I recently came across “an exact copy of the manuscript for the first sermon delivered at the first worship service our church offered to the Bothell community.” In that sermon, Pastor Floyd Cronkite focused on what might be considered an “ideal church.” He started by talking about the church as God’s household, which he took from 1 Timothy 3:15: “The church is like a family, a household. It is God’s household. God is the head of this house.” That opening sermon has had lasting effects. Emmanuel isn’t big, flashy, or a community organizing hub; Emmanuel is a family. Many people share that they feel comfortable here and appreciate the church’s unpretentious character.
For Pastor Cronkite, the defining characteristic of being a household is that “in all things, we look to the master of the household, to God. . . You seek the will of the head of the household and [God] directs you into a certain specific task.” He emphasizes that this requires a great amount of prayer and discernment. Many of you have recently participated in Community Groups focused on prayer in which we have sought to grow in communion with God and in community with one another. In so doing we are seeking the will of God for the household.
If your household is like mine, there are disagreements, arguments, and challenges as well as games, laughter, and meals shared—all while working together to achieve a shared goal. Households aren’t clean and tidy all the time, literally or figuratively. Family life can get messy. Living together and managing a house takes time, effort, commitment, and prayer. That is, in many ways, what it takes to be the church.
The household of God, a family living together, requires love. I think we do a pretty good job of loving one another. In my estimation, it has something to do with the seeds planted by Pastor Cronkite over 60 years ago and the watering of those seeds that has been done by the people of Emmanuel and its pastors along the way. Most of all, our love for one another is a result of the power and work of the Holy Spirit to bring about growth. It is a love that is not based in affinity but is rather rooted in the love of God for us in Jesus.
May we continue to love one another well, seek God’s will, and grow in grace. May we be a church that is the household of God, filled with hope, that is a refuge and a place of service to one another and our community.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Patrick
Life in the Kingdom
Life in the Kingdom: A New Sermon Series Beginning April 26th
What does it look like to live as a citizen of God's Kingdom right now? Not someday, not in the distant future, but today—in the ordinary moments of our lives, in our neighborhoods, at work, in our relationships, at our tables?
April 26th, we will move into our next sermon series, Life in the Kingdom, continuing our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. Easter and our post-resurrection mini-series naturally leads us to consider what life in God’s Kingdom might look like for us—to envision it, embody it, live it today. We will do just that as we look at scenes and teachings from Jesus's ministry that paint a vivid picture of Life in the Kingdom.
Jesus didn't just preach about the Kingdom of God. He showed it. Again and again in Matthew's Gospel, we see the Kingdom breaking into the ordinary: in prayer, in an unexpected act of healing, in a shared meal, in a child welcomed to the center, in a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to go after the one. These are not just stories—they are invitations. They are windows into the heart of God and what God is doing in our world.
In this series, we will ask together: What does it mean for us to be signs and instruments of God's Kingdom?
These are the stories of a Kingdom that defies our expectations. A Kingdom where outsiders are welcomed, the forgotten are sought, the sick are touched, and the hungry are fed. A Kingdom where the last are first and the least are greatest. A Kingdom where the greatest power is not our own but rather the gift of God’s grace and mercy.
As we journey with Jesus, I hope you'll find yourself drawn deeper into life with Jesus in your everyday life.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Patrick
Unity in Diversity
Last week I had the opportunity to meet with heads of staff at the two churches I served at before coming to Emmanuel. I am grateful to Emmanuel for the gift of study leave. I gained wisdom and practical ideas from them, which I can use to grow my leadership. In particular, they shared helpful ideas around developing and supporting our Session and elders.
I was also able to attend a special Project Peace Speaker series and hear from New York Times columnist David French. Project Peace is a non-profit founded by Christ Church East Bay (Berkeley & Oakland, CA). Its mission is to, “mobilize volunteers and resources to serve our trusted community partners as we pursue biblical justice in the East Bay.” They mobilize volunteers through diverse partnerships with churches across the East Bay. The group of churches in attendance spanned denominations, theological divides, and political leanings. Among the many were conservative evangelical churches as well as progressive liberal churches. These churches work together through their partnerships with Project Peace to serve their communities throughout the Bay Area.
