This Sunday, we will conclude our sermon series on rest with a heartfelt reflection as Pastor prepares to begin a three-month sabbatical next week after Ash Wednesday. Drawing on the mountaintop experiences in Exodus and the Transfiguration in 2 Peter, we’ll explore how rest is not just a pause from life’s work, but a time to be held, renewed, and prepared for the journey ahead. We’ll celebrate the rhythms of rest that sustain both pastors and congregations, and the ways God meets us in ordinary moments of presence, care, and shared life together.

Through this sermon, we hope to inspire the congregation to embrace rest in their own lives—whether through quiet reflection, prayer, or the simple joys of daily routines. As we send Jessie off with gratitude and hope, we’ll be reminded that the light and presence of God we glimpse on the mountaintop continues to guide and illuminate our path, even when we are back on the road of everyday life.

Link to readable sermon PDF

This Sunday’s service will invite us to slow down and listen for the quiet, steady voice of God who offers rest to our weary souls. We will explore spiritual rest not as escape or inactivity, but as a deep trust in God—our rock, refuge, and source of peace. In a world that glorifies busyness and self-reliance, we are called back to Sabbath rhythms, honest prayer, and a life grounded in reliance on God rather than constant striving. Together, we will reflect on what it means to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and shape the way we live.

This theme of rest and trust is especially fitting as we welcome new members into the life of our congregation. Becoming part of a church is not about earning belonging or keeping up with expectations, but about being received into a community centered on grace, patience, and shared faith. As we open our hearts to new members, we are reminded that this church is meant to be a place of refuge—a spiritual home where people can rest, grow, and walk together in Christ. In welcoming others, we also recommit ourselves to being a community where God’s peace dwells richly among us.

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This worship service explores the theme of social rest in our ongoing sermon series—this is the healing, holy work of being held in community and learning to hold one another. Together, we reflect on compassion fatigue, chosen family, authenticity, and the practice of detaching with love. We listen to the story of Moses, whose weary arms are held up by Aaron and Hur, and hear Paul’s vision of a community marked by genuine love, mutual care, and shared emotional and spiritual labor. Together, we consider how God never intends us to carry everything alone—and how rest can be found not only in solitude, but in supportive, truthful relationships.

Children participate through an embodied object lesson that illustrates how we can help hold each other up when we are tired, reminding us that even the youngest among us have a role in God’s caring community. This service invites worshipers of all ages to reflect on who their “Aaron and Hur” might be, where they need to receive support, and how they can offer presence and compassion without burning out. May this worship experience encourage you to practice social rest—rooted in love, sustained by community, and grounded in God’s grace.

Link to readable sermon PDF

This week’s worship service continues our Rest Assured sermon series with a focus on emotional rest—the kind of deep, inner peace God offers when our hearts feel overwhelmed, anxious, or worn down. Drawing from Isaiah 40:25–31 and Philippians 4:4–9, we reflect on God’s promise to renew the strength of the weary and to guard our hearts and minds with a peace that surpasses understanding. In a season when many are carrying more than they can hold, this service invites us to release what drains our inner life and to rest in God’s steady, renewing presence.

Through scripture, prayer, and song, we explore how emotional rest is nurtured through healthy boundaries, honest prayer, and attentiveness to what shapes our inner world. Rather than asking us to ignore our feelings or push through exhaustion, this service offers space to breathe, reflect, and receive God’s peace as a gift. Whether you are joining us in the sanctuary or online, we pray this time of worship will help create room within you for healing, calm, and renewed hope as you wait on the Lord.

NOTE: This Sunday, Pastor Jessie has pre-recorded her sermon (and children’s time), as she is out of town on the youth group’s annual winter retreat at River Valley Ranch.

Link to readable sermon PDF

Children’s Time

Scripture and Sermon

Benediction