Have you ever felt like life is stuck on repeat—busy, full, and yet strangely empty? On this Sunday, we gather around Jesus’ practice of stepping away to pray and reset his purpose. In Mark 1:32–39, Jesus withdraws from the crowds, not out of avoidance, but to reconnect with God and realign with why he was sent. This is a Sunday for anyone who feels spiritually weary, distracted, or disconnected. Come as you are. Come to rest. Come to pray. Come to reset your purpose in Christ.

As the new year unfolds, the initial excitement may be giving way to the weight of routines, responsibilities, and unanswered questions. On this Second Sunday of the New Year, we return to the story of Jesus’ baptism in Luke 3:21–23—a moment of prayer, divine affirmation, and holy beginning. God names Jesus beloved before his ministry begins. This scripture invites us to continue the work of renewal—to reset our souls, remember our baptism, and ground our lives in God’s grace as we move forward into 2026.

On August 11, 1755, John Wesley led the first Covenant Service in the Methodist movement. He found it so meaningful that he wrote, “Many mourned before God, and many were comforted” (April 1756).

Join us as we begin 2026 by renewing our hearts before God and one another through this historic service. Drawing from 1 Peter’s call to holy living, we will center our worship on Wesley’s Covenant Prayer—a powerful commitment to surrender ourselves to God.

The Covenant Prayer

I am no longer my own, but yours. Put me to what you will, align me with whom you will; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you, let me be full, let me be empty, let me have all things, let me have nothing: I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to your pleasure and disposal. And now, glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you are mine and I am yours. So be it. And the covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.
– John Wesley

Join us. Rev. Mary Elyn Bahlert is our guest speaker.

The Christmas story continues into the shadows. Jesus’ family flees as refugees. Herod’s violence leaves grief in its wake. And yet, God is still with us. Through courage, trust, and faithful obedience, light shimmers through the darkness. Join us as we worship the Christ who is born into a broken world—and leads us in hope.

This Sunday, we light the Candle of Joy and remember Mary—the young woman whose faithful “yes” made space for God to enter the world. When the angel’s message disrupted her life and filled her with questions, Mary chose to trust that God’s promise was bigger than her fear.

In a season that asks much of us, we are reminded that joy is not the absence of fear but the presence of God in the unknown. Come, beloved community—let us listen for God’s call, find courage in our questions, and say “yes” to the hope being born among us.