Dear Centenary Family and Friends, What you hold in your hands is, I believe, a gift from God. Twice a year I go away on a sermon planning retreat — time set apart to pray and listen for where God is leading us. What follows in these pages is what emerged from that listening – not my plans but gifts received. During the retreats, I often return to a prayer by the late Episcopal priest, John Claypool, “The Gospel is yours, O God. The people to whom I speak are yours, and I long to be your servant in this endeavor.” The prayer reminds me that the work of preaching belongs to God. The Gospel is God’s. The people are God’s and the ministry of preaching is God’s. You are part of this holy endeavor. My prayer is that these messages will shape us for the work God is calling Centenary to do and lead us forward — faithfully and courageously — into the future God has prepared. With gratitude for the privilege of serving among you,
Rev. Lara “Willis” Greene Senior Minister *Series are subject change.
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus rarely offers easy answers. Instead, he asks questions—provocative, challenging, and sometimes uncomfortable ones. As we explore the questions Jesus asked we will be invited to pause, reflect and look more deeply at our faith.
Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” But what does abundant life actually look like? Scripture invites us to imagine a life shaped not by scarcity and fear, but by trust, generosity, and joy. In Abundance in Action, we will explore the ways that our faith moves us from holding tightly to opening our hands—from simply receiving God’s gifts to putting those gifts into action for the sake of the Kingdom.
Advent begins in the darkness, but it does not leave us there. As we journey toward Christmas and reflect on the stories surrounding Jesus’ birth, we will discover a light that shines in the darkness, a peace that calms the chaos, a joy that fills the heart, and a love that comes near. Each week we will be invited to look for the light - not only in the Christmas stories, but in our own lives. In a world that longs for hope, peace, joy, and love, the light of Christ is not simply something we celebrate; it is a light we are invited to carry with us.
What does the LORD require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” — Micah 6:8 Micah’s words are simple, but they call us into a way of life. Justice, kindness, and humility are not simply ideals to admire—they are practices that shape who we are and how we live with God and with one another. In this series, we will explore what it means to be people who are just, kind and humble. We will consider justice not as a slogan but as a way of living, kindness not as mere niceness but as a courageous response, and humility not as thinking less of ourselves but as walking faithfully with God. Three simple words. One invitation: BE.
Lent is a season of slowing down, turning inward, and making space for God. It invites us to reflect on who we are, who God is, and what it means to follow Jesus. Throughout the Lenten journey, we will listen to Jesus as he reveals himself through the I Am statements. Echoing God’s revelation to Moses, these powerful statements give us glimpses of who Jesus is and what he offers to the world. As we move toward the cross and then the joy of Easter, we will come to know Christ more deeply and discover anew what it means to live as his followers.
Easter is more than a day we celebrate; it is a truth that changes how we see our lives and our future. If Christ is risen, what difference does that make? How does the resurrection shape the way we face uncertainty, setbacks, and the unknown? In this series, we will explore what it means to live as people of hope. Hope is more than optimism or wishful thinking—it is the confidence that God is at work even when we cannot see the whole picture. Because Christ is risen, we are invited not simply to hope for something better, but to live with the promise that the resurrection gives us: God always has the final word.
The Book of Acts is filled with SURPRISES! —people find themselves in unexpected places, plans are disrupted, and the Spirit of God moves in unpredictable ways. Again and again, ordinary people find themselves caught up in something far bigger than themselves. In this series, we will explore the many ways God works through the people and events of the early church. The Book of Acts invites us to look beyond our current circumstances and notice where God is moving and making a way forward. The Holy Spirit is not simply a character in the story of the early church, but God’s active presence—guiding, empowering, and inviting us to join in what God is doing in the world.
Throughout Scripture, there are people who are easily overlooked, yet whose faithfulness made a lasting difference. Their stories are brief, their names often forgotten, but their impact is enormous. This summer, we will shine a light on some of these remarkable people—servants, mothers, artisans, foreigners, leaders, and ordinary believers whose faithfulness became a part of God’s larger story. Their lives will invite us to consider how ordinary acts of faith can make a lasting difference.