Join us for our Online Worships!
Times
9:00 am - Book study (Zoom)
11:00 am - Worship (in person)
Book Study
Every Sunday 9:00 am - 10:00 am, we have thought-provoking, challenging, and inspiring conversations about a book chosen by the participants. All are welcome to join in, whether or not you've read the book!
Contact the church office for the Zoom link! office@oasisforpeace.org
Titles read and discussed:
Uncovering Racism by Kathryn Goering Reid and Stephen Breck Reid
Put Down your Sword: Answering the Gospel Call to Creative Nonviolence by John Dear
Mending the Divides: Creative Love in a Conflicted World by John Huckins and Jer Swigart
Sunday Morning Worship
Don’t be surprised if you come to worship and our pastor is not leading. We believe in the priesthood of all believers which means that in worship we have regular people leading worship as well as our Pastor. As a strong believer in that idea, we provide two opportunities for worship here at The First Church of the Brethren. On the first, second and fourth Sundays we offer a Traditional Worship and on the third and fifth Sundays we offer our Sacred Grounds experiential worship. Our beloved previous Pastor, Sara Haldeman-Scarr, has retired. We are sharing the pulpit until her replacement arrives later this fall.
Traditional Worship
Traditional worship for our faith community engages the body, mind and spirit as we come together for an informal worship. Through traditional hymns, individual and group prayer, special music and a sharing of an offering (everyone is invited to share, but no one is coerced) we celebrate the goodness of God. Our Pastor shares a faith talk that engages our spirits and helps us wonder, ask questions and engage our beliefs so that we can wrestle with our doubts and find strength in the journey. This service usually last for about 1.5 hours.
Sacred Ground
Sacred Ground worship for our faith community is an interactive service. We share in prayer, praise, offering; food together. A large part of the service is dedicated to the sharing of faith around tables as we listen to one another’s ideas about the questions provided by the Sacred Ground’s Leader. Being able to hear from each other enlivens our faith journey and helps us understand and learn from one another.
Bread and Cup Communion
Christians everywhere remember and renew their covenant with God and one another as they share the bread and cup. In the Church of the Brethren the Bread and the Cup represent the body and blood of Christ and are not to be given or received lightly. Our tradition calls for unleavened bread remembering the flight of the Hebrews from Egypt however, any loaf provided in thoughtfulness and love is acceptable. Recognizing the desire to be inclusive, a grape juice is used for the cup. Bread and cup communion is served but not limited to the following times: Ash Wednesday, a Sunday in July, and on Christmas Eve. While we believe Bread and Cup communion is to be observed in the community, it is also served upon request in a private home or hospital setting.
Love Feast & Footwashing
This service of worship is one where we gather around a light meal reenacting the meal in the upper room the night Jesus was betrayed. We remember Jesus’ life and ministry; how he humbles himself in servitude to his disciples by washing their feet. At the conclusion of the evening together we share in the Bread and the Cup, recognizing the presence of Christ in those gathered and being fed spiritually by the symbols of the Bread (the body of Christ) and the cup (the Blood) of Christ. These services typically take place on Thursday evening before Easter and again during morning worship the first Sunday of October, known as World Communion Sunday.
Anointing
The Anointing has been used for generations by the Church of the Brethren as a rite for healing. Brethren today anoint for many different reasons, including but not limited to physical healing, emotional health and well-being, commissioning for leadership and spiritual renewal. Finding its roots in James 5, anointing with oil for healing as described above is a means of God’s grace and blessing intended to bring restoration of wholeness and health.