As we wake up on this Saturday morning to news of increasing turbulence in our cities, and direct our prayers to the restoration of both peace and justice, we rely on God's Holy Spirit to do a work that we can not accomplish by our own strength or wisdom. Music Minister Anthony Spain's devotion for this Saturday reflects on the gift of God's Spirit at Pentecost. Come, Holy Spirit ...Acts 2:1-4When...  Read More

[Psalms 141-146 / Proverbs 29 / Acts 1:12-14]Hear my prayer, O Lord;give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness;answer me in your righteousness.Psalm 143:1Supplication struck me in our readings for this Thursday. It's an old fashioned word. In the King James Version of Acts 1:14, we're told that in the days between Jesus' ascension and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost the disciples,...  Read More

[A message from the Coronavirus Task Force]Thank you to so many who participated in our Zoom Town Hall on Sunday, May 24. It's clear that we all miss gathering together, and we were encouraged by the willingness to make the accommodations necessary to do this safely. We want to send you an update on our process and plans.The Governor yesterday released new guidelines for churches that allow for ga...  Read More

[Psalms 136-140 / Proverbs 28 / Matthew 5:44-46]O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,for his steadfast love endures forever.Psalm 136:1There is a Hebrew word, hesed, that is so rich in meaning we need a baker’s dozen of English words to translate it throughout the Old Testament: love, lovingkindness, mercy, steadfast love, grace, pity, devotion, and beauty just to name a few. Hesed describes ...  Read More

[Psalms 131-135 / Proverbs 27 / James 4:13-17]Do not boast about tomorrow,for you do not know what a day may bring.Proverbs 27:1Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.” Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishe...  Read More

[Psalms 126-130 / Proverbs 26 / 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17]I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,and in his word I hope;my soul waits for the Lordmore than those who watch for the morning,more than those who watch for the morning.—Psalm 130:5-6The psalms of ascent (Psalms 120-134) are 15 short psalms that were most likely sung by pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem three times a year for the great Je...  Read More

Thank you again to Anthony Spain for our Saturday devotion.One of the things to come out of this difficult time is how we have come to realize the importance of everyday interactions with people, no matter how insignificant they may initially appear. A couple of years ago my wife and I went for a two day getaway to Whidbey Island. The first morning, a brisk early April Day, I went out for a jog an...  Read More

[Psalms 106-110 / Proverbs 22 / Jonah 2]Psalm 107 is one of my top ten favorites, and the verses about those caught in storms reminded me this week of Jonah.Remember Jonah? Fleeing to Tarshish when the Lord sent him to Nineveh. If you have time today to read all four chapters of the story you won’t be sorry. Jonah is the whiniest prophet imaginable, and I have a soft spot for him and this beautifu...  Read More

[Psalms 101-105 / Proverbs 21 / John 14:16-18]This morning's devotion is morning prayer 21 from John Baillie's "A Diary of Private Prayer". You may follow that link to find his prayer for this evening as well. His line, "stay with me also when I am in my own home and among my family" is especially fitting in the season we currently inhabit. As we continue to journey through this season, remember J...  Read More

[Psalms 96-100 / Proverbs 20 / John 6:67-69]Ravi Zacharias was called home to the Lord this week. Ravi's life work articulated the truth of the gospel for the sake of inviting faith. In his book Jesus Among Other Gods: The Absolute Claims of the Christian Message he wrote:“I came to Him because I did not know which way to turn.I remained with Him because there is no other way I wish to turn. I cam...  Read More

[Psalms 91-95 / Proverbs 19 / Luke 8:22-25]"In stormy times, how do you act in faith? How do you have the fearless ability to look at the storm and not be so scared?" This is Tim Keller's opening question in this 5 minute video devotional from the series  called "Trusting God in Difficult Times."One of the gifts of the past couple of months is the fantastic material that many teachers and organiza...  Read More

[Psalms 86-90 / Proverbs 18 / John 8:31-32]Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Jn. 8:31-32How do we live free from fear or guilt?I have a friend who remains remarkably resilient even in the most anxious and demanding times. He described once what he would do whe...  Read More