Everyone can be your teacher...

Sometimes the lesson is dramatic

and sometimes it is far more subtle

This last Sunday in worship, I shared an invitation to complete some “homework.” Shaped by the scripture of Saul encountering a light and Ananias as teachers, the assignment was to:

  1. Begin a day in prayer, asking for the humility and vision to receive someone as your teacher today. 

  2. Observe what happens throughout the day.

  3. That evening, observe what you have seen and known and learned. 

Did you happen to accept the invitation? If so, what happened?

I set out to address the homework on Monday and something happened.

I went to pick up the kid early from school for a dentist appointment and entered into conversation with another parent in the school office. She drives 45 minutes to work each day and was there to help her grandchild through a loss in the family. This is what commitment looks like.

While I was in the waiting room at the dentist’s office, I entered into conversation with an older gentleman. He had just witnessed the exchange between me and the kid after the dental hygienist asked me if I wanted to follow (the invitation from the hygienist was sincere; the facial expression of the kid was certain). As the door closed and I was still in the waiting room. Having observed a smile of recognition on his face, I asked him if he had children. He shared the good news of a soon-to-arrive grandchild (number 20!). I asked if he had any parental advice to share. The hygienist entered the room and invited him back for his appointment. He stood up and made his way to the door and said, “Stay involved.” This is what sharing wisdom looks like.

That afternoon, a young man came over with his family to purchase some farm equipment. None of the equipment worked as expected. But none of that could dissuade his excitement and enthusiasm to prepare for a homestead. This is what passion looks like - and how good it is to follow it as soon as we can.

And sometimes the lesson is learned as we gather

made plain in small encounters and long relationships

Richard Rohr has said it well that anyone and anything (everyone and everything) can be your teacher. The world is not short on wisdom and inspiration. However, it does not simply enter us by osmosis or inhalation. Something more is required: attention, humility, generosity of spirit, welcoming, allowing, reflection, etc…

As with Saul, all of this might be God’s way of crafting the instruments that we are to be a blessing in our homes and world. We might be expecting a flashing of light and heavenly voice - and we might receive it. But, I imagine that far more frequent is the gentle and even subtle learning from neighbors and acquaintances, loved ones, and the natural world.

What did you learn? What are you learning? What came from your experience of the homework?

May we offer our attention to the teachers before us. May we be refined for goodness.

Peace,

Rev. Chris McCreight

Manuscript to the sermon, “The Flashing Light and the Gentle Flame”

EARTH DAY!

“There are no unsacred places.

There are only sacred places, and desecrated places.”

~ Wendell Berry

How are you honoring Earth Day and cultivating a faithful stewardship of the earth and resources?

One way that we are doing this together is through the development of a native meadow on the south lawn. The Hiram Community Trust has generously funded our project to plant hundreds of native flora in the green space to benefit the soil, insects, birds, and wildlife (including us!).

Plant a tree. Turn off the lights and heat. Lay in the grass. Enjoy a vegetarian meal. Walk where you can. Let the grass grow longer. Adopt some sheep. Slow down the consumption. Install some solar panels. Advocate for healthy air, water, and soil and public lands. Take a hike. Stare at the clouds. Listen to the birdsong in daylight and the howl of coyotes by night. Love leads to proper service.

In Our Church and Community:

Sunday, April 26: Welcoming Rev. Joni Christian as our Guest Preacher

Rev. Chris will be away this coming Sunday to attend the wedding of a friend. We will be welcoming Joni Christian to participate in worship and preach. Joni is of the United Christian Church and will be sharing a word based on the scripture of Luke 6 - Love of Enemies.

We know of the command to do so, and we may often struggle to put this into action. What does love of an enemy look like? Is it passive, allowing one to continue to do us wrong and even harm? Or can it be to stop the harm? Can it be active in creating boundaries and transforming animosity and healing wounds?

Each relationship may request some different shape of love, and how good it can be to return to this scripture and seek wisdom and grace to put it into practice.

Come share in the goodness of a Sunday morning service together. Come and welcome and receive Rev. Joni Christian on this special Sunday.

Practicing Resurrection

Conversion and community

This Sunday,

We will be returning to our regular worship service and regular narrative lectionary reading to encounter scripture within the Book of Acts (9.1-19a). We will hear the first account of Saul’s conversion experience that involves a flash of light, a heavenly voice, disorientation, and something like “scales falling from his eyes.” It is a conversion story as Saul is confronted and repents of his persecution of the “heretics.”

Something of this story may resonate within our own hearts. Perhaps this has been similar to a conversion you have experienced in your life (it certainly resonates with my own experiences). And, there is something here within the story that may apply not only to we who are in the process of converting from one thing to another, but to those of us who are present to others in the process of repentance or transformation.

