Call to Prepare for God a Pathway August 9, 2026 1 Kings 19:9–18 ▪️ Psalm 85:8–13 ▪️ Romans 10:5–15 ▪️ Matthew 14:22–33 Grace and peace from God to you, beloved disciples of Jesus Christ. After listening to all readings, it is my prayer that we have fully prepared our hearts and minds to continue listening to God’s calling — what God is shaping us to be and sending us to do this week. Among our four texts, I love the image Paul offers in Romans 10:15: “How beautiful are the

7.19.2026 Call Stories Continue... Isaiah 44:6–8 ◾ Psalm 86:11–17 ◾ Romans 8:12–25 ◾ Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43 Grace and peace to you, children of the Kingdom those gathered here in person and those joining us online. After hearing Jesus’ parable, the disciples had questions, good questions. Who is the planter? Where is this field? What should we expect to see now? And what will God do with everything in the end? Jesus almost always begins with a story when he speaks about God’

7.5.2026 [Texts] Zechariah 9:9-12 ▪️Psalm 145:8-14 ▪️Romans 7:15-25a ▪️Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 The 4th of July blessings to all who live in this land, and deep gratitude to the ancestors of this land who were here. It is always bitter and sweet to celebrate historical victories that involved wars and terrors. Throughout human history, invading the land of others became normalized among tribes and nations, and eventually the concept of nations was adopted throughout the world.

Out of Shame into Dignity, Out of Hostility into Hospitality on Pride Sunday [Texts] Matthew 10:40–42 ▪ Jeremiah 28:5–9 ▪ Psalm 89:1–4, 15–18 ▪ Romans 6:12–23 The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. For the past few weeks, many of you have been reading Grace Notes and reflecting on your own call story. Today, as we gather for Pride Sunday, you might be wondering, as I have, how these biblical call stories speak into our lives and how they resonate with

6.21.2026 Call Stories Continues... Jeremiah 20:7–13 • Psalm 69:7–18 • Romans 6:1b–11 • Matthew 10:24–39 Dear Church, The Peace of the Lord be with you and with our online worshiping community. Let’s take a moment to check our phones. Silent? Vibrate? If we missed a scam call, that’s a blessing. When someone dear to us calls, we answer without hesitation. But when a number we don’t recognize keeps calling, we pause. Should I answer? What if it’s something important. On a da

6.7.2026 Confirmation Sunday Texts: Hosea 5:15–6:6 • Psalm 50:7–15 • Romans 4:13–25 • Matthew 9:9–13 Beloved of God, grace and steadfast love be with you on this day that God has made. Many of you have seen the invitation in Grace Notes to share a Call Story—an invitation for all members, associate members, and friends of Pointe of Grace. We all know the difference between a faith statement and a faith story. A faith statement tells what we believe. In the Lutheran tradition,

The Holy Trinity Sunday 5.31.2026 Genesis 1:1—2:4a┃Psalm 8┃2 Corinthians 13:11–13┃Matthew 28:16–20 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. This apostolic, Trinitarian greeting from Paul in 2 Corinthians has been spoken since the first century. Today, we continue using the same greeting as we gather to worship every Sunday. This greeting comes from no one but our God: One in Three, and Three in One. And because

5.17.2026 7th Sunday of Easter [Texts] Acts 1:6–14 ┃ Psalm 68:1–10, 32–35 ┃ 1 Peter 4:12–14; 5:6–11 ┃ John 17:1–11 Resurrection Blessings! As we get ready for Pentecost next Sunday, we find ourselves right there with the disciples in the upper room, waiting, unsure of what comes next, yet held together by Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit would be with them. The same Spirit who once rested upon Mary to bring forth Jesus, the head of the Church, is now preparing to give bi

5.10.2026 6th Sunday of Easter Texts: Acts 17:22-31 | Psalm 66:8-20 | 1 Peter 3:13-22 | John 14:15-21 Easter blessings to you. I still remember the first time I read what Paul did in Athens in Acts 17. I felt energized. I felt like Paul became a mentor to me. Paul is brilliant. He walks into a city full of idols, and instead of judging them, he finds a doorway. He says, “I see that you are very spiritual in every way.” Now they are ready to listen what he is going to say. The

Who is the Way, the Truth, the Life. 5.3.2026 | 5th Sunday of Easter Texts: Acts 7:55–60 | Psalm 31:1–5, 15–16 | 1 Peter 2:2–10 | John 14:1–14 Easter blessings to you, People of the Resurrection. During these fifty days of Easter, people have always asked questions, questions in the first century, throughout Christian history, and certainly in our own time. Questions like: Who is this Jesus? What does Jesus look like? How would I know your church is a place where I can expe