David French spoke about the markers of a diverse community, which is what the church seeks to be in the world. Jesus in the book of Acts tells the disciples to go and make disciples of every nation, starting in Jerusalem and spreading to Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. The church is not monolithic but is like God, who exists as a unity in diversity: as three distinct persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and One God. Being a Christian doesn’t eliminate difference but rather celebrates a diversity that is held together by the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in Jesus.
I was not familiar with David French, but he was introduced as someone “who is an equal opportunity offender.” Although the New York Times columnist is viewed with suspicion by many conservatives, he himself is a conservative, constitutional lawyer. He shared with us that he is a man of deep faith who regularly participates in his Church and a long standing small group that meets at his home. He is a man of faith and conviction who writes about politics and has been known to upset all sides of the aisle.
In his talk and discussion that followed, David French identified two important markers of healthy, diverse communities that stood out to me. I share these with you because we exist in a nation, and in a world, that is deeply polarized. I believe that this division harms our communities, drains our energy, and detracts from our life together. These markers can, I think, help to guide our life together and how we interact with others in our families, neighborhoods, workplaces, or any groups we are a part of that are experiencing the tug and pull of our times.
Truly diverse communities can exist in unity when they are marked by the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Truly diverse communities can exist in unity when they live humbly with one another. People that gravitate or lean toward one extreme can tolerate different opinions, theological interpretations, explanations of a scripture when they possess humility. Groups of people who think the same way about something cannot tolerate difference if humility is not present. Difference is made possible within a community by the presence of humility. I love David French’s simple definition of humility, “being able to admit I might be wrong”. Admitting you may be wrong requires a person to hold their position with conviction yet with an open posture and willingness to engage the other person.
Friends, it is my hope and prayer for EPC that we can be a community whose unity in diversity reflects the image of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who exists as unity in diversity. One of the markers of the season of Lent is self-reflection. I invite you to reflect on where your zeal lies, and whether it is marked by humility. May we be a community that does justice, loves mercy, and walks humbly with our God and with one another.
To live this way, we need to be in conversation with one another about the things that matter most. Preaching is often a form of one-way communication, so I encourage you to talk with one another about the sermons you hear. And when something I say makes you scratch your head or makes your hair stand up, I invite you to come talk with me about it. I do not assume that I am always right. Instead, I welcome conversation as together we seek to live faithfully in community, following Jesus.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Patrick
Incarnation
Lately, I’ve been drawn to a new song I stumbled upon during our generosity sermon series this fall. It’s titled Please Pass the Bliss (Nick Mulvey Rework). The song is simple—more like ambient pop with a catchy beat than a traditional piece with lyrics. In fact, it isn’t sung at all; instead, a solitary voice speaks the verses, almost like spoken word. The first lines spoken are:
The soul
Takes birth
Takes incarnation
The closing lines are:
We love everyone
By inhabiting the soul
I’ve found myself especially drawn to these lines as we enter the season of Advent and inch closer to Christmas (remember, my first Advent sermon urged us to pump the brakes and walk to Christmas). Christmas is all about incarnation—God taking on flesh, Emmanuel, God with us: first in Jesus as a baby, then as the man who was crucified and died. Jesus became one of us and dwelt among us. God with us. You could sum it up just as the song begins:
God
Takes birth
Takes incarnation
As the song begins, so Jesus’s life on earth begins—with incarnation. But why does incarnation matter? Why does it matter that Jesus took on flesh, was born of a woman, breastfed, soiled diapers, scraped his knee at play, disobeyed his parents, grew up, made friends, called disciples, taught and walked the streets of Galilee and Jerusalem as a rabbi, was arrested, crucified, died, and was buried? Does it really matter?
To me, it matters deeply. It makes all the difference. It makes God’s love real. God takes birth, takes incarnation. God loves everyone by inhabiting the soul and by inhabiting our world. God loves us profoundly as a human—as Jesus. And now, God is with us by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, who inhabits the soul of each of us. The Spirit—the gift who gives faith, hope, joy, peace, wisdom, strength, comfort, consolation, freedom, love, and new birth—is closer to us than our very breath. God’s breath is our breath (Spirit in Hebrew is ruach, wind/breath).
