John 6: 1-21
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper

I once lived through the direct hit of a hurricane. It was hurricane Alicia, and it hit Houston straight on in 1983. I was 12. The storm caused 2.6 billion dollars in damage and took 21 lives. It was a big storm. I remember the storm in part because we had been well educated by the news about how we should prepare ourselves. And we had taped up our windows, filled our bathtubs with water and put new batteries in our flashlights and radios. As the winds kicked up and the storm moved on to shore, we gathered around the television and watched the weather reports like a play-by-play at a sporting event. The winds grew stronger and the rain fell hard. Eventually our electricity went out. We huddled in the living room, waiting for the storm to pass. (more…)

Ephesians 2: 1-11
Mark 6: 30-34, 53-56
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper

It’s amazing how the gospel describes the reaction people had to Jesus. People came from all over to see him. Everywhere he went, crowds gathered around. The disciples were so busy, they didn’t even have time to eat. So many people were coming out to see Jesus, to be healed by Jesus, to hear what Jesus had to say. It is clear that from the perspective of the gospels, Jesus had an unmatched ability to bring people together. For whatever reason, people wanted to be around Jesus and the disciples. (more…)

Ever wanted to support a special need or project of the church, but weren’t really sure how?  One way is to join the Living Endowment, a program established in 1974 to allow members to make significant capital gifts to the Church’s Endowment Funds during their lifetime.  This special fund supports our church by making unique, one-time purchases of needed items and in other creative ways using the earnings of the Living Endowment funds. In recent years, the Living Endowment has purchased new air conditioners for the parlor, and has also helped with refurbishing the sanctuary piano and reupholstering the parlor furniture.  You can join the Living Endowment by making an initial contribution of $100 or more.  Speak with Dianne Antos for more information.

Don’t forget to bring your canned and dry goods with you to church on Sunday. We collect the goods in the wheelbarrow in the narthex for our West End Food Pantry. The pantry provides groceries to more than 100 families each month, but only if you support the pantry with your gifts of food and money.

Steve Derby, Lay Speaker

INTRODUCTION

It’s been a while since I’ve been up here in the pulpit and though I am not particularly drawn to public speaking it is good to be back. I view these speaking opportunities as a way to catch you up on my faith journey. And today, with our “enhanced” coffee hour, is an opportunity to share with you the joy that Gretchen and I are finding in our marriage. (more…)

Mark 6: 1-13
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper

Later this year I am planning to attend my twentieth high school reunion. When I got the invitation to this event, I must admit I was a bit shocked. I pulled out a calculator real quick, to check the math, and sure enough, I’ve been out of high school for twenty years. That means I’ve been out of high school longer than I was in school. That’s a scary thing to consider. I’ve kept in touch with some of my friends from back then, lost touch with others. And I’m generally quite excited to see everyone after all these years – to see what has changed, and what hasn’t changed. (more…)

Our annual Blanket Sunday was held on Mother’s Day, May 10, 2009. Blankets are used for warmth, shelter, carry-alls, and for so many other necessities and are quickly sent to places in the world with sudden and continuing emergencies. A $5.00 contribution buys a blanket, while $25.00 buys a hoe AND a rake. This year we collected $549 on Blanket Sunday, helping continue our reputation as generous supporters of this Church World Service project.