God’s Acre on the Go

Gods Acre On the Go: Not A Building, But A Way Of Life

This week begins our new summer series, “Be the Church,” rooted in a bold truth: the church isn’t a building—it’s a way of life. In this opening message, we turn to Matthew 5:13–16, where Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Salt flavors what it touches; light illuminates where it shines. In the same way, followers of Christ are called not only to gather, but to go—living out our faith in everyday acts of kindness, courage, justice, and mercy. We remember the early Christians, who had no steeples or sanctuaries, only a movement of love in motion. And we hear a powerful story from a church that meets outdoors with “bread and Jesus—and that’s enough.” Wherever we are this week, may we shine brightly and love boldly. Because, as one Katrina-wrecked church sign declared, “The church has left the building.”

Gods Acre On the Go: Set Free for Something More

As the Fourth of July brings fireworks and flags, many of us pause to celebrate independence. But what kind of freedom are we really celebrating—and what kind of freedom does Scripture invite us into? In Galatians 5:1, 13–25, the Apostle Paul redefines freedom not as the right to do whatever we want, but as the gift to love well. True freedom, Paul says, comes through Christ and is lived out through the Spirit. It’s not freedom from all expectations—but freedom for something greater: for love, for community, for fruit that blesses others. This week’s message explores how Spirit-led freedom shapes our habits, deepens our relationships, and challenges our cultural definitions of liberty. With stories, honest questions, and practical insight, we’re invited to walk by the Spirit and let our freedom bear fruit. Love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness aren’t rules—they’re signs of a transformed life.

God's Acre On The Go: Ordinary Time, Extraordinary Work

This week’s sermon takes us to the wild and wonderful story in Luke 8:26-39, where Jesus heals a demon-possessed Gentile man—someone cast aside by society but chosen by Jesus for restoration. We encounter not just a dramatic healing but a moment rich in meaning: Roman military metaphors, echoes of Israel’s liberation, and a striking reminder that no one is beyond God’s reach. Why does Jesus cross a stormy sea just to heal one outsider? And what does that say about who matters to God? On this Juneteenth weekend, during Pride Month and after Mental Health Awareness Month, we are reminded that Jesus’ mission—liberating the oppressed and restoring the weary—is still ours to carry forward. Ordinary Time may seem quiet, but it’s the season to live out our extraordinary calling: to build a world where everyone belongs.

God's Acre On the Go: Worship in the Garden

This week’s message invites us to slow down and listen—to the birdsong, to the breeze, to the voice of God speaking through creation. Drawing from Psalm 8 and related scriptures, Pastor Chapin reflects on how summer gives us space not just to rest, but to be re-created. Nature isn’t just beautiful—it’s holy. From newborn babies to starlit skies, the created world reveals the glory of God and restores our weary souls. But it also gives us a calling: to care for this sacred world, and to resist the constant busyness that threatens to dull our joy. Tune in for an invitation into Summer Sabbath: a chance to soak in wonder, be renewed by creation, and rejoice in the day the Lord has made.

God's Acre On the Go: What Does This Mean?

On this Pentecost Sunday, we return to the powerful story of Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit descended like wind and fire and gave voice to the early church. But the true miracle? Understanding. People from many nations heard the Gospel in their own language, reminding us that the Spirit empowers us not just to speak, but to connect. In this message, Pastor Chapin explores how learning another’s language—emotionally, culturally, relationally—is a sacred act that still changes lives. With reflections on the Confirmands’ faith journey and practical insights from Acts 2:1-9, 41-42, this episode challenges us to be Spirit-filled witnesses in our own time. What does Pentecost mean for us today? Tune in and find out.

God's Acre on The Go: Write it on Their Hearts

This message draws us into a deep reflection on Deuteronomy 6:4-9, known as the Shema—one of the most sacred affirmations in Jewish and Christian tradition: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” In this passage, Moses calls God’s people to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and might, and to pass on this love intentionally to the next generation.

In this sermon, we explore how authentic faith is not just spoken but lived—written on the hearts of children, youth, and communities through everyday acts of love, mentorship, and presence. The preacher shares a personal testimony of choosing a life of ministry with young people, reminding us that sacred work is often found in quiet, consistent faithfulness rather than fame. Just as Moses commanded the people to teach these words diligently to their children, the church today is called to be a spiritual family—where faith is formed not only in programs, but through relationships.

We are invited to consider how we are imprinting God’s love on others, and how our lives can become visible expressions of devotion. In a culture that often prioritizes individual achievement, this message calls us back to communal faithfulness. What are we writing on the hearts of those around us? Who are the saints helping to shape the next generation?

In a world that is watching, this message asks: what kind of legacy are we leaving? Are we choosing to live the Shema?

God's Acre On the Go: In Memoriam

This Memorial Day message draws us into a reflection on Deuteronomy 1:9-13, where Moses invites the people to choose wise, discerning, and reputable leaders from among themselves to help govern their shared life. That same scripture shaped a foundational moment in American history: Rev. Thomas Hooker’s 1638 sermon to the Connecticut General Assembly, which inspired the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut—the first written constitution in the Western world.

In this sermon, we consider how biblical values of justice, shared leadership, and God-centered governance became the spiritual roots of American democracy. From the peaceful fields of Gettysburg to the personal story of a modern immigrant student filled with gratitude for opportunity, we are invited to build lives that are living memorials—marked by wisdom, service, and righteousness. In a divided world, this message asks: what legacy will you leave behind? What will your life stand for?

God's Acre On the Go: Love is a Commandment Not an Option

On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus offers his disciples one final commandment—not a plan, not a parable, but a legacy: “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). In this message, we explore what it means to take that command seriously—not as a gentle suggestion, but as the defining mark of the Christian life. This is not sentimental love; it’s love that shows up, bears burdens, washes feet, crosses boundaries, and costs something. In a time when division is loud and compassion often quiet, this kind of love is how the world will know who we are—and whose we are.  

God's Acre On the Go: It Takes A Village (And Then Some)

This Mother’s Day sermon explores the transformation of Saul in Acts 9:1-20, not just through a dramatic divine encounter, but through the quiet courage of people like Ananias—and the unnamed hands that led, fed, and cared for him during his blindness. It’s a story of caregiving, community, and the sacred power of showing up. Whether or not you are a mother, you’ve likely played a part in someone’s transformation simply by loving them through uncertainty. Drawing from personal stories and Scripture, this message invites us to honor the unseen labor that makes new life possible. Because it doesn’t just take a village to raise a child—it takes a village to raise a soul.

God's Acre On the Go: Sacred Strangers

In Luke 24:13–35, two disciples walking to Emmaus encounter a mysterious stranger who opens the scriptures to them and ultimately reveals Himself in the breaking of bread. This moment—alongside the reminder from Hebrews 13:2 not to neglect hospitality to strangers—shapes our understanding of how Christ is often encountered through unexpected people and surprising conversations.

Drawing also from Mark 16:12–13, this sermon explores the Christian tradition of seeing the sacred in strangers. In a culture that conditions us toward "stranger danger," Jesus invites us into something radically different: welcoming the unfamiliar, recognizing the divine in unexpected places, and remembering that some of the most transformative encounters come from those we do not yet know. Through the experiences shared from the recent AMO mission trip to Kenya, we are reminded that often the sacred is found not in the familiar, but in the foreign—at tables shared with strangers who become lifelong friends in Christ.