November 16th Worship Service
We are a very busy church, and we reach far out into our community. We spend approximately10 thousand dollars each year helping to support up to a dozen mission projects, both in the community and around the world. We have special programs such as Hanging the Greens and a Christmas Program during Advent, Cantatas, and we’ve reinvigorated our Hand Bell Choir. We continue to develop our Praise Team, and our musicians have expended to bass and rhythm guitars. Our Church in the Park, every Sunday, brings God’s Word and Love to people of our community who would never think of coming into our sanctuary. We continue our Pop-Up Worship spreading God’s Word and Love to Santa Paula. Every Wednesday afternoon we support the Spirit of Santa Paula food pantry. We support AA meetings and support Sunday services for the Church of the Revival. And we find time for the normal church stuff like the men’s bible study, women to women, Sunday Bible Study, and a Friday afternoon prayer group. We even find time for regular Sunday Worship Services.
It requires a combination of time, talent and treasure to keep our doors open, and so this morning we dedicated the pledges we have received to God’s work in our lives.
Leader: Almighty and Everlasting God, we give You thanks this day as we gather the pledges of support for Your Church in the coming year. We bring them before You with eager anticipation and hope/
All: Hear Us, O God, as we give You our thanks and praise.
Leader: For those whose lives have been touched by Your Spirit, who have increased their commitment.
All: We give You thanks and praise.
Leader: For those who are responding to Your Creative grace by pledging for the first time.
All: We give You thanks and praise.
Leader: For those who are tithing, and even exceeding a tithe.
All: We give You thanks and praise.
Leader: For those whose lives are in transition or turmoil who feel they cannot pledge, but will continue to be a vital part of our community.
All: We give You thanks and praise and pray for calm in their lives.
Leader: For committee workers who have labored in this effort to enable Your people to make a pledge of support for Your Church.
All: We give You thanks and praise.
Leader: That each one of us, and Your whole Church, become more faithful to the call of service in Jesus Christ.
All: We ask Your continuing guidance and care.
Leader: That these pledges may emerge as real gifts, thereby enabling the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ to move forward through the congregation and the Church universal.
All: In the name of Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to this action. Amen and Amen.
Join us for our November 16th Worship Service.
Photos: Santa Paula Pop-Up / Worship in the Park / Our Congregation / Wednesday Women to Women / Praise Team / Lesotho Orphanage
November 9th Worship Service
On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month of 1918 in Reims, France the leaders of the Allied Forces and Germany met, and signed documents ending World War I. In 1938 this event resulted in the Armistice Holiday. Since then, the date has been incorporated with Remembrance Day and in 1954 was renamed Veterans Day. It is a day when we thank those who have served in the military, and remember those who while in the service, made the ultimate sacrifice and did not come home.
This morning we began our service with a Veteran’s Day Litany:
Leader: Heavenly Father, thank you that you are our ever-present help in times of trouble. We thank you for the servicemen and women in our military currently serving around the globe.
ALL: We give thanks for courage, for love of country, for those who work to bring peace to our world.
Leader: We ask that you would be with them and help them in times of trouble.
All: We pray that you would draw near to them as they spend long periods of time away from their families.
Leader: We thank you for the freedom we enjoy because of their work.
All: Challenge us to love the warrior but hate the cost of war.
Leader: Give them the strength to overcome everything that stands against them today. Sustain them through your unfailing love.
All: We give thanks, Gracious God, that you remain with us as we celebrate the service of all who dared to go forth in our name Remind us that war is a failure by to overcome hatred with love, justice with righteousness, violence with peace. We give thanks for those who protect us from such failures. May we truly be Your people and be makers of peace. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Join us for our November 9th Worship Service.
Photo: Located about 7 miles south of Florence, Italy is the Florence American Cemetery Memorial. The memorial covers about 70 acres complete with monuments, maps, and the resting place of 4,402 American soldiers who died in the liberation of Italy during World War II.
Ordinary Time 2025
That period from the end of Easter to Christ the King Sunday
Following Pentecost on Jun 8th we entered into the final season of the Christian Calendar. In 2025 this runs from June 12th until the first Sunday of Advent on November 30th when the Christian Year starts. After rushing through the events leading up to the birth of the Christ Child (Advent), the celebrations of Christmas, the time of manifestation and awareness during Epiphany, the time of meditation during Lent, and finally the triumphs of the Easter resurrection ending with the gift of the Holy Spirit we now have a time of contemplation, learning and review as we figure out what this season means.
photos from: Jesus from the Baptistry Florence Italy (1225 CE) / the spark of God, Sistine Chapel Vatican, Italy, (Michelangelo 1508-1512) / Jesus and angels, Basilica of San Vitale, Revenna, Italy, (6th Century)
Join us for our Ordinary Time messages.
