As part of the Wonder. Worship. Witness. weekend, we gather to worship God. This weekend we welcome the Rev. Dr. Brad Braxton as guest preacher, and the music is led by Dr. Tony McNeill, our guest clinician. In this time together, we are invited to experience worship as more than something we attend— as something that transforms us, deepens our faith, and inspires us to live out God’s love through justice, compassion, and care for all creation.May this time of worship awaken our hearts, expand our imaginations, and send us into the world ready to participate in God’s work of making all things new.Wonder.Worship.Witness. We wonder so that we might be changed. We worship to be awakened. We witness so that we might act.Sermon Title: “Two Places at the Same Time.”Revelation 1:9–11; 4:1–3, 9–11The (Newer) Revised Standard Version1:9 I, John, your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven – no, I meant to say, eight – churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, to Laodicea, and to the First Congregational Church of Western Springs.”4:1 After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! 3 And the one seated there looks like jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald.9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever; 11 they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Link to Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWCyIMcHEJw Link to Start of Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWCyIMcHEJw&t=3711s If you are new to our faith community and are interested in learning more, please go to Welcome to First Congo
