This Wednesday: Evensong @ 7 pm

Dear Friends,

This Sunday, we come to worship focused on Acts 11:1-18, the scripture where Peter shares his vision of God's inclusivity, to expand beyond the religious laws and culture he was raised to believe. Like Peter, we are called to set aside our assumptions and embrace God’s surprising grace—extending beyond what we deem possible. Join us as we explore how this transformative message challenges and renews our faith today.

This Sunday we'll have a conversation with Jenna Burkhalter, our recent Director of Children's Ministry and Inclusion, about how she felt God's call to advocate for the full inclusion of children and people who are neurodivergent or have other disabilities. Join us in celebrating her ministry and growing in the expansion of our lived faith. 

Whether you're new to faith, been here "forever," are 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 welcomes you as you are. So come as you are! This Easter season we celebrate that you are worthy of God's power to overcome sin and death in your life and in our community. 

Yours in this Easter season of celebration,

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

"Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within." 

James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time

Acts 11:1-18

Now the apostles and the brothers and sisters who were in Judea heard that the gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?” Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners, and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I replied, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But a second time the voice answered from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, “Then God has given even to the gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”