Sunday Blasts & Sermon Notes – Raquette Lake Chapel

Weekly Sunday Blasts are from our Pastor Vance Mortensen.

Each PDF has the readings for Sunday, a Short “Not a Sermon” piece and our congregation’s prayer list

2024 Sunday Blasts

RLC-Sunday-Blast 9-15-2024

Jesus confronts the questions many of us ask about the “Kingdom of God.” The Pharisees, like us, were looking for something concrete which would answer questions like “What is the Kingdom of God?”, “Is it here or yet to come?”, “Where is it…here, out there, in both places?”

RLC-Sunday-Blast 9-8-2024

Here is the link to this week’s evening prayer service which uses the Northumbria Community Evening Prayer, which can be found on the internet. If you follow that service, the scripture readings change each day; so, if you don’t watch the video today but next week, the readings will be different, though the service stays the same.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 9-1-2024

This week’s Sunday Blast explores Mark 6:1-13, Jesus’ reception in His hometown and the deployment of disciples to spread His teachings and message of encouragement and hope.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 8-25-2024

Jesus encourages his followers to be “like a child.” We know from experience that is not easy!

RLC-Sunday-Blast 8-18-2024

Can the Gospel of Hope alleviate modern day anxiety?”

Also check out our new section, where we publish occasional sermon notes.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 8-11-2024

This week’s Sunday Blast (and Sunday sermon) return to the topic: “What is the Gospel?”

RLC-Sunday-Blast 8-4-2024

This week’s evening prayer (Evening Prayer from Celtic Daily Prayer Book 1). There are a few comments about our theme this week “The Bread of Life” and you will want to read John 6;22-50, known as “The Bread of Life Discourse.”

RLC-Sunday-Blast 7-28-2024

The Sunday Blast for July 14 discussed the topic “The Balance of Age and Youth” but due to the tragic events of 7/13, the assassination attempt on former President Trump, caused us to use alternative readings and a short reflection during the service. This Sunday’s sermon will revisit the message found in Psalm 37 and Ecclesiastes 3:1-11. Overall, the sermon will describe “The Balance of Age and Youth” as found in scripture originally planned for July 14. Sunday’s morning prayer service is taken from the “Morning Prayer” service in “Celtic Daily Prayer.”

RLC-Sunday-Blast 7-21-2024

The Rev. Dr. Stephanie Sauvé will be leading the July 21 service and preaching on Genesis 3:8 and John 15:1-11. In the Blast there is some background on the two hymns in Sunday’s service (“In the Garden” and “Morning Has Broken”), and a piece on Chapel history.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 7-14-2024

This week’s Sunday Blast talks about the phrase “childish maturity” which appeared in a recent Christianity Today article. Also this week’s Blast includes a new summer section “Raquette Lake Chapel History.”

RLC-Sunday-Blast 7-7-2024

This Sunday the preacher is faced with many worthy topics: Independence Day Weekend, the First Sunday of the Chapel season, and being the first Sunday of the month, a communion Sunday, an obvious topic is Communion or Eucharist. I have always recalled “The Road to Emmaus” when I think of communion. So, our Gospel reading this Sunday from Luke 24:13-35 will inspire our sermon.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 6-30-2024

The original idea for our “Sunday Blasts” was to preview Sunday’s sermon…and this will be true when our Chapel’s summer season begins the first Sunday of July. the 7th. Until then, this week’s blast is about the The 2nd Commandment. Not many people worship “graven images” in the US today, but I think everybody can relate to idol worship, this week’s Blast topic.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 6-23-2024

Hello Friends, I am taking the day off today so will refrain from recording an evening prayer (sorry!). I do encourage you to find some time later today to lift up your concerns and worries and thanksgivings to God. Probably we all are carrying a lot on our shoulders. Please see the “prayer box” at the bottom of the Sunday Blast as well. Your prayers are greatly appreciated. Here is an introduction to this week’s Sunday Blast topic: We often think of the Ten Commandments as a list of “do’s and don’ts.” What if we look at them as invitations from God to lead a good life? The first commandment, then, would be God’s invitation – and challenge – for us to get to know God better!

RLC-Sunday-Blast 6-16-2024

I’ve heard more than once comments that go something like this: “I’m interested in Bible study if it helps me deal with MY world, not the world of 2000 years ago.” That’s something we all hope for I think! Beginning this week I will be writing a series of “Sunday Blasts” that will look at, perhaps in a little different way, a selection from a section in the Hebrew Bible – the Torah – that we are all familiar with: The Ten Commandments. But first…

RLC-Sunday-Blast 6-9-2024

Psalm 104: “What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.”

RLC-Sunday-Blast 6-2-2024

I am humbled trying to write this last Sunday Blast discussing how we might understand the Good News. So, together, let’s read pieces of scripture which reveal the Good News!

