November 8th, marks. This week, in the sermon series, Gaining Wait, Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "Here Comes The Groom! " will focus on Matthew 25:1-13. Notes from the Bench Prelude: “Concerto for Two Trumpets in C Major, RV 537: I. Allegro” by Antonio Vivaldi Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Trumpets is one of his most recognizable instrumental works and his only surviving concerto featuring trumpets. The first movement, marked Allegro, opens with a bright, energetic excha

November 1st, marks All Saints Sunday, Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "Homily" will focus on Revelation 7:9-17. Notes from the Bench All Saints Sunday Prelude: “Shall We Gather at the River?” by Dale Wood Written by Robert Lowry in 1864, this beloved hymn looks forward to the day when we will be reunited with the saints who have gone before us. Dale Wood’s flowing organ setting is a fitting way to begin All Saints Sunday, as we remember loved ones and celebrate the hope of

October 25th marks the 22th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, The Enemies of Gratitude, Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "Disappointment" will focus on Deuteronomy 34:1-12. During the Anthem, the Children's Choir will sing I Sing God Walks with Me - Kornelis. With our organist Dr. Ashley Strawser. Worship Service will also include hymns A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, Stand By Me (Vss. 1,3, & 5), and On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand. Postlude Toccata and Fugue

October 18th marks the 21th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, The Enemies of Gratitude, Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "Greed" will focus on Matthew 22:15-22. During the Anthem, the Chancel Choir will sing I Sing Because I'm Happy by Rollo Dilworth. And our organist Dr. Ashley Strawser. Worship Service will also include hymns This Is My Father's World, His Name is Wonderful and Lord of the Dance. Postlude Präludium und Fuga in G Major , Buxtehude. Come joi

October 11th marks the 20th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, The Enemies of Gratitude, Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "Entitlement" will focus on Matthew 22:1-14. During the Anthem, the Chancel Choir will sing Draw the Circle Wide by Mark Miller with soloists Evan Braun, Kylonna Leevy and Kevin Gardner. Worship Service will also include hymns Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above, Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling and There's a Wideness in God's Mercy. C

October 4th marks the 19th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, "The Enemies of Gratitude", Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "Worry" will focus on Philippians 4:1-9. We welcome our organist Dr. Ashley Strawser as she begins our service with the prelude music: Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ - Anne Krentz Organ. Worship Service will also include the hymns Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart, A Charge to Keep I Have, and Make Me a Servant. During the Anthem, we will hear

September 27th marks the 18th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, "The Enemies of Gratitude", Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "Nostalgia" will focus on Exodus 17:1-7. We welcome our organist Dr. Ashley Strawser as she begins our service with the prelude music: Meditation on Hymn - Douglas Wagner. Worship Service will also include the hymns O God, Our Help in Ages Past, I've Just Come from the Fountain, and Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah. During the Anthem, we

September 20th marks the 17th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, "No Fair", Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes. We will have a special guest speaker Steven T. Collis. Will focus on Matthew 5:1-10; Matthew 18:1-5. We welcome our organist Dr. Ashley Strawser as she begins our service with the prelude music: Meditation on "Handbells play -A Joyful Ring " by Barbara Kinyon Worship Service will also include the hymns O Worship the King, God Will Take Care of You, and Let T

September 13th marks the 16th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, "No Fair", Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "The Math of Forgiveness" will focus on Matthew 18:21-35. We welcome our organist Dr. Ashley Strawser as she begins our service with the prelude music: Meditation on "Hymn to Joy", with Payne. Worship Service will also include the hymns Joyful, Joyful , We Adore Thee, Freely Freely and God, How Can We Forgive. During the Anthem, we will hear Song Just

September 6th marks the 15th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, "No Fair", Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "How to Fight like a Christian" will focus on Matthew 18:15-20. We welcome our new organist Dr. Ashley Strawser as she begins our service with the prelude music: Meditation on "Deck Thyself, My Soul, with Gladness" Brahms. Worship Service will also include the hymns Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation, They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love and Come

August 30th marks the 14th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, "Crowded Table", Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "Holy Ground" will focus on Exodus 3:1–15. We are waiting for a moment significant enough — a calling clear enough, a faith strong enough, a community established enough — before we commit ourselves fully to what God might be asking of us together. God does not find Moses at the pinnacle of his career or his faith. God finds him on the backside of t

August 23rd marks the 13th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, "Crowded Table", Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "You Are a Member of One Another" will focus on Rom.12:1–8. We come to church as consumers — to receive, to be fed, to have our needs met — and then drive our thirty minutes home. The transaction is complete until next week. The church becomes a service we use rather than a body we belong to. Paul’s vision is not a collection of individuals who happ

August 16th marks the 12th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, "Crowded Table", Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "Even Dogs Get Crumbs" will focus on Matthew 15:21–28. We draw circles around our tables — of worthiness, belonging, who counts as neighbor — and dress those circles up as theology or tradition. We are usually sincere about it. That is what makes it so dangerous. The woman outside the circle refuses to accept her exclusion, and Jesus — remarkably, u

August 9th marks the 11th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, "Crowded Table", Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "Get Out of the Boat" will focus on Matthew 14:22-32. The most dangerous place in this story is not the water — it is the boat, where the disciples huddle watching someone else take the risk of showing up fully. Isolation feels like safety, but it is its own kind of drowning. Jesus does not wait on the shore for Peter to get his faith together. He co

August 2nd marks the 10th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, "Crowded Table", Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "Everybody Eats" will focus on Matthew 14:13-21. We live in a world of carefully managed scarcity — not enough time, money, or room — and we have learned to protect what little we have rather than share it, because sharing feels like losing. Jesus takes what is insufficient, gives thanks anyway, breaks it, and distributes it until everyone has enough

July 26th marks the 9th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, "Hiding in Plain Sight", Rev. Dr. Rula Colvin will be our special guest pastor. Her sermon will focus on Matthew 13:31-33. Our service will include a special Children’s Moment with a the Back-to-School Blessing of the Backpacks. As we pray over our children and all those beginning a new school year, we ask for God's protection, peace, and guiding hand to accompany them every day. We welcome guest

July 19th marks the 8th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, "Hiding in Plain Sight", Rev. Rula Colvin will be our special guest. Will focus on Matthew 13:24-30. Meditation on "Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven" arr. J. Jeyakumar for the Prelude. Worship Service will also include the hymns The God of Abraham Praise, Spirit of Faith, Come Down and Sweet, Sweet Spirit. A Musical Offering, How Great Thou Art by Terry Lewis, Harmonica.

July 12th marks the 7th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, "The Wrestler", Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "A New Name" will focus on Genesis 32:22–31. Hymn notes: “Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown” (UMH 386) Last Sunday, Jeff Harris sang and today WE sing what many consider Charles Wesley's masterpiece. Written in 1742, just four years after his own life-changing conversion, the hymn retells the mysterious story of Jacob wrestli

July 5th marks the 6th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, "The Wrestler", Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "What Goes Around" will focus on Genesis 29:15–28. The strategies we use to get what we want have a way of becoming the strategies others use against us — and God does not always rescue us from the consequences of the world we helped create. God is working even in the reversals. The twenty years Jacob spends in Haran are not a detour from the promise. Th

June 28th marks the 5th Sunday after Pentecost. This week, in the sermon series, "The Wrestler", Rev. Dr. Sam Parkes' sermon "Running into God" will focus on Genesis 28:10-19a. We assume that our worst moments — the ones where we are most alone, most exposed, most deserving of abandonment — are precisely the places where God is not. God shows up on the road away from everything, to a fugitive sleeping on a rock, and says: I am with you. I will not leave you. Not when you get