- Weekly Update 5/7
The story of faith is not one of arrival but of journey. The new butterfly’s struggle to push out of its confines produces a fissure that cannot be undone. There is no going back, the journey to a new existence has commenced. The post-resurrection story of Jesus opening the hearts of his fellow travelers along the road to Emmaus invites us to be companions of the one who will open us into the light of a new day.
Sunday, May 11, 2025
EMERGE – A Metamorphosis Moment
“Open: Into The Light”Behind the Curtain
Warning. This week’s Behind the Curtain has politics included, but my goal is to not be political. Bishop Berlin hosted a regional meeting last weekend in Gainesville. One of the things he told the audience is we, as the church, need to be prepared for what is coming from the policies being enacted by the government. You might have seen in the news that the number of cargo ships entering the United States is going down. I saw this week that four container boxes on a ship equates to one job. Cargo ships carry hundreds and even thousands of containers. That means there is a real impact to our neighbors and that is my focus. How can we help? Join us on Sunday and I will share with you the first step we are going to take to help our neighbor.
Pastor Steve
Upcoming Events
- 5/10 ROL Women’s Social at Stella’s home 2-4pm
- 5/11 Sunday Bible Study after worship
- 5/11 T.L.C. Youth Group 6-:30-7:30pm
- 5/13 Young Adult LGBTQ 4-6pm
- 5/14 Young Adult LGBTQ 11-1pm
- 5/16 Teen SYNC 6-8pm
- 5/20 Church Council Meeting at 6:30pm
Ladies Spring Social
Online Bible Study
Everyone welcome to join the online Bible Readings as we journey through the Book of Psalms. This is a 2 part series, Psalms 1-75 and then 76-150….5 chapters per week. You can join at any time and if you get behind, just skip to where we are! For those of you already in the Online studies, I will send you the next links. For anyone that wants to join, please reach out to stellakaypainter@gmail.com. March 1, 9am-1pm
Youth News
Congratulations to our graduating seniors!
Derek Rivers is 17 years old, born 09/21/2007. Graduating this year from Creekside High School with a 3.6 GPA. He also belongs to The National Society of High School Scholars, and was also a recipient of the St. Johns Count Character Award last year. Derek plans are to pursue playing Basketball in College, with a major is Sports Medicine, and a minor in Sports Management, is goal is to be a Physical Therapist while also continuing to be involved in Basketball at some level. He has had a few offers from Colleges to play Basketball, the 3 he may pursue is Barry University in Miami, the University of Fort Lauderdale, and locally Trinity Baptist College.
Chris Rhodes is graduating Biscayne High School! He is to continue working at Chik Fil A in the Avenues Mall and in the fall he’ll be going to FSCJ for HVAC tech.
Megan Hendel is graduating from FSCJ with a degree in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing. Congratulations Megan!
Zoe Yates is graduating from Creekside High School on May 16th. She was a 4-year member of the Track Team. She was also on the Cross-Country team for 2 years. She completed 4 years of the Teaching Academy at Creekside. Zoe loves working on and driving her car. To pursue this interest, Zoe plans to attend JTech to study Automotive Technology.
Opportunities to Serve
Seeking volunteers for Nursery, Preschool, Children’s Sunday School age, and Youth! Talk to Kayla and let’s get you set up!
HUGS Food Assistance for St. Johns County Youth Contact Margaret CampbellBirthdays and Anniversaries
Max Merchant – May 4
Mark Aubel – May 6
Theoren Murphy – May 8
Gloria Woodard – May 14
Kenny Henley – May 15
Bob Ritter – May 22
Deborah and Larry DeLeury – May 10
Sweena and Jacob Mani – May 10
Weekly Updates
The story of faith is not one of arrival but of journey. The new butterfly’s struggle to push out of its confines produces a fissure that cannot be undone. There is no going back, the journey to a new existence has commenced. The post-resurrection story of Jesus opening the hearts of his fellow travelers along the road to Emmaus invites us to be companions of the one…
As ever-emerging spiritual creatures, we cannot contain our selves — the selves God has created us to be. Coming out as people and as a church from what we have known into a new identity is filled with anxiety and unknowing. Emerging will take effort and surrendering to “the assurance of things hoped for” even though we cannot yet see what the future holds. Sunday, May…
This account of the last moments of the life of Jesus on the cross is often recognized, but sometimes missed, robbing us of the importance of what is happening. As Jesus breathes his last breath on the cross, he opens the doorway to God, our father, from that moment forward. The rending of the temple curtain carries a message for each of us. The barrier that was once…
Jesus’ words at the Last Supper were shocking to those in attendance. His words can seem familiar, even comforting to us because we hear these words every time we have communion. But at the moment of their utterance, they were anything but “usual.” This week, we enter the scene of that last supper long enough to get a grasp of the shock that would have rippled through…
Besides the Last Supper, Holy Week contains another important story that happens at dinner. Earlier in the week, Jesus and his followers gather for a meal, and a woman shows up unexpectedly to anoint Jesus in an extravagant show of devotion. To say she caused quite a “stir” might be understating it a bit. We imagine ourselves in the room and we see the looks of…
That last week, Jesus doesn’t “lay low.” He puts himself out there, susceptible to those who want to traphim, twist his words, get him to say something damning. He cannot turn from his vocation—he is not only a master teacher, but prophet and voice of the Divine. It is his ability to draw the people to his teachings that pose a threat, a challenge, to the authorities.…
Jesus’ response to a visit to the Temple in the midst of this busy, noisy, Passover “tourist season” is utter frustration turned to anger. With so much at stake, “business-as-usual” seems obscene. This can be true for us today. The banality of our everyday lives sometimes seems ludicrous in the face of such suffering around the world. But taking a moment inside the…
Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem at the beginning of Holy Week was full of risk. Rather than a nice impromptu celebration, it can be seen for the carefully planned and significantly symbolic event that would rub those in power the wrong way. In a moment already filled with tension, this “victory parade” had many implications, and as we know, many consequences. We will stop the…
The promised encounter with the resurrected Christ on the shore of the Sea of Galilee is told in the Gospel of John. Jesus, unrecognized at first by the disciples, instructs them to not give up in casting their nets. They will be alright. As usual, a meal is the setting for the reunion — a fitting context for the commission to go and feed God’s people out of our love…
Jesus teaches “many things” from a boat to a crowd that has gathered on the seashore. He teaches in parables, including the parable of the sower — “let everyone with ears to hear listen!” We often associate discipleship with “doing” — and certainly that is part of it. But we must also return time and again to the Teacher at the sea who offers us the stories that…