Can we talk about doubt? In this worship service, we encounter the story of "doubting Thomas," and hear how doubt is not anything to be ashamed of, is perfectly normal, and is not our job to fix. Do you have struggles and questions? You won't find all the answers here. You will find a word of encouragement and peace. Click here to download daily devotions for this week.
Hello Friends!
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! In the church year, the Easter season lasts 50 days, all the way until the Day of Pentecost. We have a lot to celebrate! Jesus is alive and his resurrection gives us hope, peace, and joy. During this strange time of social distancing, our normal lives have been upended, but Jesus’ love for us is unchanging. To help your family grow in faith during this time, there is a great resource called “Family Sunday School” that is being offered by Sparkhouse, the Lutheran publisher of the Spark Story Bible.
Each video is about 12 minutes long, and you can stop and start it for discussion or to do the activities. There are downloadable coloring sheets and discussion starters along with the video at the link above. The Bible stories might not match up exactly with the Bible passages in our worship services, but they are all stories that are great for this Easter season.
You and your children can take part in this online Family Sunday School any day of the week. Take a look at it when it is convenient for you, or when you need a bit of inspiration and encouragement! I hope that Family Sunday School will help deepen your faith and give you tools for talking about Jesus’ resurrection to new life. As always, feel free to get in touch with me anytime. You can let me know how things are going, tell me some good news about how God has been at work in your life, and share how you’ve been participating in Family Sunday School! Reformation’s bonds as a church family remain strong, even though we are separated for a time. We are here for you.
Your friend in Christ,
Pastor Paige
In this short video celebrating Easter, Pastor Paige reads a book for children. She also shares a message of encouragement for parents and for anyone watching who is young or young at heart!
It seems incredibly strange to think that on Easter morning, the holiest and most joyful of all Christian celebrations, church buildings will be empty and the followers of Jesus will be behind locked doors.
But this is exactly where the first disciples were on the first Easter! And Jesus still came to be with them and give them forgiveness, hope, and new life. He will do the same for you today.
This worship service will encourage you with a sermon from Pastor Eric on John 20:19-23, hymns to sing, and special music from our director of music Gail Kelso and guest musicians Sigrid Evers (violin) and Tim Deik (a long-time friend of Pastor Eric and Pastor Paige, and Sigrid’s godfather, and a fantastic trumpet player).
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Our Alleluias may be shared digitally this year, but Jesus is still alive, and victory is ours.
Join us on this most solemn and mysterious of holy days, Good Friday. With Christians around the world, tonight Reformation focuses on the trial, crucifixion, and death of Christ. We worship with awe the Son of God who did not have his life taken from him, but who laid down his life to save the world. Join us to hear of the life-giving Cross, and to discover how sin and death have been overcome.
With the washing of his disciples’ feet, Jesus displays humble, self-giving love. With the command to “love one another,” he shows us how his love transforms us. This service offers confession & forgiveness, prayers, a sermon on John 13, and the reading of Psalm 22. Come and worship with us!
This is the most important week of the Christian calendar. And strangely, sanctuaries will be silent. Well, that’s not entirely true. “Sanctuaries,” defined as worship spaces in church buildings, will be silent (except for pastors and a few lay leaders recording worship services). But the sanctuaries of home, family, and heart can be filled with worship and devotion for the amazing love of Jesus. To prepare your hearts for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter, you can click here to download daily devotions for the first part of Holy Week. God’s peace be with you as you spend time praying and reflecting on God’s word.
Pastor Paige opens God's Word to us on this very strange Palm Sunday, when we have a parade without palms, and a festival without fanfare. But thanks be to God, we do have a gracious King! To continue worship at home, click here to download daily devotions for the first half of Holy Week. Devotions for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, as well as videos for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, will come later in the week!
Hello Everyone!
Pastor Paige here. This Sunday, April 5, is Palm Sunday. Normally, we would be waving palm branches and singing and having a parade into the Sanctuary as we begin worship. This year, we invite you to worship with us via Reformation’s YouTube channel and celebrate Palm Sunday at home. Along with the Children’s Sermon in the worship service, here are some ideas for marking this holy day with your children.
