This Wednesday: Modern Worship Collective @ 6:30 pm

Greetings!

This Sunday, we gather around Matthew 3:1-11, where John The Baptist is out in the wilderness calling people to repent.

This week's theme in our sermon series is loving ourselves. In Jesus's second commandment, He calls us to love and care for ourselves so that we can love and care for our neighbors. But let's be honest, loving ourselves isn't always easy. It can be scary to receive love from others, and sometimes we may even feel unworthy of it, leaving us unwilling or unable to extend that same love to those around us. 

This Sunday, we'll celebrate the repentance John the Baptist proclaimed through the sacred act of Baptism, a profound surrender to Christ in self-love. And when I say celebrate, I truly mean it: we'll be baptizing one of our precious little ones and blessing all our children. One thing I adore about children is how they remind us of a time when we surrendered to love, both for ourselves and for others, with far more ease and grace than we often do as adults. 

Whether you're new to faith, been here "forever," questioning, or seeking a spiritual community that celebrates the humanity of all kinds of people and God's good creation, this is a congregation that welcomed you as you are. So come as you are! This Ordinary Time/ Pentecost season we celebrate the integration of God's teachings in our lives and do so in community with a spirit of love and hope. 

Yours and almost back to 100%,

Pastor Annanda 

Please join us immediately following the Sunday service for our Coffee Hour (in-person in Trinity Court or online via Zoom).

bit.ly/SVPCCoffeeHour

Theme for Sunday

“How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you.”

Rupi Kaur, Milk and Honey

Questions for Reflection

• Where in your life do you resist receiving God's love for you? God's love may be trying to reach you in ways that might be different than you expected.

• What ways do you feel worthy and unworthy of love and care? Be very gentle and very honest with yourself. (Extra Credit: strike up a conversation with God about what you've uncovered and end that conversation in prayer.)  

• Children often embody trust and openness to love without reservation, what might God be inviting you to release: fear, pride, self-sufficiency, jealousy, to reclaim that childlike willingness to receive and give love? 

Matthew 3:1-11 CEB

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the desert of Judea announcing, “Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!” He was the one of whom Isaiah the prophet spoke when he said:

The voice of one shouting in the wilderness,

“Prepare the way for the Lord;

make his paths straight.”

John wore clothes made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey.

People from Jerusalem, throughout Judea, and all around the Jordan River came to him. As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to be baptized by John. He said to them, “You children of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon? Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. And don’t even think about saying to yourselves, Abraham is our father. I tell you that God is able to raise up Abraham’s children from these stones. The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and tossed into the fire. I baptize with water those of you who have changed your hearts and lives. The one who is coming after me is stronger than I am. I’m not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.