Sunday Blasts & Sermon Notes - Raquette Lake Chapel

Most of our blasts and sermon notes are written by the Rev. Dr. Vance Mortensen. In addition to serving the Chapel, Vance is an accomplished writer and poet, teacher and trainer, interfaith spiritual leader, chaplain, and pastoral counselor. He currently resides in the Adirondacks Park NY (USA) with Maggie, his wife and chief editorial critic, their two rescue bloodhounds, and two rescue “little” dogs. If you have something to share, a question or request please let us know!

2026 Sunday Blasts

RLC-Sunday-Blast 3-15-2026-Healing

Illness causes a disruption in peoples’ lives, but so can healing. Read the story of the healed blind beggar in John 9:1-41.

Note: video this week is from by Rev. Frausto, Seminary of the Southwest

RLC-Sunday-Blast 3-8-2026-Remembering

Lent can be a season of Sabbath. And as we pause, memories … and grief … can catch up with us. But Scripture offers a hopeful reminder in the book of Lamentations: “For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion…” (3:31–32).

RLC-Sunday-Blast 3-1-2026-Pivots

In sports a pivot is a small move: you plant one foot and move the other in a different direction. It’s a move to escape your opponent who is keeping you from your goal. The season of Lent invites us to “pivot” away from unhealthy paths and go a different direction, supported by trust, prayer, and faith. Bible reference: John 3:1-21, the story of Nicodemus. (The idea of pivots came from the Seminary of the Southwest’s program for lent.)

RLC-Sunday-Blast 2-22-2026-Wilderness

Sunday Blast: For the first week of Lent our Blast asks us to explore “Wilderness” and what it means to us in our time. The Gospel reference is Mark 1:12-13.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 2-15-2026-Lent

Our Sunday Blast this week introduces us the to church season of Lent, which starts on Ash Wednesday February 18.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 2-8-2026-Differences

“Only on the surface do we experience differences.” Yes, we have differences with other people, but they tend to be superficial. If we look closely, under the surface, we find our needs and wants are very much the same.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 2-1-2026-Compassion

Our Sunday Blast this week: “When compassion seems to be absent in the news, we suddenly find this uplifting story emerge from the chaos in Minneapolis.”

RLC-Sunday-Blast 1-25-2026-Tree-Planters

Our Sunday Blast “Tree Planters” asks the question “What can one person do?” It’s the last in our short series of stories about contemporary individuals.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 1-18-2026-My-Brothers-Keeper

Our Sunday Blast asks us “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Evening prayer includes prayers and a reflection on Martin Luther King Jr Day, January 19, 2026, on the themes of moral responsibility and urgency, nonviolent resistance, and faith as active, not passive from King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” If you’re curious, the Letter can be found online in many places, including Letter from Birmingham Jail, by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

RLC-Sunday-Blast 1-11-2026-Neighbor

After reading the Parable of the Good Samaritan, can we answer the question “Who is my neighbor?”

RLC-Sunday-Blast 1-4-2026-Kindness

During January of 2026 our Blasts will highlight some good news and uplifting stories. This week’s Blast shows how Jesus’ commandment to love one another shows up in an unexpected place.

2026 Sunday Blasts

More Blasts from the Past