Saul’s experience is not alone. He is surrounded by friends and by neighbors. All of them are integral to his becoming.

So come and join in a time of worship this Sunday as we draw from Saul’s experience (and perhaps our own) to consider how we may accompany one another - at our own pace.

Peace,

Rev. Chris McCreight

Live the Resurrection Sunday (and every day)

This last Sunday was magnificent.

Some of us gathered at the church to participate in acts of service. Some of us stepped into acts of care and neighborliness around our homes. Some of us finally surrendered to a time of rest and restoration. All of it is good.

Thank you for the ways that you serve Christ’s Church, your community, and your family. It is all how we serve the world from our little corner of it. And it all moves through the world as a life-giving breath.

Beginning this sunday @ 9:45am

The “Adult Elective” Sunday School class will begin a new book this coming Sunday: Richard Rohr’s What Do We Do with the Bible.

Copies are available on Sunday morning.

All Are Welcome

In Our Church and Community:

Chi-Rho Rock Climbing: Sunday, April 19 @ 3-5pm at Shaker Rocks

Community Breakfast: Tuesday, April 21 @ 7-9AM in the church fellowship hall.

Story Telling Event: Friday, April 24 @ 7-8:30PM in the church fellowship hall.

Risen Indeed! Now What?

Risen Indeed!

Now what?

The resurrection account within the Gospel According to Matthew is surprisingly brief. To be sure, it is filled with a litany of phenomena - an earthquake, angelic figures, an empty tomb, and an encounter with the resurrected Christ - and it is still quite short. Mary Magdalene and the “Other Mary” enter through this wild procession just after waking, one after another. And with every encounter, there is this a similar message that follows: “Do not be afraid.” and “Go.”

It is curious that there would not be more material on the resurrection. For that matter, it is curious that there would not be more material on the Kingdom of God. What ever happened to that???

If we remember, the life and ministry of Jesus began with the proclamation of the Kingdom of God at hand. Shaped by the prophetic imagination, most were hoping that this Kingdom of God would be a reinstatement of the United Kingdom of Israel similar to the time of King David. Whether that was to return through a peasant uprising, coup d'état, or divine miracles, the foundation of this hope included the removal of Roman occupation and the regaining of independence and identity. This is the idea that Jesus taught and proclaimed. This is the image that Jesus moved into with the Procession of Palms. This is still the hope that carries them to the Upper Room and even to the foot of the cross. Waiting, hoping, longing.

But part of that hope collides with the reality of the cross. Jesus was not going to overthrow the Roman seat. Angels did not descend to save the Son of God from violence and death. God didn’t even cast one plague upon Caesar or Herod or Pilate as God visited upon Pharaoh to elicit the Exodus.

Part of that hope collides with the reality of the cross. And perhaps part of this hope emerges from the emptiness of the tomb and the angelic chorus: “Do not be afraid. Go.”

Do Not Be Afraid. Go.

If the Kingdom of God is not going to come through utilizing great power over, but power in service to and in kinship with others, then perhaps this Kingdom will be something different than the common kingdom with a singular leader, brick and mortar boundaries, and a military force to protect it all. Perhaps the Kingdom of God is something more mystical that rises up seemingly anywhere - where love is known and guides a community. Perhaps the Kingdom of God is that which is visible around the table at the Last Supper, and in the assembly who remained present to their loved one in suffering, and in the honoring of grief together in the cemetery.

Perhaps the Kingdom of God is then found anywhere and everywhere people orient themselves towards love (even when afraid) - emerging even and especially in the basic, routine, and trivial.

Those who encounter the resurrected Christ don’t seem to linger long. They don’t seem to be too concerned with understanding the physiology or physics of the miracle or metaphor. They don’t take up arms in vengeance nor storm the Governor’s mansion in retaliation. They don’t assemble the first conference of apostles to formally found “the Church” and create a mission statement towards world transformation.

They go back to their communities. They likely go back to their work. It is all similar, and perhaps there is something about it all that is radically different - enlivened, holy. Perhaps the Kingdom of God is revealed as this gentle and generative force. It is not “potent” by the standards of the world, and yet it demonstrates itself as powerful as we need it to be - each and every time.

“Road to Emmaus” by Peter Koenig

Perhaps Christ sends off the disciples to discover the Kingdom of God among them - again and again - in the basic, routine, and seemingly trivial.

Yesterday a scheduled delivery of mulch arrived at our house - 8 cubic yards to distribute upon the garden beds. That afternoon I found myself shoveling shredded branches into a wheelbarrow in the sunlight. At the same time a President spoke of expanding this war of choice to genocide. It was Easter just the other day.