Jesus, Emmanuel, matters for you, your loved ones, your neighbors, your enemies, and all of creation. May you be filled with all the gifts of the Spirit and receive God—who takes birth, who takes incarnation, who is love—Jesus.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Patrick
Gratitude and Generosity Are Inseparable
I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude over the past month for a couple of reasons. The first is our sermon series, The Roots and Fruits of Generosity. The second is the outpouring of support and care that our family has received from Emmanuel Presbyterian Church and Monroe Covenant. The Church has been so supportive in offering genuine care to us—for which Quinn and all the Vaughns are exceedingly grateful. It has reminded me that Emmanuel Presbyterian Church is marked not only by generosity—the kind of care extended to us that I’ve seen given to so many others in our congregation—but also by gratitude.
I believe that generosity and gratitude are deeply connected. As I preached on November 9th, God creates grateful stewards. People who are grateful live out of an abundance mentality. They see life as gift. When we understand God as the giver of abundance—because God is good—we can’t help but be grateful. As Psalm 24 declares, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.” Everything we have is pure gift from God, which means we can receive it with open hands and give it with open hands.
If I had one more week in our sermon series on generosity, I would have preached on Luke 17:11–19, where Jesus heals ten lepers and sends them to the priest to be declared clean. Of the ten, only one stops and turns around.
“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.” —Luke 17:15–16
We learn that the one who returned was a Samaritan. Why does that detail matter? Because this man would have been doubly outcast—both by his disease and by his ethnicity. He didn’t deserve to be healed or do anything to earn it. His healing was a pure gift from Jesus—the same gift given to the other nine. Yet he alone turned back in thanksgiving. Why? We don’t know. But even their lack of gratitude didn’t stop Jesus from healing them. God’s generosity is not dependent on our recognition of it; Jesus still gives good gifts even when we fail to give thanks.
I imagine that this man who returned praising God and thanking Jesus became a generous person. His act of praise and worship was itself a gift offered back to God. I like to think that someone who received such a free, unearned gift would go on to give freely to others. Gratitude and generosity are inseparable—gratitude is the root that bears the fruit of generosity. The fruit of joy and praise was evident in this man’s life, and who knows what other fruit was born out of that moment.
I want to be like that man. I want to have a good eye (Matthew 6:22–23)—one that sees God’s abundant gifts all around me and is quick to give thanks and praise. Too often, though, I find myself seeing with bad eyes, noticing what I lack instead of what I’ve been given. But right now, I am deeply grateful—for the generous care of EPC; for beautiful fall prayer walks at UW Bothell with Colleen Orrestad and Pat Ferguson; for the joy preschoolers find in a good book; for pastoral visits with folks who allow me into their brokenness; and for visits from old friends.
These are all gifts from the God who is good and whose steadfast love endures forever.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Patrick
Roots and Fruits of Generosity: Living with Open Hands and a Big Heart
Beginning October 26th, we’ll embark on a five-week journey to explore the roots and fruits of generosity. What does it mean to live generously? And where does true generosity begin?
Together, we’ll consider two core ideas:
1. Generosity isn't first about what we do—it begins with who God is.
2. Generosity flows from who we are called to be as God's image-bearers.
The taproot of generosity is a fundamental truth: God is a giver. From the beginning, God's essential character has been one of abundance, creativity, and gift-giving. The creation story in Genesis isn't just about how the world came to be—it's the story of a generous God who gives and gives and gives. Everything we have, everything we are, is pure gift.
Who God is defines who we are as receivers of God's good gifts. When we understand this, we stop grasping and start opening our hands. We move from scarcity to abundance. We discover that generosity isn't a burden but a joy—the natural overflow of grateful hearts.
Where We’re Headed
In this series, we'll explore how the roots of God's generous character produce beautiful fruits in our lives that bear witness to God's good Kingdom.
Week 1: God Gives—Creation as Gift
(Genesis 1–2:3)
God’s very nature is to give life, goodness, and blessing.
How can we respond? By receiving with open hands.
