I am a “lucky” person who has known Jesus my entire life and for that I am grateful!  I can confidently say that there has never been a second that I have not known Jesus.  Growing up in a Christian home, Jesus was a part of our daily life.  We had morning devotions over our bowls of cereal before school, dinnertime blessings of our meal, and nightly bedtime prayers.  We were at church two or three times a week for various things.  I can remember when I was about four years old asking Jesus to come into my heart (and he has been there ever since.)  Over the years I have had moments of doubt about my faith…but Jesus was still a constant presence.  Knowing Jesus for me was like knowing different members of my family.  Jesus is my Lord and Savior, my friend and constant companion, my hope and future. 

How about you?  When did you first meet Jesus?  How would you describe him?

This Sunday we continue our series “This I Believe,” in which we are exploring the Apostle’s Creed.  Through this series we are looking at each of the four major sections of the Creed…God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Christian Life.  This Sunday we are looking at part two of the Apostles Creed which describes Jesus.

Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I love how this portion of the Creed spells out clearly who Jesus is!  You see, the early church had questions about Jesus…his humanity and his divinity…how could one be both?!  Scripture clearly paints a picture of the dual nature of Jesus, fully human born of Mary and fully God conceived by the Holy Spirit.  I believe the Creed answers those doubts and questions about Jesus, his humanity, his divinity, his life, his death, and his resurrection.

I hope you will join me on this expedition as together we think deeper about what we believe!

Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

I BELIEVE Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord.

I am spending this week amongst the tall redwood trees in the Santa Cruz mountains of Northern California…one of my favorite places on Earth!  I have so many memories of this place…as a child I attended camp here with my family every summer, I worked on summer staff all through college and have attended pastor camp here off and on for the last 20 years.

For me this is a place where I am known deeply to the core of who I am.  As a child it was spending time with friends who attended the same week of camp every year.  As a young adult it was the place where I felt my call to ministry and the place where my faith became my own (and no longer my parents.)  As a pastor this has become the place where I am known by peers, supported in my ministry, encouraged in my struggles and loved deeply through friendships that have walked with me in the highs and lows of my life.

This is also a place where I feel the most connected to God.  Sitting amongst the trees that reach up to the heavens.  Listening to the trickle of the stream as it turns into the rush of the waterfall.  Watching the birds and the squirrels as they go about their daily tasks.  All of these things work together to remind me of how great God our Creator is – so creative, so powerful and such an eye for detail. The more time I spend alone with God, the more I am reminded of how much God cares for me, even in the smallest of details.

This Sunday we begin a series called “This I Believe,” in which we will explore the Apostle’s Creed.  Through this series we will look at each of the four major sections of the Creed…God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Christian Life.  I love the Creeds and Confessions that are a part of our Presbyterian Theology, the ancient statements of faith that have been passed down for generations.  I especially love the Apostle’s Creed as it is truly the foundation for what I believe. 

I hope you will join me on this expedition as together we think deeper about what we believe!

Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

Wandering Heart: "Here’s my Heart"

Here's my heart, oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above

-Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Christ is Risen!  He is Risen indeed!  There is something about Easter morning worship that is like no other and this Easter celebration did not disappoint!  It was truly a beautiful Easter celebration we had on Sunday.  It was such a joy to see new friends, visiting family, and old friends as we gathered for worship.  The gift of music was amazing as our Brass+ played, our handbells chimed, our choir sang, and we all lifted our voices in praise!

Throughout Lent we have been on a journey of faith with Peter.  We have experienced his calling, his impulsiveness to jump out of the boat and his doubt as he began to sink.  We have witnessed his moment of clarity as he declared Jesus the Messiah followed shortly by his rebuke as Jesus told him to “get behind me Satan.”  Then we felt his pride as he promised not to leave Jesus side and his utter shame as he denied Jesus three times. 

Peter has a very complicated faith journey, a rollercoaster of belief and disbelief, of understanding and completely missing the mark, of extreme highs and radical lows.  But through it all, Jesus is there encouraging him in his faith journey.  We see that in this Sunday’s final sermon in this series.  As the resurrected Jesus encounters his disciples on the beach after a long night of fishing.  Jesus pulls Peter aside and asks him three separate times, “Peter, do you love me?”

Here’s my Heart!

It is Peter’s honesty and emotion that draws me deeper into this story.  His great shame and guilt for the moment of weakness…his words of denial only hours after he pledges his complete devotion.  And there on the beach Jesus calls him out.  I think about Peter’s heartbreak and regret…I think we have all been there!

Here’s my Heart!

Peter aguishly replies, “Lord, you know I love you!”  In that moment Jesus brings Peter’s shame to the forefront and transforms it into his greatest moment.  Feed my sheep!  Tend my lambs!  In a way I believe Jesus is telling Peter…remember who you are and what I have called you to become.  Tend my sheep, Peter…you are their shepherd now.  And friends, he does the same for us.  Here’s my Heart!

Easter Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

Let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.

-Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

The Awe of Holy Week

When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of Glory died.
My richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.

Issac Watts penned those words in 1707.  They are such powerful words that tell the amazing story.  As I look ahead to the events of Holy Week those words run through my thoughts.

The excitement and joy of Palm Sunday still lingers in my mind, as we all participated in the Palm Sunday story.  The joy was contagious as our children sang and we all shouted “Hosanna!  Hosanna in the Highest!”

Soon we will gather again, on Maundy Thursday at 7:00pm, to remember Jesus’ final gathering with his disciples in the Upper Room.  The joy of the Passover feast turning into the somberness of the Last Supper.  “This is my body, broken for you.  This is my blood, shed for the forgiveness of your sins.”  The confusion as Jesus tells of his betrayal by one of the twelve.  How quickly things change as the plan is set in motion.  How quickly joy turns to sorrow and hope turns into despair.  Our worship will walk us through Jesus final hours, from the celebration of the Last Supper to his final words from the cross as the gathering darkness falls upon us.

Good Friday I invite you to come for a time of meditation and prayer as you walk The Journey to the Cross.  These experiential prayer stations will take us on a journey with Jesus from the Garden to the Tomb.   The Sanctuary will be open from noon-3:00pm for a self-guided journey of prayer and reflection.

My hope is that you find time these next few days to pause and remember the importance of all that happened this week in the life of Jesus.  This is the week that changed our lives.  This is what our faith is all about – Jesus incredible love for each one of us!  He was willing to die a horrible death for your sake and mine.

Love so amazing so divine.  Demands my soul my life my all.

Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

P.S. I look forward with great anticipation to celebrating Resurrection Sunday with you and your loved ones!  

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

     - Isaiah 53:5