April 19, 2026 BREAKING BREAD
The gospel reading for this Sunday is taken from St. Luke 24:13-31, we have another beautiful story of Resurrection Day. We read in verse 13, “That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.” “That very day” is of course Sunday, the first day of the week, the day Jesus rose from the dead. But at this point the two disciples, Cleopas and his other friend whose name is not given in the gospel, were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, although many New Testament scholars are of the view of not knowing the exact location of Emmaus.
On Easter Sunday, it is almost certain in many churches the sermon is based on what happened on the Road to Emmaus. It is a story worth repeating again and again because it is at the very heart of the Gospel. It highlights the living hope found only in the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. While the two disciples were walking along, presumably late on Sunday afternoon, they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened (24:14) concerning the death, burial, and disappearance of Jesus from his tomb.
Luke writes that while these two disciples were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing Jesus (24:15-16). Although Jesus was now in a glorified state (after his resurrection from the dead), it is clear that he had a body that was similar to his former human body. The two disciples walking to Emmaus thought he was just another traveler, and they did not recognize the stranger. However, their lack of recognition was a divine act, as Luke writes that their eyes were kept from recognizing Jesus.
The two disciples who had walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus remembered how their hearts burned within them as Jesus had opened to them the scriptures. Some of our understanding comes through words; scripture, stories, hymns, liturgy and conversation. But some of our understanding comes through no words at all, just as the disciples, upon reaching Emmaus, recognized Jesus in the breaking of bread. Some of our understanding, too, comes apart from language, the sacraments, a gentle touch, and tears of regret or joy, an affirming smile, a moment of beauty.
What happens to these two disciples as they journey from Jerusalem to their home in the city of Emmaus seven miles away? A stranger, whom we know is Jesus, joins them. They can hardly bring themselves to discuss it, they are so saddened by the events of the last three days. Their friend, their master, their rabbi, the one they describe as a mighty prophet, has been unjustly condemned to death and violently killed on a cross. They say to their companion, “Are you the only person in all of Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place?” But on that first Easter day that living hope was far from being established in the experience of the two people we read of in the gospel lesson. Let’s put ourselves in their shoes as they set out on the seven-mile walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus in despair and disappointment.
It was a Heart-Breaking Experience. Have you ever noticed that some of the saddest words in the English language begin with the letter D? For example, disappointment, doubt, disillusionment, defeat, despair and death. All of these are summed up in the words of Cleopas and his companion to the stranger who joined them on the Road to Emmaus. They had left the dispirited and confused band of disciples with the events of Good Friday fresh in their memories.
The two disciples summed up the situation very neatly, "we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel." Human hope is a fragile thing, and when it withers it’s difficult to revive. Hopelessness as a disease of the human spirit is desperately hard to cure. When you see someone, you love and care for is overtaken by illness, which goes on and on, despair sets in. It almost becomes impossible to hope for recovery, to be even afraid to hope because of not being able to cope with another letdown. If you like to learn more about the experience of the Resurrected Jesus, please join us in our worship service on Sundays at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, New York 10708
The gospel reading for this Sunday is taken from St. Luke 24:13-31, we have another beautiful story of Resurrection Day. We read in verse 13, “That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.” “That very day” is of course Sunday, the first day of the week, the day Jesus rose from the dead. But at this point the two disciples, Cleopas and his other friend whose name is not given in the gospel, were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, although many New Testament scholars are of the view of not knowing the exact location of Emmaus.
On Easter Sunday, it is almost certain in many churches the sermon is based on what happened on the Road to Emmaus. It is a story worth repeating again and again because it is at the very heart of the Gospel. It highlights the living hope found only in the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. While the two disciples were walking along, presumably late on Sunday afternoon, they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened (24:14) concerning the death, burial, and disappearance of Jesus from his tomb.
Luke writes that while these two disciples were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing Jesus (24:15-16). Although Jesus was now in a glorified state (after his resurrection from the dead), it is clear that he had a body that was similar to his former human body. The two disciples walking to Emmaus thought he was just another traveler, and they did not recognize the stranger. However, their lack of recognition was a divine act, as Luke writes that their eyes were kept from recognizing Jesus.
The two disciples who had walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus remembered how their hearts burned within them as Jesus had opened to them the scriptures. Some of our understanding comes through words; scripture, stories, hymns, liturgy and conversation. But some of our understanding comes through no words at all, just as the disciples, upon reaching Emmaus, recognized Jesus in the breaking of bread. Some of our understanding, too, comes apart from language, the sacraments, a gentle touch, and tears of regret or joy, an affirming smile, a moment of beauty.
What happens to these two disciples as they journey from Jerusalem to their home in the city of Emmaus seven miles away? A stranger, whom we know is Jesus, joins them. They can hardly bring themselves to discuss it, they are so saddened by the events of the last three days. Their friend, their master, their rabbi, the one they describe as a mighty prophet, has been unjustly condemned to death and violently killed on a cross. They say to their companion, “Are you the only person in all of Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place?” But on that first Easter day that living hope was far from being established in the experience of the two people we read of in the gospel lesson. Let’s put ourselves in their shoes as they set out on the seven-mile walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus in despair and disappointment.
It was a Heart-Breaking Experience. Have you ever noticed that some of the saddest words in the English language begin with the letter D? For example, disappointment, doubt, disillusionment, defeat, despair and death. All of these are summed up in the words of Cleopas and his companion to the stranger who joined them on the Road to Emmaus. They had left the dispirited and confused band of disciples with the events of Good Friday fresh in their memories.
The two disciples summed up the situation very neatly, "we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel." Human hope is a fragile thing, and when it withers it’s difficult to revive. Hopelessness as a disease of the human spirit is desperately hard to cure. When you see someone, you love and care for is overtaken by illness, which goes on and on, despair sets in. It almost becomes impossible to hope for recovery, to be even afraid to hope because of not being able to cope with another letdown. If you like to learn more about the experience of the Resurrected Jesus, please join us in our worship service on Sundays at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, New York 10708
April 12, 2026 HOLY LANGUAGE
The gospel reading for the Second Sunday after Easter is St. John 20:19-31, in which we read Jesus greets his disciples after His Resurrection, “Peace be with you”. Peace be with you was a common greeting and probably Jesus had spoken to them many times. But in this situation, it was more than a greeting. It was a message! Jesus suddenly appeared in the room when all the doors were locked. The disciples had already been afraid over what the Jewish religious leaders might do to them. That’s why the doors were locked, suddenly Jesus appeared, and they were afraid. Jesus calms their fears and tells them “Peace be with you.” Peace was certainly something they needed.
In 2 Timothy 1:1 we read, “God has not given us the spirit of fear but of love and of power and of a sound mind.” For the last few days fear has tormented these disciples by their thoughts and imaginations. Have you ever been fearful of what might happen next in your life? In recent months I have had a few times when I would suddenly feel my gut tighten with fear. I couldn’t even associate it with an event. But I did know where it was coming from. But I get strength from the verse “God has not given us the spirit of fear...” The Prince of Peace has come to the disciples, and they are afraid. He is the very one who can calm all their fears.
The disciples had to recollect what Jesus said, in John 14:27 we read “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”. But here they are very afraid. He proves to them that he is not a spirit, nor a ghost. He shows them his hands and side. They see clearly that this is indeed the resurrected Christ, at that moment of revelation their fears are gone, their sorrow is turned to joy and their hopes are revived.
It is so amazing how the presence of Jesus can turn our world around? The disciples awakening to His presence is what turned their world around. Are you aware of His presence in your life today? Are you mindful of Him as you go through your daily duties in your life? We may discover more peace in our lives if we learn to nurture our awareness of Jesus's presence. The more we partner with Him during the day, the more we commune with Him in our spirit, the more we depend upon Him for guidance and strength, the more conscious we become of His presence with us. Jesus says to the disciples, “Peace be with you.” That is a powerful revelation of His heart toward us.
Jesus had a close connection with the twelve disciples for three years. He had cared for them and taught them. When the disciples found themselves perishing in a sea storm, Jesus came and rescued them. The disciples had told Jesus how much they loved Him and would even die for Him. But then when the pressure got on, they wouldn’t even pray with Jesus. Jesus asked them to pray with Him but instead they slept. When the authorities came to arrest Jesus, He made sure they were safe and not arrested. Jesus was about to be brutally beaten and crucified. One of the disciples betrayed him. One other disciple openly denies even knowing him as Jesus foretold. All other disciples have run away and left him to deal with the problem alone. How would you feel about friends like that? In spite of the desecration of the disciples, after Jesus victory over the death his first words of greetings to the disciples are, “Peace be with you.” If you would like to know more about what is the peace that Jesus is giving us, please join us in our worship on Sunday at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
The gospel reading for the Second Sunday after Easter is St. John 20:19-31, in which we read Jesus greets his disciples after His Resurrection, “Peace be with you”. Peace be with you was a common greeting and probably Jesus had spoken to them many times. But in this situation, it was more than a greeting. It was a message! Jesus suddenly appeared in the room when all the doors were locked. The disciples had already been afraid over what the Jewish religious leaders might do to them. That’s why the doors were locked, suddenly Jesus appeared, and they were afraid. Jesus calms their fears and tells them “Peace be with you.” Peace was certainly something they needed.
In 2 Timothy 1:1 we read, “God has not given us the spirit of fear but of love and of power and of a sound mind.” For the last few days fear has tormented these disciples by their thoughts and imaginations. Have you ever been fearful of what might happen next in your life? In recent months I have had a few times when I would suddenly feel my gut tighten with fear. I couldn’t even associate it with an event. But I did know where it was coming from. But I get strength from the verse “God has not given us the spirit of fear...” The Prince of Peace has come to the disciples, and they are afraid. He is the very one who can calm all their fears.
The disciples had to recollect what Jesus said, in John 14:27 we read “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”. But here they are very afraid. He proves to them that he is not a spirit, nor a ghost. He shows them his hands and side. They see clearly that this is indeed the resurrected Christ, at that moment of revelation their fears are gone, their sorrow is turned to joy and their hopes are revived.
It is so amazing how the presence of Jesus can turn our world around? The disciples awakening to His presence is what turned their world around. Are you aware of His presence in your life today? Are you mindful of Him as you go through your daily duties in your life? We may discover more peace in our lives if we learn to nurture our awareness of Jesus's presence. The more we partner with Him during the day, the more we commune with Him in our spirit, the more we depend upon Him for guidance and strength, the more conscious we become of His presence with us. Jesus says to the disciples, “Peace be with you.” That is a powerful revelation of His heart toward us.
Jesus had a close connection with the twelve disciples for three years. He had cared for them and taught them. When the disciples found themselves perishing in a sea storm, Jesus came and rescued them. The disciples had told Jesus how much they loved Him and would even die for Him. But then when the pressure got on, they wouldn’t even pray with Jesus. Jesus asked them to pray with Him but instead they slept. When the authorities came to arrest Jesus, He made sure they were safe and not arrested. Jesus was about to be brutally beaten and crucified. One of the disciples betrayed him. One other disciple openly denies even knowing him as Jesus foretold. All other disciples have run away and left him to deal with the problem alone. How would you feel about friends like that? In spite of the desecration of the disciples, after Jesus victory over the death his first words of greetings to the disciples are, “Peace be with you.” If you would like to know more about what is the peace that Jesus is giving us, please join us in our worship on Sunday at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
April 5, 2026 A REFLECTION UPON THE GOSPEL: Follow the Christ
Happy Easter! CHRIST IS RISEN
Lent is over, 40 days of our anxious waiting for the celebration and rejoicing of Jesus Resurrection is here on this Easter Sunday. The story of Easter continues. Jesus died on the cross in order for our sins to be forgiven but Easter didn't stop there. After Jesus' crucifixion, He turned the world upside down with what He did three days later. Three days later, the stone was rolled away and Jesus came out of that tomb, telling us that if we would accept his sacrifice and death for our sin, and believe that God had raised Him from the dead, we would be saved and would spend eternity with him. Jesus conquered death and He promises that we also can conquer death.
