Blessed to be a Blessing...Spotting God in Unexpected Places
Solid Food - Ascension Sermon Podcast
Grace and peace to you my sisters and brothers in Christ, So many of our deepest questions about regret, faith, and life—come down to this: What does it take to be okay before God? This weekend we get to understand how the Bible holds together the ancient wisdom of the prophet Micah and the surprising grace of Jesus’ Beatitudes. In Micah 6, God reminds the people that before there was any failure, there was grace. And in Matthew 5, Jesus goes up the mountain not to give another list of spiritual requirements, but to announce blessing—especially for those who know they are poor in spirit,...
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One Light, Many Lamps - Spotting God in the Gifts and Graces of Others
Solid Food - Ascension Sermon Podcast
Grace and peace to you my sisters and brothers in Christ, This weekend at worship, we are excited to team-preach as this week is recognized as “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.” Coming from different Christian traditions -Lutheran and Methodist – we will reflect together on what it means to follow “one Light through many lamps.” We’ll explore how God shows up in the gifts and graces of others, how Jesus calls very different people into a shared mission, and how the church can be a place of unity and hope in a divided world. Pastors Tim & Chamie
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Come & See...Spotting God in Your Gifts & Graces
Solid Food - Ascension Sermon Podcast
Grace and peace to you my sisters and brothers in Christ, The Gospel of John tells us that the first spark of discipleship began with a simple question: “What do you want?” From that moment, two curious disciples followed Jesus—and everything that would become the global church began with their longing. We all come to Jesus looking for something: forgiveness, healing, wisdom, meaning, peace, direction. Like those first disciples, we are invited to “come and see” what only Jesus can give. This Sunday we’ll explore how discipleship starts not with certainty, but with desire. Not with...
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When God Calls You Beloved… Spotting God in Your Own Story
Solid Food - Ascension Sermon Podcast
Grace and peace to you my sisters and brothers in Christ, You Are God’s Beloved. At Jesus’ baptism, a voice from heaven speaks words that shape everything that follows: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” This Sunday, as we celebrate the Epiphany season, we’ll explore why these words are spoken at life’s hardest moments—and how they echo into our own lives. Drawing on ancient Jewish tradition, story, and the promise of baptism, we’ll reflect on how God’s intimate voice still calls us by name today and reminds us of what is truly important. As a new...
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God’s Dwelling Place… Spotting God in Our Daily Lives
Solid Food - Ascension Sermon Podcast
Dear Church Family, This first weekend of 2026, we are saying goodbye to Christmas and hello to the season of Epiphany. We will be pondering the God who chooses to dwell amongst us. Epiphany is a season to notice, name, and nurture the light of Christ—in our lives, in our world, and in one another. It is a season of revelation — of light breaking in, of God showing up in places familiar and unexpected. The Wise Men saw more than a star; they recognized a sign pointing them toward Christ. In this new year, we commit ourselves to becoming God-spotters: people who practice noticing,...
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Christmas Continues with A Ceremony of Carols
Solid Food - Ascension Sermon Podcast
Christmas is a glorious time filled with joy and wonder, as we celebrate the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Savior. In Benjamin Britten’s wonderful A Ceremony of Carols, he sets to music these words from the sixteenth century English priest and poet Robert Southwell: This little Babe, so few days old, is come to rifle Satan’s fold; All hell doth at his presence quake, though he himself for cold do shake; For in this weak unarmed wise, the gates of hell he will surprise. What does it mean that the fulfillment of God’s eternal promise leads us to a stable in...
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Christmas Eve - Nighttime Service
Solid Food - Ascension Sermon Podcast
Christmas Eve Nighttime Service
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Christmas Eve - Afternoon Service - Plan A and Plan B
Solid Food - Ascension Sermon Podcast
God is the master of meeting us in the messy and the chaos and the brokenness and helping us find an incredible new plan forward.
