We are going to look at the Sermon Series we have been doing during the season of Lent

Our Journey to the Cross

Ash Wednesday – This is not an obligation-it is an invitation to Journey to the Cross with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour

1st Sunday of Lent - Facing Temptations- Jesus is tempted to abandon who he is, we are tempted to take things into our own hands and not trust God to do what He can do. We become selfish with the gifts God has given us.

2nd Sunday of Lent – Born from Above- We need to focus on our Spiritual life more than our physical life. We need to submit everything to the will of God.

3rd Sunday of Lent – Let meet at the Well – Jesus will meet us where we are and invite us into a deeper relationship with Him. He already knows everything about us, He wants us to talk to Him.

4th Sunday – Why? We spend our life asking why and Jesus Just wants to heal our blindness. He wants us to see the world through Jesus eyes. Trust Him

5th Sunday – Jesus Calling- Jesus is calling each one of us through the events of our life to put our total trust in Him and His Power. No matter how dead something looks. What is dead that we need Christ to resurrect in our life.

6th Sunday – Palm Sunday – Total Commitment- As Jesus enters into the most grueling week of His life it is only through total commitment to His Father that He will make it through. Jesus invites us to have total commitment to doing the will of His Father.

Maunday Thursday – Come to the table – We are invited to the table to be fed by His Body and Blood – to be nourished in our faith by His presence in our life. To live into our Baptismal Promises.

Good Friday – The Final Test – It takes every ounce of Faith to endure the Cross and Jesus shows us how total commitment to doing the will of God will overcome even Death itself. Jesus knows that we will have crosses in life. Moments that only a total commitment to God and our faith will get us through.

Easter Sunday – New Life in Christ- Christ always brings us through rough times to give us new life. Resurrection is realizing Christ as our Lord and Savior the Center of everything.

In Christ’s love,
Rev. Stephen W. Barch

We are often tempted to try by human effort to accomplish what only God can do. When you yell at your children, thinking strong language and increased volume will change their hearts, you are trying to do by human effort what only God can do.

When you have been hurt by your spouse and you punish with the silent treatment, you are trying to do by human effort what only God can do. When you deal with your sin by programs of self-reformation instead of crying out for rescue and empowering grace, you are trying to do by human effort what only God can do.

When you impatiently pound people with the gospel instead of letting the Holy Spirit work in their hearts, you are trying by human effort to do what only God an do.

This was Abram’s struggle, God had promised that he would give Abram and Sarai a son. This was not just a son, but the son through whom the promise God made to Abram would pass down to the generations that would follow. Sarai and Abram waited year after year, but the child did not come. Now Sarai was getting too old to conceive. (Genesis 16-18).

When we are in a situation where we are banking on a promise of God and the promise does not seem to come, it is hard to wait. First we are a bit concerned, but that concern turns into fear, and fear into panic. In our panic we begin to think about how we could do for ourselves what we have been waiting on God to do. Ask yourself how many of these things you do are formed more by fear of the “What ifs” than by faith in God.

So, Sarai gives Abram the servant girl, taking the situation into her own hands to fulfill God’s promise. Abram should have said no, but he doesn’t. Hagar conceives, Sarai becomes jealous, and she begins to mistreat Hagar. Hagar flees out of the home to escape the horrible situation that has developed. The house of Abram is forever divided because Abram and Sarai tried to do by human effort what only God can do.

God is a God of Grace. Not only does he not suspend his covenant promise to Abram, but he provides the promised son and blesses Hagar as well. God will not turn from his promises even when we are unwilling to wait but instead try by our own hand to do what only God can do.

Today you will be tempted to try to do by human effort what only God can do. Will you be willing to wait? Will you trust in your Lord’s presence, power, and faithfulness? Will you find peace in the fact that his timing is always right? Let God do what he is going to do in your life.

