Resurrection - a church family for you

05/31/2026

A helpful reminder for Trinity Sunday:

Here's an abbreviation of the Athanasian Creed from the late 400s CE, arranged as a responsive affirmation of faith, based on the translation published by the Christian Reformed Church in 1988. Not nearly as well known as the Nicene Creed (c.381) and the Apostles Creed (c.714), this longer

05/30/2026

MSBC's VBS:

Get ready for an unforgettable adventure at Rainforest Falls, Exploring the Nature of God!

Join us June 8 - 12 from 10 am - 12 pm as we journey through the wonders of God’s creation and grow in our faith together.

Children ages 2 years through 6th grade are invited to attend. Older children are welcome to join the fun as crew leaders or helpers!

If you are willing to help, please contact Dot Woodruff.

05/28/2026

Our sister-in-Christ Rubia Batts Johnson has gone home to be with the Lord. She had been a regular part of our Dinner Church congregation before physical limitations took their toll. In addition to her eager participation in Allan's Bible studies, one fond memory is when Bishop Chris Warner washed her feet.

Lord, have mercy: Peace eternal, Rest eternal, Light perpetual.

Celebrate the life of Rubia Johnson and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.

05/27/2026

"In July 1999, Ralph Craythorne spoke at our church about the recent death of his eight-year-old daughter, Sasha, from a brain tumour.

I remember so well going to visit Sasha in hospital. On the way, in the taxi, I was desperately trying to think and pray about what God would want me to say. Only one word came into my mind: hope.

In his talk Ralph said, ‘That one word exploded in my spirit. It was as though I suddenly saw the fullness of what God has meant us to understand about “living in hope”. It’s not the kind of wishy-washy, “I hope this will happen, but it probably won’t happen.” It’s the sure, confident, positive hope – the way God designed us to live.

‘Our hope was placed not in an outcome but in the Lord.

‘Sasha, too, held onto hope – not necessarily to be healed, although that was included, but a deeper hope, the hope that comes from the certainty of being in the palm of the hand of an all-loving God.’

In the final two weeks of her life, she went blind. Ralph said, ‘I remember lying in the bed saying to her, “Sasha do you ever see angels?”

‘She didn’t have much energy to speak. She said, “No dad.”

‘I was a bit disappointed. So, I thought, we’ll go for the big one. “Do you ever see Jesus?” I asked.

‘“Of course, I do. He holds my hand.”

‘The dream that she would be healed was shattered, but we’re not disappointed with God. He hasn’t changed. He still pours out his love into our hearts. We don’t understand her death. I doubt we really ever will. One day we’ll know… These are the foundational principles of living in hope.'"

05/24/2026

05/22/2026

On May 15, a new Ebola outbreak was announced from the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has quickly become an international public health emergency, with more than 330 cases and 88 deaths in the DRC and Uganda. Please join us as we pray for those suffering from the outbreak and those ministering to

05/19/2026

364 days before the N***s stripped him naked and executed him by hanging, Bonhoeffer wrote a letter from prison to the mother of his fiancé Maria and calls her “mother”:

10 April 1944
Dear mother, . . I’ve looked up the readings for 16 April [*]. They point us towards those who call to us from eternity and are with us . . . The time between Easter and Ascension has always been particularly important to me. Our gaze is already directed to the last thing of all, but we still have our tasks, our joys and our sorrows on this earth and the power of living is granted to us by Easter. . . .
I too want to go this way with Maria, quite prepared for the last thing, for eternity, and yet wholly present for the task, the beauties and the troubles of this earth. Only on this way can we be completely happy and completely at peace together. We want to receive what God bestows on us with open, outstretched hands and delight in it with all our heart, and with a quiet heart we will sacrifice what God does not yet grant us or takes away from us . . .
Thank you for everything that you have done for me in the past year. God preserve you in the coming year for us and your whole house.
Your grateful son, Dietrich

* The German Lutheran lectionary for 16 April (2nd Sunday of Easter) included Paul’s prison letter while he awaited his capital punishment:
“My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”
—Philippians 1.23

n.b. The letter printed in Bethge's collection of letters says "19 April" but that appears to be either a misreading of the MLS or a typo.

05/18/2026

"I leave you the challenge of developing confidence in one another. I leave you thirst for education. . . . I leave you racial dignity."

“Faith is the first factor in a life devoted to service. Without it, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible.” - Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955)

Mary McLeod Bethune was an educator and humanitarian from the American south. Mary was born in Mayesville, South Carolina to parents who had recently been slaves. Starting at age 5, she worked in the fields with her family. Bethune placed a high value on education and resolved to attend college. After graduating, she started a school for African-American girls in Daytona Beach, Florida. This school grew into an exemplary institution of education for males and females and Bethune became one of the first women in the world to serve as a college president. Bethune worked tirelessly to promote the great potential and dignity of African American youth and African American women and became an advisor to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Her Christian faith compelled her in all of her work. “I had faith in a living God,” she recounted, “faith in myself, and a desire to serve.” In her last will and testament, she said, “If I have a legacy to leave my people, it is my philosophy of living and serving… I leave you love. I leave you hope. I leave you the challenge of developing confidence in one another. I leave you thirst for education. I leave you respect for the use of power. I leave you faith. I leave you racial dignity. I leave you a desire to live harmoniously with your fellow man. I leave you, finally, a responsibility to our young people.” Because of her dedication and vision, Bethune became known as “The First Lady of the Struggle” of the Civil Rights movement.

Almighty and everlasting God, you kindled the flame of your love in the heart of your servant Mary McLeod Bethune to manifest your compassion and mercy to the poor and the persecuted: Grant to us, your humble servants, a like faith and power of love, that we who give thanks for her righteous zeal may profit by her example; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Art & history by Ben Lansing, ourchurchspeaks.com

05/16/2026

Congratulations and blessings to Taylor and her classmates who graduated last night!