Part of my work felt trivial and mundane. Part of it felt hopeful and defiant. The resurrected Christ encounters the world and reveals something about the Kingdom of God.

What now?

Do not be afraid. Go.

And so Church, we do.

Peace,

Rev. Chris McCreight

Manuscript to the sermon “What About Now?”

Community Concert Saturday, April 11 @ 5pm

Dr. Areum Sarah Park (piano), Minchae Kim (violin), and Daniel Kwang Keun Oh (bass-baritone) will perform a concert at the church to benefit our local charity, Kids Weekend Meals.

The set list includes works of Beethoven, Mozart, and Strauss. You will want to be here for this.

CYF Mission Trip Fundraiser: April 12 @ 5pm

Dinner and Auction

Mantua Center Old School

Our youth group, CYF United, will hold their annual Dinner and Auction to raise funds for their June mission trip to North Carolina. The youth will be assisting with repairs and clean up after the 2024 Hurricane Helene.

The dinner includes homemade soups (10+ varieties) and homemade rolls along with salad and beverages for a donation of $10 per adult, (children 10-4 for $5, 3 and under for free). Back 40 Treats will also be on hand to sell fresh donuts and ice cream with all proceeds going to the Mission Trip.

The trip participants have contributed handmade items that will be auctioned off, including a birdhouse, deer hide, baked goods, devotional items, plant hangers, a quilt and an afghan.  

Tickets may be purchased at the door.  The address is 11741 Mantua Center Road. 

Call Pam Auble, 216-308-7930, if you have questions.

Palms and Holy Week

There is room for one more. Always.

Get in loser.

 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. ~ Matthew 21.7

Matthew’s account of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem presents us with an intriguing image of Jesus riding on both a colt and a donkey. All the way into town. In an eager interpretation of the messianic prophecy of Zechariah (9.9), the author of Matthew’s gospel misses the poetic expansion of the humility of the steed,

Lo, your king is coming to you.
He is victorious, triumphant,
Yet humble, riding on a donkey,
On a jackass foaled by a jenny.

And instead reads it as a literal addition, and so Matthew’s story envisions the prince of peace processing into Jerusalem on two animals.

Excellent.

But again, I struggle to believe that Jesus was able to ride into town vertically integrated (help my disbelief!). Nor do I imagine that it would be comfortable for one to travel that distance straddled across two animals. So instead, perhaps Matthew’s depiction provides us with an extra animal - and an extra seat.

What a gift this interpretation becomes when imagined with room for one more. This becomes an invitation to the crowds all around him: hop on; get in. This is more than an invitation to accompany to the Temple, but a symbol for all of life. Understanding who Jesus is and sensing the genuine nature of the gospel, the invitation is to join in and move with Christ in the ways of love.

To humble service. To courageous living. To abundance through generosity. To the brilliance of a soul come alive. Get in on this. There’s always room for one more.

This annual procession is yet another invitation to renew our commitment and remember our movement with Christ and vice versa.

And, if you are feeling as though you have found your place in this sacred procession, then perhaps the invitation for you is to keep your eyes, ears, and heart open for who else may be hoping to be welcomed in. Reach out and make room. Offer the seat atop the colt and celebrate their place. Listen for the hosannas and invite one to move from spectator to a guest and friend.

This divine movement has plenty of room. And it’s for everyone.

Peace,

Rev. Chris McCreight

Manuscript and Video of the sermon, “Get in Loser.”

Moving together with our friends from Hilltop and Mantua Center Christian Church

Listen for the hunger. Look for the angels.

The last verse of this wilderness and temptation epic is beautiful (Matthew 4.11).

“Then…”

after the offers of stone, temple, and kingdoms of the earth; after Christ refused every temptation to exercise power over creation, God, and humanity; after the ego was tempered and the soul resolved…

Then the devil left him,

and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

Who shows up when temptation is resisted.

The gospel authors convey the wisdom and grace of the tradition to guide us as we make our way within the world. Here is a clear refutation of assuming any power over another that is not granted through genuine consent and a firm denial that God would ever sanction a utilitarianism to bring about a certain end (God is never one to affirm that an end can justify a means; God is all means). This is the character of Jesus - how Christ moves “when no one else is watching” - and the ethos of the ways of love we will see as Christ moves in the world and moves towards the center of all things on Palm Sunday: power in service to; power in kinship with.

Humility, service, solidarity, cooperation, and community. This is the shape of power that Christ embodies and invites us into. This is the shape of power that keeps the size of the ego in check and trusts in the abundance of the cosmos. This is the shape of power that makes room for the angels to come.