May God bless you.
Rev. Stephen W. Barch

I want to start by wishing everyone a very happy new year. May 2026 be a blessed year for YOU, It is a wonderful time of year. It is the time of year that we get a chance to start over. To correct all the wrongs, to say good bye to one year and welcome in a new Year, a chance to correct what we didn’t get right, and rededicate ourselves to becoming the people that we want to be.

Then we have those dreaded new year resolutions that people try to make themselves new. To correct all the things that they do not like about themselves. All of these things are to accomplish one thing -to give you a chance to fix all the things that are ‘wrong’ and to do the things that will make you better. It is the chance to become the person that you really want to be. The old military tag line comes to mind. ‘Be all that you can be”

Isn’t this what Christmas is all about? Christ entered into our world to give all of us the chance to start over. The chance to continue working at becoming his disciples. Our faith journey , is made up of a lot of new beginnings and moments to grow. Christ came as a little baby in a manger. A non threatening leader , a little baby that most people would not even take notice of . Christ came to enter into our life in a new way, to give us the chance at our new beginning. May God bless you and walk with you through this new year.

As we end another calendar year and begin a new one, may we continue to look to our almighty Savior Jesus Christ and ask what He wants us to do and accomplish for him in the next year. Were does he need us to make a difference, and what is it that will bring him the most glory?

I also want to take the time to thank everyone for all the thoughts, prayers and gifts. Our family appreciates each and everyone of them . May God’s will be done.

May The Lord Bless and Keep You,
In Christ,
Rev. Steve Barch

Advent— the season when we await the coming of Christ. It’s more than just waiting for Christmas to arrive, it’s a time to really look at the practices of our daily lives and see how we can better prepare our hearts for the coming of our Lord and King—Jesus Christ.

Advent is a season of both the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas and the return of Jesus at the second coming. The term is a version of the Latin word meaning “coming”. The Latin word adventus is the translation of the Greek word Parousia, commonly used to refer to the second coming of the Christ. For Christians , the season of Advent anticipates the coming of Christ from three different perspectives.: in the flesh in Bethlehem, in our hearts daily, and in glory at the end of time. “ The season offers the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the messiah and to be alert for his Second Coming.

The new church liturgical year is the time to really assess the way that we have taken Jesus Christ seriously and allowed him to come into our hearts in a new way. Have we let Jesus really take the center of our hearts and lives? To make this year different than all the previous ones, we should be doing something different than we have in the past. To set aside more time for prayer, to give up a bad habit, to really watch our tongue with the gossip. Each little thing that we do– allows Jesus to have more room in our lives. It opens our heart and mind to his presence. Jesus wants nothing less than our hearts. He wants us to be completely devoted to living out our baptismal calling—to be his disciples of today.

Yes Advent is an important time, it is preparing for the birth of our Lord and Savior. What would it be like if we did nothing and just let Christ into our hearts. We would be ashamed of the fact that we didn't prepare, that we didn't give him the place of honor in our lives, that we didn't treat him as the king that he is.

May this advent season draw us closer to the one who has called us, the one who has given everything for us, the one that wants to live in our hearts everyday.

May you be blessed this advent season!!
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In Christ’ Love
Rev. Steve

When we think about stewardship we think “How much do we need to give to the Church?”, or “How much is the Church going to need to keep its programs going?”

Stewardship is really about doing what God has always done. Throughout the ages, with love, He has given to us freely and unconditionally, everything we need to live faithfully and happily. Our Lord created us, in His image and likeness, out of a selfless love. Then He placed us on this earth, a place that He created out of love. God watches over us everyday and blesses us in any and all circumstances as we enjoy His presence in and around us. No matter where we go or what we do, God is there to bless us and give us His everlasting love. We could not exist without His love.

God has commanded us to love one another the way that He loves us. For this reason, and in gratitude for God’s blessings, we are challenged to make a difference in the church and the world. Giving is one way we accomplish this. Faithful giving allows us the opportunity to be Christ to the person in need. It is a way of living, it is a change of heart, and just like any spiritual gift, the more we practice it ~ the more we will live it.

