COA presents: CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?

We give many, many thanks to Butch Rodak, who was the creative mastermind that arranged the music and even composed his own original song for this production. We also thank Mike Jarjoura for organizing the recording of all the various singers and instrumentalists and Anna Latta for a gorgeous job with video and editing everything to make it one beautiful masterpiece that we can enjoy for many Christmases to come.

This last week of this short sermon series, we explore Joseph’s role in the life of Jesus and in our Christmas story. This week, we fast forward to Jesus moving into his adult ministry. We find that the people who know Jesus best from His hometown do not know how to accept who He really is. They call Him the “carpenter’s son”, and He winds up not being able to accomplish anything with them. Where also do we find that we think we know who God is and how we expect to encounter God?

Link to readable sermon PDF

Video Link to a story of someone helped by the Christmas Joy Offering (PCUSA)—to give, click Give Now button on our website

This week, we explore how Joseph continues to be open to God; open enough that he uproots his life to protect Jesus from a violent corrupt leader. Jesus was scandalous and in danger from the moment He is born because the world already was beginning to recognize that God was doing something amazing and new with Him. What role does someone like Joseph play in God’s work?

(Also check out this brief video created by UNICEF interviewing another refugee dad like Joseph: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10156045238205797)

Link to readable sermon PDF

This morning we enter into the season of Advent AND a brand new church year! Advent is a time of waiting and expectation: a time for hope, peace, joy and love as we count the days until Christmas when our God comes to us as one of us in Jesus. But in this season this year, we will be focusing on one of the characters around Jesus who made his life possible: his earthly, adoptive father Joseph. Joseph is often the forgotten figure in the background of the nativity sets, but his “yes” to God was crucial for every one of us. Join us in the next three weeks to learn more about him and to consider how we too might say “yes” to God’s leading.

Link to readable sermon PDF

The worship service and sermon are delivered today by guest minister, Rev. Dottie LaPenta. The sermon is titled, When Things Run Amok.