May-June 2025 Newsletter
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May 2025
March 2020
“Sacraments”/Matthew 28: 16, 18-20; I Corinthians 11:23-26/Rev. Rodger Allen/3.1.2020
{This worship service included the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper} A popular complaint among teenagers in high school and college goes something like this: “How will studying this stuff help me in my life’s work? Why do I have to memorize this piece of information, or take this dumb class? What does it have to do with anything?” For example: “Why are they making me take French? I’m going into banking, in the United States. When will I ever need French?” Or: “Why should I learn long division? I plan to have a calculator with me anytime I need to do math, ever.” Or: “Who cares what’s the capital of Venezuela?” […]
February 2020
“And Now the God-Side”/Matthew 17:1-9; II Peter 1:16-19/Rev. Rodger Allen/2.23.2020
Easter, I’m sure most of you know, moves around a bit on the calendar. It’s not the same date every year, like Christmas is December 25th, or the fourth of July is, well, the fourth of July – except in Paris, Illinois where it isn’t any more. Easter is determined by a kind of complicated formula, having to do with the first day of Spring and the first full moon after that. […]
October 2019
“One Gave Thanks”/Luke 17: 11-19, Psalm 107: 1-3, 15/Rev. Rodger Allen/10-27-19
By this time in Jesus’ ministry, the time of his final journey to Jerusalem, he was well-known as a teacher and a healer throughout the countryside around Jerusalem and Galilee. By this time, it would come as no surprise when he was recognized and approached by those wanting help. In this story, the ones wanting help are ten people suffering from a bad skin disease, ten whom we have come to know as “lepers.” Lepers, as you may know, may have been the most feared and rejected members of Middle Eastern society. Some people thought their disease was a punishment sent by God because they were bad people; others thought the condition was terribly contagious. It turns out both were wrong. Whatever the reason, they were outcasts, “untouchables,” given up as permanently lost and virtually dead. If we were to describe them in the “Upstairs Downstairs” terms of last month’s sermon, we would have to put them in the lowest basement. […]
Is Your God Too Small?/Psalm 68: 4-10, 19-20, 34-35; Jeremiah 32:27; Colossians 1:15-20/Jeanette Levellie/10.13.19
Have you ever said, “Impossible!” about a situation in your life or someone you love? I’m ashamed to admit it, but I said that to God back in 1993. A church in West Virginia had hired my husband, Kevin, to be their pastor. Two conflicts arose as soon as Kevin agreed to accept their offer. We couldn’t sell our house in LA. And our son, 13 at the time, became very depressed about leaving his friends and moving across the country where he didn’t know anyone. I was worried that he might harm himself. […]