Join us for our November 9th Worship Service.
Join us for our October 26th Worship Service. Join us for our November 2nd Worship Service.
Join for our October 12th Worship Service Join us for our October 19th Worship Service
Join us for our September 21st Worship Service. Join us for our September 28th Worship Service.
Joins us for our August 31st Worship Service. Join us for our September 7th Worship Service
Join us for our August 10th Worship Service. Join us for our August 17th Worship Service.
Join us for our July 27th Worship Service. Join us for our August 3rd Worship Service.
Join us for our July 13th Worship Service. Join us for our July 20th Worship Service.
Join us for our June 29th Worship Service Join us for our July 6th Worship Service.
Join us for our June 15th Worship Service. Join us for our June 22nd Worship Service.
EASTER
As Lent ends we enter into the Easter Season. Easter Sunday is the first Sunday, after the first full moon, after the Spring Equinox (March 20th or 21st) and this year, because of the late full moon, Easter falls on April 20th. Easter Sunday, or Resurrection Sunday is recorded in each of four New Testament Gospels.
In synoptic terms Jesus has made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the preceding Sunday (Palm Sunday) and taken up residence in the temple courtyard, after clearing the money changers and the sellers of sacrificial offerings (done in Mark, Matthew and Luke). Jesus is explaining the new kingdom God is going to bring into being.
The fact that the people are listening to Jesus, and Jesus is berating the Temple Priests and religious leaders, is upsetting the status quo. Temple Leadership decides that something must be done to stop Jesus. Jesus is arrested, taken to trial before the Temple Priesthood, and then before Pilot, the Roman Governor. In a matter of minutes he is condemned to be crucified on the cross.
The speed of these events was not out of the ordinary. As the Governor this was within Pilot’s power, and Pilot had one directive to follow, keep the peace so that taxes could be easily collected. If Jesus was causing tensions, as the priesthood claimed, then eliminating Jesus was the simple solution to the problem.
Jesus was taken to the hill of Calgary, where he hung on the cross for a approximately three hours, and died. Special permission was received to remove the body, which was taken to a nearby tomb. The body was wrapped in cloth, a stone was rolled to seal of the tomb entry, and guards were placed at the entrance.
The following Sunday, three days later, the women came to the tomb to prepare the body for a proper burial, and discovered the body gone. There is a unique resurrection story described in each of the Gospels, but basically Jesus was raised from the dead.
It is through Jesus’ resurrection we have Jesus as the center of the Christian Church, our God incarnate who walked among His people. Through his the sacrifice of His death we receive forgiveness of our sins. Through His power to overcome death we receive the gift of eternal life.
During the season of Easter we will celebrate the time following of the resurrection that Jesus spent with the disciples.
Join us for our June 8th Pentecost Worship Service. Join us for our June 1st Worship Service.
Join us for our May 25th Worship Service. Join us for our May 18th Worship Service.
Join us for our May 11th Mother’s Day Worship Service. Join us for our May 4th Worship Service.
Join us for our Easter Sunday April 20th Worship Service. Join us for our April 27th Worship Service.
Art Work: Annunciation of the Lord, da Vinci, Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy / Jesus Betrayal, Fra Angelico 1440-5 Convent of San Marco, Florence, Italy / Christ Before Pilate, Duccio 1311, Museo dell Opera Metropoliana del Duomo, Siena, Italy
LENT
Lent is a time of Repentance, Reconciliation and Redemption as we prepare ourselves to receive the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday. Lent is the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. The 40 days reaches back to the time Jesus spent in the desert following his baptism in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke.
The math is a little difficult. This year starts on March 5th and runs until April 29th. Counting this comes out to six weeks equaling 42 days 4 days from March 5th to March 8th . While this adds up to 46 days, it includes six Sundays, which are not included in Lent. These are days of celebration, because they are days worshiping our Lord.
And so we spend the next six weeks in contemplation about our relationship within our community, our families and friends, and most importantly our relationship with our God. What is right, and what needs correction as try to prepare ourselves for the most important relationship of all time, that goes back to gift given over 2,000 years ago. The gift of grace, which gives us freedom and life.