We all still live in fear! Fear for everything that we come across or face in our life. The gospel reading for this Easter Sunday is taken from St. Matthew 28:1-10, we learn that the first Easter people, the women, were filled with fear as they reached the tomb of Jesus and they saw the stone was rolled. In verses 5 & 6 the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay” the Angel said “He has been raised". Mary Magdalene and the other Mary had not really heard what the angel said, preoccupied as they were with other things.
And, we must do as Jesus says. If you want to live beyond fear, you must do what Jesus says to do, you must be involved in what He wants you to do, and you must go where He calls you to go. When the women met the risen Lord, He was quick to give them instructions: Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers” and remember, Jesus also said I am with you always, to the end of the age. Choosing to follow Jesus is not always easy. It means that you have to be truly sorry for your sins and be willing to change your life so that you don’t constantly repeat those sins. I know that some of us are thinking that means that I might have to give up some things that I like to do. That may very well be true. But let me assure you that is only because God wants you to experience a more joyful, abundant life that is full of hope.
Jesus is alive. Follow Him! Trust Him! To those who trust Him, He gives power to become his disciples. The moment is now. This is your time. I encourage you all to live beyond fear. Pope John Paul II Said “Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people, and hallelujah is our song.”
Gregory of Nazianzus of A.D 381 wrote:
Jesus began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.
Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water.
Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest.
Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King.
Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.
Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.
Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.
Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.
Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.
We all need Easter, the day we celebrate God's greatest miracle of Jesus Resurrection. Believe, rejoice, and respond in faith. Christ the Lord is Risen! Christ the Lord is Risen indeed! Amen
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, New York 10708
Happy Easter! CHRIST IS RISEN
Lent is over, 40 days of our anxious waiting for the celebration and rejoicing of Jesus Resurrection is here on this Easter Sunday. The story of Easter continues. Jesus died on the cross in order for our sins to be forgiven but Easter didn't stop there. After Jesus' crucifixion, He turned the world upside down with what He did three days later. Three days later, the stone was rolled away and Jesus came out of that tomb, telling us that if we would accept his sacrifice and death for our sin, and believe that God had raised Him from the dead, we would be saved and would spend eternity with him. Jesus conquered death and He promises that we also can conquer death.
We all still live in fear! Fear for everything that we come across or face in our life. The gospel reading for this Easter Sunday is taken from St. Matthew 28:1-10, we learn that the first Easter people, the women, were filled with fear as they reached the tomb of Jesus and they saw the stone was rolled. In verses 5 & 6 the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay” the Angel said “He has been raised". Mary Magdalene and the other Mary had not really heard what the angel said, preoccupied as they were with other things.
And, we must do as Jesus says. If you want to live beyond fear, you must do what Jesus says to do, you must be involved in what He wants you to do, and you must go where He calls you to go. When the women met the risen Lord, He was quick to give them instructions: Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers” and remember, Jesus also said I am with you always, to the end of the age. Choosing to follow Jesus is not always easy. It means that you have to be truly sorry for your sins and be willing to change your life so that you don’t constantly repeat those sins. I know that some of us are thinking that means that I might have to give up some things that I like to do. That may very well be true. But let me assure you that is only because God wants you to experience a more joyful, abundant life that is full of hope.
Jesus is alive. Follow Him! Trust Him! To those who trust Him, He gives power to become his disciples. The moment is now. This is your time. I encourage you all to live beyond fear. Pope John Paul II Said “Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people, and hallelujah is our song.”
Gregory of Nazianzus of A.D 381 wrote:
Jesus began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.
Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water.
Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest.
Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King.
Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.
Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.
Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.
Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.
Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.
We all need Easter, the day we celebrate God's greatest miracle of Jesus Resurrection. Believe, rejoice, and respond in faith. Christ the Lord is Risen! Christ the Lord is Risen indeed! Amen
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, New York 10708
March 29, 2026 ROAD TO JERUSALEM
The celebration of Palm Sunday has always been a bittersweet moment in the life of the Church: Symbolically the palm branch represented victory, triumph and peace, but the cries of the people on that Palm Sunday Jesus Parade missed the distinct kind of victory and peace which the Messiah alone would bring, namely, peace with God through the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
This Sunday is Palm Sunday, we remember Jesus' entry to Jerusalem. If we ask people to describe life in general, most will say it is a path or a road or a journey. The reason is simple, life is like a journey. It’s a voyage from one experience to the next, from one tribulation to triumph and back again. For Christians it’s a journey from birth to death and beyond.
The church calendar is set aside this Sunday for a special journey down the road of our Savior’s life. We will travel in a specific street today because we are in a special weekend in the annual celebration cycle of the Christian church. We can call today’s street “The Pathway of Palm Sunday”. As we walk with our Savior we can see that this is: “A Familiar Road” and “A Unique Journey”.
A Familiar Road: It was a familiar road the disciples found themselves on that first Palm Sunday. It was the road to Jerusalem and they had walked it many times before. They knew, as they reached the town of Bethany, they would soon turn round the Mount of Olives, and see the city of Jerusalem suddenly sprawl out before them. They had traveled this way with Jesus before. They would again come to the city, which, at this time, would be swelling with millions of people all over the world ready to celebrate the Passover.
Jesus knew the road as well. He had traveled there before, from very young to now. Mary and Joseph brought him to Jerusalem for the feast every year. It was a magnificent road, a wonderful road to the pilgrims who traveled it. It was especially breathtaking, when, after not seeing the city for the whole journey, you came around that mountain, you would see the temple glistening in the afternoon sunlight, and you would see the magnificent, towering gates; you’d remember the great history of it all: how King David first took that parcel of land as God’s city, and how Solomon first built a glorious temple there. Then you’d recall years of sorrow, when it lay in ruin during seventy years of captivity, until Nehemiah rebuilt its walls.
A Unique Journey: We learn more as we travel this pathway this morning. As we walk the pathway of Palm Sunday we realize that all of us walk down a road in our life. Each path may be a bit different, and although we know the roads of our lives, Jesus knows the journey- we don’t. Let me repeat that: We may know the roads, but Jesus knows the journey. And it’s really HIS journey; it’s his journey into our hearts, and into the hearts and lives of others. It’s a matter of his Kingdom coming to our lives.
At the heart of Palm Sunday is a path. It’s the path our humble Savior rode on a donkey in majesty, and lowly pomp, as he went on to suffer and die for our sins. It’s about the path Christ humbly rides into our hearts today through His Word. Let’s share that Word daily, and remember that our roads, our journeys, really aren’t just about us. They are about Christ Jesus, and his salvation. Our lives are about his Kingdom- his rule in our hearts and in the hearts of others through faith. You may not be the main character of your life, but you and I and all believers are the ones who benefit from Christ’s work and from his journeys. Ride on, Jesus, be with us always on your journey to save!
Today as we look at “The Road to Jerusalem” our attention will be drawn to two things, first it was a road that had to be traveled and second, it was a road that would change mankind for all eternity. This road has led Jesus Christ to the mount Calvary. The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ was the complete payment for the sins of the world. No other sacrifice was sufficient and no other sacrifice was required. And according to the scriptures he laid down his life that all might live.
When Paul writes to Galatians 2:20, we read “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”. Remember in order to save the world from their sins, in order to save you and me, from our sins, Jesus must first walk down “The Road to Jerusalem”. If you would like to learn more of Jesus' Journey please join us in our worship on Sunday at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
The celebration of Palm Sunday has always been a bittersweet moment in the life of the Church: Symbolically the palm branch represented victory, triumph and peace, but the cries of the people on that Palm Sunday Jesus Parade missed the distinct kind of victory and peace which the Messiah alone would bring, namely, peace with God through the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
This Sunday is Palm Sunday, we remember Jesus' entry to Jerusalem. If we ask people to describe life in general, most will say it is a path or a road or a journey. The reason is simple, life is like a journey. It’s a voyage from one experience to the next, from one tribulation to triumph and back again. For Christians it’s a journey from birth to death and beyond.
The church calendar is set aside this Sunday for a special journey down the road of our Savior’s life. We will travel in a specific street today because we are in a special weekend in the annual celebration cycle of the Christian church. We can call today’s street “The Pathway of Palm Sunday”. As we walk with our Savior we can see that this is: “A Familiar Road” and “A Unique Journey”.
A Familiar Road: It was a familiar road the disciples found themselves on that first Palm Sunday. It was the road to Jerusalem and they had walked it many times before. They knew, as they reached the town of Bethany, they would soon turn round the Mount of Olives, and see the city of Jerusalem suddenly sprawl out before them. They had traveled this way with Jesus before. They would again come to the city, which, at this time, would be swelling with millions of people all over the world ready to celebrate the Passover.
Jesus knew the road as well. He had traveled there before, from very young to now. Mary and Joseph brought him to Jerusalem for the feast every year. It was a magnificent road, a wonderful road to the pilgrims who traveled it. It was especially breathtaking, when, after not seeing the city for the whole journey, you came around that mountain, you would see the temple glistening in the afternoon sunlight, and you would see the magnificent, towering gates; you’d remember the great history of it all: how King David first took that parcel of land as God’s city, and how Solomon first built a glorious temple there. Then you’d recall years of sorrow, when it lay in ruin during seventy years of captivity, until Nehemiah rebuilt its walls.
A Unique Journey: We learn more as we travel this pathway this morning. As we walk the pathway of Palm Sunday we realize that all of us walk down a road in our life. Each path may be a bit different, and although we know the roads of our lives, Jesus knows the journey- we don’t. Let me repeat that: We may know the roads, but Jesus knows the journey. And it’s really HIS journey; it’s his journey into our hearts, and into the hearts and lives of others. It’s a matter of his Kingdom coming to our lives.
At the heart of Palm Sunday is a path. It’s the path our humble Savior rode on a donkey in majesty, and lowly pomp, as he went on to suffer and die for our sins. It’s about the path Christ humbly rides into our hearts today through His Word. Let’s share that Word daily, and remember that our roads, our journeys, really aren’t just about us. They are about Christ Jesus, and his salvation. Our lives are about his Kingdom- his rule in our hearts and in the hearts of others through faith. You may not be the main character of your life, but you and I and all believers are the ones who benefit from Christ’s work and from his journeys. Ride on, Jesus, be with us always on your journey to save!
Today as we look at “The Road to Jerusalem” our attention will be drawn to two things, first it was a road that had to be traveled and second, it was a road that would change mankind for all eternity. This road has led Jesus Christ to the mount Calvary. The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ was the complete payment for the sins of the world. No other sacrifice was sufficient and no other sacrifice was required. And according to the scriptures he laid down his life that all might live.
When Paul writes to Galatians 2:20, we read “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”. Remember in order to save the world from their sins, in order to save you and me, from our sins, Jesus must first walk down “The Road to Jerusalem”. If you would like to learn more of Jesus' Journey please join us in our worship on Sunday at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
March 22, 2026 BREATH OF HOPE
This Sunday we will be learning from John chapter 11, which explains to us Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Chapters eleven and twelve, form a distinct unit in the overall structure of the John gospel. In this section Lazarus is raised from the dead, causing the Sanhedrin to condemn Jesus to death. The first half of the John gospel is called “the Book of Signs. John records seven signs in the first half of his gospel.
