PRESS PLAY" Week 1 - "I Am Known" We all have a playlist, a mixed tape or a record that plays in your head. It’s filled with tunes and voices that tell you who we are not, who you should be and what you are worth. Ultimately, the voices of these tunes get stuck on shuffle, they beat us down and rob us of our confidence - the confidence God gifted us in our baptisms and intended for us in our lifelong faith. During the next few and final weeks of summer, we want to turn up the volume on God’s playlist - a playlist (from our pipe organ, worship band, and pulpit) filled with all God has to say about you. We will turn up God’s voice in your ear so that you can live a life filled with the confidence God has intended for you all along. We will begin to see ourselves the same way that Jesus sees us so that real confidence can take root and grow. (The next few weeks coincides with this summer’s VBS theme. It’s a great connection between what our kids experience at VBS and what we experience in worship.)

Sunday July 25th, 2021 Most people are more familiar with what the church is against, rather than what the church is “for.” We could make a laundry list of all the things the church has been against throughout history, I won’t list them now: (basically, having fun). Which is ironic, because Jesus’ message in the Bible – over and over again - was all about who God was for, not against! The Bible is clear: Jesus was for peace, for inviting and loving your neighbors, for the poor, for the lost, for community, for children, for sharing, for not fearing, for inclusion, for thankfulness, peace, hope and joy! …and Jesus was for YOU! Of all the institutions in the world, the church should be known for what it is for. For families, couples, singles, students, and children. For the young and the old. For Republicans and Democrats. For those who have it all together and those whose lives are messier than messy. The church is for all people because God is for all people. The most famous verse in the Bible clearly states this: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” - John 3:16 This summer, we’re going to uncover the people, things and life God is FOR! Week 6: #FOR You (vs. the version you think it should be) We all think there is a version of ourselves that is better than the one we are. We're always trying to improve upon what we are - fad diets, self-help books, leadership gurus, the next great thing. Friends, stop for a minute. God is for you. The real you - That you that is you right now. God is like the Father in the story of the Prodigal Son - running out at you - the you that is you with all your messes. Yelling at the top of God's lungs, "You are mine! It's time for a party! I want to celebrate you!"

#FOR Most people are more familiar with what the church is against, rather than what the church is “for.” We could make a laundry list of all the things the church has been against throughout history, I won’t list them now: (basically, having fun). Which is ironic, because Jesus’ message in the Bible – over and over again - was all about who God was for, not against! The Bible is clear: Jesus was for peace, for inviting and loving your neighbors, for the poor, for the lost, for community, for children, for sharing, for not fearing, for inclusion, for thankfulness, peace, hope and joy! …and Jesus was for YOU! Of all the institutions in the world, the church should be known for what it is for. For families, couples, singles, students, and children. For the young and the old. For Republicans and Democrats. For those who have it all together and those whose lives are messier than messy. The church is for all people because God is for all people. The most famous verse in the Bible clearly states this: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” - John 3:16 This summer, we’re uncovering the people, things and life God is FOR! Week 5: “FOR gray. (vs. black & white/right & wrong thinking)”Black and white. Right and wrong. This is what Christianity is normally known for. In fact, Christians since the beginning of Christianity have staked their claim on the clarity of their faith. Being right. What if the faith of Jesus wasn’t all that clear? What if Jesus came for those of us whose lives are messy? Because, honestly, for most of us, the life of faith looks more like driving down the highway at a million miles an hour with a bug-stained windshield, than squeaky clean Windexed windows. The faith God calls us to is filled with a whole lot of gray. Lots of gray. FOLLOW and invite your friends to connect with us: Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/holycrossduluth Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holycrossduluth Website: http://www.holycrossduluth.org To financially support the ministry of Holy Cross and invest into the lives of others visit: http://www.holycrossduluth.org/give/

