New Life Lutheran Church

June 17, 2021 An Occasional Prayer: "For Entering a Hospital Elevator" Before I enter the room... Where I will see your face, Jesus, resting in a bed, Help me to recognize that, Beyond my right or wrong words, You reserve the right To be seen in me as well, By those I have come to see. Help us both, visitor and visited, To sense your holy presence. See more

If you know what it's like to care about someone enough to have told them, "Please, go get vaccinated, because I care about you and the people you love, and great labor has been expended to make this possible for you as a free gift," only to have them shrug it off with arrogant indifference, then maybe we can get why the writer of Hebrews is so passionate about holding out the offer of God's grace to us, too. It's not a product for sale that God needs to make a profit on. It's a gift that is free to us but costly for God. http://beinggraced.blogspot.com//please-dont-miss-out-may-

One day in glory the writer of Hebrews himself may come up to me, put an arm around my shoulder, and say with a heavy sigh, "You know, sometimes we wondered if you would ever really get it... but we didn't give up on you. God wouldn't let us." http://beinggraced.blogspot.com//the-grace-of-gods-persist

June 16, 2021 An Occasional Prayer: "On Noticing a Spider's Web" O Mercy, ... There is more beauty in a space as small as the palm of my hand than in the largest elegant mansion in our fair city. Do not let me miss these galleries at my feet. See more

A reminder in advance of this Sunday's word from Jesus... Biology isn't the source of our belonging. Jesus just says you belong.

We are constantly tempted to put our trust in things that are not reliable--our piles of money and the stock market, our status, our cultural sacred cows, our national myths (and the prejudices they often bring along with them), and certainly political parties, slogans, and candidates. They all so easily become golden calves that poise themselves to elbow out the living God who really is faithful and reliable. http://beinggraced.blogspot.com//learning-to-trust-may-17-

Thanks for all who came out to make tonight's Giant Size Game Night on the lawn so much fun! We're looking forward to a whole season of fun things for all ages, and we'd love you to be with us, too! Next Wednesday, up at New Life for TIE-DYE SHIRTS!

In this first of a new series, Pastor Steve looks ahead to this Sunday's Scripture reading from Mark 3:20-35--on Jesus as the thief of God, who is gathering all of us into his crew to set all people free from all that holds us captive. It's a conversation that moves us from a crowded house in Galilee... to heist movie plot lines... to a garden of tomatoes. Check it out here. https://youtu.be/Xy-4lA291l4

No better way to end a year of confirmation class than with a round of Catechism Jeopardy! and final project sharing. Thanks for a great year, students and mentors!

It turns out that God is a lot like the mother of a six-and-a-half year old kid who is fussing over the need to know his stuffed dinosaur is really his forever. http://beinggraced.blogspot.com//because-we-need-it-june-1

Here's a list of all of our Summer Night's series events coming starting in two weeks between New Life and sister congregation Hope! Check it out--and share with friends, neighbors, and all!

What if Jesus' list of things he see we need is different from our personal wish-lists? Can we dare to entrust ourselves into his hands, even if it means living in the tension of this messy world and all its contradictions? Join us for worship of the One who meets us there. https://youtu.be/FG9MB_0J00s

Just a reminder that starting THIS SUNDAY, June 6, we're resuming indoor singing in our Sunday mornings services, ending the spacing restrictions, and including more of what has been familiar in our liturgy! Here's a summary of what's happening and what it will look like!

Is it possible that Jesus might know what we most deeply need even better than we do with our personal wish-lists? Join us for Sunday School this week as Al and Pastor Steve explore what it means that Jesus prays for US! https://youtu.be/VviCYjgvVrY

I can't stop the talking heads, advertisers, social media posts from your angry racist uncles, or bloviating demagogues from making absurd claims that don't hold water, while they appeal to a vague "people are saying" kind of reasoning. But we can, like the writer of Hebrews, point people to the way God makes promises--and the cross that stands as evidence of the lengths God will go to in order keep them. http://beinggraced.blogspot.com//how-we-know-june-16-2021.

