Easter Shout: Easter Sunday April 5 2026
Mary Magdalene weeps outside the empty tomb, overwhelmed by grief and convinced that someone has taken Jesus’ body, leaving her feeling powerless and alone. When Jesus calls her by name, he breaks through her sorrow, revealing himself and transforming her despair into recognition and hope. He then sends her to tell the disciples, and she becomes the first to proclaim the resurrection: “I have seen the Lord.”

What is Truth? A Good Friday, March 27, 2026
Pilate’s question “What is truth?” reveals his focus on political power and self-preservation rather than any deeper moral or spiritual truth, as he ultimately chooses to crucify Jesus to maintain order and protect his position. The worldly “truth” of power, violence, and control contrasts with the deeper truth revealed on the cross—God’s presence, love, and solidarity with the suffering. Good Friday exposes the illusion of human authority and reveals that true power lies in Christ’s sacrifice and God’s saving work.

Something New: Maundy Thursday March 26 2026
The task of foot-washing was reserved for the lowest and most overlooked people, revealing a radical redefinition of power and status. By serving even those who would betray or abandon him, Jesus shows that true leadership means lifting others up and treating all people with dignity. This act becomes the foundation of the “new commandment”—to use whatever power or position we have to love and serve others as he did.

Blindness and Sight: Lent 4, March 15, 2026
Like the disruptions of COVID-19, the story of Jesus healing the man born challenges our human tendencies toward blame and control. Suffering is not about assigning fault but about being open to revelation and the transformative “light” of Christ. The man born blind illustrates how accepting light leads to both insight and isolation, as others resist change. Even in disruption and separation, Christ remains present, bringing connection, meaning, and hope.

Playing the Part: Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026
A hypocrite is someone who wears a mask—pretending to be one thing outwardly while hiding their true self. Jesus warns against performing faith for others to see and calls us to humility, honesty, and self-reflection. The sign of the cross and the Lenten journey remind us to remove our masks, recognize our shared humanity, and remember that we are all equal before God.

Leaving is Following: Epiphany 3A January 25, 2026
The Epiphany moment when John’s disciples leave behind what they believed and committed to in order to follow Jesus, shows us that revelation often asks us to let go of what feels familiar and safe. Faith grows through testimony—sharing how God has met us in difficult turning points—just as Andrew shared his experience with Peter, allowing the church and discipleship to take root.

Turning Point Revelations: Epiphany 2A, January 18 2026
To follow Jesus is to remain open to revelation — even when it demands that we surrender what we once held dear. It is to delight in God’s will written on the heart. It is to live into the fellowship we are called into. And it is to invite others with the same simple words: “Come and see.”

God Breaks In: Christmas Eve 2025
Christmas is about God breaking into our world with light and hope, even in the darkest of times. We carry that hope into our daily lives and relationships.

Why We Return to God: Advent 2A Dec. 7 2025
Like those who sought out John the Baptist in the wilderness, we come to worship longing for renewal, courage, justice, and the assurance that we belong to God. He called us to repentance not as shame, but as transformation—an honest return to our shared story so we can step faithfully into the future God is preparing.

Keep Awake for the Coming Light: Advent 1A Nov. 30 2025
Pastor Craig reminded us that Advent is a season of wakefulness—an invitation to resist spiritual numbness and stay alert to God’s unfolding work in a weary world. He encouraged us to rise, prepare, and live expectantly, trusting that God’s light and justice are drawing near even when the night feels long.

Divine Justice: Proper 27, Pentecost +22 Nov. 9 2025
Pastor Craig emphasized that although our modern world feels chaotic, human time and its troubles don’t bind God, whose resurrection justice is rooted in mercy for all. Drawing on Job’s struggle and the reality that the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper, he urged us not to be consumed by distractions but to entrust them to God, who is big enough to hold our confusion and vulnerability.

Chase Messner Memorial, Tearing Apart the Roof Feb. 27 2025
A crowd gathers around Jesus, preventing a paralyzed man from reaching him, so his friends boldly lower him through the roof, demonstrating faith and love for someone who cannot help himself. Chase stood up for others, as the community now entrusts him to Jesus in their grief. It affirms that even in the face of painful loss, God’s forgiveness and resurrection power bring hope, healing, and the strength to live again.

Love is Defiant Freedom: C7 Epiphany Feb. 23 2025
Pastor Craig’s sermon explored Jesus’ command to love our enemies, emphasizing that love is not about changing others or feeling good about them but about reclaiming our own freedom. He illustrated this through Joseph’s story, showing that forgiveness acts as a tool that breaks the chains of resentment and sets us free to live generously, unshackled from cycles of hostility and retaliation.