The New Church of Boulder Valley

They say everyone is broken in one way or another–that we all have suffered pain or hurt that has left us damaged somehow. One of the things that we can do when we are hurt is to retreat or isolate so that we avoid more pain–building walls to defend ourselves. These walls don’t so much prevent pain from coming in as keep the pain from ever leaving. To find healing we need connection. Connection helps us to experience the love of God and others. Love heals. As we read in Isaiah 61 and as Jesus read in the synagogue in reference to Himself: “Jehovah has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted.”

We hope to see you this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

This church is called The New Church? Why? What’s new about it? Why do we need a new church?

If you think about all the weird, hurtful and dysfunctional things that have gone on in the name of religion over the last several centuries (for example) it is not hard to imagine that “the church” on earth needs a reboot.

The New Church is a new way of understanding the Bible, who God is (merciful, loving, wise), the reality of life after death, the nature of God’s leading (Divine Providence), the beautiful truth that this world needs the variety that is found in all the different religions and faiths – like the variety within the human body which help it to function as a whole,  and many more amazing truths.

So yes, there is a New Church. And it is needed. Perhaps you can see the need too and want to learn more about it. Why not come this Sunday and learn more about it and enjoy a barbecue that we are putting on to celebrate the beginning of the New Church June 19th, 1770 and Father’s Day.

Church begins at 10:30 a.m.

The “two great commandments” distill all the teachings, doctrines and theology of religion down to the main point: to love God and love one another. When Jesus challenged His listeners to “go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,'” it seems like He was saying we aren’t getting it right.

One definition of mercy is the disposition to forgive or show compassion. That sounds a lot like what love is.

It is tempting for churches and us to lapse into setting up external activities, rituals or structures that become the focus. When this happens we can lose sight of what matters – Love.

Let’s get back to basics.

You are invited to church on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

It may be no surprise to you at this point in life that we all experience good times and difficult times. It comes with being a human. Even if we accept this fact it is not something we like. We wish we could avoid the hard times altogether.

There is a story in the Bible that shows that this is the way life will be and that there are things we can do to make the difficult times more easy to survive through and even grow through.

Join us this Sunday as we explore this story and its meaning for our lives. Worship starts at 10:30 a.m.

Do you consider it a failing to have doubts about spiritual things? Do you think doubt can be useful to your spiritual growth? This Sunday we will talk about doubt. Is this an interesting topic? Don’t you doubt it!

Watch the service live on our Facebook page if you can’t attend in person at 10:30 a.m., Sunday.

There has been violence done to people of other faiths in the name of religion. This is not a new thing but seems to be resurging.  The thing is, all true religions teach love for God and love for one another and have the Ten Commandments in some form as part of their theology. It would be impossible to justify killing others to glorify God if one was rightly living according to their faith.

Jesus taught gave many examples to show that it was how someone lived that mattered, not whether they were part of “the church”. His illustrations of people doing the right thing were often done by those outside the faith: the good Samaritan, the centurion who’s servant was healed, the one leper of ten that were healed that returned to thank Jesus was a Samaritan. And Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven but those who do the will of My Father in heaven.” The Father’s will being that we love one another.

In I Corinthians 12 the oneness of all is illustrated by the example of the human body – many parts functioning as one and dependent on one another for health and survival. “Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where God wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” But God has put the body together… so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”

We are also taught in the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg these same truths:

“The Lord’s mercy is infinite and will not let itself be limited to the few who are inside the Church. Instead it reaches out to all in the whole wide world.”  Secrets of Heaven 1032:2

“Everyone who makes the commandments the principles of their religion becomes a citizen and an inhabitant of heaven.” [Apocalypse Explained 948]

“In the spiritual world, into which everyone comes after death, no one is ever asked ‘What is your religion?’ but rather ‘What is your life?’ for everyone’s life is his or her religion.” [Divine Providence 101]

“The means of salvation has been provided for everyone, and heaven is such that all who live well, of whatever religion they may be, have a place there.” [Divine Providence 330]

“The heavenly Human, which is heaven, in order that all these things may be in it, cannot be composed of people all of one religion but of people of many religions.” [Divine Providence 326]

“That the church of the Lord is spread over all the globe, and is thus universal; and that all those are in it who have lived in the good of charity in accordance with their religion.” [NJHD 246]

We will explore this topic more at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.

You are warmly invited to join us for our Easter Celebration this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.  Easter is a time of great promise. It is a reminder that we are loved deeply and fully and that our freedom is so  highly valued by our Creator. It also holds within it a reminder that we are created to live forever.

We hope to see you on Sunday. Happy Easter!

An Easter Egg hunt for the children will follow the service.

On Palm Sunday Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. This was a clear statement that He was a king. The crowd was excited that they would have their own king now and would be free from the rule of the Romans. One little problem: Jesus went to the temple and not the palace, making clear that His kingdom was not of this world – something He said at other times.

If the Lord’s kingdom is not of this world, then where is it and how do we become part of it?

Please join us for a Palm Sunday celebration at 10:30 a.m.

There is an account in the Gospel of John of a man named Lazarus who had died. Jesus came to the house of his sisters Mary & Martha and said to Martha, “‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’  Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?’” He then did an amazing thing and summoned Lazarus back from death four days after his passing.

Jesus taught clearly and directly that He has power over death and that human life is eternal – not in this world, but forever after death.

One day someone you love will die.  Today is a good day to let that person know how much you love them.  One day you will die.  Today is a good day to start living in the way you want to live eternally. Jesus taught that he has power over death and over any thing we may struggle against in life.  If you are doing something you know you shouldn’t, choose today as the day you stop. If there is some change you would like to make in your life choose today as the day you begin to make that change. Ask for help and begin making changes.

Join us for church on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as we talk more about this story from the Gospel of John and about life after death.

If you want to know more about your eternal life you can download a free pdf or Epub of a book about life after death and heaven and hell at this link:

Window to Eternity

There are times in life when it feels like smooth sailing, and then there are times when the storms hit and life feels overwhelming and out of control. How do we get through these stormy times?

There is a beautiful story in the Bible about the disciples struggling with their boat on the stormy sea while Jesus walked on the water to be with them. As Jesus approaches, Peter asks if he can walk to Him on the water. Peter is invited to step out of the boat and walk on the sea. He walks for a moment but then instead of keeping his focus on Jesus and walking to Him he becomes terrified by the wind and the waves and begins to sink. After crying out for help he is taken by the hand and lifted up and he and Jesus climb into the boat and the storms cease.

There is a message for us in that story, don’t you think?

Please join us for worship on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.