“May God...who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you…” 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17.

As we prayerfully reflect on what God has called us to give we need to remember that God has given each of us special gifts and talents. Please consider sharing some of your gifts and talents to help our church continue to minister to the community of Brimfield and the World at large.

“Though we are many, we are all one body in union with Christ, and we are all joined to each other as different parts of one body. So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us.” Romans 12:5,6.

May we, as Union Church and as members of the Body of Christ on earth, share what God has given to us and obtain a heart of Christ. We should not see opposition and differences, but rather the unique and beautiful parts of Christ. Every time we give ~ both the giver and receiver disappear and Christ is all that is seen.

May The Lord Bless and Keep You,
Rev. Stephen W. Barch

As we move into fall, we spend the rest of the church year looking at how we are called to be Church. How we participate in being the Body of Christ here on earth. This is not a light calling. If someone were to look at our actions would they know that we are Christians? We do not live a double life. We are not Christians on Sunday and non-Christians the rest of the week. So, how does our faith journey call us to act and think differently during the week? All of the readings during the Pentecost season look at our calling. What does it mean to be the disciples that Jesus has called us to be?

It means to grow into our baptismal vows. These are not requirements that bog us down, but rather they are privileges that we get to participate in. We listen to stories about the disciples and the way they are called to live. We need to remember that we are called to live the same thing in our lives today. Jesus has given us everything that we need to live out our calling, and we just have to put it into action. Jesus wants us to experience his presence everyday. We do this by strengthening our awareness of his presence all around us. We need to spend time making that relationship important in our lives.

We can feed this relationship by being around other believers, going to Worship on Sunday and listening to God’s Word. And also by having a prayer life in which we spend some time everyday communicating with the God that loves us so much, that he gave his one and only Son for our Salvation.

Being a disciple is both a challenge, because we are called to live differently, and a privilege that we get to participate in all that God is doing in the world around us. Our faith life is really something worth putting our energy into. May we all grow in our discipleship.
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In Christ’s love,
Rev. Stephen W. Barch

As we move into the fall it is a good time to get back into the routine of life and to take time to look at our faith journey and see how were we are in responding to Gods call in our lives. God has filled us with gifts and talents and He has put his love into our hearts. He has called us into a relationship with HIM and one another. This is one of my favorite seasons of the church year. As we move in to ordinary time, we look at our call to be the Body of Christ here on earth. We look at who is our neighbor and what does it mean to be neighborly to others.

We are so blessed to be part of His body and to bring his message of love and respect to everyone that we meet. Jesus does not want a part time Christian or someone who only does the bare minimum to get by. Jesus wants us to be all in to take him seriously and to put his commands into practice in our daily lives. When God calls us into his Body here on earth, He calls us to trust HIM. When we understand how God has acted in the past and promises to act today and tomorrow, we can trust in God’s promises even in the face of uncertainty.

This is not easy to do, as we live in a broken world and we are pulled in different directions and given different messages from the world that we live in, it is easy to forget what Jesus has given us and done for us. Jesus has given us everything that we need to live the life that he has called us to live, and if this wasn't enough, he is with us all the time to give us strength and wisdom to do the right thing.

Jesus wants us to grow in our relationship with him and this is done through reading of His Holy Word and by praying together and by sharing it with others . Jesus is not asking to be a part of your life. He is asking to be your life. To be the thing that gives us meaning and purpose. To be the reason that we reach out to others and care for them and do what is right in the sight of Jesus. Remember that putting Jesus first in our life is always the highest thing that we can do. Since we have been created to love and serve God, and to love and serve our neighbor, being a Christian should be the best thing that we can do. Being Happy is a Christian virtue.

