I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit.  Leviticus 26:4

The hymns and songs were selected weeks ago.  The sermon theme was also planned in advance, I would preach on grace. 

Sunday morning I woke to the sound of rain falling from the sky, and looked out into a dismal day – yet the rain is certainly a blessing as the ground table is low and the final crops of the summer are about to be harvested.

But then it happened:  those songs and hymns picked out weeks ago fit.  We opened with “Morning Has Broken” with the lyrics Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven like the first dew fall on the first grass. Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden, sprung in completeness where his feet pass.

Then we sang “Grace Like Rain” proclaiming “hallelujah grace like rain falls down on me and hallelujah and all my stains are washed away”

I work hard to make sure the liturgy, songs, hymns and sermon all match the them, and yet even with all my planning only God can amplify it.  God provided us with a dual blessing yesterday, the rain for our crops and the rain for our souls.

Look for God’s blessings in your life today,

Peace,

Pastor Bill

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” — Matthew 5:9

Twenty-five years ago, the world fractured before our eyes. For many of us, the memories of September 11, 2001, are still etched in sharp relief—the clear blue sky, the sudden shock, and the heavy cloud of grief that settled over our nation. For others in our church family, it is a historical milestone, a defining moment that shaped the anxious world they grew up in.

A quarter of a century has passed, yet we still live among the fractures. We see division in our communities, unrest in our world, and a persistent undercurrent of anxiety that whispers that we are never truly safe.

But as a people of faith, we do not anchor our souls in the stability of the world. We anchor them in the unshakeable kingdom of God.

Remembering “well” does not mean harboring bitterness or nursing old wounds. It means looking directly at the broken pieces of our history and choosing, by the grace of God, to be agents of healing. Jesus did not call us to be passive observers of peace, but active peacemakers. In a world that often demands vengeance, Christ calls us to step into the fractures with the audacity of hope.

Today, we honor those who were lost. We pray for the families who still carry a quiet, empty chair at their dinner tables. And we recommit ourselves to driving away vengeful impulses, stepping into our neighborhoods as instruments of reconciliation, comfort, and love. The light shines in the darkness, and 25 years later, the darkness has still not overcome it.

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

In a world that constantly tells us to prioritize our own desires, protect our own interests, and seek our own recognition, this scripture calls us to a radically different way of living. It invites us into a deep, family-like commitment where we deliberately outdo one another in showing respect and care.  This also reminds us of the “imago dei”, the Image of God found in each of us.  When we recognize God’s image in another, we treat them better, we honor them.

Through this week, let us practice Paul’s words by listening to others, serving quietly, speaking kindly and seeing God in each other.

Peace,

Pastor Bill