· You can read about Palm Sunday in the Spark Story Bible on page 454, or in any other children’s Bible.
· If you have a Spark Bible for youth, or another youth Bible, you can read the story together in Matthew 21:1-11. Look for any highlighted verses, questions, or other notes in the margins of your study Bible, if there are any, and read those as well.
· At the end of this post are a few fun, brief videos I found that share the Palm Sunday story on a kids’ level.
· If you are inspired by the Lego videos, make your own Palm Sunday scene with your Legos or other toys in your house! Send me a picture or a video of them if you wish! (E-mail Pr.paige@reformation-lutheran.net or text them to me!)
· Here are some coloring pages for Palm Sunday. Feel free to print these and have your kids color while you worship from home this week!
You are in my prayers, my friends. I miss you and look forward to gathering in person as soon as we are able. God’s peace, strength, and joy be with you all! –Pastor Paige
Pastor Paige offers a short reflection on Hebrews 12:1-2 and on the ways Jesus helps us persevere.
Church is still open! Face-to-face worship is suspended, but we are still in the business of worship, discipleship, witness, and service. We pray that this video will build your faith in the power of Jesus, so that you can carry his life-giving presence into a world that needs strength and peace.
Pastor Eric preaches on John 11:1-45 , starting with the question, “Is Jesus being a jerk here?”, and ending with the conviction that Jesus is still at work to transform you. Our director of music, Gail Kelso, plays, “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me,” and Pastor Paige brings a children’s sermon that will connect with our young and young-at-heart viewers.
You can continue to focus on Christ through our daily devotional for the week. Click here to download this set of Scriptures, Psalms, reflections, and prayer guides for the week to come.
We hope this blesses you, and we encourage you to share this post with family and friends. The world needs the presence of Jesus now. Let’s share the treasure that we have been given!
Pastor Paige Evers reminds children, youth, and adults that God loves the world God made. Our God is always watching over and taking care of all of us. This story is called “Do Not Worry” in the Spark Story Bible on p. 276. Pastor Paige reads from The Jesus Storybook Bible in this video, in the chapter called, “The Singer,” on p. 228. She asks viewers of all ages to look for signs of God’s love and care out in nature and in our lives.
To have fun coloring birds and flowers after hearing this Bible story, download these coloring pages from the website Made by Joel. Display them and keep thanking God for his tender care, or share them with a loved one or a church member with a note reminding them that God loves them!
For more Made by Joel coloring pages and creative ideas for kids, click here.
A short encouragement from Pastor Eric, based on words from Martin Luther and Psalm 16.
Hello Friends!
The Children’s Sermon for Sunday worship on March 22 was about Jesus giving the miracle of sight to a blind man. The story is from John 9:1-41. In the Spark Bible, it’s called, “Pool of Siloam.” You can find it on p. 432.
In the story, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” Take a few minutes and talk with your children or youth about how you see them shining Jesus’ light in your life together. What have they done recently that has made you smile? What have they done that has been helpful? How have they brightened someone’s day? Ask them how they see the light of Jesus shining in you, in your family, or among your friends as you stay connected during this time of social distancing.
You can also get out your child’s baptismal candle and talk about your memories of their baptism day. What is their baptism anniversary date? Who was there when the pastor or worship leader said, “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven”? What did your child wear for his or her baptism? Did he or she receive any gifts?
Keep looking for the light of Christ during these times of being together at home. Jesus is with you and he will help you keep shining your light for all to see!
Click here to download a PDF with coloring pages for this Bible story!
In Christ,
Pastor Paige
During a season of isolation, when so many of our normal activities are impossible, we have the opportunity to focus more deeply on our relationship with Christ. For each week while public Sunday services are suspended, Pastor Eric and Pastor Paige will prepare a daily devotions guide for Monday through Saturday, based on the Bible readings assigned for the prior Sunday.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, one of the first three readings will be presented, with questions for reflection. (Monday, the Old Testament reading; Wednesday, the Psalm; Friday, the New Testament reading. The Gospel will be the focus on the sermon on Sunday.)