What does it mean to say that Jesus ascended into heaven--and where is he now? Does it mean he has abandoned us to fend for ourselves... or that he is somehow more present to all of us than he ever was before? Pastor Steve offers some thoughts on where to turn our attention today... https://youtu.be/cw5aEnIw3Sg

June 15, 2021--"For the Making of Signs" An Occasional Prayer I suppose we can’t help but bring some message into the world, Can we, God?... But with a million voices around, each shouting their sales-pitch, Let me use mine for something worth saying. Let me speak your love. See more

Thanks to some helpful hands (and a cheerleading photographer!) who planted flowers in the Garden of Remembrance this afternoon! What a beautiful spot to be in the presence of God in creation and to remember the saints to whom we are connected in Christ!

You know you want to be here to watch all these fall to the ground, don't you? You know you want to be the one pulling the stick out to make a giant Ker-Plunk sound, right? Well, join us tonight at 7:00pm at sister congregation Hope in Homer City, for the first in our season-long Summer Nights series, with whole yard full of giant-sized outdoor games, from Ker-Plunk (shown here) to bowling to pool noodle javelin to Giant-Sized Jenga, and more! All are welcome, all outdoors, no charge, and a perfect evening! We hope you can join us tonight--bring friends, neighbors, relatives, anybody! Wednesday, June 16, at 7:00pm here at Hope (35 Ridge Avenue, Homer City). It will be something to see for sure!

What if we're not afraid that nothing will change when we call on Jesus to move in our lives--what if we're actually afraid that EVERYTHING will change? What if it means we can't just "play" at church anymore, but have to be ready for the adventure of a lifetime? Look ahead with us to this coming Sunday’s message and Scripture from Mark 4:35-41. https://youtu.be/aPCBeVG3guo

Hey friends, good news! We've got a brand-new series starting on our weekly podcast with our Pastor Steve and colleagues in ministry Erica Wellner and Sarah Aasheim, so this is a great jumping on point to check it out! In this new series, pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve each highlight voices from the Christian family from traditions other than their own. Since Christianity spans two millennia, numerous spiritual traditions, theological perspectives, and denominational his...tories from around the world, there are a lot of people we can learn from, even while we own and claim our own traditions and heritages. In this first episode, Erica shares with us the work and witness of Richard Foster, who comes from the Quaker tradition, and who is well-known, among other things, for his book, Celebration of Discipline, which explores Christian faith practices, approaches to prayer, and other spiritual disciplines. Along the way, we'll explore how to bring our needs to Jesus, and how to listen for Jesus' call to each of us for what he would call us to do in any given moment. Join us for a new series highlighting some faithful voices spanning Christian history and tradition, here on Crazy Faith Talk! https://www.blogtalkradio.com//episode-227-voices-other-th

An Occasional Prayer June 14, 2021--After Rain With the trees sighing relief after the last rumble of thunder settles down... and falls asleep; with the cool evening air rich with petrichor; with the sliver of moonlight reflected in puddles on porch planks; I join my thanks to you, O Giver of the rain. See more

A bowling alley on the sidewalk beside the church? Foam noodle javelins? Giant-size Jenga blocks and more? We've got 'em--now we just need YOU to help us play with them! Join us at sister congregation Hope Lutheran in Homer City for the first of our 2021 Summer Nights series, on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer! This Wednesday, June 16, at 7:00pm, out in the church yard at Hope (35 Ridge Avenue, Homer City). Everybody's welcome! Bring a friend! Bring a stranger! Bring an enemy! Help us have fun together! Hope you can join us! And get ready for next week's Summer Night event at New Life!

We are called simply to keep putting one foot in front of the other, one day at a time, even when we can't see our destination... and even when we aren't quite sure how we'll get there. We walk with faith, and with patience. Paciencia y fe. http://beinggraced.blogspot.com//paciencia-y-fe-june-15-20

I need to say this, because I need you to know it is true: what you do matters. http://beinggraced.blogspot.com//keep-it-up-june-14-2021.h

The way God reigns is different from the bullies and braggarts of history's empires. God is at work in small, hidden, and surprising ways all around us, whether or not we recognize or understand what God is up to. And yet--we are invited into that Reign even now. That's good news! Here's our full worship service from June 13, recorded at New Life Lutheran Church. https://youtu.be/R9EB9_YZVpA