Jesus and Lazarus were friends and the sisters of Lazarus, Mary and Martha thought Jesus should know of his illness. Jesus’ subsequent failure to drop everything and go to visit Lazarus is not because of indifference. He has a greater purpose in mind. This illness is for the glory of God. Lazarus will die but will not stay dead, God’s power to give life will be made manifest. Just as God's power to bestow light became clear in our last week learning with Jesus healing of the blind man.
However, John means it on another level, in the sense that this miracle of raising Lazarus from death will lead to Jesus’ own death, which sets a stage for his ultimate glorification, hidden in the darkness of the crucifixion is the light of the resurrection. Jesus loved Martha and her sister Mary and the brother Lazarus. Here we are told Jesus has the kind of love for Lazarus and his sisters that marks Christian love, laying down one’s life for friends' love is the sacrificial love. One-way love is unconditional. This love, love in and from the eternal perspective gave Jesus’ cause to pause for a few days. Jesus' natural impulse would be to go to Lazarus. The bigger picture, his physical death would become an opportunity to do something greater, to give glory to God. Jesus would be of even more help to Lazarus when he was dead. So, Jesus waited, and put his emotional love, friendship, in second place and refrain from rushing to Lazarus.
Jesus distinguishes between a state of emergency or panic, which this situation is not, and a sense of urgency or anticipation, which reflects the attitude Christians are to have in the light of imminent death. After two days have passed, Jesus decides it is time to go to Judea, where Bethany is located, about two miles from Jerusalem. Jesus is a marked man. The authorities are on the lookout for him. Jesus is going to give life to Lazarus, at the risk of his own life, which, in turn, the giving of his life, will be a demonstration of his own conquest of death.
Jesus says Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him. To the physical eye, Lazarus will appear dead; to the spiritual eye he will be seen for what he really is, merely asleep. Jesus is not denying the physical reality, but interpreting it in the light of eternity. The disciples say to Jesus, Master, if he is asleep, will he be saved? Jesus accepts the physical fact of Lazarus’ death. Jesus rejects the notion that Lazarus is physically asleep, though he does mean that he is symbolically asleep. Jesus can now turn this sad event into an opportunity for belief on the part of his disciples. The Jews believed that the soul surely left the dead body after three days. This remark is to indicate that Lazarus was irretrievably dead, not just mistakenly sleeping. In John “Jews,” is a generic term for the religious authorities and the “authoritative” Jews, such as the Pharisees.
The important thing that attracted me most in this passage is verse 35 “Jesus wept”. When we look deep into what is happening Jesus could be moved to compassion quite easily. His friend Mary is crying. His friend Lazarus is dead. Even though Jesus knows what he is about to do, the crowd does not. Thus, part of the reason for noting Jesus’ tears is to keep the suspense mounting. And, no doubt, the other part is to teach a lesson.
Jesus wept at the death of his friend even though he would soon raise him. Christians weep at the death of their loved ones, even though they know they will be raised up as well, tears do not indicate a lack of faith. If you would like to know more about Jesus the author of our life please join us in our worship on Sunday at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 1070
This Sunday we will be learning from John chapter 11, which explains to us Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Chapters eleven and twelve, form a distinct unit in the overall structure of the John gospel. In this section Lazarus is raised from the dead, causing the Sanhedrin to condemn Jesus to death. The first half of the John gospel is called “the Book of Signs. John records seven signs in the first half of his gospel.
Jesus and Lazarus were friends and the sisters of Lazarus, Mary and Martha thought Jesus should know of his illness. Jesus’ subsequent failure to drop everything and go to visit Lazarus is not because of indifference. He has a greater purpose in mind. This illness is for the glory of God. Lazarus will die but will not stay dead, God’s power to give life will be made manifest. Just as God's power to bestow light became clear in our last week learning with Jesus healing of the blind man.
However, John means it on another level, in the sense that this miracle of raising Lazarus from death will lead to Jesus’ own death, which sets a stage for his ultimate glorification, hidden in the darkness of the crucifixion is the light of the resurrection. Jesus loved Martha and her sister Mary and the brother Lazarus. Here we are told Jesus has the kind of love for Lazarus and his sisters that marks Christian love, laying down one’s life for friends' love is the sacrificial love. One-way love is unconditional. This love, love in and from the eternal perspective gave Jesus’ cause to pause for a few days. Jesus' natural impulse would be to go to Lazarus. The bigger picture, his physical death would become an opportunity to do something greater, to give glory to God. Jesus would be of even more help to Lazarus when he was dead. So, Jesus waited, and put his emotional love, friendship, in second place and refrain from rushing to Lazarus.
Jesus distinguishes between a state of emergency or panic, which this situation is not, and a sense of urgency or anticipation, which reflects the attitude Christians are to have in the light of imminent death. After two days have passed, Jesus decides it is time to go to Judea, where Bethany is located, about two miles from Jerusalem. Jesus is a marked man. The authorities are on the lookout for him. Jesus is going to give life to Lazarus, at the risk of his own life, which, in turn, the giving of his life, will be a demonstration of his own conquest of death.
Jesus says Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him. To the physical eye, Lazarus will appear dead; to the spiritual eye he will be seen for what he really is, merely asleep. Jesus is not denying the physical reality, but interpreting it in the light of eternity. The disciples say to Jesus, Master, if he is asleep, will he be saved? Jesus accepts the physical fact of Lazarus’ death. Jesus rejects the notion that Lazarus is physically asleep, though he does mean that he is symbolically asleep. Jesus can now turn this sad event into an opportunity for belief on the part of his disciples. The Jews believed that the soul surely left the dead body after three days. This remark is to indicate that Lazarus was irretrievably dead, not just mistakenly sleeping. In John “Jews,” is a generic term for the religious authorities and the “authoritative” Jews, such as the Pharisees.
The important thing that attracted me most in this passage is verse 35 “Jesus wept”. When we look deep into what is happening Jesus could be moved to compassion quite easily. His friend Mary is crying. His friend Lazarus is dead. Even though Jesus knows what he is about to do, the crowd does not. Thus, part of the reason for noting Jesus’ tears is to keep the suspense mounting. And, no doubt, the other part is to teach a lesson.
Jesus wept at the death of his friend even though he would soon raise him. Christians weep at the death of their loved ones, even though they know they will be raised up as well, tears do not indicate a lack of faith. If you would like to know more about Jesus the author of our life please join us in our worship on Sunday at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 1070
March 15, 2026 RESTORE
The Gospel reading for this Sunday is St. John chapter 9, in which we are continuing to understand the person and work of Jesus Christ, which focuses on His deity. The purpose of John’s gospel is to show the readers, it is not just history, but it is an evangelistic discourse with a view of leading people to trust in Lord Jesus Christ as the only Savior. And as Jesus lives His life through the lens of John’s gospel, Jesus continues to demonstrate His deity, that we might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that in believing we might have eternal life in His name.
For the past two weeks we have meditated on Jesus’s interaction with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman. Jesus is still focusing on the people as well as individuals demonstrating and declaring who He is, making statements about His identity that are supported by His power expressed in the miracles that He did. In John Chapter 9, to the very end, is basically built around one healing and to the discussion of the miracle.
Sickness, disease, deformity, and death have dominated life in the world since the fall of Adam, which is part of human history. We are all in the process of dying. We all are infected and affected by the things that are happening around us. We are familiar with sickness, familiar with disease, and familiar with deformity. All of this is part of life. We read in the beginning of the New Testament there are some miracles. One happens to Elizabeth since she has been barren all her life, she was enabled to have a baby, John the Baptist. And then, of course, Mary was given the right, and the privilege, and the power to bear a child without a father, a human father, the virgin birth. All through the Biblical history where God is acting, miracles don’t happen except on extremely rare occasions.
When Jesus reached the age of 30 and He went to a wedding in Cana, and turned water into wine, the Bible says this is the first miracle Jesus did. Throughout the three and half years of ministry of Jesus his miracles exploded in every direction. In the life and ministry of Christ, teaching and healings have happened virtually every day. These miracles were intended to demonstrate that the Messiah, the Son of God, God in human flesh, has arrived in this world.
When we read these 41 verses in the 9 chapter, we come across a few interesting words like: darkness, light, sight, and blindness. Blindness we see all over the New Testament. It was a very common experience and reality in the ancient world. Isaiah 42: 7 “to open the eyes that are blind” said that when the Messiah comes, He will open blind eyes.
John records in chapter 9, as Jesus passes by, He sees a man, blind from birth. Jesus stops to demonstrate grace, power, mercy, and compassion, and even salvation to this blind beggar. The blind man can’t see anything. He doesn’t know anything about Jesus who was coming by. But Jesus sees this blind man. The blind man has no capacity to see Jesus, who is profoundly, deeply, engulfed in his desperate blindness, and has no capability to see the Savior. Some of us are like this blind man. St. Paul in his letters talks about spiritual blindness several times. Please remember blindness also well-illustrates people’s spiritual darkness and lostness. In this world we’re lost, we’re dead, we’re blind, we know no truth, we see no Christ, and we have no God. But God sees us, comes in compassion, grace, and bestows spiritual sight. If you like to learn more about the healing power of Jesus, please join us in our worship on Sunday at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
The Gospel reading for this Sunday is St. John chapter 9, in which we are continuing to understand the person and work of Jesus Christ, which focuses on His deity. The purpose of John’s gospel is to show the readers, it is not just history, but it is an evangelistic discourse with a view of leading people to trust in Lord Jesus Christ as the only Savior. And as Jesus lives His life through the lens of John’s gospel, Jesus continues to demonstrate His deity, that we might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that in believing we might have eternal life in His name.
For the past two weeks we have meditated on Jesus’s interaction with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman. Jesus is still focusing on the people as well as individuals demonstrating and declaring who He is, making statements about His identity that are supported by His power expressed in the miracles that He did. In John Chapter 9, to the very end, is basically built around one healing and to the discussion of the miracle.
Sickness, disease, deformity, and death have dominated life in the world since the fall of Adam, which is part of human history. We are all in the process of dying. We all are infected and affected by the things that are happening around us. We are familiar with sickness, familiar with disease, and familiar with deformity. All of this is part of life. We read in the beginning of the New Testament there are some miracles. One happens to Elizabeth since she has been barren all her life, she was enabled to have a baby, John the Baptist. And then, of course, Mary was given the right, and the privilege, and the power to bear a child without a father, a human father, the virgin birth. All through the Biblical history where God is acting, miracles don’t happen except on extremely rare occasions.
When Jesus reached the age of 30 and He went to a wedding in Cana, and turned water into wine, the Bible says this is the first miracle Jesus did. Throughout the three and half years of ministry of Jesus his miracles exploded in every direction. In the life and ministry of Christ, teaching and healings have happened virtually every day. These miracles were intended to demonstrate that the Messiah, the Son of God, God in human flesh, has arrived in this world.
When we read these 41 verses in the 9 chapter, we come across a few interesting words like: darkness, light, sight, and blindness. Blindness we see all over the New Testament. It was a very common experience and reality in the ancient world. Isaiah 42: 7 “to open the eyes that are blind” said that when the Messiah comes, He will open blind eyes.
