NEWS

by Gretchen Watkins Matthew 3:17; Galatians 4:4-5 When my daughter Phoebe was in first grade, I visited her school one day. One of her friends saw me and instead of saying, “Hi, Ms. Gretchen” or “Hi, Mrs. Watkins,” she said, “Hi, Phoebe’s Mom!” And I loved it. When my son Phillip was very young, he also had friends who would call me “Phillip’s mom.” And I loved it. Being known as Phillip or Phoebe’s mom is one of the most special ways I can think to be identified. I also lo

by Jeff McKinney Luke 2:10-14; John 3:16; Philippians 2:5-8 As we engage in this sacred season of Lent, we are reminded of the profound connection between the birth of Jesus and the journey to the cross. The miraculous event of Jesus’ birth, celebrated at Christmas, lays the foundation for the meaning of his suffering, death, and resurrection. This devotional invites us to reflect on how the incarnation of Christ informs our Lenten journey toward Easter. The Gift of Incarnati

by Jeff McKinney James 4:8; Matthew 4:1-11; 6:9-13; 6:16-18; 25:40 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” — James 4:8 As we enter the season of Lent, we are invited to embark on a journey of reflection, repentance, and renewal. This sacred time, traditionally lasting 40 days (excluding Sundays), mirrors the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). It provides us with an opportunity to intentionally draw closer to God through various practices

by Dwight Hartman I didn’t grow up in a church environment. Nope, I’m not one of those Presbyterians- my-entire-life type people. I would go to church as a very young boy (that has been described) for “social and cultural” reasons. I wasn’t even a follower of Christ until my early 30s. I didn’t have a rhythm of spirituality or sense of a church calendar to follow. Those were foreign concepts to me, and maybe to you too. We enjoy the Reformed, egalitarian (we ordain women)

by Katie Ray Last year, I was able to bring the message to our Ash Wednesday service and this year I'm so excited to kick off our 40 days of Lent Devotionals. Five years ago, I traveled to Indianapolis with my friend, Keight. We were there ministering to a friend whose husband had a life-threatening surgery. After we knew he was okay, we stepped out for fresh air. We came across the electric scooters you often see in cities and started riding. A toxic trait about me is that I