Maundy Thursday - Good Friday - Easter Sunday April 2, 3, & 5, 2026 Blessed Are Those Who Offer Humble Service in Love Maundy Thursday Scriptures: Exodus 12:1–4, 11–14; Psalm 116:1–2, 12–19; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26; John 13:1–17, 31b–35 Dear church, humble servants of our Lord Jesus Christ. What feelings rise in you when I call you Humble Servants of Our Lord Jesus Christ? How does that identity sit with you tonight? Because that is who you are. And that is who God desires us

See the Glory of God Here and Now 5th Sunday in Lent — March 22, 2026 Ezekiel 37:1–14 ⠂Psalm 130 ⠂Romans 8:6–11 ⠂John 11:1–45 Lenten Blessing to God’s beloved, Nineteen years ago, before my father turned eighty, I learned what “dry bones” really meant. He had lived seven years in bed after a car accident, seven years of decline, seven years of slow fading. When he died, I flew back to Taiwan, officiated his funeral, and then went to the cremation center to pick up his bones a

The Struggle to See God at Work 4th Sunday in Lent — March 15, 2026 Texts 1 Samuel 16:1-13 ⠂Psalm 23 ⠂Ephesians 5:8-14 ⠂John 9:1-41 Lenten blessings to all. We are now in the fourth Sunday of Lent, and before we move forward, it helps to remember where we’ve been. As we know, Lent is more than a season of reflection; it’s a journey of watching how God works in our lives in ways we don’t expect. On the second Sunday of Lent, Nicodemus thought God’s work was impossible — the id

One person at a time. One community at a time 3.8.2026 3 Lent [Texts] Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm 95 Romans 5:1-11 John 4:5-42 Lenten greetings to you, the lights of the world. Last Sunday, we left worship remembering that we are lights — like stars in the sky — and that we would keep shining as we returned to our daily lives. Later that afternoon, an image appeared on my phone… a photo taken at an airport. Refugees fleeing war zones, holding suitcases, looking down at their phon

That Stays That Saves Lent 2 — March 1, 2026 Texts: Genesis 12:1–4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1–5, 13–17; John 3:1–17 Lenten greetings to you who shine because God first shines on you. There’s a question at the center of all our readings today, A question that has echoed through every generation of faith: What does it mean to be the people of God? Abram carries it when God calls him to leave everything familiar. (imagine: put yourself in his shoes) The psalmist sings it while sc

1 Lent — 2.22.2026 Genesis 2:15–17; 3:1–7 • Psalm 32 • Romans 5:12–19 • Matthew 4:1–11 Lenten blessings to each of you, beloved Church. Scripture gives us sixty‑six books filled with every kind of story. Some we know by heart. Some we wrestle with. Some we wish weren’t there. And some come alive every time we return to them. Today’s readings hold all of that at once. On Ash Wednesday, we stepped into Lent with Joel’s truth‑telling and striking image: “Before the people of G

Children’s Message February 18, 2026 Have you ever built a sandcastle at the beach? Maybe a tall one with towers, or one with a moat. Sandcastles are so fun to make. But what happens if you try to build a sandcastle with dry sand? It just falls apart. It crumbles right through your fingers. So what’s the secret ingredient? Water! When you add a little water, something amazing happens. The sand sticks together. It becomes strong enough to build walls and towers. The water hel

Transfiguration Sunday February 15, 2026 [Texts] Exodus 24:12–18 · Psalm 2 · 2 Peter 1:16–21 · Matthew 17:1–9 Epiphany blessings to you. We just heard {read} four powerful texts, each helping us see what Matthew is showing us on the mountain. Moses enters the cloud on Sinai to receive the law, known as the Ten Commandments— words that find their fulfillment in Jesus, the Son of God. The psalm declares, “You are my Son,” a promise that echoes forward to the voice the discipl

Matthew 5:13-20 No need to pretend Simply to be seen and to be felt Why does Jesus use salt and light? Because both are ordinary, everyday things—and yet both have extraordinary impact when they’re doing what they’re meant to do. Jesus chooses images that: everyone in the crowd would understand don’t depend on wealth, education, or status reveal how small things can change whole environments point to identity, not achievement Salt and light don’t try to be influential. Th