John records in chapter 9, as Jesus passes by, He sees a man, blind from birth. Jesus stops to demonstrate grace, power, mercy, and compassion, and even salvation to this blind beggar. The blind man can’t see anything. He doesn’t know anything about Jesus who was coming by. But Jesus sees this blind man. The blind man has no capacity to see Jesus, who is profoundly, deeply, engulfed in his desperate blindness, and has no capability to see the Savior. Some of us are like this blind man. St. Paul in his letters talks about spiritual blindness several times. Please remember blindness also well-illustrates people’s spiritual darkness and lostness. In this world we’re lost, we’re dead, we’re blind, we know no truth, we see no Christ, and we have no God. But God sees us, comes in compassion, grace, and bestows spiritual sight. If you like to learn more about the healing power of Jesus, please join us in our worship on Sunday at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
March 8, 2026 THIRSTY VOICES
The gospel passage for this third Sunday in Lent is taken from St. John 4: 5- 42, which I feel is very appropriate for International Women's day. John narrates the story of Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Galilee from Judea and were passing by a village in Samaria and while the disciples went into the village to get some food Jesus sat and rested by the village well. It was while Jesus was sitting there the Samaritan woman showed up to draw water from the well. It was noon, an unusual time for a woman to come to draw the water from the well. This is her routine part of her daily existence, nothing special about the day or about what she was doing.
Mostly in the Eastern countries regardless of the status it is always the women who are responsible for getting the water for the house. We read that Samaritan women had the opportunity to interact with Jesus. An ordinary task on an ordinary day suddenly has eternal ramifications. The conversation begins when Jesus asks her for a drink of water, and that blows her away. And we pick up the story in John 4:9 the woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
We see there were all kinds of reasons why Jesus shouldn’t have been having a conversation with her: 1) She was a Samaritan 2) She was a woman 3) She was a Samaritan woman. None of those would be the factor in today but 2000 years ago in that culture each of the reasons was a deal breaker.
And Jesus just ignores the question and jumps into a spiritual discussion with her about living water, and when she asks where she can receive the water the conversation gets a little different. Jesus told her “Go and get your husband,” the woman replied “I don’t have a husband,” Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband- for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”
It is interesting that Jesus does not equate simply living together without being married, he viewed them differently, she had been married five times but now she was simply living with a man who was not her husband. And I love what she does, she deflects the conversation. She completely ignores what Jesus has said and jumps to a completely different topic. “Sir,” the woman said, “You must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” We are very good at changing the topic if we don’t want to deal with something true. But Jesus was cool, he was “Ok if you want to talk about worship, we can talk about worship.”
Jesus says in verses 23-24 But the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” It seems as if Jesus was trying to make a point about worship here, seeing he uses the word “worship” five times in these two verses. Now it’s interesting that the Samaritan woman wanted to talk about their preferences in worship, how come we worship at Mount Gerizim and you worship at Jerusalem? Like most of us ask how come you do it that way and I do it this way? How come you sing gospel songs and we sing old hymns?
The Samaritan woman is obviously taken back by this prophetic insight. Sir, she says, I know that one day the Messiah, the one who is called Christ, will come and he will tell us all things. Jesus answered: “I who speak to you am he.” For the first time the great messianic secret has been revealed. This is one of the most dramatic moments in Biblical history. Jesus lets his true identity be known. My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is the moment that history has been waiting for; the hopes and fears of all the years and Jesus ushers in this glad news through this gentile woman, this outcast among a people of outcasts.
Why did Jesus choose her? We don’t know. At this point the conversation was cut short by the disciples' return. The disciples are stunned to find Jesus talking with this Samaritan woman, but we are told that they said not a thing. If you would like to know more about Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman please join us in our worship on Sunday at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
The gospel passage for this third Sunday in Lent is taken from St. John 4: 5- 42, which I feel is very appropriate for International Women's day. John narrates the story of Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Galilee from Judea and were passing by a village in Samaria and while the disciples went into the village to get some food Jesus sat and rested by the village well. It was while Jesus was sitting there the Samaritan woman showed up to draw water from the well. It was noon, an unusual time for a woman to come to draw the water from the well. This is her routine part of her daily existence, nothing special about the day or about what she was doing.
Mostly in the Eastern countries regardless of the status it is always the women who are responsible for getting the water for the house. We read that Samaritan women had the opportunity to interact with Jesus. An ordinary task on an ordinary day suddenly has eternal ramifications. The conversation begins when Jesus asks her for a drink of water, and that blows her away. And we pick up the story in John 4:9 the woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
We see there were all kinds of reasons why Jesus shouldn’t have been having a conversation with her: 1) She was a Samaritan 2) She was a woman 3) She was a Samaritan woman. None of those would be the factor in today but 2000 years ago in that culture each of the reasons was a deal breaker.
And Jesus just ignores the question and jumps into a spiritual discussion with her about living water, and when she asks where she can receive the water the conversation gets a little different. Jesus told her “Go and get your husband,” the woman replied “I don’t have a husband,” Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband- for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”
It is interesting that Jesus does not equate simply living together without being married, he viewed them differently, she had been married five times but now she was simply living with a man who was not her husband. And I love what she does, she deflects the conversation. She completely ignores what Jesus has said and jumps to a completely different topic. “Sir,” the woman said, “You must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” We are very good at changing the topic if we don’t want to deal with something true. But Jesus was cool, he was “Ok if you want to talk about worship, we can talk about worship.”
Jesus says in verses 23-24 But the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” It seems as if Jesus was trying to make a point about worship here, seeing he uses the word “worship” five times in these two verses. Now it’s interesting that the Samaritan woman wanted to talk about their preferences in worship, how come we worship at Mount Gerizim and you worship at Jerusalem? Like most of us ask how come you do it that way and I do it this way? How come you sing gospel songs and we sing old hymns?
The Samaritan woman is obviously taken back by this prophetic insight. Sir, she says, I know that one day the Messiah, the one who is called Christ, will come and he will tell us all things. Jesus answered: “I who speak to you am he.” For the first time the great messianic secret has been revealed. This is one of the most dramatic moments in Biblical history. Jesus lets his true identity be known. My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is the moment that history has been waiting for; the hopes and fears of all the years and Jesus ushers in this glad news through this gentile woman, this outcast among a people of outcasts.
Why did Jesus choose her? We don’t know. At this point the conversation was cut short by the disciples' return. The disciples are stunned to find Jesus talking with this Samaritan woman, but we are told that they said not a thing. If you would like to know more about Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman please join us in our worship on Sunday at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
March 1, 2026 BOLD BLESSINGS
The gospel passage for the second Sunday in Lent is taken from John 3: 1-17, it narrates the story of Nicodemus. Every time I read this passage, I always felt the story of Nicodemus is a fascinating one. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin. The gospel writer mentioned Nicodemus in three places in the Gospel of John: First Nicodemus visits Jesus one night to discuss Jesus' teachings which is our gospel passage for this Sunday. The second time Nicodemus is mentioned in John 7:50-51, he reminds his colleagues in the Sanhedrin that the law requires that a person be heard before being judged. The third time Nicodemus appears in John 19:39 - 42, after the Crucifixion of Jesus to provide the customary embalming spices and assists Joseph of Arimathea in preparing the body of Jesus for burial.
In the passage we read that Nicodemus came to Jesus with a compliment and said "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him" thinking that Jesus, like most people, would be impressed by a compliment. Nicodemus came wanting to discuss theology, assuming that Jesus would be interested in a good conversation of the knowledge.
We see Jesus interrupted Nicodemus with an astounding remark, which shook his foundations: Verse 3 "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit". Jesus told Nicodemus that he must experience rebirth to inherit the kingdom of God. Rebirth into the kingdom! That raised lots of questions for Nicodemus. It raises questions for us too. "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. Jesus said that spiritual rebirth into the kingdom of God comes from water and the Spirit. Baptism and faith give rebirth. Baptism begins the process of rebirth. Faith continues that process. To help us see what is involved with this rebirth, the first is that we need to be reoriented in our understanding of rebirth.
How can we be “Reoriented to God's Kingdom”. Jesus said in verses 3 - 5: "No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again ... No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit". In other words, Jesus taught that rebirth is a matter of a total reorientation from the world to the kingdom of God. Only the kingdom of God is forever. Every other kingdom fades. Every other kingdom around which we build our lives is temporary. Jesus wants us to invest our lives in something that has lasting value, not in those things, which pass away. That's why Jesus urges us to store up treasures in heaven. That's why Jesus wants us to reorient ourselves to the kingdom of God. We are called by God to be reoriented to God's kingdom.
The kingdom of God is God's rule over us. Rebirth into God's kingdom is a matter of moving from an orientation around the things of the world to the things of God. Only what God does for us will last. Jesus said as we read in Mark 16:16 "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved". This reorientation to and preview of God's kingdom begins in baptism. We are baptized "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
In baptism we are claimed as children of God and cleansed; claimed by the Father as his sons and daughters; cleansed by God for his service and witness. In baptism we begin to know the fullness of the eternal God. Baptism is spiritual rebirth. Baptism in the name of the Trinity is the planting of the seed of the kingdom of God. This seed grows toward harvest, when it is well nourished in the church and as well at home. Baptism is the time when we were adopted as God's son or daughter. We were made as the children of the creator God by water and the Spirit when we were baptized. We enter the kingdom of God by baptism. We began the process of being reoriented to God in baptism.
This reorientation continues and matures by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Especially during Lent, we must respond to what God has done for us by making decisions about the priority of worship, prayer, Bible study, and Christian fellowship in our lives. We must choose Christ over other options in life. After reorientation we will also learn to be Refocused and Renewed. If you would like to know more about how to be “Refocused” and how to be “Renewed” please join us in our Sunday worship at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
The gospel passage for the second Sunday in Lent is taken from John 3: 1-17, it narrates the story of Nicodemus. Every time I read this passage, I always felt the story of Nicodemus is a fascinating one. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin. The gospel writer mentioned Nicodemus in three places in the Gospel of John: First Nicodemus visits Jesus one night to discuss Jesus' teachings which is our gospel passage for this Sunday. The second time Nicodemus is mentioned in John 7:50-51, he reminds his colleagues in the Sanhedrin that the law requires that a person be heard before being judged. The third time Nicodemus appears in John 19:39 - 42, after the Crucifixion of Jesus to provide the customary embalming spices and assists Joseph of Arimathea in preparing the body of Jesus for burial.
In the passage we read that Nicodemus came to Jesus with a compliment and said "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him" thinking that Jesus, like most people, would be impressed by a compliment. Nicodemus came wanting to discuss theology, assuming that Jesus would be interested in a good conversation of the knowledge.
We see Jesus interrupted Nicodemus with an astounding remark, which shook his foundations: Verse 3 "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit". Jesus told Nicodemus that he must experience rebirth to inherit the kingdom of God. Rebirth into the kingdom! That raised lots of questions for Nicodemus. It raises questions for us too. "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. Jesus said that spiritual rebirth into the kingdom of God comes from water and the Spirit. Baptism and faith give rebirth. Baptism begins the process of rebirth. Faith continues that process. To help us see what is involved with this rebirth, the first is that we need to be reoriented in our understanding of rebirth.
How can we be “Reoriented to God's Kingdom”. Jesus said in verses 3 - 5: "No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again ... No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit". In other words, Jesus taught that rebirth is a matter of a total reorientation from the world to the kingdom of God. Only the kingdom of God is forever. Every other kingdom fades. Every other kingdom around which we build our lives is temporary. Jesus wants us to invest our lives in something that has lasting value, not in those things, which pass away. That's why Jesus urges us to store up treasures in heaven. That's why Jesus wants us to reorient ourselves to the kingdom of God. We are called by God to be reoriented to God's kingdom.
The kingdom of God is God's rule over us. Rebirth into God's kingdom is a matter of moving from an orientation around the things of the world to the things of God. Only what God does for us will last. Jesus said as we read in Mark 16:16 "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved". This reorientation to and preview of God's kingdom begins in baptism. We are baptized "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
In baptism we are claimed as children of God and cleansed; claimed by the Father as his sons and daughters; cleansed by God for his service and witness. In baptism we begin to know the fullness of the eternal God. Baptism is spiritual rebirth. Baptism in the name of the Trinity is the planting of the seed of the kingdom of God. This seed grows toward harvest, when it is well nourished in the church and as well at home. Baptism is the time when we were adopted as God's son or daughter. We were made as the children of the creator God by water and the Spirit when we were baptized. We enter the kingdom of God by baptism. We began the process of being reoriented to God in baptism.