Week 2: God Gives Everything, and It's Good
(Genesis 1:26–2:25)
God doesn't give sparingly—God gives everything. Humans lack nothing in God's generous abundance.
How can we respond? By becoming faithful stewards of these good gifts.
Week 3: Grateful Stewards
(Genesis 1:26–28, 2:15-16; Luke 12:22-34; Colossians 3:15-17)
As image-bearers of a generous God, we're called to till and care for creation with gratitude. Giving doesn't deplete gratitude—it cultivates it.
How can we respond? With thanksgiving that overflows into generosity.
Week 4: Hospitality—Welcome as We've Been Welcomed
(Luke 14:12-24; 1 Peter 4:9-10)
God's radical hospitality transforms how we use our attention and material possessions. We extend welcome because we have been welcomed.
How can we respond? With open doors and generous presence.
Week 5: Big-Heartedness—The Generosity of Soul
(Scripture to be determined)
Even on the cross, Jesus embodies magnanimity—forbearance, forgiveness, and love for the other. This generosity of spirit is a costly grace that extends to those who annoy, frustrate, and wrong us.
How can we respond? With big-heartedness toward all our neighbors.
An Invitation
This series isn't just about money—though we'll talk about that too. It's about cultivating a way of life marked by open hands and big hearts, a life that reflects the generous, self-giving love of the God who created us, redeems us, and calls us to be signs of the Kingdom.
Whether you're new to faith or have walked with Jesus for years, whether you feel financially secure or stretched thin, this series is for you. Because generosity begins not with what we have, but with recognizing what we've been given.
Together, may we discover the joy of living with open hands and big hearts.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Patrick
Lectio Divina Takes Practice
On Sunday, we did something a little different for the sermon. Often, listening to a sermon tends to be a more passive moment in the service for those present; it is a time to receive a word of encouragement, exhortation, or spiritual insight. Yesterday, when I invited you all to participate in lectio divina, it required you to actively engage with the word of God through prayerful listening. A congregation that is willing to try new things in worship is a gift to a pastor. It is my prayer that you may have heard God’s small still voice in the words of Amos, and in Jesus’s parable. May the Holy Spirit continue to whisper to you this week. Attached here (link) are directions on how to practice lectio divina at home, either by yourself or in a group. I will also have hard copies of this available on Sunday.
Lectio divina takes practice, and there is no “right way.” The most important things are that you come with a Holy expectation of encountering the Living God as you prayerfully contemplate His word, and that you come with the intention of being transformed by sitting in the presence of the triune God. The Holy Spirit lives in you, and even if you don’t hear a word from God, you can rest in God’s presence. That gift of presence does not depend on your effort or on doing anything correctly—it is God’s grace. Jesus promises to be with us (Matthew 28:20).
Below are three additional items of encouragement and tools for prayer. Two of them are links to resources that lead you in a daily lectio divina. I use both and I highly recommend them if you want some guidance and don’t know what scripture to choose. I’ve also included an excerpt from one of St. John Chrysostom’s sermons, which I found encouraging and reassuring of God’s presence with us. St. John Chrysostom lived from 347–407 AD and was known as the “golden mouth” because of his powerful preaching.
Daily Lectio Divina Spotify by Abiding Way Ministries
Pray As You Go this is also available in your app store
From a homily, Life to me means Christ, and death is gain, by Saint John Chrysostom (347–407 AD):
The waters have risen and severe storms are upon us, but we do not fear drowning, for we stand firmly upon a rock. Let the sea rage, it cannot break the rock. Let the waves rise, they cannot sink the boat of Jesus. What are we to fear? Death? Life to me means Christ, and death is gain. Exile? The earth and its fullness belong to the Lord. The confiscation of goods? We brought nothing into this world, and we shall surely take nothing from it. I have only contempt for the world’s threats, I find its blessings laughable. I have no fear of poverty, no desire for wealth. I am not afraid of death nor do I long to live, except for your good. I concentrate therefore on the present situation, and I urge you, my friends, to have confidence.
