First Presbyterian Church of Benton Harbor

04/02/2026

Join us for Maundy Thursday Services today at 1 pm or 7 pm. All are welcome!

03/07/2026

Don't forget to set your clocks forward 1 hour tonight before you go to bed. But if you show up just as we're finishing worship, we won't tell anyone!

01/25/2026

The Folly of the Cross
Sunday Worship - January 25, 2026

We unfortunately weren't able to meet in person this week, but please join us virtually for this week's service!

01/24/2026

It's a snow day! Out of an abundance of precaution we are moving worship services to online only this Sunday, January 25. On Sunday morning you will find our worship service here: https://www.youtube.com//streams Liturgy - all that stuff in the bulletin - will be sent Saturday afternoon.

While we're bummed that we can't be together in person, know that we're together in Spirit, united to be as Christ calls us. Stay warm, safe, and dry!

01/20/2026

The great tragedy is that Christianity failed to see that it had the revolutionary edge. You don't have to go to Karl Marx to learn how to be a revolutionary. I didn't get my inspiration from Karl Marx; I got it from a man named Jesus, a Galilean saint who said he was anointed to heal the brokenhearted. He was anointed to deal with the problems of the poor. And that is where we get our inspiration. And we go out in a day when we have a message for the world, and we can change this world and we can change this nation.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

01/13/2026

Friends: It has come to my attention that someone is impersonating me and contacting members of our congregation, asking for gift cards or financial help. Please know that I will never contact you privately asking for money, gift cards, or any personal financial information.

This is a scam, and several churches have recently experienced similar fraudulent messages. If you receive a suspicious text, email, or message that appears to be from me or another church leader asking for help in the form of gift cards, please do not respond. Instead, block the sender and report the message.

There are ONLY two email accounts that you would receive communication from First Presbyterian: [email protected] and [email protected]

I value your safety and trust. If you have any questions about the message you receive, please feel free to contact me directly or the church office.

- Pastor Sheth LaRue

01/06/2026

Who are the magi among us today—
those willing to cross borders for truth and love?

Who are the Marys,
holding the Christ child in fragile arms,
waiting for a knock at the door?

Who are the Herods,
terrified their illegitimate power might be exposed by the light?

In the face of fear, let us travel together.
Let us defy empire not with swords,
but with solidarity.

Let us kneel in awe,
not before the powerful,
but before the powerless Christ,
whose birth marks the beginning of God’s peace campaign.

Let us believe, with trembling hope,
that fear does not have the last word.

Because fear doesn’t stop us.
Love leads us forward.

—Rev. Dr. Boyung Lee, from her commentary on Matthew 2:1-12, 16-18 | A Sanctified Art LLC

01/05/2026

When new threats derail our journey from the path we planned to take
We won’t let fear paralyze us, no we won’t stay locked in place
Staying nimble, we’ll move forward
Keeping safe by crossing borders
Move around the fear with grace
For we know we’ve seen God’s face

—from the hymn “We’ve Seen God’s Face” by Rev. Anna Strickland | A Sanctified Art LLC

01/04/2026

For years, there has been a nasty practice of shaming indigenous practices, such as the usage of sage, when high church settings actively use incense in worship. We have come to a tension where anything that does not look like a particular type of Christian practice is perceived as pagan or satanic. For years, I have been reminding people that Jesus was gifted gold, frankincense, and myrrh by people who followed the stars to find him.

—from the artist statement for “King Tingz” by Rev. Nicolette Faison (.faison) | A Sanctified Art LLC