This reorientation continues and matures by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Especially during Lent, we must respond to what God has done for us by making decisions about the priority of worship, prayer, Bible study, and Christian fellowship in our lives. We must choose Christ over other options in life. After reorientation we will also learn to be Refocused and Renewed. If you would like to know more about how to be “Refocused” and how to be “Renewed” please join us in our Sunday worship at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
February 22, 2026 ABUBDANT GRACE
The gospel passage for the first Sunday in Lent is taken from St. Matthew 4: 1-11. I believe Matthew’s main purpose for including Jesus in the wilderness account was to affirm that Jesus Christ is the sinless Son of God, the promised Messiah. But I believe this passage also has a practical application. Jesus exposed Satan and his tactics, and Jesus defeated Satan. Because of Jesus' victory, we also can trust and believe that we will have victory over the tempter.
Many a time’s temptations come our way, and we are defeated by those temptations. The devil gets the victory over our lives. We go through temptation every hour of the day. When you look at the beginning of the gospel passage Satan assails the Son of God with 3 powerful temptations. Our challenge on the first Sunday in the Lent is to examine each of these temptations one by one. In the first temptation the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
Let me give you a little background to the first temptation. Now Jesus fasted and prayed for 40 days and nights, no doubt Jesus was preparing Himself spiritually for the ministry He was about to begin. Let us look at the few principles that I gleaned from the first temptation: The devil’s main purpose was to overthrow the Messiah at the outset. He knew that Jesus had come to bring salvation, and he knew that if he could get Jesus to sin, that would ruin the whole plan of salvation.
Satan may tempt you at a time of bodily weakness. Satan may also tempt you in a time of spiritual weakness. After you have missed church for several weeks, or after you have gone several days without praying and reading your Bible, you will be vulnerable to the temptations of Satan. Another prime temptation is when you seem to be strong and self-confident.
We need to understand that the temptations are tailored to the Individuals. Satan’s basis for temptation was unique to Jesus because Jesus was a unique person. Notice in verse 3 that Satan emphasizes to Jesus, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” Only recently at the baptism of Jesus, the voice came down from heaven and confirmed that Jesus is the Son of God. So, Satan uses that as the springboard for this temptation. Satan was tempting Christ to act independently of the Holy Spirit who had led Him into the wilderness. He was seeking to destroy the Son’s confidence in his Father’s will and power to sustain him. Satan is always trying to get people to doubt the love and care of God.
Satan tempted Jesus to use His power to produce instant food. That is something we are quite used to today. Put food in a microwave for a minute or two, and you have a hot meal. Or pull into the closest fast-food place, and you can get a meal quickly. And in the case of Jesus, He could turn desert stones into bread. But Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 8:3 “that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD”. If you like to know more about Jesus’ temptations on the first Sunday of the Lent please join us in our worship at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
The gospel passage for the first Sunday in Lent is taken from St. Matthew 4: 1-11. I believe Matthew’s main purpose for including Jesus in the wilderness account was to affirm that Jesus Christ is the sinless Son of God, the promised Messiah. But I believe this passage also has a practical application. Jesus exposed Satan and his tactics, and Jesus defeated Satan. Because of Jesus' victory, we also can trust and believe that we will have victory over the tempter.
Many a time’s temptations come our way, and we are defeated by those temptations. The devil gets the victory over our lives. We go through temptation every hour of the day. When you look at the beginning of the gospel passage Satan assails the Son of God with 3 powerful temptations. Our challenge on the first Sunday in the Lent is to examine each of these temptations one by one. In the first temptation the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
Let me give you a little background to the first temptation. Now Jesus fasted and prayed for 40 days and nights, no doubt Jesus was preparing Himself spiritually for the ministry He was about to begin. Let us look at the few principles that I gleaned from the first temptation: The devil’s main purpose was to overthrow the Messiah at the outset. He knew that Jesus had come to bring salvation, and he knew that if he could get Jesus to sin, that would ruin the whole plan of salvation.
Satan may tempt you at a time of bodily weakness. Satan may also tempt you in a time of spiritual weakness. After you have missed church for several weeks, or after you have gone several days without praying and reading your Bible, you will be vulnerable to the temptations of Satan. Another prime temptation is when you seem to be strong and self-confident.
We need to understand that the temptations are tailored to the Individuals. Satan’s basis for temptation was unique to Jesus because Jesus was a unique person. Notice in verse 3 that Satan emphasizes to Jesus, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” Only recently at the baptism of Jesus, the voice came down from heaven and confirmed that Jesus is the Son of God. So, Satan uses that as the springboard for this temptation. Satan was tempting Christ to act independently of the Holy Spirit who had led Him into the wilderness. He was seeking to destroy the Son’s confidence in his Father’s will and power to sustain him. Satan is always trying to get people to doubt the love and care of God.
Satan tempted Jesus to use His power to produce instant food. That is something we are quite used to today. Put food in a microwave for a minute or two, and you have a hot meal. Or pull into the closest fast-food place, and you can get a meal quickly. And in the case of Jesus, He could turn desert stones into bread. But Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 8:3 “that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD”. If you like to know more about Jesus’ temptations on the first Sunday of the Lent please join us in our worship at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
February 18, 2026 LENTEN THOUGHTS
What do you need to do spiritually during the Lent? As Lent begins on Wednesday (02/18/2026), it is the time for reflection, for penitence and for self-examination. Now is the acceptable time. Search your own heart:
In what areas are you far from God?
Are there people from whom you need to seek forgiveness?
Are there people you need to forgive?
What needs to be made right in your life?
Let the ashes be your symbol of mourning those shortcomings and of repentance.
Have you been putting off God’s call to discipleship in some way?
Now is the acceptable time.
Make this Lenten season a time when you determine to make each day count. Resolve to follow some new path (for you) or renewed spiritual practice during the next six weeks, so that when you celebrate the resurrection, you will see that you have indeed changed between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.
Now is the time to renew your prayer and meditative practices. Perhaps there is a devotional book that you wanted to read for some time now. Pick it up and get started. Set aside five minutes a day for spiritual reading, meditation, and prayer. Maybe the time will grow into something longer, but it is best not to set goals that are so high they lead quickly to failure. For once, set a goal you know you can accomplish, and move ahead with joy, rather than with a sense of desperate obligation.
Now is the time to renew your practices of service in the name of Christ, where you have sensed the call to serve others? Is there a place where the hungry are fed, the poor are clothed, the homeless are housed, the aged are cared for, the young are attended to, the sick are made well? What is God calling you to do? Now is the time.
Now is the time to attend to the poverty in your own soul. It is the time for searching, for self-examining, for letting God into the chambers of your heart that you prefer to keep hidden. Where have you not received or offered forgiveness? Where have you been hurtful, critical? In what ways have you disappointed yourself and God?
Now is the time for change, for reconciliation. As the season of Lent returns this year, let it return to you as a new opportunity for growth. Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation. Let now be the time for you to be renewed in your faith. Amen.
Peace and Blessings!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
What do you need to do spiritually during the Lent? As Lent begins on Wednesday (02/18/2026), it is the time for reflection, for penitence and for self-examination. Now is the acceptable time. Search your own heart:
In what areas are you far from God?
Are there people from whom you need to seek forgiveness?
Are there people you need to forgive?
What needs to be made right in your life?
Let the ashes be your symbol of mourning those shortcomings and of repentance.
Have you been putting off God’s call to discipleship in some way?
Now is the acceptable time.
Make this Lenten season a time when you determine to make each day count. Resolve to follow some new path (for you) or renewed spiritual practice during the next six weeks, so that when you celebrate the resurrection, you will see that you have indeed changed between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.
Now is the time to renew your prayer and meditative practices. Perhaps there is a devotional book that you wanted to read for some time now. Pick it up and get started. Set aside five minutes a day for spiritual reading, meditation, and prayer. Maybe the time will grow into something longer, but it is best not to set goals that are so high they lead quickly to failure. For once, set a goal you know you can accomplish, and move ahead with joy, rather than with a sense of desperate obligation.
Now is the time to renew your practices of service in the name of Christ, where you have sensed the call to serve others? Is there a place where the hungry are fed, the poor are clothed, the homeless are housed, the aged are cared for, the young are attended to, the sick are made well? What is God calling you to do? Now is the time.
Now is the time to attend to the poverty in your own soul. It is the time for searching, for self-examining, for letting God into the chambers of your heart that you prefer to keep hidden. Where have you not received or offered forgiveness? Where have you been hurtful, critical? In what ways have you disappointed yourself and God?
Now is the time for change, for reconciliation. As the season of Lent returns this year, let it return to you as a new opportunity for growth. Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation. Let now be the time for you to be renewed in your faith. Amen.
Peace and Blessings!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
February 15, 2026 DAZZLING REIGN
Sunday the February 15, 2026 is the last Sunday after Epiphany and also known as Transfiguration Sunday - a day that we celebrate and see how God reveals His glory to the disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration. The Old Testament passage Exodus 24:12-18, we read “Moses on Mt. Sinai”. Have you ever seen the glory of the Lord? As we talk about God revealing His Glory - it’s interesting to note all of the different ways in the Scriptures in which God reveals Himself. The Old Testament passage talks about how Moses was able to go up and speak to God face to face!
Now look at God’s Word in the book of Exodus for this Sunday! Moses was able to go into a more direct presence of the Lord and receive the Ten Commandments directly from God - putting them on tablets of stone. The glory of the Lord was so glorious that when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai his face was so bright that it scared the Israelites! When you think back on this example of God giving a great and glorious vision of Himself - it’s hard for us to envision.
How nice it would be if the Lord appeared to us like He did to Moses? To have the Lord pass in front of us as He did to Moses! I always used to think - “if God would appear to me like that – Oh! How I would be so encouraged to really serve Him! I wouldn’t worry so much about life!” And so we ask, “oh Lord, where is my burning bush? Where is my vision of your glory?” What are the results of this thinking? People are flocking to the best visuals they can go to. Some will skip from church to church in search of the ultimate spiritual experience. They want to see the Lord! The problem is that we are not looking in the right places. We read in I Kings 19:11-18 When the Lord appeared to Elijah, he didn’t come in an earthquake or fire a mighty wind, but in the sound of a low whisper!
In the Gospel reading for this Sunday St. Matthew 17:1-9, we read that the writer Matthew gives his version of the event which we call "The Transfiguration of Jesus." Mark and Luke also write the account of this strange occurrence, with some minor variations in the telling. It’s one of those rare moments we were just talking about, one of those mountaintop experiences of life, which somehow defy adequate description and challenge us to stretch our concept of reality to the point that we usually wind up asking the question, "Did this really happen?" Events such as the Transfiguration somehow connect us with the mystery of creation and eternity.
For Jesus it was a time of confirmation and affirmation of his ministry. For Peter, James, and John it was a brief glimpse of the transcendent, a peek at the reality that lies just beyond everyday life. But notice that Jesus quickly led the disciples back down, off that mountaintop in spite of Peter’s desire to pitch a tent and camp there for a long while. Jesus led them back into the daily routine of teaching and preaching and caring for the broken and hurting people of the world they lived in, back to the reality of life in the valley.
