Hashtags: Vacation Time!

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Photo by Robin Birkel

It’s vacation time!Join us for worship on Sundays at 10 a.m. for our Vacation Tweets sermon series.  These phrases, such as “are we there yet” and “this is the life” are so universal. We’re looking forward to how our pastors relate them to our growing as disciples of Christ. If you have a Twitter account, feel free to use the hashtags! (Hint: our Twitter handle is @PrincetonUMC)

June 26: #didweforgetanything            Donald Brash

July 3: #imtooexcitedtosleep                Jana Purkis-Brash

July 10: #arewethereyet                       ASP Team

July 17: #thisisthelife                            Catherine Williams

July 24: #itsraining                               Jana Purkis-Brash

July 31: #idontwanttogoback              Jana Purkis-Brash

Come early to join in the hymn sing (9:45). A nursery is available and children will enjoy the Summer Sundays: Fun Plays program. Everyone is welcome and, yes, the church is air-conditioned!

Ashes to Go: February 10

2016 feb ashes to go“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
This year our pastoral staff will again be offering Ashes to Go to busy Princeton community members. From 9:30 to 11:30 am we will gather outside our church on Nassau Street and offer ashes to those who are unable to visit church on Ash Wednesday, February 10, reminding them of the start of this holy Lenten season.  For our traditional Ash Wednesday services, Scott Sherrill will preach at noon and Jana Purkis-Brash at 7:30 p.m.

Anger: Healthily Spiritual?

How can anger be spiritually healthy? On Sunday, January 10 at 9:30 and 11, with Ephesians 4: 26-31 as her text, Rev. Jana Purkis-Brash continues the sermon series “A Healthy Spirituality: Inside Out,” referencing the Pixar movie. Her texts will be Ephesians 4: 26-31 and Mark 3:1-5. The Youth Choir, directed by Tom Shelton, will sing “Sanctuary” and “Gift of Love” at the 9:30 service, and Hyosang Park will direct the Chancel Choir in “Inscription” by Z.R. Stroope. Catherine Williams will speak to the children at Children’s Time. All are welcome! Join us for coffee and finger food after each service.

 

 

Landscape of Lent: Palms

2014 4 13 palm doors

Rev. Jana Purkis-Brash delivered a message on “Palms” on Sunday, April 13, 2013, based on Matthew 21:1-11, and 26:14-16. To read the sermon, click here. She closed her message with these words:

We who are called to have the mind and spirit of Jesus betray him when we allow our own self-interest, our own prejudices, our own tacit acceptance of the status quo to limit the ways in which we could help make God’s kingdom a reality here on earth, as it is in heaven.

We betray Jesus when we see people in need and close our hearts against them.

We betray Jesus when we gather wealth (coins) into our own hands while others live in hunger and poverty.

We betray Jesus when we know what he would do but are afraid to do it.

We betray Jesus when we ignore the love he insisted upon and embrace hate.

Palms of praise easily can become palms of betrayal. And because of that, because of our human insistence on hating, hurting, and hoarding, Jesus opens his own palms in love and dies even while pleading for humanity, “Forgive them, Father, they don’t know what they are doing.”

Sometimes, I think we do know what we are doing, or failing to do. But the amazing thing about the love of God in Jesus is that when we fess up to our sin and confess it,we are embraced by the grace that was given to us through those palms.

Palms of praise, palms of betrayal, palms of loving grace: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” and may those who go in his name be a blessing as well.

Today as you leave worship you will be given a palm of praise, receive it and carry it remembering that we are called to praise the living Christ. Today you will also be given a coin, receive it and carry it reflecting on how you betray Christ. Journey through this week anticipating the pitcher and basin, the bread, the cup, nails and finally resurrection celebration. In this week, fully prepare to meet the risen Christ.

2014 13 crown of thorrns(the crown of thorns was on the altar)