This last Sunday, we engaged this verse of scripture in light of our broader conversation on White Christian Nationalism. The first weeks were about how to understand this false gospel - as a temptation that promises fulfillment, but is ultimately unsatisfying. Sunday then, was about how we may approach others who have given in to this temptation - recalling the wisdom of Saint Augustine that “sin is the disorder of love” and the revelation of scripture that temptation touches on real and legitimate hungers.

Every one of the temptations that comes to Christ addresses a legitimate hunger. To be sure, what the devil offers is a false promise, but an attempt to address a real and legitimate hunger. It is the same with White Christian Nationalism. WCN presents itself as a promise to the hungers of purpose and belonging, protection and authority, agency and control. But like every other temptation, White Christian Nationalism cannot fulfill on any of these hungers; it is ultimately unsatisfying. The hunger remains.

Most of the clergy that preach WCN are aware of its inability to satisfy the hunger. They are aware of the hunger-pangs in their congregations and put forth a tremendous amount of effort to dismiss them in attempt to keep control. WCN clergy proclaim certainty and discourage doubt and questions. They stress orthodoxy and warn against “false teachers” who will cause the faithful to stray. This ethos makes everyone outside of the congregation or denomination immediately suspicious and not to be trusted. Clergy and influencers of this strain are even moving to demonize empathy, which is a way of quieting and numbing the language of the soul. The whole false gospel is enforced through a strict shame/honor system. Honor and membership come through admitting certainty - denying every question and trying to quiet the hunger-pangs of the soul that can never be silenced. WCN isn’t satisfying. The hunger still exists. And everyone knows it.

In such a context, the wisdom and grace of Christ may prove edifying.

If you have a neighbor, friend, or family member who is becoming more taken by WCN and becoming more distant and secluded, and if you feel a genuine sense of care and commitment, then perhaps instead of trying to debate scripture or tradition and instead of pointing out any inconsistency, perhaps there may be an opening in simply asking about their hunger.

Listen to the hunger.

Trust in the wisdom of the soul.

Ask about what hunger is being met by their congregation and their teaching.

And then listen for the hunger. Listen to the hunger.

Perhaps there is no need to mention anything about the error of WCN or these temptations, for simply in asking about the hunger, you will have provided an opening for the soul to name its longing. The authorities and gospel of WCN will do near anything to silence and atrophy the souls of its members. But the soul always knows what’s true. At times of neglect and suppression, the soul benefits from an invitation to speak. If we can resist the temptations to exercise power over (whether that is to prove our own religious authority or to take control of their life and fix it now), we may find an opening.

Perhaps we stay and continue in conversation. Perhaps we share of the bread we have received. Perhaps we leave and allow reflection to guide. Either way, we might just find angels among us.

This is the purpose of our Lenten theme this year: to better understand White Christian Nationalism that we may discern a more genuine Christianity free from the temptations and entanglements of racism, patriarchy, sexism, and nationalism - and that we may serve our neighbors, friends, and community better.

Christ shows us the way: Power in service to. Power in kinship with. May it bless us and lead us well within every wilderness and out from.

Peace,

Rev. Chris McCreight

Transcript of the Sermon, “Listen for the Hunger”

“This is not
the age of information.

This is not
the age of information.

Forget the news,
and the radio,
and the blurred screen.

This is the time of loaves
and fishes.

People are hungry,
and one good word is bread
for a thousand.
”
— David Whyte - "Loaves and Fishes"

Listen for the hunger. Shout in protest of the pain. These are not in conflict.

After offering a sincere invitation to “listen for the hunger” of folks who have given in to the temptations of White Christian Nationalism on Sunday morning, I walked downstairs to join the Common Good’s event gathering the community together to talk about national and state issues, and prepare signs and spirits for the No Kings protest this Saturday. I noted the optics of the movement and even discussed the possible irony with others.

Do these conflict? Can these actions co-exist?

Reading through the gospels, it seems that Jesus embodies different approaches to different people. In particular, it seems that Jesus approaches the masses in humility and compassion (although there are instances when he seems bothered by the crowds and bothered by outsiders). But when it comes to engaging with people in positions of authority - religious or political - Christ has an expectation of greater responsibility and justice, and there is truth-telling and turning of tables.

Protesting those in power. Truth-telling to those in power. This can be done in love. It may be that the most loving act one could offer to a person in power who is committing injustice and atrocity - especially atrocities in the name of God and Jesus - would be to yell, scream, and turn over tables to disrupt the conviction and arrogance of one with the authority to cease. Like a child playing with a hot stove, it may be that the necessary and loving action is to shout and yell to capture their attention, to stop the harm, and then to come close and wrap our arms around them.