Moses had been allowed to see the Glory itself passing by, and although God let him see the back, it was something to hold on to for the rest of his life." Mountaintop experiences in our faith journey become those moments of revelation that gives us something to hold on to for the rest of our lives. That certainly is the kind of experience Moses had on Mount Sinai, and the kind of experience our Lord had with Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Any experience in which we recognize the Living God can be a transfiguration. It may take place on the summit of a mountain, or as we kneel in prayer on a wooden floor or anywhere. It can happen in the midst of a service of worship where God becomes dramatically real to us, and we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Christ is our Living Lord and Savior. If you like to learn more please join us in our worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
Sunday the February 15, 2026 is the last Sunday after Epiphany and also known as Transfiguration Sunday - a day that we celebrate and see how God reveals His glory to the disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration. The Old Testament passage Exodus 24:12-18, we read “Moses on Mt. Sinai”. Have you ever seen the glory of the Lord? As we talk about God revealing His Glory - it’s interesting to note all of the different ways in the Scriptures in which God reveals Himself. The Old Testament passage talks about how Moses was able to go up and speak to God face to face!
Now look at God’s Word in the book of Exodus for this Sunday! Moses was able to go into a more direct presence of the Lord and receive the Ten Commandments directly from God - putting them on tablets of stone. The glory of the Lord was so glorious that when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai his face was so bright that it scared the Israelites! When you think back on this example of God giving a great and glorious vision of Himself - it’s hard for us to envision.
How nice it would be if the Lord appeared to us like He did to Moses? To have the Lord pass in front of us as He did to Moses! I always used to think - “if God would appear to me like that – Oh! How I would be so encouraged to really serve Him! I wouldn’t worry so much about life!” And so we ask, “oh Lord, where is my burning bush? Where is my vision of your glory?” What are the results of this thinking? People are flocking to the best visuals they can go to. Some will skip from church to church in search of the ultimate spiritual experience. They want to see the Lord! The problem is that we are not looking in the right places. We read in I Kings 19:11-18 When the Lord appeared to Elijah, he didn’t come in an earthquake or fire a mighty wind, but in the sound of a low whisper!
In the Gospel reading for this Sunday St. Matthew 17:1-9, we read that the writer Matthew gives his version of the event which we call "The Transfiguration of Jesus." Mark and Luke also write the account of this strange occurrence, with some minor variations in the telling. It’s one of those rare moments we were just talking about, one of those mountaintop experiences of life, which somehow defy adequate description and challenge us to stretch our concept of reality to the point that we usually wind up asking the question, "Did this really happen?" Events such as the Transfiguration somehow connect us with the mystery of creation and eternity.
For Jesus it was a time of confirmation and affirmation of his ministry. For Peter, James, and John it was a brief glimpse of the transcendent, a peek at the reality that lies just beyond everyday life. But notice that Jesus quickly led the disciples back down, off that mountaintop in spite of Peter’s desire to pitch a tent and camp there for a long while. Jesus led them back into the daily routine of teaching and preaching and caring for the broken and hurting people of the world they lived in, back to the reality of life in the valley.
Moses had been allowed to see the Glory itself passing by, and although God let him see the back, it was something to hold on to for the rest of his life." Mountaintop experiences in our faith journey become those moments of revelation that gives us something to hold on to for the rest of our lives. That certainly is the kind of experience Moses had on Mount Sinai, and the kind of experience our Lord had with Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Any experience in which we recognize the Living God can be a transfiguration. It may take place on the summit of a mountain, or as we kneel in prayer on a wooden floor or anywhere. It can happen in the midst of a service of worship where God becomes dramatically real to us, and we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Christ is our Living Lord and Savior. If you like to learn more please join us in our worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
February 8, 2026 RESTORING BEAUTY
The Gospel passage for this Sunday is from St. Matthew 5:13-20, is the continuation of Sermon on the Mount. In this passage Jesus said you are the Salt and the light. We are the salt, the silent work of influence and the light, the visible manifestation of God in people’s lives.
The Salt and the Light are the two things that the value seems so insignificant but are part of our survival. When salt is added in the food it is hardly seen. Yet too little of it you can taste the difference and too much of it can spoil your taste of the food. The light is visible, it is needed during the night or when it is dark. Yet too much of it in the morning will make you say, “Turn it off” yet too little of it can make you feel unsafe. The salt and light work as salt is added to the food and the light is turned on.
In the Sermon on the Mount, we learned that the Beatitudes are the elements of Christian life. But the next section deals with the Christian influence. As Christians, people should be merciful or peacemakers and pure in heart, which will have a tremendous influence in the lives of those who have not given their heart to God.
In ancient times salt was seen as a necessity for life. Because of its seasoning and preservative qualities, salt was one of the most highly prized minerals. In many societies salt was so highly valued and was used instead of money. The English word salary is derived from the Latin word “Salarium” which refers to the payments made to a Roman soldier with salt.
In the Bible times and till today salt is used for seasoning our food. Who likes to eat food without salt? Even though salt is so small and yet hardly noticeable it makes a difference when applied to the substance. For our lives to be a living sacrifice for God, our body must be preserved and seasoned with the righteousness of Christ. Salt was also used to preserve food. During the old Biblical times they did not have the refrigeration systems that we have today.
Salt was also used to have a covenant relationship as we read in Numbers 18:19 “It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord with you and your descendants with you.” So, salt also represented a relationship. “It represented hospitality that cemented on friendship” There is an Eastern saying “There is salt between us”
Jesus said you are the Salt of the Earth; what did Jesus mean by this statement? It is the silent witness of the Christian believer. It is the influence that you have over other people’s lives to season and preserve for eternal life. Christ is saying let your influence season people’s life for the kingdom. Salt changes things: a little salt can flavor a big pot of beans. It only takes on salt to flavor a whole community, a whole neighborhood and a whole workplace.
Someone once said, “The salt is no good if it never leaves the saltshaker, it is only a decoration to the kitchen table”. We deny the salt function when we fail to mingle with people that are lost; we deny the function of the salt when we fail to be kind, merciful and as peacemakers.
To deny the salt function is to deny the principles of the kingdom of God. We are not to draw away from society, we are not of the world, but we live in the world. And if we as Salt don’t rub against those who have no flavor, those who are perishing who will do this great act of influence? Jesus said, “You are the salt” It is emphatic He didn’t say you are the earth. Jesus said, “you are the salt”. If you like to know more about Salt and Light, please join us in our Sunday worship at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
The Gospel passage for this Sunday is from St. Matthew 5:13-20, is the continuation of Sermon on the Mount. In this passage Jesus said you are the Salt and the light. We are the salt, the silent work of influence and the light, the visible manifestation of God in people’s lives.
The Salt and the Light are the two things that the value seems so insignificant but are part of our survival. When salt is added in the food it is hardly seen. Yet too little of it you can taste the difference and too much of it can spoil your taste of the food. The light is visible, it is needed during the night or when it is dark. Yet too much of it in the morning will make you say, “Turn it off” yet too little of it can make you feel unsafe. The salt and light work as salt is added to the food and the light is turned on.
In the Sermon on the Mount, we learned that the Beatitudes are the elements of Christian life. But the next section deals with the Christian influence. As Christians, people should be merciful or peacemakers and pure in heart, which will have a tremendous influence in the lives of those who have not given their heart to God.
In ancient times salt was seen as a necessity for life. Because of its seasoning and preservative qualities, salt was one of the most highly prized minerals. In many societies salt was so highly valued and was used instead of money. The English word salary is derived from the Latin word “Salarium” which refers to the payments made to a Roman soldier with salt.
In the Bible times and till today salt is used for seasoning our food. Who likes to eat food without salt? Even though salt is so small and yet hardly noticeable it makes a difference when applied to the substance. For our lives to be a living sacrifice for God, our body must be preserved and seasoned with the righteousness of Christ. Salt was also used to preserve food. During the old Biblical times they did not have the refrigeration systems that we have today.
Salt was also used to have a covenant relationship as we read in Numbers 18:19 “It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord with you and your descendants with you.” So, salt also represented a relationship. “It represented hospitality that cemented on friendship” There is an Eastern saying “There is salt between us”
Jesus said you are the Salt of the Earth; what did Jesus mean by this statement? It is the silent witness of the Christian believer. It is the influence that you have over other people’s lives to season and preserve for eternal life. Christ is saying let your influence season people’s life for the kingdom. Salt changes things: a little salt can flavor a big pot of beans. It only takes on salt to flavor a whole community, a whole neighborhood and a whole workplace.
Someone once said, “The salt is no good if it never leaves the saltshaker, it is only a decoration to the kitchen table”. We deny the salt function when we fail to mingle with people that are lost; we deny the function of the salt when we fail to be kind, merciful and as peacemakers.
To deny the salt function is to deny the principles of the kingdom of God. We are not to draw away from society, we are not of the world, but we live in the world. And if we as Salt don’t rub against those who have no flavor, those who are perishing who will do this great act of influence? Jesus said, “You are the salt” It is emphatic He didn’t say you are the earth. Jesus said, “you are the salt”. If you like to know more about Salt and Light, please join us in our Sunday worship at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
February 1, 2026 THE VISION BEAUTIFUL
The gospel passage for this Sunday is from St. Matthews 5:1-12, it is the introductory part of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew in his Gospel places the Beatitudes at the very beginning. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount comes at the beginning of His ministry and is considered as a prologue to the discipleship.
In the closing verses of the fourth chapter of the St. Matthew gospel, Jesus having finished the calling of his disciples, begins teaching in the region of the Galilee and in the synagogues of that region. People brought the sick to Jesus for healing, and great crowds were gathering from as far as Jerusalem, the Decapolis, Judea and areas beyond the Jordan. On this occasion seeing the crowds, Jesus gathers the disciples and goes up on a mountain.
The opening of Jesus’ sermon appears to be directed only to the disciples, they have left everything to follow Jesus. They are being prepared for their discipleship, and for the ministry that they will share with Jesus: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. This teaching must have dawned upon the disciples quickly.
The pattern appears to be humiliation now and glory later. Such a proposal makes no sense whatsoever unless God can be trusted to "deliver" on His promises - "His side of the bargain." As the ministry of Jesus unfolds, it becomes clear that the Beatitudes reflect the style of Jesus' own life and ministry, and what his disciples will be expected to follow. These words become a prologue to the gospel Jesus will preach, the examples he will set, and the counsel he will give. Underneath each one of the Beatitudes is the call to live our lives in full trust of God. Because God can be trusted, they shall be satisfied! It is only when we have this confidence in the promises of God that we can begin to understand and follow Jesus' example and his mandate.
The Beatitudes must be studied in the context of a community of trust, of vision and of hope. To be disciples of our Christ, we must pray for the trust that gladly accepts whatever condition in which we find ourselves as places in which God can and does act. In such matters, our faith in our God’s plans does much to inform and enable the faithfulness of a given moment.
From the first four of Jesus' "Beatitudes," it appears that the followers of Jesus are more nearly "victims" than the "disciples." They are the spiritual "have-nots" who must trust and depend wholly upon God and his promises. However, Jesus has in mind for us something more than our passively staying out of trouble ... trusting God, being deeply sorry for the suffering of the world, practicing self-control, and longing for perfect righteousness. The works of faith are not passive. They are active and outreaching.
Now the disciples, solidly established in faith and with a firm hold on God's promises, are free to live in love, being of a single mind and of pure heart, showing mercy, and actively doing the hard work of peacemaking, even accepting persecution with purpose and with rejoicing. If you like to learn more about the faith and vision, please join us in our worship on Sunday at 11: 00 AM
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
The gospel passage for this Sunday is from St. Matthews 5:1-12, it is the introductory part of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew in his Gospel places the Beatitudes at the very beginning. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount comes at the beginning of His ministry and is considered as a prologue to the discipleship.