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Joseph's Dream
Solid Food - Ascension Sermon Podcast
Grace and Peace to you, sisters and brothers in Christ. At all of our worship services this weekend, we will talk about another member of Jesus’ family tree: Joseph. Joseph rarely gets the spotlight in the Christmas story. He speaks no words, sings no songs, and yet his quiet integrity changes everything. This Fourth Sunday of Advent, we reflect on Joseph’s dream and the faith it takes to trust God when life doesn’t go as planned. As we prepare for Christmas, we’ll consider how Jesus meets us in the space where hope and fear collide—and why that meeting place is holy ground. Grace...
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Mary's Yes
Solid Food - Ascension Sermon Podcast
Grace and peace to you my sisters and brothers in Christ, This week we meet Mary, one of the most remarkable members of the family tree of Jesus that we have been exploring. God calls her into a future she never expected, and when God does, Mary should have been afraid—yet she responds with courage, trust, and a simple, world-changing yes. In her amazing story we discover that it isn’t fearlessness that makes us faithful, but God’s perfect love that casts out fear. On this 3rd Advent weekend, let’s explore together how Mary’s “yes” opens the door for...
info_outlineGrace and peace, my sisters and brothers in Christ,
This weekend we end our summer series “Walk This Way.” We have spent the summer exploring what it looks like, in a practical sense, to be a Christian. On this last weekend, we will explore how Christians are people who stand in awe and reverence and care for the world God created.
I think you might find delight and surprise in some of the nature images you will see on the screen as well as some tidbits I will share as a pastor who also has a certificate in horticultural therapy. We will hear Jesus’ words about what to do when worried… look at the birds! I hope to see you this weekend!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Chamie
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The Season of Creation
The Season of Creation is a relatively new addition to the Christian calendar, first celebrated in the 1990s by Lutheran congregations in Australia. It has since spread worldwide and is now observed by Christians of many denominations each year from September 1 (World Day of Prayer for Creation) through October 4 (the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi). This season invites us to join in worship, prayer, and action for God’s good creation, remembering that caring for the earth is a vital part of Christian discipleship.
Join us for “Blessing of the Animals” at our outdoor worship service at 6:00 PM on Saturday, October 4. The regular Saturday service will move outside with Nancy Lee leading music and everyone is invited to bring their pets as we worship, sing, pray, and bless all the animals.
Why Care for Creation? The Bible Speaks Clearly:
- “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in ” — Psalm 24:1
- “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.” — Genesis 2:15
- “Let everything that has breath praise the ” — Psalm 150:6
- “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible… all things have been created through him and for ” — Colossians 1:16
The Colors of the Season
For every season of the Christian year, the colors change in the sanctuary. Blue for Advent. Purple for Lent. And so forth. The longest season is green. This year, for the first time, we are changing the paraments – and the flowers – to match the “Season of Creation” which on Christian calendars is September 1 to October 4. Kim Overton has made altar paraments on fabric that is ocean blues and sand. The altar flowers are live indoor plants put together by Armstrong Gardens.
Christian Creation Care Groups
Their mission is to inspire biblically-based stewardship of all creation through educational forums, workshops, classes, retreats, sermons and other events.
Lutherans Restoring Creation is a grassroots movement promoting care for creation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Creation Justice Ministries (formerly the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program) represents the creation care and environmental justice policies of major Christian denominations throughout the United States.
Ways to Observe the Season of Creation:
- Spend time outdoors in wonder and gratitude for God’s world
- Reflect on scripture passages about creation
- Include prayers of thanksgiving and intercession for creation in daily devotion
- Read a creation-themed book (fiction or non-fiction)
- Learn about Christian organizations that are caring for creation
- Plant flowers, herbs, vegetables, or perhaps a tree as an act of praise
- Visit the Conejo Botanical Garden or the Moorpark Zoo
- Fast from single-use plastics (i.e. don’t use plastic water bottles)
- Participate in a clean-up or recycling project
- Practice energy conservation at home
- Support an animal shelter
- Pray for and support park rangers and our local, state, and national parks.