Honeoye UCC

02/19/2026

I've had a rough week. I know some of you have, also. In fact, every week some of us are struggling. I've tried to be mindful of that over the past eight years in Honeoye, and I pray each week that I might be able to say things that are true, valuable, and encouraging--wherever you are at. So, despite a bit of a tough haul, I'm pushing myself to prepare the liturgy and sermon for this Sunday, the 22nd--my final "normal" Sunday in the pulpit (before the ceremony releasing me into retirement on March 1st).

This is the first Sunday of Lent. The lectionary text is Jesus' Temptation in the desert (according to Matthew). The stakes were high in the year 30: Would Jesus begin his ministry in the way of Abba God, or the flashier (and apparently more effective) way of the devil? The three temptations in the text are not relics of history; they are of more crucial importance than ever in 2026. In fact, I've come up with a rather audacious title: Christ-followers are at a Crossroads, and History will Mark our Decisions. Yep, like I said--it's a bold claim--but I'm sticking with it. I hope to see you Sunday, on YouTube or in person.

--Ken
Our worship services are live-streamed to the Church's YouTube account. You can view the worship service using this link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGcBufBEGTa7r5XSQBkOjPg/featured.
We regret that there will not be phone access to our live service.
After about 24 hours, YouTube will add closed captioning to our service. Our recorded live-streamed service will be archived and is available using this link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGcBufBEGTa7r5XSQBkOjPg/videos.

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02/18/2026

This Wednesday, the 18th I'll have ashes ready in the church office from 10 to 12 AM. I'll plan to serve those personally, but may 'deputize' Amanda with blessed ashes if an unavoidable conflict arises. Then from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, I will be in the sanctuary to impose ashes. Either in the morning and evening times you may "drop in" to receive ashes and a blessing during those hours.

02/12/2026

Our worship services are live-streamed to the Church's YouTube account. You can view the worship service using this link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGcBufBEGTa7r5XSQBkOjPg/featured.
We regret that there will not be phone access to our live service.
After about 24 hours, YouTube will add closed captioning to our service. Our recorded live-streamed service will be archived and is available using this link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGcBufBEGTa7r5XSQBkOjPg/videos.

02/10/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18FA34h98k/

Hello everyone! 🎉 We’ve created a new Facebook business page and will be moving all posts and updates there.

This current page will be archived on March 1st, so please be sure to click the link below and hit Follow so you don’t miss any news and events going forward.
Thanks!
Amanda Krause

01/30/2026

Sunday School News
During the months of February and March, HUCC Sunday School will be focusing on the life and teachings of Jesus. Who is this man called Jesus? Come help us explore his story, his message, and what it means for our lives today.
We’ll begin on February 1st by learning about Joseph, Mary, and Jesus’s escape to Egypt, along with other rescue missions found in Scripture.
We’ll open our time together with this prayer:
Dear God,
You are always present and at work, even when things seem bad or difficult.
Help us to trust in you. Thank you for Jesus!
Amen.
We look forward to learning, praying, and growing together.

01/30/2026

From Pastor Ken
Prayer is the lifeblood of any Christian. Last week I talked about contemplative prayer--foundational for a relationship with God. But what of intercessory prayer? It's a lifelong instinct for many of us to say "Please pray for me" when we enter into a season of suffering. Yet there's also a growing sense of skepticism around prayers of intercession. A promise of "prayers and good wishes" can be heard as "You don't really care and won't help."

I've spent 35 years of pastoral ministry struggling with this vital question: "Does Prayer Make a Difference?" This Sunday I want to answer that question, from the experiences of my 66 year old self, and taking seriously the testimony of Scripture, and classical theology, and meta-modern theology. I suspect some of you have struggled with this question--I hope some deeper-level thoughts might be helpful.

Our worship services are live-streamed to the Church's YouTube account. You can view the worship service using this link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGcBufBEGTa7r5XSQBkOjPg/featured.
We regret that there will not be phone access to our live service.
After about 24 hours, YouTube will add closed captioning to our service. Our recorded live-streamed service will be archived and is available using this link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGcBufBEGTa7r5XSQBkOjPg/videos.

01/22/2026

For my last Sundays in Honeoye, I will speak on topics that I believe are especially vital, and that pertain to the ways that each of us live out our relationship with God. This Sunday I'll preach about: Don't Just Do Something, Sit There. The most important thing in life is "Love God with your heart, mind, and soul"--we know that's the most important thing because Jesus told us that! And we can't experience a love relationship without communicating. But heart-to-heart communication doesn't require a lot of words; just being still and attentive to the Beloved can be the purest form of relationship, and that's what contemplative prayer is. The word Contemplation means 'within the temple'--but that's not the 'temple' as a church building; it's the 'temple' of God that is each of our bodies! God isn't up in the sky--God isn't even separated from us. "In God we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). If we make a habit of connecting with God-within-us it can be life-transforming.

Pastor Ken

Our worship services are live-streamed to the Church's YouTube account. You can view the worship service using this link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGcBufBEGTa7r5XSQBkOjPg/featured.
We regret that there will not be phone access to our live service.
After about 24 hours, YouTube will add closed captioning to our service. Our recorded live-streamed service will be archived and is available using this link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGcBufBEGTa7r5XSQBkOjPg/videos.

01/16/2026

From Pastor Ken
We have all faced challenges in the start of the new year--as individuals and as a struggling nation. It's tempting to lower our goals and expectations for the year to come, and reserve our personal energy to face whatever blow lands next. But in partnership with our amnipresent ('all loving') God, the worst times can be times for optimism--times to plan audacious goodness. This Sunday I want to talk about "Planting with God, In or Out of Season." I crafted this message for the first Sunday of the year, but as you know the pesky blight laid me low for a few weeks. So...this is an address for each of you and for the church entering this year of transition. I trust its delivery will still be right on time. We'll also celebrate (delayed) communion together.

Our worship services are live-streamed to the Church's YouTube account. You can view the worship service using this link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGcBufBEGTa7r5XSQBkOjPg/featured.
We regret that there will not be phone access to our live service.
After about 24 hours, YouTube will add closed captioning to our service. Our recorded live-streamed service will be archived and is available using this link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGcBufBEGTa7r5XSQBkOjPg/videos.

01/08/2026

This Sunday in worship Reverend Ryan Henderson, our New York Conference Association Minister, will deliver the message, talking about the process and what our congregation can expect in the coming season of pastoral transition. Our church's Annual General Meeting will take place very shortly after the service and all members are strongly encouraged to attend.

01/06/2026

✨ Sunday School Is Back! ✨

Sunday School resumes on January 11, and our theme for the month is Resilience! 💪🙏

We invite everyone to take part by adding a comment to the easel near the coat rack—share your thoughts or examples of how faith and resilience show up in your life.

We can’t wait to learn and grow together! 😊

Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

01/03/2026

"As we begin 2026, we'll think about "The Angels of Praise" in all the Christmas stories and their invitation to continue praising all the year long. Pastor Ken has been sick this week and the deacons are conducting this week's service and reading a sermon written by Pastor."

01/01/2026

From Pastor Ken
Our church begins a new year, and a year full of fresh opportunities. This Sunday I am going to develop some thoughts I shared with our partner churches at the fall GVA gathering, “Planting with God, In or Out of Season.”