Worth the Wait: God, We’ve Made a Mess of Things. Can You Fix It?
Nov. 29-Dec. 24

During this season when COVID-19 has chased us indoors and, in many ways, away from one another, it is common to yearn for things to get back to normal. That’s what we have been waiting for. Advent is a spiritual season of waiting. As people of faith, we are not waiting to “get back” to anything. We are waiting for a promised day that we have yet to see, but it is a day on which we base our lives. In this sense, the church lives every day in the season of Advent. We are waiting for God’s promised day.          ​

Nov. 29	These are not signs.	Rev. Tom Are
Dec. 6	Metanoia Moments	Rev. Tom Are
Dec. 13	Worth the Wait	Rev. Tom Are
Dec. 20	We Don’t Do This Alone	Rev. Tom Are
Christmas Eve, Dec. 24	Go With the God We’ve Got	Rev. Tom Are
Christmas Eve, Dec. 24	Children & Family Christmas Eve Service	Village Church Kids
Christmas Day, Dec. 25	Wisdom from Presbyville on a COVID Christmas	Rev. Tom Are
Dec. 27	Christmas Reflections	Revs. Sarah Are, Owen Gray and Tom Are

Christmas Reflections
Dec. 27, 2020 - Revs. Sarah Are, Owen Gray and Tom Are

Rev. Owen Gray offers a brief meditation on the shepherds, Rev. Sarah Are points us to the magi and Rev. Tom Are allows us to peer into the manger.  ​

​Sermon Transcript 12-27-20

Listen to the podcast

Wisdom from Presbyville on a COVID Christmas
Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2020 - Rev. Tom Are

Rev. Tom Are shares some wisdom from his friends in Presbyville—Rev. Noah Tall, Calvin Knox and of course the Williams family: Mabel, Hampy and Dink. They have some good advice for getting through a COVID Christmas.

Listen to the podcast

Go with the God We’ve Got
Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2020 - Rev. Tom Are

Rev. Tom Are preaches it’s just a baby.  We want a God who will destroy the evil doers, but instead we have a God who loves, extends mercy and comes to us in a way to change our hearts. Nothing like a child to do that. Our scripture reading is Luke 2:1-20. ​

​Sermon Transcript 12-24-20

Listen to the podcast

Children & Family Christmas Eve Service with the Gathering Band
Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2020

No matter the year we've had, Christmas still comes. We're glad for that. For we need the assurance that this story gifts us - the light still shines. Worship with us on this holy day as we remember the story together. A special thank you to all our young stars who help us tell the story!

We Don’t Do This Alone
Dec. 20, 2020 - Rev. Tom Are

On the fourth Sunday of Advent, Rev. Tom Are follows the Angel Gabriel, who is very busy this time of year. First Gabriel visits with Zechariah in the middle of his prayers. Then Gabriel appears to Mary and informs her that she will be the mother of Jesus. As soon as Gabriel slips away, Mary seeks out a girlfriend, her cousin Elizabeth. Mary will include Hannah in their sisterhood as well. It’s a good lesson. The life of faith is not one we live alone. We all need our people! Our scripture reading is Luke 1:39-49. 

​Sermon Transcript 12-20-20

Listen to the podcast

Worth the Wait
Dec. 13, 2020 - Rev. Tom Are

On the third Sunday of Advent, Rev. Tom Are turns to John’s father, Zechariah. Zechariah is visited by an angel who announces John’s expected birth. Although, it was not what Zechariah had expected to hear, probably not for a long time. He and his wife Elizabeth were old and had probably laid down the dream of having a child. What is noticeable however, is that the Angel finds Zechariah in the temple. Even when his life had not gone the way he hoped, Zechariah kept worshipping God. He gives us a lesson in hope and persistence.  Our scripture reading is Luke 1:5-15a.

​Sermon Transcript 12-13-20

Listen to the podcast

Metanoia Moments
Dec. 6, 2020 - Rev. Tom Are

On this second Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of peace and hear a word of encouragement from a surprising source: John the Baptist. John knows the truth of us. He knows how much each of us needs to grow in our faith; but John also knows there is good in all of us. An imperfect life is still lovable. Our scripture reading is Luke 3:1-14. 

​​Sermon Transcript 12-6-20

Listen to the podcast

These are not signs.
Nov. 29, 2020 - Rev. Tom Are

There is an unshakeable hope that rests in the Biblical story. That hope is painted in the portrait of the “return of the son of man.” Push through the images and what we see is the conviction that God will make things right. The reason we can trust this is because we trust that God is love and love will never let us go. Our scripture reading is Mark 13:24-37. 

​Sermon Transcript 11-29-20

Listen to the podcast