers this same reality when Jesus looks up into his tree and invites himself to dinner, transforming a despised tax collector into a generous neighbor. What happens when we truly believe we are seen, known, and chosen? Both passages suggest that being fully known by God is not something to fear, but the very foundation of transformation.

We will share in Holy Communion at the chancel rail on this All Saints Sunday as we remember in prayer members of the congregation and friends and family who have died in the past year. The Senior Choir will sing.

Sunday Worship Bulletin

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