retired pastor
Here I Am, Lord; January 14, 2018
Pastor Rebecca Ellenson, ICCM
There are times when it can seem that we have lost our vision. We can feel lost, without a sense of direction or far-seeing vision. Maintaining a sense of direction or seeing into the distance can be hard. We face times when we feel like we’ve done everything we can and we still don’t know how to proceed. Continue reading “Here I Am”
Epiphany Sunday 2018; ICCM
Pastor Rebecca Ellenson; Three Kings?; Matthew 2: 1-12
Many of us have the story of the Three Wise Men all mixed up into the Christmas story, thanks to the inclusion of the three wise men in manger scenes and Christmas programs and children’s stories for the most part. Because of that synchronization of the gospels we often think of the them arriving right on the heels of the Shepherds that first Christmas Day. Continue reading “Three Kings?”
To watch the Blue Church worship services online simply open YouTube and search for Iglesia Cristiana Congregacional de Mazatalán. Then you can choose the worship service you want to watch.
Click here to watch Sunday January 7, 2018.
1 Sunday after Christmas; 12.31.17
Isaiah 61:10 – 62:3; Galations 4: 4-7
Pastor Rebecca Ellenson; ICCM
One time when I was visiting my parents, we went to their neighbor’s house for some Norwegian goodies. Their neighbor’s parents, like my grandparents were born in Norway and immigrated to the US. They had been back to see their relatives many times. Orville Haugsby, their neighbor told us a story about one of his visits to Norway. He prefaced his story by telling us that his parents often spoke Norwegian at home and he had learned it that way. When it was terribly cold his father would come in from chores and say, “Ja, na er det temmelig kaldt!” He could figure out from the context what that meant, it meant that it was very, very cold! Continue reading “Temmelig Godt”
This is a link to a great blog that I’ve been reading for years. Check this out
Preached on Christmas Eve 2017 at ICCM
Merry Christmas! I am so glad to see each and every one of you here for worship as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. In this gathering we share a few things in common: First, this is not our native land—we come, originally, from somewhere else. We gather as extranjeros—outlanders, foreigners, travelers, in Mexico. Secondly, we gather to celebrate the coming of the Christ, a baby born while his parents were traveling too. We form a special community this night, this gathering is a shelter of sorts, home in a way. Tonight, we hear the familiar songs and scriptures. We will light the candles and remember what this night is all about. Continue reading “Posadas and Piñatas”
My dog is spending the winter with my daughter. I’m hoping I get him back for the summers, but they’re mighty happy together. We’ll see. My dog’s name is Mikko, he’s ½ black lab and ½ German shorthair pointer, but he doesn’t know how to point. He isn’t the least bit interested in sniffing out birds in grassy areas. In fact, he’s afraid of geese. He is not supposed to draw attention to himself but rather to direct the focus toward the object of the hunt. Mikko is supposed to be a pointer, but he’s not. Continue reading “Pointers”
This is one of my favorite websites. I begin my sermon preparation here many weeks. The author preaches with clarity and insight. This week’s post was quite powerful. Take a look here.
The prophet Isaiah speaks a word of comfort to people who had lost hope. I believe God is still speaking words of comfort and hope, sometimes to quote Isaiah through the “word of our God that stands forever”, ancient words that still speak to us, and sometimes that message of comfort and hope comes through the words and actions of those around us. Continue reading “Comfort, Comfort”
Preached by Rebecca Ellenson at the Blue Church on December 3, 2017
“Oh, that you would rip open the heavens and come down!” Those may not be our exact words but we pray this prayer countless times, don’t we? This year there have been countless reasons to cry out like that—hurricanes, earthquakes, massive wildfires, insane political developments around the world, ongoing wars, and now a critical famine in Yemen with UNICEF reporting that every 10 seconds a child dies of hunger. And then there are the personal reasons for such a lament. Alone in our rooms we turn our faces to the ceiling or outdoors to the stars in the night sky we cry, “Show yourself to me, God. Show me who you are and who I am and what I am to do.” Continue reading “Rip Open the Heavens!”