Caring conversations and boisterous protest can both be loving actions - both can lead back to the soul, God, and each other. We can learn from Christ how to embody this love best with the person next to us.

In Our Church and Community

View from the Mountaintop:

Moving within the world:

Dominion Over

or

Service to

The third formal temptation that comes to Christ occurs while atop a mountain. There, the devil shows Jesus all of the kingdoms of the world and tells him that it can all belong to him. All Jesus has to do is bow down and worship satan, or so the devil says. But Christ sees it for what it is: taking control and power over humanity, and placing faith and trust in that power over instead of service to and kinship with others.

It’s a temptation to want to control others whether that be for selfish gain or even for some “moral or sacred good” - this is the essence of White Christian Nationalism that blesses the seizing of worldly power to bring about their understanding of the kingdom of God. Christ understands that satan is offering the keys to all of the kingdoms, suggesting that under new ownership it could be better. But this is the error of Kings and want-to-be-Kings and politicos everywhere - often fooled into thinking that a regime change can fundamentally change the nature of the empire. Christ’s imagination of the “Kingdom” or “Empire of God” is not just the same hierarchical way of order shaped by power, but something akin to beloved community.

The Kingdom of God is something that cannot be created through any power over, but only emerges by way of a power from below (service and solidarity) and a power with (cooperation and community). Christ sees the offer of control for what it is - no means to any good end - and passes.

We can gain much from this wisdom.

There is no kingdom too small for the ego to want to rule it

The world is filled with tiny fiefdoms.

For while we may be tempted to apply this instruction to those at the very top of the world’s kingdoms and nations and White Christian Nationalists, it is not just for “them” but for all of us. For the idea and temptation to take control over a situation or a household or a business comes to all of us. There is no kingdom too small for the ego. And there is no shortage of small kingdoms around the world, run by big egos certain that their control of and power over a family, a company, a state is justified and best.

The invitation is for us to reflect on how we may have given in to the temptation to want control of, and the temptation to take control of, using a power over another. The invitation is to step down from the throne of that kingdom and place our trust not in the idol of power over, but in the strength of power to serve and power with others. This approach may not result in an immediate change, but that’s the foolishness of the temptation in the first place - a change of kings doesn’t change the nature of a kingdom. Christ invites us to abandon the throne and the idea of a hierarchical kingdom of power over, and co-create something much more faithful, true, and life-giving.

The Community of Christ. The Kingdom/Kin-dom of God.

May we place our trust in the power of love, service, solidarity, kinship, and community, and come to receive the blessings of life that this power brings into the world.

Peace,

Rev. Chris McCreight
Transcript and Video of the sermon, “This Could All Be Yours Someday”

In Our Church and Community:

  • The Village is gathering groups and organizations to share their upcoming events with the community. If you’re looking for opportunities to connect with neighbors around shared interests and shared service, stop in at Dix Hall in the Kennedy Center of Hiram College. The church will also be represented to share a bit about what we do and how folks can be involved.

  • The Common Good will be hosting a gathering in the fellowship hall to discuss how people of faith may be politically engaged for “the common good.” Lunch will be served and time will be given to connect, learn about current matters, and advocate in letter writing campaigns and/or making protest signs in preparation for the nationwide event on March 28th.

  • Invite friends, family, and neighbors to this storytelling event where legends, myth, and memory will be shared.

    Whether it’s a story of recent memory of parents or siblings, or the legends of ancestors from centuries ago, what we remember shapes us. And it’s worthy of sharing.

    Church Fellowship Hall

    Refreshments will be provided. BYOB.

  • Sarah Park is organizing a concert to benefit Kids Weekend Meals. She’ll be joined by a vocalist and violinist to perform a repertoire of classical music. The event is free and open to the public. There will be a good will donation and all proceeds will go to support Kids Weekend Meals, which provides families in the Crestwood District with groceries to cover the weekend.

Church office hours: Mondays & Wednesdays 9:30-3:30; Thursdays 2:30-5pm

Open to the Public

Sunday, March 22 from 12:30-2pm in the Fellowship Hall

Holy Week Schedule:

“Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who
thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who
speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.”
— Saint Patrick

March 11, 2026 - The View from the Pinnacle

God and Gravity

Are these forces we are subject to or immune from?