Do you not hear the Lord saying: Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst? Will he be absent, then, when so many people united in love are gathered together? I have his promise; I am surely not going to rely on my own strength! I have what he has written; that is my staff, my security, my peaceful harbor. Let the world be in upheaval. I hold to his promise and read his message; that is my protecting wall and garrison. What message? Know that I am with you always, until the end of the world! If Christ is with me, whom shall I fear? Though the waves and the sea and the anger of princes are roused against me, they are less to me than a spider’s web.
Psalms: Songs for the Summer
When we think of singing, we often associate it with emotions and events that are happy, joyous, and good. But music and songs encompass the full spectrum of human emotion and experience. There are songs of victory and overcoming, but also songs of defeat and suffering. There are songs about joy and sadness; peace and conflict; loving-kindness and anger; abundance and longing. I think of one of my favorite bands, U2, and how I could find a song that corresponds to each of these. Music is diverse in its expressions, genres, and purposes—and the same is true of the book of Psalms. It was the prayer book and songbook of the Israelites, Jesus and the early church.
Songs for the Summer invites us into the breadth and depth of the Psalms, the human experience, and God’s steadfast love that endures through it all. “God is.” This is the foundation of the Psalms. Just as Genesis begins with “In the beginning, God,” the Psalms begin with the fundamental reality of God’s presence—and not only God's existence, but God's invitation to engage with us in a wide range of human experiences. God invites our praise and lament; our joy and tears; our confident declarations and our fears; our love and even our accusations; our faith and our doubt. In the Psalms, God welcomes all that we feel, think, and experience in life. God welcomes us—our whole selves.
In this sermon series, we will explore specific Psalms, sometimes lingering in a theme that connects several Psalms over a few Sundays. While we could spend nearly three years walking through each Psalm individually, we will instead focus on a few key themes that help us appreciate the wide range of what the Psalms offer us in our relationship with God.
Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann classifies the Psalms into three broad categories:
• Psalms of Orientation, which speak of the character of God as Creator and Sustainer, and evoke our delight and joy in response to God’s goodness.
• Psalms of Disorientation, which include lament and complaint, and speak to the pain, brokenness, and evil that plague human life.
• Psalms of New Orientation, which “speak boldly about a new gift from God, a fresh intrusion that makes all things new. These psalms affirm a sovereign God who puts humankind in a new situation.”
These three categories will roughly guide our exploration as we consider themes like God’s
goodness, lament, complaint, longing, justice, the wonder of creation, gratitude, and praise.
Celebrate Easter: He is Risen!
Join us for Easter service at 10am on April 20th.
Easter marks the beginning of a new sermon series: "Resurrection Life: Living His Story". In this series, we will consider the meaning of the resurrection for our lives today. Through stories from the book of Acts, we will explore how the early church lived out Jesus’s story and embodied the good news of new life in Christ. The resurrection proclaims that God brings life out of death—and we are invited to live this good news and carry it into our relationships, neighborhoods, and cities.
Entering the Mystery of God’s Love: Holy Week at Emmanuel
Sunday, April 13, we enter into Holy Week—a sacred journey that follows Jesus through his final days leading to the cross and ultimately to the resurrection. We begin with the crowds' loud shouts of praise as Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, a moment punctuated by his tears over the city—tears shed for hearts closed to God's peace.
On Thursday, we will gather to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, remembering that Jesus welcomes us into table fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, just as he did with his disciples in the upper room.
On Friday, you are invited to contemplate the pain and mystery of Good Friday through interactive stations of personal lament. Come anytime between 4–7 p.m. to encounter Jesus, the wounded healer—who suffers, dies, and therefore knows the depth of your pain. Cry out to the One who ultimately holds you with sacrificial love.
Saturday is the day Jesus lay in the tomb. I invite you to slow down, to sit in stillness and silence. Jesus is dead. Perhaps read Psalm 88, which ends with the haunting line: “You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me; my companions are in darkness.” This can feel heavy, sad, and painful—and that is okay. Because it is not the last word.
By walking through the entirety of Holy Week, we are invited to cling to the truth that God sees us and hears our cries. God did not stay far off but sent His only begotten Son to take on the fullness of humanity. Jesus suffers, dies, and is buried. And on the third day, in the power of the Spirit, he rose to new life.