by Amy Norton, May 30, 2024
This Sunday, we have the joy of celebrating our confirmation class and the educational and spiritual journey they have taken. Over the past church ‘semester,’ our confirmation class has been diving into some pretty big questions: What is faith? Who is God? Who is Jesus? What is the Holy Spirit? What does it mean to be a Christian in the world? What does it mean to be a member of United Parish? And much, much more…they’ve explored the Bible; and they’ve delved into prayer, spiritual practices, and some Very Big Questions, such as, “Did God create a multiverse?”, “What were Jesus’ emotions when being… Read More
by Kent French, May 23, 2024
In the liturgical calendar, this Sunday is Trinity Sunday, a tradition dating back to medieval times, in which the church pays attention to the doctrine of the trinity. It’s how we try to make some sense of the unfathomable nature of God. This weekend is also Memorial Day, an American tradition that began in the waning days of the Civil War, when families began decorating the graves of the war dead. As writer Ben Irwin notes here: “If you feel conflicted over Memorial Day, you’re not alone. On the one hand, it is right we should honor those who sacrificed… Read More
by Kent French, May 16, 2024
During the season of Eastertide (April 1-May 18 this year), we focus on our Stewardship and how we collectively support the overall ministry of United Parish, as we “Imagine Together” how we make an impact in the world around us. This Sunday is Consecration Sunday, when we bring forth our financial and time and talent pledges for our new program year (July 2024-June 2025). More information about Stewardship 2024 here. We will also hear from all three of our choirs: Adult, Children’s and Handbells! When was the last time you went for a walk or ride out in nature? Jesus… Read More
by Amy Norton, May 09, 2024
During the season of Eastertide (April 1-May 18 this year), we focus on our Stewardship and how we collectively support the overall ministry of United Parish, as we “Imagine Together” how we make an impact in the world around us. Did you know that every person in the photo to the left has struggled with mental illness? This Sunday, we are giving special focus to spreading awareness around mental health and reducing the stigma of mental illness. Our Mental Health Ministry Team has collaborated on putting together a special worship service to help us move further towards God’s call to… Read More
by Amy Norton, May 02, 2024
During the season of Eastertide (April 1-May 18 this year), we focus on our Stewardship and how we collectively support the overall ministry of United Parish, as we “Imagine Together” how we make an impact in the world around us. This Sunday we follow the story of Nicodemus, as he appears three times in the Gospel of John. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, first approaches Jesus in the dead of night, carrying some big theological questions. As our worship curriculum explains, “Not only did Jesus respond rather cryptically to Nicodemus’ initial inquiry, but Jesus went on to excoriate the old man, essentially… Read More