The second temptation Christ was offered by satan at the top of the Temple in Jerusalem. Again within our monotheistic tradition, the devil is not a dualistic figure equal to God but a servant to God and/or this figure can also be understood as an external embodiment of the ego. According to the story within Matthew, the devil carried Jesus to the top and then tested him with the idea of throwing himself down in front of everyone. The devil assured Jesus that God would send angels to catch him and that he would not “dash his foot upon the stone.”

A portion of the temptation is to believe that we may control God and use that control to protect ourselves. Whether it is to protect the body or to protect the soul (or to protect the ego), there is a very real temptation to want a divine protector and to make faith the transactional offering that is rewarded with safety and security. While our tradition affirms an image of God as a shield and fortress, our tradition also affirms that a faithful life will involve love and risk - even sacrifice. To prize protection above all else is to make faith something else.

A second portion of the temptation is what would occur if Jesus were to pull off this “sign and wonder” in front of everyone below - immediate authority. To one who understood himself to be a religious reformer, this is almost too good to pass up. But Christ sees it for what it is - authority is granted by the miracle and would then need to be maintained indefinitely. Authority by this means would again reduce the faith to protector and protected. It would deny vulnerability and grace, imperfection and inclusion, and this is not an end Christ is willing to accept.

As it comes to us, this part of the story brings an invitation to reflect upon our personal comfort with our vulnerability and even mortality. How do we honor the imperfection, brokenness, and wounds/scars in our own body? Is it something we can gaze upon or avoid? Is it something we can name to ourselves and those we entrust, or something we work to conceal? Is it something where we offer compassion and find grace moving in and out, or something that we fear has been a divine punishment for some error we have made? Our feet hit the stones in this world. The moral of the story is not necessary that God didn’t catch us, but that we are subject to forces like gravity in this world and that God (so very unfortunately at times) does not send the angels to catch us all. Faith and wounds are not opposed to one another but present together in one body and soul.

power and control

Over Creation, God, and Kingdoms

Every one of the three temptations of Christ is about seizing power and control of others. Whether it be Creation (stone) or God (temple) or Humanity (Kingdoms), the offering to Christ is to exert a power over to gain control of. This control, so the devil promises, would be satisfying and even beneficial for the world (this is soooo tempting, for I know that every problem in the world would be fixed if I was in charge!). In Christ’s decline, there is a revelation of faith and how we may move in this world.

One of the reasons that we are learning about White Christian Nationalism during this time of Lent is that the main components of this false teaching are all about power and control. Dominion over Creation, an Invincibility of Body and Soul, and Authority and Control over others. None of these are true to the gospel. All of them are a manifestation of an indulgence in temptation. Each of these conceals a sincere hunger of the soul, legitimate longing for communion, and real desire for belonging.

The wilderness of Lent is a season of refinement and clarity. It is also a time of discernment and preparation. Let us continue to reflect on the ways that we may have given and may be giving in to these temptations (for they come to all of us - again and again) and seek the courage and community to repent and change. Let us continue to look outward with grace and care to better understand our family, friends, and neighbors who subscribe to WCN. And let us continue to lean into this season to seek wisdom and grace in how we may approach and serve others by understanding the temptations and by offering compassion to the legitimate longings within the soul.

May this season guide and empower us to find a way to faithfulness and peace together.

Peace,

Rev. Chris McCreight

Transcript and Video of the sermon, “God and Gravity”

In Our Church and Community

  • The men will “graciously” be preparing a breakfast meal of eggs, sausage, hash browns, and veggies - served up with coffee from Bent Tree Roasters in Kent.

    Come on out to enjoy an excellent meal with excellent company - and invite a friend. This is a free meal and open to the community.

  • The College presents another Library Forum: Hollywood Fairy Tale: A Public Relations Case Study of Wrexham Football Club’s Transformation

    Join Dr. Xinlu Yu, associate professor of communication, for a talk examining how Wrexham AFC—one of the world’s oldest professional football clubs—was revitalized under the ownership of Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

    Founded in 1864 and long tied to the working-class town of Wrexham, Wales, the club was struggling financially and competitively before the takeover. The new owners launched a bold PR campaign with clear goals, compelling storytelling, proactive media engagement, and their own star power.

    Their efforts, showcased in the acclaimed series Welcome to Wrexham, attracted global attention, major sponsorships, and helped the club achieve three consecutive promotions—transforming both the team and its community.

    Free and open for all! description

  • The Village is gathering groups and organizations to share their upcoming events with the community. If you’re looking for opportunities to connect with neighbors around shared interests and shared service, stop in at Dix Hall in the Kennedy Center of Hiram College. The church will also be represented to share a bit about what we do and how folks can be involved.

