“To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,14 ‘Glory…
Author: pastorjosephhedden
I am a 40 something pastor with a love of the gospel, my community, and family. I like to hike, read, and travel.
Christmas Eve Worship
Begins streaming on December 24 at 7 p.m. Good morning friends and members of Emmanuel Reformed Church, It’s almost time for the birth of Jesus on God’s Hill! Link to Digital, Remote, Online worship will go live December 24 at 7 pm: Worship here: http://www.facebook.com/hillschurchexport But the angel said to the shepherds, ‘Do not be…
Shift to All Digital Worship
Advent 4 and Christmas Eve Good morning friends and members of Emmanuel Reformed Church, Snowy December greetings from God’s hill! Due to the advice of health professionals, we have prayerfully determined to keep our friends and members safe that we will be moving online for the remainder of 2020. We regret having to cancel in person…
Worship of December 6, 2020
Joel, Chapter 2 Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart,with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;13 rend your hearts and not your clothing.Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful,slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.14 Who knows if he will not turn and relent, and leave a…
Celebrate the Advent Season and 200 years of history.
The Murrysville Historical Preservation Society and the Emmanuel Reformed United Church of Christ (Hill’s Church) will be celebrating the Bicentennial of both Murrysville and Hill’s Church on Sunday, December 13th at 2:00pm. The occasion will include the history of the church and the Advent season, and an abbreviated, historical Advent service by Pastor Joseph Hedden…
Happy Thanksgiving from the Pastor, Staff and Consistory
Harvest Home in 1952. Dear Friends and Members of Emmanuel Church, It’s the day before Thanksgiving up on God’s Hill. A few updates from up on the Hill: This Saturday, at 9 a.m., we will be having a COVID careful Hanging of the Greens to decorate for Christmas. We won’t be going all out this year…
Sermon of November 15, 2020 — “Men Wording”
A reading from Jeremiah 36:1-8, 21-23, 27-28; 31:31-34: In the fourth year of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I…
“When You Shouldn’t Listen to God” Update for October 11, 2020
It’s a beautiful day up on God’s Hill! Dear Friends and Members of Emmanuel Church, Good morning and happy Friday to you in this, Emmanuel Church’s 200th Anniversary Year! Although all our plans have been changed and upended, ministry still happens and we still care about YOU! Sunday’s worship is part of our Fall Theme: God’s…
The Story of the “Prayer Angels” Blanket Ministry
In 2016, a member of Emmanuel Reformed Church of the United Church of Christ came to the pastor with an idea. She had received a prayer blanket from a Western Pennsylvania church when she went through chemotherapy treatments. Since the infusion can often make one cold, the blanket has a practical application as well as…
How to Pray: Imaginative Prayer Event. September 1 at 7 p.m.
This hybrid event will be taking place online and in person at Emmanuel Church. If you are joining us online, you can go over to our Facebook page where we will be live streaming the prayer service. If you prefer to show up in person, masks and social distancing rules will be followed. Grace and…
“Your Card Has been Declined” — Sermon and Worship of August 23, 2020
A reading from Psalm 103:1-5: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,5 who satisfies you with good as long as you…
Sunday, August 16 Begins Four-Part Series on the Lord’s Prayer
Dear friends and members of Emmanuel Church, Tomorrow begins a four week series on prayer, specifically, the Lord’s Prayer. I will be preaching on the shorter version of the Lord’s Prayer, as found in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 11:2-4. If you’d like to compare Luke’s version with the more familiar version we know in…