And for every day, a selection of Psalms will be offered for you to read and pray through. As we continue, we may add more prayer prompts or ideas for activities.
We hope that this provides some structure for your spiritual growth during these upended times. We pray that you will make use of these unfortunate circumstances in ways that will make you, and our congregation as a whole, spiritually stronger. The Holy Spirit is not “socially distanced” from us! God can, and will, use Scripture and prayer to deepen your faith, your hope, and your love.
You can click here to download the guide for Monday, March 23 - Saturday, March 28. Let us know how you are using it!
Know that the Reformation church family is being prayed for, daily, by your pastors! We miss you, we enjoy speaking with you on the phone, and we are so very grateful for all of the positive feedback to our Sunday, March 22nd worship service! Be at peace, and serve the Lord!
Church is still open! Face-to-face worship is suspended, but we are still in the business of worship, discipleship, witness, and service. We pray that this video will build your faith in the amazing grace of Jesus Christ and encourage you to be a presence of peace in a panicked world.
Pastor Paige preaches on John 9:1-41, and our director of music, Gail Kelso, plays the piano to uplift your spirit.
We hope this blesses you, and we encourage you to share this post with family and friends. Jesus is the light of the world, and he can open our eyes to hope and possibility even in days such as these!
Reading together is a great way to spend time while homebound. Bible stories offer a lot of variety along with the promise of God’s love, which is reassuring for children in anxious times. The Spark Story Bible has a question or activity at the end of each story that would be great for families to discuss together. You could read a story every day and see how far you get before our days return to normal.
For older children, the paperback Spark Bible (regular Bible) has stickers in the back and reflection questions throughout all the books of the Bible. The first few pages of the Bible explain ways to use the stickers and other tools on each page. For a family read-along in a “regular” Bible, I recommend starting with a chapter or shorter section a day from the gospels of Mark, Matthew, or Luke. That way, you’ll cover a lot of stories and read the whole story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
For any story that you read together from any Bible you have at home, here are some good questions for conversation. You can adapt these questions for the ages of your children and youth. These are also good for individual reflection or for writing in a journal. Younger children could draw their responses.
What word or phrase stands out to you?
What stories or memories does this passage remind you of?
What confuses or challenges you in this passage?
What delights you or fills you with comfort or hope in this passage?
What is God up to in this passage?
How does this passage apply to your life today?
You can always act out a Bible story, too! Any dress up clothes or props you have on hand could work well for that! For reading the Bible online, https://www.biblegateway.com is a good resource. The translation we use in worship at Reformation is the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). Let me know what Bible stories you discover!—Pastor Paige
Psalm 46, the inspiration for Martin Luther’s hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” is very relevant to these days of COVID-19. We hope this is an encouragement to you!
These are not normal times! As you probably know, in order to care for the well-being of our wider community, especially the most vulnerable, we have suspended all public worship services and meetings, at least until after Palm Sunday.
But the Church of Jesus Christ is still open! We still have a mission to follow Jesus and embody his love to our world. We (Pastor Eric and Pastor Paige) want to give you resources to keep growing in faith, to be encouraged, and to be able to share the peace and strength of Jesus with others.
These days do not have to be defined by everything we can’t do and everything we are afraid of. They can be times to intentionally slow down and focus on the things that matter most: our relationship with Jesus, our spiritual health, and our relationships with other people. This blog, “Socially Distanced, Spiritually Connected,” will be the place where we gather resources for your spiritual health. Video reflections, recordings of sermons and prayers for Sunday morning worship at home, and tools for you to use in daily disciplines and special activities will show up here. We encourage you to check back here regularly.
Reformation family, know that your pastors are praying for you, and you can still reach us by email or phone (at the church or at home). This is indeed a troubling time, but we believe God can use it as a time when his Holy Spirit brings about great growth in our faith, hope, love, witness, and mission. Be not afraid!
Invite our neighbors as Jesus has invited us; Engage in a community of graceful discipleship; Equip our members for growth in faith and ministry; Embody the love of Jesus for the world around us.