  • The Common Good will be hosting a gathering in the fellowship hall to discuss how people of faith may be politically engaged for “the common good.” Lunch will be served and time will be given to connect, learn about current matters, and advocate in letter writing campaigns and/or making protest signs in preparation for the nationwide event on March 28th.

  • Sarah Park is organizing a concert to benefit Kids Weekend Meals. She’ll be joined by a vocalist and violinist to perform a repertoire of classical music. The event is free and open to the public. There will be a good will donation and all proceeds will go to support Kids Weekend Meals, which provides families in the Crestwood District with groceries to cover the weekend.

  • We’ll continue our tradition of service on the Sunday following Easter. The Board is developing a list of projects to benefit the church and community. A potluck will be shared at noon.

Hiram Arts

Have you heard about what Hiram Arts is doing in the community? The Church is delighted to be able to host this new organization.

Utilizing Youtube

We are trying something new: sharing video of the scripture and sermon from our worship services. You can (re)view and subscribe if you’d like.

March 4, 2026 - The Stepping Stone

The First Temptation—"Command that these stones be made bread." by William Blake

The First Temptation

Transforming the landscape or allowing the landscape to transform us?

The First Temptation - "Command that these stones be made bread." by William Blake

The wilderness serves as the landscape where the practices of fasting and discernment can occur - listening for the calling within and preparing to respond. Jesus is ushered into this place by the Holy Spirit as a guide and accompaniment. This wilderness is also something of an inversion to the second creation account when temptation arrives for the first time. One story begins with a landscape of abundance; the other with a barren terrain. And while the transformation of the world and remaking of Eden is an idea dwelling within the faithful imagination, Christ’s resistance of temptation to take control of the elements and transform it all shows us the way.

The use of the figures within the gospel helps us to see the image more clearly: the Spirit leads us into the wilderness to find our place within it - to allow the landscape to be and come to love it and revere it; the devil brings the landscape to us and tells us we can change it to meet our needs - creature comforts and all. There’s something wise and humble about Christ’s response to this temptation that invites us to approach our world that honors the place and belonging of all members (beginning with the stones). The stones are not a means to satisfy one’s hunger or a foundation for one’s kingdom, but a beloved part of the world that the Spirit guides us to come and see and love as they are. Opposite this way of love is the temptation and force of dominion that would view all the world as "up for the taking” to be used, exploited, and consumed for every human hunger imaginable - the temptation begins with stones and only grows from there.

This first temptation is about how we may inhabit the world when the world is less than perfect - if we can sustain some discomfort and restrain our power and will, and even come to honor and love that portion of the world that does not satisfy our personal hunger, or if we will cite the harsh landscape as reason enough to take, use, and transform the world to meet our needs without regard for anything or anyone else. The latter is a path that not only ensures scarcity but fosters a world shaped by power; the former has the ability to lead us toward a just and peaceful home, community, and world.

These temptations are about power and control. The wisdom of Christ seems to show us that regardless of the condition of the world - perfect or flawed - understanding how to use our power and understanding where our power must end is beneficial in not only keeping one faithful and true to God, but essential in working together with God’s children to co-create a community and world that is graced with abundance and worthy of us all.

So where do we begin in God’s calling to mend and heal the world? It would seem that we start with the practice of loving rocks. This love and the Spirit (if they are any different) will guide us from there.

Peace,

Rev. Chris McCreight

Transcript and Video of the Sermon, “Crunchy.”

This Sundays scripture: Matthew 4: 5 - 7

Save the Date: A Special Concert on April 11 @ 6pm

Sarah Park will be gathering with friends to offer a concert that will raise funds and collections for a local food bank.

February 25, 2026

Surveying the Landscape

The first week of Lent

As we prepare for our Lenten conversation on the temptations of White Christian Nationalism, it is necessary for us to begin with a reflection on how we may approach.

Whenever we discuss temptation, sin, and evil, it is so very easy to look outward and cast judgment. I can ignore the plank in my eye and chastise another for the splinter in his eye. I can even deceive myself entirely and proclaim that I am pure and good, and that all of the temptation, sin, and evil can be found over there (just point a finger at anyone other than me!). There are times when it is faithful and loving to call attention to the sin of another and to call power to repent, but it does seem that the right course and faithful action always begins with prayerful reflection about oneself.

We look inward with humility to listen and search for the ways that this temptation or judgment may already be at work within us. This whole conversation about White Christian Nationalism is a conversation about control and the power to keep it, and who among us does not appreciate and has not grasped for more control in this life? This interior work allows us to remember that we are all imperfect. It will lead us to become familiar with the challenge and difficulty of repentance and repair. Finally. if I am not able or willing to consider the ways that I have given in to temptation and sinned and harmed another; if I am not willing to repent, how am I at all to hope that another may change?