So as we move into our fall routines let us make time to worship together, to pray and to serve our neighbor in a new way. We are so blessed and now we have been called to bless someone else. May we be the family that God has called us to be and may we really look out for our brothers and sisters in Christ. (They really are a gift from God.)

In Christ’s Love:
Rev Stephen W Barch

Many are the passages to which we look when our way narrows and hope dims, perhaps none more than Psalm 23.  Like an ancient prayer stone, the 23rd Psalm has been worn smooth.  Over the years thousands of believers have worked their worries over this passage so when we recite it we can sense not only the contours of the psalm’s original words, but all the lives those words have touched.  We can hear not only the author’s ancient voice, can also feel the vibration of every voice that has lifted this sacred intercession.

As Christians, we associate Psalm 23 with times of passing.  It’s when death makes us pause and reflect, that we turn, most often, to this ancient prayer for restoration and refreshment.  Yet death is not the only thing that can knock us down.  Life can deplete our energy, our spirituality.   

Through hectic schedules, long hours, financial concerns, illness, and the like, life can wear us down.  As we head into the long dog days of summer and we add the heat and the pressure to complete our summer tasks to our already stressed lives, Psalm 23 speaks to our needs.  It expresses our spiritual desire to be restored, to be refreshed.

In the words of this age old prayer (which, in ancient times would have been sung  during worship), we hear both our ancestors who’ve gone on before us and the still small voice inside us,

“The Lord is (our) shepherd, (we) shall not want.  He maketh (us) lie down in green pastures: He leadeth (us) beside still waters.   He restoreth (our) souls. …” 

In this psalm, we can hear, no matter where we are in our faith journey or what we are experiencing at the present time, the Holy Spirit whispering to us.  Jesus is telling us that He is our Shepherd, He will be with us through everything that we are going through and everything that we are experiencing.  Life can be hard at times but we never walk alone. Jesus is with us, what a wonderful promise. 

I pray that as we continue through the hot summer months may we all heed the psalmist’s wise counsel, “to lie down beside still waters” and let Jesus refresh us, so that when fall comes upon us, and Augusts’ dog days give way to September’s new surge, we might face it...restored and refreshed.

In Christ’s peaceful stillness,
​Rev. Stephen W. Barch 

​I love this time of year. As we have just finished the Easter Season, celebrated Pentecost and now we move into the season of the church. This is the season that we look at our responsibilities of living into our baptismal promises. How is it that we are growing in our imitation of Christ. It is a great time to read the Book of Acts, and look at how the disciples took their calling to live as the body of Christ here on earth seriously. They lived with Jesus and saw how he forgave others no matter what. He always looked out for the best of others and did not ask for anything for himself. Then in the book of Acts of the Apostles we see them also sharing the stories of Christ and their faith tirelessly and sharing the gifts that God has given them.

We see from the Book of Acts that everything except faith, hope, and love is temporary. These are the qualities that carry us forward in to eternity. Demonstrating their greater significance in comparison to the other gifts, which bring blessing only in this life.

Gifts are freely given by the Father, not by our merit but by His kindness. We can’t earn them; we can only receive them with a heart of humility. At the same time, there is something the Lord looks for in us, something we are responsible for developing, the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says “But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Gentleness, self-control.” Love is reflecting its supreme importance. We must ask ourselves– Have we learned to Love the way that Jesus loves us?

In Acts 10:38, Jesus went about doing good. Love and goodness is the Key aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. If you love others, you will always look out for the good of others. If your desire to develop goodness, consider how you can show kindness and do good to those you encounter. As you do remember you are demonstrating the character of Jesus.

Declare today : “I can do all things through Christ; therefore , I can grow in the fruit of the Spirit in my life.”

You are blessed to be a blessing and the more you bless, the more you will be blessed in return. Love is the soil from which the fruit of the Spirit can flourish. Silence is the language of the Spirit and doing good things is the strength of the spirit. We are called by God to share the Spirit with everyone we meet.
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God Bless,
Rev. Stephen W. Barch