1 John 5:1-5

John Wesley believed in the radical love and acceptance of all humans. He believed in the Imago Dei. Every person was created in the image of God. This moved him to go to the poor working class in Bristol, England and preach outdoors to large numbers. John also brought recrimination on his ministry in Bristol by being an outspoken opponent to slavery. Bristol was a central market for slaves, and there were many wealthy people who would stand to lose if slavery was abolished. The eighteenth-century world was a challenge for young John Wesley. His spiritual life and his public holiness can serve as an example for us as we interact as followers of Christ in our current world.

Luke 13:6-9 and Psalm 85

The Founders of our nation built a government that anticipates human failure. Our civic life includes ways to pause, evaluate, change course, and begin again. That does not make our nation perfect, but it does reveal something hopeful: we are not trapped forever by every mistake we make. As we begin this series reflecting on our nation, we will explore how this imperfect experiment can remind us of the deeper grace of God — a grace that tells the truth about failure, tends what is wounded, and makes redemption possible for all God’s people.

Esther 4:10-17

On this Sunday, Pastor Michelle will give us an update on this fiscal year’s budget, the budget for the year ahead beginning July, and discuss with us the plans for how we will determine what we do with the land to the west of the church building. We find ourselves in extraordinary circumstances. And when that happens, the call on our life from God will lead us into extraordinary things.