So we begin with humility and compassion. We will proceed with this pair, too. A look inward. Into our hearts and our homes.

The temptation comes to all of us.

We begin with humility and compassion.

One of the themes that runs through the temptations here is “control.” Control over the elements for satisfaction (stone to bread), control over the kingdoms for power and pleasure, and control over God for protection and immortality (and perhaps control over change if there is any merit in my humble suggestion that there is a fourth temptation of self-deception). In each of these, Christ is tempted with controlling the world to change it, bend it, and will it to satisfy his hungers and ego, instead of offering Christself in humility to accept, love, and serve.

White Christian Nationalism is a false gospel that would find its origins if Jesus were to come out from the wilderness having said “Yes” to every single temptation from the devil. Throughout Lent, we will engage how this false gospel is a temptation to Christ’s Church in America today - not that we may point to others and judge and condemn, but that we may understand the power of the temptation, discern what is faithful and good, and move with grace into this landscape. But we begin with a humble and prayerful reflection on the temptation to control that we have encountered and perhaps given ourselves over to. And with humility and compassion, we proceed.

Peace,

Rev. Chris McCreight

Transcript and Video of the Sermon, “Surveying the Landscape”

This Sunday’s scripture: Matthew 4: 1 - 4

If you would like to share your gifts of music in worship, you can sign up here. 

Pastoral Care and Conversation can be scheduled Monday through Thursday by calling the office, emailing Rev. Chris, or using the app here. Rev. Chris is glad to meet with you online, over the phone, at the office, a coffee shop, a bar, or at your home.

Community Events

Bread and Soup returns to Hiram College as part of the Bissell Symposium, reviving a long-standing campus tradition that brings the community together around a simple, shared meal. The cost is $8 per person. Payment is accepted by cash or student meal swipes only.

Whether you’re continuing a tradition or experiencing it for the first time, Bread and Soup offers a welcoming space to gather, connect, and enjoy a piece of Hiram’s history.

A special Event

Following Bread and Soup, the college will host a screening of the documentary, “Join or Die”

What’s your story?

Friday @ 7pm in the Fellowship Hall

Whether it's the religious holidays of Lent or Ramadan, or the increasingly urgent call of "Spring Cleaning," this is a time filled with invitations to remove the obstacles and barriers between us and others that we may come together.

What is in need of reconciling? What does it look like to be reconciled? The joy, the hardship, the wisdom, the grace and the laughter of it all - it's all welcome.

Come join friends and neighbors from your village for an evening. Come prepared with a story to share (5-7 minutes) and/or come prepared to listen to the stories of others. This is just one of the ways that we cultivate community.

The church will provide some refreshments and hot beverages. You are more than welcome to BYOB.

Maple tapping - days & times dependent on weather (see below)

If you would like to join, or have questions, please contact Rev. Chris

From Zack Fox:

I wanted to provide details about the project if you are hoping to help with tapping or collections.

  • For tapping, we will need people to bring rubber mallets and cordless drills with a clean, sharp 5/16" drill bit, if possible.

  • Days and times for collections are dependent on weather and schedule availabilities, so decisions will usually be made the previous day. The work involves carrying buckets of sap through the woods, usually with muddy conditions, so please come dressed appropriately.

  • If you plan to join us, the sugarbush is on Norton Rd, north of Hiram. You can park on the north side of the road, in between the entrance and the Masters house.

  • The link below is a map that shows the parking location, as well as the trails we follow for collections. You can keep it on your phone to help with finding the trails while you're in the woods.

  • Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns you have. We're looking forward to another great season!

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1g2TKJX7vP5dBF5XxB7ELOHipnN7DIHc&usp=sharing

Zack Fox ’21 (he/him)

Sustainability Coordinator, Hiram College

Land Stewardship Manager, Hiram College Field Stations

Hiram College Events - open to the public

Reading and discussion with author Jonathan Gleason

Wednesday, February 25, 5pm, Kennedy Center Ballroom

Jonathan Gleason is the author of Field Guide to Falling Ill, a collection of essays exploring the human lives behind the corporate, legal, and cultural practices that shape medicine. Meghan O’Rourke selected the “layered, reflective, and unusually poised debut” as the inaugural winner of the Yale Nonfiction Book Prize. A 2023 Elizabeth George Grant Recipient and 2024 Granum Foundation finalist, Gleason’s work has also appeared in the Best American Essays (2024), The Sun Magazine, New England Review, and Kenyon Review. He teaches creative writing at the University of Chicago.

Hiram College's Events Calendar has full listings of campus events, many of which are open to the public.