#FOR Most people are more familiar with what the church is against, rather than what the church is “for.” We could make a laundry list of all the things the church has been against throughout history, I won’t list them now: (basically, having fun). Which is ironic, because Jesus’ message in the Bible – over and over again - was all about who God was for, not against! The Bible is clear: Jesus was for peace, for inviting and loving your neighbors, for the poor, for the lost, for community, for children, for sharing, for not fearing, for inclusion, for thankfulness, peace, hope and joy! …and Jesus was for YOU! Of all the institutions in the world, the church should be known for what it is for. For families, couples, singles, students, and children. For the young and the old. For Republicans and Democrats. For those who have it all together and those whose lives are messier than messy. The church is for all people because God is for all people. The most famous verse in the Bible clearly states this: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” - John 3:16 This summer, we’re going to uncover the people, things and life God is FOR! Week 4: “FOR taking risks. (vs. playing it safe)” The church is more often known for what it's against rather than what it's for. And here at Holy Cross we want to be known for what Jesus is for. In the Heights and beyond. This morning, we are going to talk about FOR taking risks. Sometimes in life, we have this nudging of unsettledness inside us, this thing that inside of you that is prompting you to do something, but that thing seems hard, that thing seems to risky or vulnerable. Let’s wonder together about how to takes risks, and where is God calling us within those risks. FOLLOW and invite your friends to connect with us: Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/holycrossduluth Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holycrossduluth Website: http://www.holycrossduluth.org To financially support the ministry of Holy Cross and invest into the lives of others visit: http://www.holycrossduluth.org/give/

#FOR ~ Our Current Worship Series What do we do with "those people"? That negative neighbor. The critical co-worker. The manipulative family member. That outspoken colleague who doesn’t vote like you do. We all have “those people” in our lives. What do we do with them? Guess what? Jesus had a lot to say about "those people!" Like and comment to stay updated with the latest! FOLLOW Holy Cross: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holycrossduluth Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holycrossduluth Website: http://www.holycrossduluth.org/​​​ To financially support the ministry of Holy Cross and invest into the lives of others click here: http://www.holycrossduluth.org/give/​

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers and father figures in our lives!! #FOR ~ Our Current Worship Series Most people are more familiar with what the church is against, rather than what the church is "for." We could make a laundry list of all the thing the church has been against throughout history: smoking, dancing, drinking, gambling...(having fun). Which is ironic, because Jesus' message in the Bible - over and over again - was all about who god was for! The Bible is clear: Jesus was for peace, for inviting and loving your neighbors, for the poor, for the lost, for community, for children, for sharing, for not fearing, for inclusion, for thankfulness, peace, hope and joy! ...and Jesus was for YOU! To support the missions and ministries of Holy Cross, please visit www.holycrossduluth.org/give

Over the last year, we’ve experienced moments when we’ve felt stuck. Stuck behind masks. Stuck indoors. Stuck, not able to travel. Stuck at home with our kids, or spouses!? That’s how life is, though, isn’t it? We get stuck. Stuck in unhealthy relationships. Stuck in dead end jobs. Stuck in conflict, financial messes, and the political divide. Here’s something else that gets stuck: Our faith.How so? We might understand God’s love and the story of Jesus, but it gets stuck in our head and never makes its way to our heart. You might worship every Sunday, but that love struggles to find its way to work with you on Monday morning. You believe in God’s unconditional love for you and others, but in real life if you are honest you struggle to love your neighbor. For all of us, too often our faith gets stuck... Stuck in our heads. Stuck at church. Stuck in our beliefs. Lucky for us, God's love is on the move! During this series, we hope God’s love moves from... ...Your head to your heart. ...Your Sunday to your Monday. ...Your knowing to your seeing. Friends, God’s love is on the move! To support the mission and ministry of Holy Cross, please visit www.holycrossduluth.org/give

Over the last year, we’ve experienced moments when we’ve felt stuck. Stuck behind masks. Stuck indoors. Stuck, not able to travel. Stuck at home with our kids, or spouses!? That’s how life is, though, isn’t it? We get stuck. Stuck in unhealthy relationships. Stuck in dead end jobs. Stuck in conflict, financial messes, and the political divide. Here’s something else that gets stuck: Our faith.How so? We might understand God’s love and the story of Jesus, but it gets stuck in our head and never makes its way to our heart. You might worship every Sunday, but that love struggles to find its way to work with you on Monday morning. You believe in God’s unconditional love for you and others, but in real life if you are honest you struggle to love your neighbor. For all of us, too often our faith gets stuck... Stuck in our heads. Stuck at church. Stuck in our beliefs. Lucky for us, God's love is on the move! During this series, we hope God’s love moves from... ...Your head to your heart. ...Your Sunday to your Monday. ...Your knowing to your seeing. Friends, God’s love is on the move! Today we celebrate our graduating High School Seniors ~ Leah Halvorson, Gabe Johnson, Brooke Maciver, Taylor McMillan, Macay Olson and Dominic West To support the mission and ministry of Holy Cross, please visit www.holycrossduluth.org/give