In the closing verses of the fourth chapter of the St. Matthew gospel, Jesus having finished the calling of his disciples, begins teaching in the region of the Galilee and in the synagogues of that region. People brought the sick to Jesus for healing, and great crowds were gathering from as far as Jerusalem, the Decapolis, Judea and areas beyond the Jordan. On this occasion seeing the crowds, Jesus gathers the disciples and goes up on a mountain.
The opening of Jesus’ sermon appears to be directed only to the disciples, they have left everything to follow Jesus. They are being prepared for their discipleship, and for the ministry that they will share with Jesus: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. This teaching must have dawned upon the disciples quickly.
The pattern appears to be humiliation now and glory later. Such a proposal makes no sense whatsoever unless God can be trusted to "deliver" on His promises - "His side of the bargain." As the ministry of Jesus unfolds, it becomes clear that the Beatitudes reflect the style of Jesus' own life and ministry, and what his disciples will be expected to follow. These words become a prologue to the gospel Jesus will preach, the examples he will set, and the counsel he will give. Underneath each one of the Beatitudes is the call to live our lives in full trust of God. Because God can be trusted, they shall be satisfied! It is only when we have this confidence in the promises of God that we can begin to understand and follow Jesus' example and his mandate.
The Beatitudes must be studied in the context of a community of trust, of vision and of hope. To be disciples of our Christ, we must pray for the trust that gladly accepts whatever condition in which we find ourselves as places in which God can and does act. In such matters, our faith in our God’s plans does much to inform and enable the faithfulness of a given moment.
From the first four of Jesus' "Beatitudes," it appears that the followers of Jesus are more nearly "victims" than the "disciples." They are the spiritual "have-nots" who must trust and depend wholly upon God and his promises. However, Jesus has in mind for us something more than our passively staying out of trouble ... trusting God, being deeply sorry for the suffering of the world, practicing self-control, and longing for perfect righteousness. The works of faith are not passive. They are active and outreaching.
Now the disciples, solidly established in faith and with a firm hold on God's promises, are free to live in love, being of a single mind and of pure heart, showing mercy, and actively doing the hard work of peacemaking, even accepting persecution with purpose and with rejoicing. If you like to learn more about the faith and vision, please join us in our worship on Sunday at 11: 00 AM
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
January 25, 2026 CALLED TOGETHER
The Gospel passage for this Sunday is from St. Matthew 4: 12-23, which is so radical! It is radical to believe that people would leave their place of business and the family to follow a teacher who said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." This passage narrates after Jesus had finished preaching a sermon in Capernaum, he took a stroll along the banks of the Sea of Galilee.
In verses 18-19 we read “As Jesus walked by the seaside, he noticed two brothers - Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother - casting a net into the sea. He called out to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Peter and Andrew did not sit in the boat and reflect on what Jesus said to them. Apparently, they did not count the cost. Nor did they call a committee meeting. Nor did they form an association to provide them with support. Instead, they immediately left their nets and followed him.
This gospel passage is a marvelous mystery, on the one hand God works in spite of us, and on the other hand we are central to the plan God has of bringing salvation and wholeness to our world. Jesus made it clear that there are some specific things for men and women to do, ministries which God uses to do kingdom-building work: like feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, aiding the poor, visiting those in prison, witnessing to everyone about God's love revealed in Jesus. But for many in our society darkness prevails, as in Isaiah's day. Other gods than the Lord are being worshipped. Other ways of life than the way for which we are created are being followed
As Jesus continued his walk along the seaside (verse 21), he saw two other brothers - James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, in the boat and Zebedee, their father. They were rocking back and forth in the boat, minding their own business, and mending their nets when Jesus called out to them to follow. As with Peter and Andrew, they left their trade and their father and followed after Jesus of Nazareth. According to Matthew, they did not hesitate. They followed immediately. Who among us would respond in this way? I mean, how many people in this congregation today would put a padlock on their business and follow a person like Jesus?
What if everybody followed the example of those fishermen? What if everybody heard the call and heeded it? Who would mind the store? Who would pay the taxes? Who would run the church? Who would paint, Who would make music, or Who would govern? Our tendency is to brush off this story as being unrealistic. After all, not one person in this congregation is going to respond as Peter, Andrew, James, and John did. It is okay for them to be radical in their response. But it is not okay for us.
On the other hand, one cannot read the New Testament without seeing that some followed in a radical way. Jesus said, “Follow me”, to a tax collector named Matthew; and Matthew got up and followed him. Philip, who was from Andrew and Peter's hometown, followed his calling. John reports in his gospel John 1: 43 that Jesus said, "Follow me," and Nathaniel, also known as Bartholomew, followed. According to church tradition, Bartholomew followed the call by carrying the Gospel to various countries. And in Act 9:11, Paul, who heard Jesus say, "Rise and enter the city and you will be told what to do," went forth and proclaimed: "Jesus is the Son of God."
In the Old Testament the people of Israel were on a similar journey from Egypt to their promised land. Their faith was sometimes tried and found wanting; but their leader, Moses, was steadfast and so was his appointed successor, Joshua. Likewise, Christian’s view life as following - following in the steps of Jesus.
Where does the following of Jesus leave us? If others have heard the call and have responded in a radical way, then shouldn't we all do the same? I cannot answer that question for you. It must be answered by each of us as we experience God's call in our lives. If you would like to know more about the Call of God, please join us in our worship on Sunday at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
The Gospel passage for this Sunday is from St. Matthew 4: 12-23, which is so radical! It is radical to believe that people would leave their place of business and the family to follow a teacher who said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." This passage narrates after Jesus had finished preaching a sermon in Capernaum, he took a stroll along the banks of the Sea of Galilee.
In verses 18-19 we read “As Jesus walked by the seaside, he noticed two brothers - Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother - casting a net into the sea. He called out to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Peter and Andrew did not sit in the boat and reflect on what Jesus said to them. Apparently, they did not count the cost. Nor did they call a committee meeting. Nor did they form an association to provide them with support. Instead, they immediately left their nets and followed him.
This gospel passage is a marvelous mystery, on the one hand God works in spite of us, and on the other hand we are central to the plan God has of bringing salvation and wholeness to our world. Jesus made it clear that there are some specific things for men and women to do, ministries which God uses to do kingdom-building work: like feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, aiding the poor, visiting those in prison, witnessing to everyone about God's love revealed in Jesus. But for many in our society darkness prevails, as in Isaiah's day. Other gods than the Lord are being worshipped. Other ways of life than the way for which we are created are being followed
As Jesus continued his walk along the seaside (verse 21), he saw two other brothers - James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, in the boat and Zebedee, their father. They were rocking back and forth in the boat, minding their own business, and mending their nets when Jesus called out to them to follow. As with Peter and Andrew, they left their trade and their father and followed after Jesus of Nazareth. According to Matthew, they did not hesitate. They followed immediately. Who among us would respond in this way? I mean, how many people in this congregation today would put a padlock on their business and follow a person like Jesus?
What if everybody followed the example of those fishermen? What if everybody heard the call and heeded it? Who would mind the store? Who would pay the taxes? Who would run the church? Who would paint, Who would make music, or Who would govern? Our tendency is to brush off this story as being unrealistic. After all, not one person in this congregation is going to respond as Peter, Andrew, James, and John did. It is okay for them to be radical in their response. But it is not okay for us.
On the other hand, one cannot read the New Testament without seeing that some followed in a radical way. Jesus said, “Follow me”, to a tax collector named Matthew; and Matthew got up and followed him. Philip, who was from Andrew and Peter's hometown, followed his calling. John reports in his gospel John 1: 43 that Jesus said, "Follow me," and Nathaniel, also known as Bartholomew, followed. According to church tradition, Bartholomew followed the call by carrying the Gospel to various countries. And in Act 9:11, Paul, who heard Jesus say, "Rise and enter the city and you will be told what to do," went forth and proclaimed: "Jesus is the Son of God."
In the Old Testament the people of Israel were on a similar journey from Egypt to their promised land. Their faith was sometimes tried and found wanting; but their leader, Moses, was steadfast and so was his appointed successor, Joshua. Likewise, Christian’s view life as following - following in the steps of Jesus.
Where does the following of Jesus leave us? If others have heard the call and have responded in a radical way, then shouldn't we all do the same? I cannot answer that question for you. It must be answered by each of us as we experience God's call in our lives. If you would like to know more about the Call of God, please join us in our worship on Sunday at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
January 18, 2026 ALL THAT WE ARE
The gospel reading for this Sunday is from St. John 1: 29 - 42. John the gospel writer reveals to us three important things for us to follow: 1. To be a witness and to tell others that Jesus came to take away the sins of this world, 2. Jesus is the Only Son of God and 3. Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit.
We find John the Baptist playing a particular role. John the Baptist was viewed by many as the top spiritual leader of his time. John the Baptist knew his true role was that of supporting Jesus who was the Son of God and a true spiritual leader. John the Baptist knew that Jesus had been born to play a certain role in the life of Israel and the world. John the Baptist tells us in this passage that there was one who was coming after him and will outrank him.
In our passage we can also see another important personality John the disciple of Jesus and writer of John Gospel. History tells us that this person would later on be called the "disciple whom Jesus loved". Our writer at no time focuses on himself. Like John the Baptist John the evangelist (disciple of Jesus) understands that Jesus must be the focus. Both of them understand that Jesus outranks them. They understand that their role is that of being a witness for Jesus.
Both the Evangelist and the Baptizer saw their role (their mission) in life to be a witness for Jesus. They saw their mission in life to tell others what they had experienced in Jesus. It was their desire to never be the center of attention but instead to make sure that they were doing all they could do to make Jesus the center of attention. They wanted people to know and experience Jesus.
The role they played here at the Jordan River and in the writing of this Gospel is the same role that you and I are called to play. More than anything else in this life we are called to play the role of being a witness for Jesus Christ. We are called to testify about who Jesus is and what He has done in our lives and is able to do in the lives of others.
We must always remember that it is very easy to forget our mission. It's easy to forget that our main role as Christians in this life is to be a witness for Jesus. It's easy to be tempted to take our eyes off of Jesus and put them on ourselves or our own desired programs and agendas. It is easy for us to even think that the Church is for us and our needs, instead of lifting up the name of Jesus in praise and worship. It's even easy to fool ourselves into thinking that we get to choose where we want to go to church. Where we go should be solely our choice. That we get to pick a place where we like the music, where the programs meet our needs and where we like a particular pastor/preacher. And then when we get unhappy or upset we can simply walk away. The truth is Jesus should be leading us to the place that He wants us to serve.
At times, even as a connected body of Christ, we forget that our role is that of witnessing about and for Jesus. At times we get the misguided idea that our main job is constructing some building or fellowship hall. We get the idea that we have to be busy doing something but so often that something has very little to do with true witnessing. To learn more please join us in our Sunday worship at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
The gospel reading for this Sunday is from St. John 1: 29 - 42. John the gospel writer reveals to us three important things for us to follow: 1. To be a witness and to tell others that Jesus came to take away the sins of this world, 2. Jesus is the Only Son of God and 3. Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit.
We find John the Baptist playing a particular role. John the Baptist was viewed by many as the top spiritual leader of his time. John the Baptist knew his true role was that of supporting Jesus who was the Son of God and a true spiritual leader. John the Baptist knew that Jesus had been born to play a certain role in the life of Israel and the world. John the Baptist tells us in this passage that there was one who was coming after him and will outrank him.
In our passage we can also see another important personality John the disciple of Jesus and writer of John Gospel. History tells us that this person would later on be called the "disciple whom Jesus loved". Our writer at no time focuses on himself. Like John the Baptist John the evangelist (disciple of Jesus) understands that Jesus must be the focus. Both of them understand that Jesus outranks them. They understand that their role is that of being a witness for Jesus.
