Sonoma Valley Church of the Nazarene

Mysteries of the Kingdom- Matthew 13 https://youtu.be/smQ_IhLZeqE

Our District Superintendent Albert Hung reminds us Our gospel does not begin with the Fall, but with Creation. Our story begins with love. Thank Albert totally stealing this

A New Song I've Not Heard Before

"Somewhere we know that without a lonely place our lives are in danger. Somewhere we know that without silence words lose there meaning, that without listening speaking no longer heals, that without distance, closeness cannot cure. Somewhere we know that without a lonely place our actions become empty gestures." Henri Nouwen- Out of Solitude

Today is Communion Sunday if you would like to gather a few things before we start. John the Baptist sends his followers to ask Jesus a strange question and Jesus replies what did you come out to see? Blessed are those who do not stumble because of me.

And for you're evening pleasure. https://www.youtube.com/watch

California Dreamin All the leaves are brown and the skies, well they aren't grey but here are a couple of pictures from the work day today. Don fixing our church sign, Vince working on the sprinkler system trying not to teach me some new words and Valarie using the new leaf sucker to pick up all the leaves strewn all over the parking lot.

A Message from our District Superintendent asking us to join as a District in a Day of Prayer this Sunday for the upcoming election. Not so much for the outcome, but for our witness as the Church of Jesus Christ in its aftermath. Check it out!

In times when we feel distant or alienated from God it is helpful to look at the practices of our forefather and mothers. This example was taken from a class lecture while I attended Point Loma. The Prayer of Recollection This prayer of recollection as presented below is a direct byproduct of the combined wisdom of St John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, and Thomas Merton. ...Continue reading

Wouldn’t it be nice if we lived in a world where nobody ever lied to us? We’ve grown so accustomed to living in a world where dishonesty, corruption, vice, and deception are the norm. In this section of Jesus Sermon on the Mount he addresses oaths & vows as a way to address integrity, again stressing that unless your righteousness surpass that of the Pharisees & teachers of the law you will in no way enter the Kingdom of God.... https://youtu.be/xoBv2bPBTWY

Will you join us this Sunday either live at 10 on the lawn or online at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6oNpyPJCT75l7jfcopLPQQ

Today our PDO program began again after having been on hiatus for so long. It was so awesome to see those beautiful faces once again. For more info http://sonomavalleychurch.org/services

Sermon on the Mount part 2, Murder & Adultery. https://youtu.be/z6qOu_IONnc

Factoid So October is pastor appreciation month and my wife was testing my knowledge today asking me who the first female pastor was. My answer was Olive Winchester but I was wrong (shocker I know). The first female pastor was a woman by the name of Clara Babcock the daughter of a Methodist minister ordained in 1888 who personally baptized 1500 people. My answer was not completely wrong however, Olive Winchester was the first Nazarene woman minister ordained in 1912.

This week we'll be getting into the meat of Jesus sermon. If ever there was a time to hear directly from our savior, it is now. Feel free to join us outside on the lawn at 10 am on Sunday or check out any of our online services on our Youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6oNpyPJCT75l7jfcopLPQQ

A while back I did a series from the Wisdom Literature, and the following thoughts came from the section we did from the Song of Songs (the greatest song) It was a series that looked at Ecclesiastes, Job and the Song of Songs. This song is taken from Job chapter 13 Suffering Goes with Love, Love naturally suffers for the very obvious reason that it opens you up, exposes your tenderest, most vulnerable part, the quivering flesh of the heart, at the mercy of the beloved and of time and fate. If there is one thing we can predict with accuracy [about human love], it is that the course of true love never did run smooth. If you love, you will suffer. The only way to protect yourself against suffering is to protect yourself against loveand that is the greatest suffering of all, loneliness.

Just another beautiful fall day; but when the people of God meet together, we anticipate the extraordinary. We invite you to enter into worship with us outside on the lawn at 10 am.

Sermon Blooper While attempting to record this weeks sermon I made a new friend. If you're free Sunday, we'll be meeting outside on the Lawn at 10 am. Join us. or watch us on YouTube beginning Saturday evening after 5pm. https://youtu.be/_BJxuIjOBoE

We have confidence in the future because we see the handiwork of God in the present through his Spirit. God has not abandoned our splintered world, nor has he left us to our own resources. Cameron Lee. Unexpected Blessing: Living the Countercultural Reality of the Beatitudes (Kindle Location 894). Kindle Edition.