Dear Members and Friends of Immanuel UCC, Here we are, almost midway through the Church Calendar. We began the church year with Advent and focused on four words from John’s prologue: life, light, glory, grace. Since Christmas, we have been focusing on “The Questions of Jesus”. Out of the 307 different questions Jesus asks, he answers less than 10. Clearly, Jesus does…
Dear Members and Friends of Immanuel United Church of Christ, Advent is just around the corner and with it comes our return to the story of the Christ. This year we will journey with Jesus through the Gospel of John. John’s gospel does not begin with the traditional Christmas stories we find in Matthew and Luke. John is far more ambitious; he…
Dear Members and Friends of Immanuel, Every year around this time we talk about stewardship. At its heart, stewardship is not just about money. Certainly, we need financial support if we are to maintain and continue our ministries here at Immanuel. But stewardship is so much more: It is about using all the resources God has given us – our talents, abilities,…
3:00 p.m. Prayer Praise be to you, O Lord, who spins shining stars across the wondrous heavens and stretches out the seas, who lifts the dawn into place and sets boundaries for night. who awes the earth with storms and gentles it with green, who gives everything a season and breathes life and love into the dust of me. Praise be to…
6:00 p.m. Prayer O Eternal One, it would be easier for me to pray if I were clear and of a single mind and a pure heart; if I could be done hiding from myself and from you, even in my prayers. But, I am who I am, mixture of motives and excuses, blur of memories, quiver of hope, knot of fear,…
6:00 p.m. Prayer and Scripture Welcoming Prayer: Celtic Prayer…. I weave a silence on to my lips, I weave a silence into my mind, I weave a silence within my heart. I close my ears to distractions, I close my eyes to attractions, I close my heart to temptations. Calm me, O LORD, as you stilled Still me, O LORD, keep me from…
Dear Congregation, As announced at this morning’s service, Immanuel Church will make space for “Three Days of Prayer and Fasting” from Monday, October 26 to Wednesday, October 29, culminating in a Prayer Service Wednesday Night at 7:00 p.m. Our inspiration for this is Novahu’s call for 3 days of prayer and fasting after Terri’s passing. During this time, Hindus, Muslims, and Christians…
Dear Members and Friends of Immanuel UCC, By now you’ve certainly heard about the passing of our beloved Terri Tybring. If you have not, then it is with a heavy heart that I pass on this news to you. Terri was a faithful minister to so many. She will be greatly missed by us all. It is in light of my deep…
J. Todd Billings is a theology professor who was diagnosed with an incurable cancer in the fall of 2012 at age 39. His book, Rejoicing in Lament: Wrestling with Incurable Cancer and Life in Christ, is a collection of his theological and personal reflections in light of his terminal disease. Whether one likes it or not, cancer puts one’s life in a…