Both the Evangelist and the Baptizer saw their role (their mission) in life to be a witness for Jesus. They saw their mission in life to tell others what they had experienced in Jesus. It was their desire to never be the center of attention but instead to make sure that they were doing all they could do to make Jesus the center of attention. They wanted people to know and experience Jesus.
The role they played here at the Jordan River and in the writing of this Gospel is the same role that you and I are called to play. More than anything else in this life we are called to play the role of being a witness for Jesus Christ. We are called to testify about who Jesus is and what He has done in our lives and is able to do in the lives of others.
We must always remember that it is very easy to forget our mission. It's easy to forget that our main role as Christians in this life is to be a witness for Jesus. It's easy to be tempted to take our eyes off of Jesus and put them on ourselves or our own desired programs and agendas. It is easy for us to even think that the Church is for us and our needs, instead of lifting up the name of Jesus in praise and worship. It's even easy to fool ourselves into thinking that we get to choose where we want to go to church. Where we go should be solely our choice. That we get to pick a place where we like the music, where the programs meet our needs and where we like a particular pastor/preacher. And then when we get unhappy or upset we can simply walk away. The truth is Jesus should be leading us to the place that He wants us to serve.
At times, even as a connected body of Christ, we forget that our role is that of witnessing about and for Jesus. At times we get the misguided idea that our main job is constructing some building or fellowship hall. We get the idea that we have to be busy doing something but so often that something has very little to do with true witnessing. To learn more please join us in our Sunday worship at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
January 11, 2026 POSSIBILITIES UNFOLDING
On this First Sunday after Epiphany, we got to recollect one of the most important Sacrament of our church, the Baptism. Our Baptism is a beginning in our faith. It is the desire to see the world differently, to see each other differently, and even to see ourselves differently. Baptism is a fresh start, not a destination. Baptism calls into question our previous lives, and repentance. Baptism is not a trial-free membership of our faith journey, but a rite of initiation into a way of life in which Jesus promised there would be trials.
In our gospel lesson for this Sunday, St. Matthew 3:13-17, we read about the baptism of Jesus. Jesus' baptism serves as a model for our baptism. For Jesus, baptism represents the beginning of his ministry. While some ultimate questions may have been answered when he was with John the Baptist in the Jordan River, the baptism of Jesus is one of our favorite stories of the gospel. We love to hear how the heavens opened, to imagine the dove descending, and to hear God's blessing on the Son.
First, Baptism is about beginning anew. It is a fresh start, even when we are comfortable and satisfied with our old lives. Paul said in Romans 6:4, "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life”. We emerge from baptism to walk "in newness of life”. There are two ways to make something new. We can start with nothing and make something new, or we can start with what we already have and make that new. Baptism transforms our lives, and we think, speak, live, and act in ways that represent to the world the image of Christ.
Baptism transforms stinginess into generosity, narrow- mindedness into thoughtful consideration, and prejudice into love. Baptism transforms our fear of one another into a desire for true community, our suspicious motives into open, honest dialogue, and our hesitancy into boldness. Baptism transforms groups of people into churches, gatherings of individuals into a family of brothers and sisters, and church services into times of worship. Does all that happen when we are baptized? No, but those are the kinds of things that happen through our lives as we continue to be open to what our baptism means to us.
The Christian life at its best is an ongoing transformation in which we continue to be shaped by the presence of Christ within us. In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul discusses many of the implications of baptism, we are shown what this new life looks like. We are urged to lead a life worthy of our calling, and then we are told that such a life entails humility, gentleness, and patience. We are to bear with one another in love and are to make every effort to maintain unity in the body.
Let us think for a moment who among us has mastered humility, gentleness, and patience in our relationships with our sisters and brothers? We know the kind of trouble that is caused by thinking of ourselves too highly and not regarding others with the kind of appreciation they are due, but true humility is not something very many people spend their days trying to achieve.
We know the problems created by bulldozing our way through every meeting and every conversation, but it seems to get our point across, and our agenda passed more effectively than being gentle. We know that some things simply are not going to happen on our schedule and that some things may never happen, but being patient seems too much like not doing anything.
In short, humility, gentleness, and patience are sometimes in short supply, but not so among those who are engaged in this lifelong process of growth. Our Baptism reminds us we are continually about the business of deepening our spiritual lives by being transformed by the newness which guarantees Christ's presence in our lives . To learn more please join us in worship with us on Sundays at 11: 00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
On this First Sunday after Epiphany, we got to recollect one of the most important Sacrament of our church, the Baptism. Our Baptism is a beginning in our faith. It is the desire to see the world differently, to see each other differently, and even to see ourselves differently. Baptism is a fresh start, not a destination. Baptism calls into question our previous lives, and repentance. Baptism is not a trial-free membership of our faith journey, but a rite of initiation into a way of life in which Jesus promised there would be trials.
In our gospel lesson for this Sunday, St. Matthew 3:13-17, we read about the baptism of Jesus. Jesus' baptism serves as a model for our baptism. For Jesus, baptism represents the beginning of his ministry. While some ultimate questions may have been answered when he was with John the Baptist in the Jordan River, the baptism of Jesus is one of our favorite stories of the gospel. We love to hear how the heavens opened, to imagine the dove descending, and to hear God's blessing on the Son.
First, Baptism is about beginning anew. It is a fresh start, even when we are comfortable and satisfied with our old lives. Paul said in Romans 6:4, "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life”. We emerge from baptism to walk "in newness of life”. There are two ways to make something new. We can start with nothing and make something new, or we can start with what we already have and make that new. Baptism transforms our lives, and we think, speak, live, and act in ways that represent to the world the image of Christ.
Baptism transforms stinginess into generosity, narrow- mindedness into thoughtful consideration, and prejudice into love. Baptism transforms our fear of one another into a desire for true community, our suspicious motives into open, honest dialogue, and our hesitancy into boldness. Baptism transforms groups of people into churches, gatherings of individuals into a family of brothers and sisters, and church services into times of worship. Does all that happen when we are baptized? No, but those are the kinds of things that happen through our lives as we continue to be open to what our baptism means to us.
The Christian life at its best is an ongoing transformation in which we continue to be shaped by the presence of Christ within us. In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul discusses many of the implications of baptism, we are shown what this new life looks like. We are urged to lead a life worthy of our calling, and then we are told that such a life entails humility, gentleness, and patience. We are to bear with one another in love and are to make every effort to maintain unity in the body.
Let us think for a moment who among us has mastered humility, gentleness, and patience in our relationships with our sisters and brothers? We know the kind of trouble that is caused by thinking of ourselves too highly and not regarding others with the kind of appreciation they are due, but true humility is not something very many people spend their days trying to achieve.
We know the problems created by bulldozing our way through every meeting and every conversation, but it seems to get our point across, and our agenda passed more effectively than being gentle. We know that some things simply are not going to happen on our schedule and that some things may never happen, but being patient seems too much like not doing anything.
In short, humility, gentleness, and patience are sometimes in short supply, but not so among those who are engaged in this lifelong process of growth. Our Baptism reminds us we are continually about the business of deepening our spiritual lives by being transformed by the newness which guarantees Christ's presence in our lives . To learn more please join us in worship with us on Sundays at 11: 00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
January 4, 2026 ANOTHER ROAD
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ on behalf of the Church council, my family and I wish all the members and friends a Happy and Healthy New Year 2026.
We have already listed our New Year resolutions, how we are going to follow and practice our decisions is a big challenge for us? This Sunday's gospel passage helps us to keep our New Year resolutions in order.
On this Epiphany Sunday, we see the promise fulfilled in the story of the Wise men. The Wise men are our examples of discernment. They believed the promise from Isaiah 60:1"Arise, shine, for your light has come." They saw the star and followed it. They went first to Jerusalem, where they were disappointed. The newborn king was not in the capital city.
Epiphany is the Gentile feast of faith. We celebrate not only the faith of the Gentiles, as symbolized by the Wise men; we also celebrate the mission to the Gentiles. But who are the Gentiles today, now that the church is a Gentile church? The Gentiles are the ones on the outside looking in, the ones who are powerless, the ones who are shunned and scorned. If our light has come, it is a light to be shared, not hidden.
We are to stand in solidarity with people who are poor, powerless, and excluded, to dispel the thick darkness, which covers their lives. We are to fulfill our baptismal promise as we read in Matthews 5:16: "Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven."
Nowhere is the truth of Epiphany more evident than in the Eucharist. We gather around the Lord's Table as members of the same body of Christ, heirs together of the promises of the gospel. We see the faces of our fellow Christians, and we see the light of Christ.
The festival of the Epiphany of Our Lord is a celebration that has reminded Christians since the second century that the light has already reached us. The light has already come in Jesus Christ. His light has vanquished the dark nightmares in our souls. "Arise, shine;" declares Isaiah, "for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you". Nightmares exist. Evil lurks around darkened corners of our lives, "but the Lord will arise upon you and his glory will appear over you". Did you catch the language of both Christmas and Easter here? The Light has come. The Glory of the Lord has risen.
It is no coincidence that early Christians selected this text to be read on Epiphany Day, the day on which the appearance of the Light of Christ is celebrated. The Light, born in Bethlehem, rises and shines brilliantly from the empty tomb outside Jerusalem. Epiphany, the Day of Light, connects birth, passion, and resurrection in the Church year. The Light has reached us. The Light shines in our lives today and every day of this New Year 2026, please join us in our worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ on behalf of the Church council, my family and I wish all the members and friends a Happy and Healthy New Year 2026.
We have already listed our New Year resolutions, how we are going to follow and practice our decisions is a big challenge for us? This Sunday's gospel passage helps us to keep our New Year resolutions in order.
On this Epiphany Sunday, we see the promise fulfilled in the story of the Wise men. The Wise men are our examples of discernment. They believed the promise from Isaiah 60:1"Arise, shine, for your light has come." They saw the star and followed it. They went first to Jerusalem, where they were disappointed. The newborn king was not in the capital city.
Epiphany is the Gentile feast of faith. We celebrate not only the faith of the Gentiles, as symbolized by the Wise men; we also celebrate the mission to the Gentiles. But who are the Gentiles today, now that the church is a Gentile church? The Gentiles are the ones on the outside looking in, the ones who are powerless, the ones who are shunned and scorned. If our light has come, it is a light to be shared, not hidden.
We are to stand in solidarity with people who are poor, powerless, and excluded, to dispel the thick darkness, which covers their lives. We are to fulfill our baptismal promise as we read in Matthews 5:16: "Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven."
Nowhere is the truth of Epiphany more evident than in the Eucharist. We gather around the Lord's Table as members of the same body of Christ, heirs together of the promises of the gospel. We see the faces of our fellow Christians, and we see the light of Christ.
The festival of the Epiphany of Our Lord is a celebration that has reminded Christians since the second century that the light has already reached us. The light has already come in Jesus Christ. His light has vanquished the dark nightmares in our souls. "Arise, shine;" declares Isaiah, "for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you". Nightmares exist. Evil lurks around darkened corners of our lives, "but the Lord will arise upon you and his glory will appear over you". Did you catch the language of both Christmas and Easter here? The Light has come. The Glory of the Lord has risen.
It is no coincidence that early Christians selected this text to be read on Epiphany Day, the day on which the appearance of the Light of Christ is celebrated. The Light, born in Bethlehem, rises and shines brilliantly from the empty tomb outside Jerusalem. Epiphany, the Day of Light, connects birth, passion, and resurrection in the Church year. The Light has reached us. The Light shines in our lives today and every day of this New Year 2026, please join us in our worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM.
Peace!
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister
West Center Congregational Church
101 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, NY 10708