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Office Hours:
  • Monday: Office closed
  • Tuesday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
  • Saturday: Office closed

Sunday Worship

  • 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. -- Youth and Adult Sunday School
  • 10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. -- Coffee & Fellowship
  • 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. -- Worship Service (Child care provided)

Phone:

  • Church Office: 248.634.9494
  • Pastor:
    • Office:
      248.634.9494
    • Home:
      248. 369.8893
    • Cell:
      620.423-.2671

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Finding us:

Reflections from Your Pastor,
Rev. Dr. Sharlyn DeHaven Gates

Pastor's Reflections
February 2012
"Ordinary Time ..."

Here we are in Ordinary Time. The Advent/Christmas Season is over. Epiphany is past. Lent hasn't started yet. It's just that in-between time that the liturgical calendar calls "Ordinary Time." No high celebrations and feasts, no real special worship celebrations or Bible Studies focused on a particular time of year. Just ordinary time.

I am thankful for Ordinary Time. Of course, I love our special seasons and celebrations, but without Ordinary Time, they would lose some of their beauty and excitement, I believe.

Ordinary time is a time to take a breather; to get rested and ready for the next big thing. It is a time for the regular stuff of everyday life to happen: babies are born, kids go to school, people get jobs or sometimes, unfortunately, they lose jobs; people get sick and have surgery; some people pass on from this life to the eternal one. We faithfully go to church and pray and sing; we baptize our babies, we celebrate the Lord's Supper. We breathe, we sleep, we rise, we cry and laugh. We live. Ordinary time.

Have you noticed that the liturgical colors in the sanctuary during Ordinary Time are green? Green to symbolize growth. Really, it is in the ordinary times of our lives that we grow the most. We grow in our faith as we struggle with an illness, with a loss, with a joy. We grow as we do the regular stuff of life - like pray and worship and fellowship together. Green is for growth. Ordinary time takes up most of the time on the Christian calendar.

And it takes up most of the time in our ordinary lives as well.

Speaking of growth, we have a wonderful thing to celebrate! This past Saturday I met with two young couples who have a desire to become members of HPC. Haley and Ryan Day and Sara Whalen and Nick Pettit. Haley and Ryan are expecting their first child on February 28th. Sara and Nick are engaged to be married this June. These young couples will be a great addition to our family and I know you will want to get to know them.

There are others who have expressed interest in joining our church as well, but I need to meet with them and confirm it before I make that announcement. Exciting things happen in Ordinary Time! May our congregation give thanks for the blessings in the ordinary times of our lives.

Peace and Grace!
Rev. Sharlyn

Transcripts of 2012 Sermons
 
"Dropping our Nets"
Rev. Dr. Sharlyn Gates, January 22
 
"Body Building"
Rev. Dr. Sharlyn Gates, January 15
 
"God on the Loose!"
Rev. Dr. Sharlyn Gates, January 8
 
"House of Bread"
Rev. Dr. Sharlyn Gates, January 1
 

Click here for an archive of 2011 sermons.