This Sunday, Pastor Jessie will reflect on a Civil Rights Pilgrimage taken with her mentor Pastor Dottie LaPenta during sabbatical. She will share some of the lessons, challenges, and inspirations that emerged from that journey. Through encounters with stories of courage, faith, suffering, and perseverance, the pilgrimage offered a deeper appreciation for those who labored for justice and a renewed understanding of how the church is called to participate in God’s work of reconciliation and healing.

As we approach Juneteenth and look ahead to our nation’s 250th anniversary, we will consider what it means to remember our history truthfully, give thanks for those who worked to bend the arc of history toward justice, and discern our own calling in the ongoing work of building beloved community. Together, we will explore how faith can move beyond remembrance into action, inviting us to become people of hope, courage, and repair in our own time.

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This Pentecost Sunday, as Pastor Jessie returns from sabbatical, we reflect on the surprising story of Eldad and Medad in Book of Numbers 11:24–30 — a story about the Spirit of God moving beyond expectations and through unexpected people. Together we will explore what it means to celebrate one another’s gifts without fear or competition, and how Pentecost calls the church into a Spirit-filled life of shared ministry, generosity, and joy. Join us as we ask what kind of community becomes possible when we trust that God’s Spirit is abundant enough for all.

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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