RLC-Sunday-Blast 5-26-2024

This week’s Sunday Blast enlightens us to the Gospel-mission of the Holy Spirit. The Blast also encourages us to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice…Memorial Day May 27, 2024. There is no video of evening prayer tonight — Sorry! Thank you for your suggestions and prayer requests!

RLC-Sunday-Blast 5-19-2024

This week’s Sunday Blast presents us with the Good News of Hope! “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” (Hebrews 6:19)

RLC-Sunday-Blast 5-12-2024

Sometimes when we read Scripture we don’t always “get it” right away. We go back, read word-for-word and phrase-by-phrase, and sit and think, waiting hopefully for the Spirit to enlighten us. Even then perhaps we still have questions…our Sunday Blast looks at Romans 12.2 as we continue our discussion of the “Good News.”

RLC-Sunday-Blast 5-5-2024

Tonight’s video “on the road” uses the Northumbria Evening Prayer and is at this link: https://youtu.be/7MbspVA7_BcThis week’s Sunday Blast is titled “The Good News of Forgiveness and Redemption” and encourages all of us to show the same forgiveness that God has graciously shown us.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 4-28-2024

Attached is this week’s Sunday Blast which explores the Gospel: “The Good News of God’s Love and Grace.”Our evening prayer video is the “Northumbrian Evening Prayer” which can be found on the internet. The scripture reading is 1 John 4:7-21.https://youtu.be/zzWDVpHsoZA?si=TwgA1O16FT0SMfejThank you for your continued prayer support! God’s Peace,

RLC-Sunday-Blast 4-21-2024

This week’s Sunday Blast continues our exploration of the Gospel, “the Good News” by beginning with the prophet Ezekiel and considering what “Waiting on the Lord” means to us today.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 4-7-2024

This week’s Sunday Blast is an imaginary sermon for people who are curious about Christianity and what the “Good News” is. The Gospel or “Good News” is manifested in the events of Easter, a day central to Christianity.

Easter RLC-Sunday-Blast 3-31-2024

What if… “What if there were no Easter, no crucifixion, no resurrection?” These questions cut to the heart of the core beliefs of Christianity and lay the foundation of “The Good News.”

RLC-Sunday-Blast 3-10-2024

In this week’s Sunday Blast: In a world where stress, anxiety, and the demands of daily life can weigh heavily on our well-being, finding solace and healing becomes essential. Attending worship services in any sacred space, nourishes the spirit … and positively impacts our physical and mental health.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 3-3-2024

This week’s Sunday Blast contains an old fable which highlights the importance of humility, cooperation, and staying true to our beliefs as Christians: “The Three Monks and the Donkey.”

RLC-Sunday-Blast 2-25-2024

Lent is a season for fasting, giving up something, usually food. Contemporary culture may have a different view of what fasting means, but so did Isaiah log ago!

RLC-Sunday-Blast 2-18-2024

This week’s Sunday Blast is longer than usual because it contains an allegorical story about doors: doors can be imposing barriers, but also avenues to a closer connection with God.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 2-11-2024

Have you ever belonged to a group or church in which creating and praying with prayer lists was common? Praying a prayer list in person as a group or as part of a virtual community is different from personal prayer. This week’s Sunday Blast will explore how prayer lists are a special aspect of a faith community.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 2-4-2024

How are your New Year’s Resolutions coming along? OK…Not so good…What resolutions? This week our Sunday Blast will suggest a way to start on the right foot.

More Blasts from the Past

Sermon Notes

Sermon-20240915-Kingdom-of-God

We know that leading a Christian life is not easy. Living as citizens of God’s Kingdom often runs counter to the values of the world around us. While the world may prioritize power, success, and self-interest, the Kingdom of God calls us to humility, sacrifice, and love….

Sermon-20240908-Reconciliation

I originally completed this reflection on reconciliation for Sunday, September 8, 2024, prior to the mass shooting tragedy in Georgia on Wednesday, September 4, 2024. My second attempt is to bring the Gospel message of reconciliation to shed light and bring comfort to this recent tragedy. The Sunday Blast for this week is a shortened version of this Gospel message.

Sermon-20240901-Reclaiming-Jesus

This is the full sermon from the last Chapel service on Sunday, September 1, 2024. The jumping off point for the sermon’s message is Mark 6:1-3 when Jesus reads in His hometown’s synagog from the scrolls and ends up being discounted: “and the people took offense at him.” Next Jesus travels to other villages and sends his followers out in twos to do good works.

Sermon-20240818-Hope

We have an epidemic here in the United States. Yes, and epidemic. But the good news is that there is a cure. What’s the epidemic? Anxiety…anxiety. And what’s the cure? The Hope of the Gospel.

Sermon-20240707-Emmaus

Is the Road to Emmaus just another “empty tomb” story? We, myself included, come away with the point being Jesus was risen from the dead as proclaimed elsewhere in Bible several times. The people, place, their reaction is secondary to the risen Christ. I want to suggest there is more to this story than meets the eye, read more to learn why…