Oak Grove Mennonite Church

03/31/2026

03/31/2026

Join Oak Grove Mennonite Church at 1525 Mennonite Church Road this Sunday for...

03/14/2026

We were supposed to go to Indianapolis for a brief mission weekend but the weather changed our plans. So we took advantage of the free Saturday morning to do some storm cleanup and light maintenance for our neighbors. The kids and adults worked very hard on a cold Saturday morning.

03/07/2026

Guiding God, the world tries to tell me that productivity is the only thing that matters. You say otherwise. Remind me that rest is part of growth. Remind me that rest is sacred. Remind me that rest is holy work that connects me to you. When I doubt or forget this good news, send a whisper in the wind. I will be listening. Amen.

— prayer by Rev. Sarah Speed |

03/01/2026

In many translations, Jesus says that “Mary has chosen the better part,” which has been used to create a divide between Mary and Martha. However, in the Greek, Mary has chosen the “good portion,” and Martha’s tasks are called “ministry.” Therefore, perhaps Mary represents our faith, our desire to know God intimately, and Martha represents our good works, our desire to transform the world. Both are needed, and both are good. |

02/26/2026

Wildly loving God, every once in a while someone does something so kind, so unreasonably gracious, that it uncoils something in me. It unravels a bit of fear or grief, and leaves me with a glimmer of hope. Show me how to love like that. Show me how to cross the road, care for my neighbor, and love beyond dividing lines. Show me how to be unreasonably hospitable and wildly loving. Amen.

— prayer by Rev. Sarah Speed |

02/24/2026

“Vulnerability appears in manifold ways in one short passage: The Samaritan’s risky mercy. The humanity of the priest and the Levite. Also, the innkeeper’s trust; he takes a small down payment, believing the promise of more. There’s the boldness of the legal expert too; he instigates this whole thing by asking a testing question—and it’s quintessentially Jesus to meet even the self-righteous by staying in conversation. Candor invites us to see ourselves in each of these characters.”

—Rev. Jeff Chu () from his commentary on Luke 10:25-37 |

02/22/2026

The parable of the Good Samaritan begins and ends with the question, “Who is my neighbor?” and the answer is surprisingly, “the stranger.” The Samaritan, whose place of worship and customs are different from the lawyer who questions Jesus, is both a stranger and a neighbor to the man who was beaten and left in a ditch. In our world, many of our physical neighbors are strangers to us, and many of our neighbors—those closest to us—feel like strangers in divisive political climates. If we align our intentions and actions, then maybe we need to reconsider who we label as “stranger,” and ask ourselves if we have acted as good neighbors. |

02/19/2026

Create a mantra for yourself this Lenten season. Between now and Easter, what words would you like to repeat? |

02/16/2026

This Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. We will celebrate with an Ash Wednesday Service at South Union Mennonite Church at 6:30 PM.

Our Lenten theme for 2026, “Everything In Between,” invites us to navigate the polarities in our lives with more faith, intention, and openness to be transformed. Each weekly sub-theme explores two supposed binaries, like “faith & works” or “rest & growth,” or “grief & hope.” We often consider these ideas to be opposing. However, as we explore these concepts within the scriptures, we find nuance and complexity. We find that these dichotomies are false. We might begin to see a full spectrum instead of black and white. We might find that God is present in between.

And so, this season, we invite you to look beyond black and white binaries and easy answers. We encourage you to take in the art, poetry, and reflections, imagining where God might be meeting us beyond the categories we create. This Lent, we're trusting that God shows up in shades of gray, rainbow hues, and everywhere in between.

01/25/2026

Due to current weather conditions and that Champaign County is under a level two snow emergency, we are cancelling our worship service and Sunday School this morning. Afternoon mentoring activities have already been rescheduled, and we will keep an eye out to see if there are any changes before cancelling game night. Have a blessed morning, and stay warm!