Join us for our Psalm Sunday Worship Service. Join us for our April 6th Worship Service.
Join us for our March 23rd Worship Service. Join us for our March 30th Worship Service.
Join us for our March 16th Worship Service. Join us for our March 9th Worship Service.
Art Work: Annunciation of the Lord, da Vinci, Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy / Jesus Betrayal, Fra Angelico 1440-5 Convent of San Marco, Florence, Italy / Christ Before Pilate, Duccio 1311, Museo dell Opera Metropoliana del Duomo, Siena, Italy
EPIPHANY
Epiphany comes from the Greek, meaning manifestation. Starting on January 6 the season lasts until Ash Wednesday, March 5th and the start of Lent. The purpose of the season to recognize the times Jesus is acknowledged as the Son of God, the answer to God’s promise of redemption leaning back to the prophets.
Recognition is seen in several instances. The most celebrated is the visit of the Magi following the heavenly star and bringing gifts to the Christ child. Other examples include the presentation of Jesus at the temple and being recognized by Anna and Simeon. Another example is Jesus’ baptism, first when he is recognized by john and again when coming out of the water the heavens open, the spirit in the form of a dove descends and the voice of God saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Another is the miracle of changing water into wine.
Join us for our February 23rd Worship Service. Join us for our March 2nd Worship Service.
Join us for our February 9th Worship Service. Join us for our February 16th Worship Service.
Join us for our January 26h Worship Service. Join us for our February 2nd Worship Service.
Join us for our January 12th Worship Service. Join us for our January 19th Worship Service.
Art Work: Jesus' Baptism: Marco Monastery Florence, Fra Angelico, 1418 / Jesus casts out demons: Basilica St. Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna / Marriage at Cana: Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, Italy, Giotto di Bondone, 1305 / Three Magi Going to Jesus: Basilica St. Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna:
CHRISTMAS
It is the season of Christmas, December 25th - January 5th. We have spent the last four weeks preparing our hearts, minds, and soles to receive the gift God sent to His people, Himself to be sacrificed, that His peoples sins may be washed away, and they can be with Him, eternally. But why 12 days for the season?
The Christmas Season, also known as Christmastide, goes back to the Council of Tours meeting in 567 who proclaimed the 12 days between Christmas (the birth) and Epiphany (the Magi Recognition) as the Christmas Season. The main purpose is celebrate. After the 4 weeks of fasting, introspection and preparation to receive Jesus into our lives, now is the time to celebrate our acceptance.
Significant event during Christmastide include: December 25: Jesus’ birth / December 26: feast of St. Stephen (Good King Wenceslaus) / December 27: feast of John the Apostle / December 28: feast of the Holy Innocents (children killed on Herod’s order) / December 29: murder of Thomas Becket 1170 (Archbishop of Canterbury) / December 30: remembrance of John Wyclif 1395 (translated the Bible to English…martyred because) / January 1: circumcision of Jesus / January 2: remembrance of Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah, 1945 Bishop of South India / January 6: beginning of Epiphany, the Magi (manifestation).January 4: remembrance of Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1821, founder of the United States parochial school system / January 5: Epiphany Eve, remembrance of the Desert Mothers (women ascetics living in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, Syria 4th & 5th century) / January 6: Epiphany begins, Magi visit (manifestation).
Join us for our December 29th Worship Service. Join us for our January 5th Worship Service.
ADVENT
No one is sure when Advent, the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, came into the Christian schedule, but it was well established by the year 480, and so we have been celebrating the birth of Jesus, God’s gift to humanity, for well over 1500 years. Advent actually takes place on three levels. The first is the physical birth of Jesus in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. The second is the reception of Jesus into the hearts of the believers. Finally, there is the awaited presence of when Jesus returns to the earth and brings about the world of His desire.
Advent is celebrated in many ways. There is always the decorating of the church with a Christmas Tree, Christmas Wreathes, special programs and litanies, Christmas Cantatas, and almost in each church the lighting of the Advent Candles.
It is our way of celebrating the birth of Jesus, God’s gift to a world in sin, and the source of our salvation. An event well worth celebrating, and preparing for.
Join us for our December 15th Worship Service. Join us for our December 22nd Worship Service.
Join us for our December 1st Worship Service. Join us for our December 8th Worship Service.
