top of page
The Reformed Church
Faith Moves Beyond Sundays so Follow Us!
Facebook - Weekly devotionals, spiritual practices, FB live Sunday Worship, and church event updates
God is moving--wherever you are. Stay open. Stay expectant. Stay tuned.
(Check out our page, Relevance for our calendar)
Sunday Slides Are Back! If you want to prepare for worship with a sneak peak or need them to follow along at home click here.
WELCOME TO THE REFORMED CHURCH
Love First. Always.
We’re a Love First community — rooted in faith, growing in love, and open to what God is doing next.
Here, we honor our past while recasting a vision for the future — a new kind of reformation that embraces authenticity, creativity, and compassion.
This is a place where questions are welcome, worship is heartfelt, and everyone belongs. Together, we’re learning what it means to live our faith out loud — to listen, to serve, and to love without exception.
The Reformed Church — Reimagining faith. Restoring hope. Reclaiming love.
.
All Posts
Joy Blooms in the Desert
An Advent Reflection for Blue Christmas As the Advent wreath moves from Hope to Peace and now to Joy , I find myself reflecting on how layered this season truly is. Joy in Advent is not a glittery emotion or a forced smile. It is something quieter and sturdier, like a lantern held against the wind. Isaiah 35 tells us that even the wilderness and the dry land shall be glad . That kind of joy doesn’t ignore sorrow. It grows right in the middle of it. And if I’m being honest,
T.J. Lucas
4 days ago3 min read
Prepare the Way for the Lord
"Prepare the way for the Lord” December 5, 2025 By Doug Wigginton Advent's first week has arrived, and we begin our preparation for the Messiah. You may wonder, "Why should we prepare ourselves for something that has already happened?" The beauty of Scripture is that it is not just God's story or simply the accounts of those we read about within it. With God's help and a willingness to see ourselves—flaws and all—we come to recognize it as our story, too. Psalm 25:1-10 expres
T.J. Lucas
6 days ago3 min read
A Holy Threshold
As Advent begins, we enter a holy threshold between darkness and light shaped by longing, hope, and holy beginnings. Advent always starts with darkness — not to frighten us, but to help us notice the first glimmers of dawn that God is already stirring. We hear of some of this dawn imagery in this week's scripture reading--a holy threshold between night and morning, sleep and wakefulness, dark and light, war and peace. All of these dichotomies we face, God speaks through. Isai
T.J. Lucas
Nov 264 min read
Reign of Christ Sunday
WHEN WE FORGET WHO THE REAL KING IS A World Built on Empty Promises People think the bread lines of the Great Depression are ancient history, but look around. We are standing in them again. Not always outside on sidewalks, but inside our own homes, scrolling through expired SNAP balances, waiting for paychecks that vanish before they land, stretching groceries that won’t stretch anymore. We live in the richest country on the planet—more profitable, more productive, more techn
T.J. Lucas
Nov 176 min read
Merry Grinchmas at The Reformed Church
🎄 Calling All Local Vendors & Artisans! 📍 106 North Chestnut Street, Scottdale PA 📅 Saturday, December 13 | 10 AM – 3 PM The Reformed Church invites our community’s makers, crafters, and small business owners to join us for a joyful day of holiday fun and hometown spirit! We’ll be hosting Merry Grinchmas , a family-friendly celebration featuring: 💚 Free pictures with the Grinch for kids and families 🎁 Limited free gifts while supplies last for kids ☕ Free coffee for e
T.J. Lucas
Nov 121 min read
Dwelling in the Word: Yoked to Christ, Working in Love
2 Thessalonians 3:6 – 13 ( with Matthew 11 : 28 – 30 as support ) 2 Thessalonians 3:6–13 (NRSVUE) (6) Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. (7) For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, (8) and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we wo
T.J. Lucas
Nov 113 min read
Ephesians Bible Study – Rooted in Love, Strengthened in Spirit
Mondays @ 7 PM (Virtual via Google Meet) Begins December 1, 2025 Open to all — not just our congregation. To receive the meeting link, email Pastor TJ at pastor@lovestrucc.org . Why Ephesians — and Why Now? In a world that feels more divided, distracted, and uncertain than ever, Paul’s letter to the Ephesians offers a timeless message of hope, unity, and identity. It reminds us who we are in Christ — chosen, loved, and called to live as people of grace. This short but powerf
T.J. Lucas
Nov 102 min read
Dinner Bag Drive
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat…” — Matthew 25:35 A Movement of Love in Action At The Reformed Church in Scottdale , we believe faith becomes real when love takes tangible form. Our Dinner Bag Drive invites neighbors, friends, and partner churches to join together in filling ready-to-cook meal kits for the Food Pantry Box outside our doors. Each bag provides a complete, shelf-stable meal along with a blessing card—nourishing both body and spirit . We are
T.J. Lucas
Nov 59 min read
The Saints, the Beasts, and the Bread
Texts: Daniel 7:1–3, 15–18 | Luke 6:20–31 “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt The World Daniel Saw—and We Still Live In I have been having really vivid dreams lately, and sometimes my dreams have a divine tie. I dreamt of my uncle’s passing the night he died, for example. I was ten, and when my mom came in to tell me that morning,
T.J. Lucas
Nov 48 min read
Returning to Jesus' Economy
We are living in a time of deep spiritual amnesia. As George Santayana, Spanish-born American philosopher once said, " Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it ." We look around at the world and see wealth concentrated at the top, corporations profiting off human need and lobbying our government, in turn, governments trimming lifelines for the vulnerable, and churches that have traded in the radically inclusive and extravagantly welcoming Gospel of Jesus
T.J. Lucas
Oct 278 min read
Dwelling in the Word - “A Story Is Not a Message”
Dwelling in the Word: Preparing Our Hearts for Sunday A Note Before We Begin This week’s lectionary includes an optional reading from the Book of Sirach , part of the Deuterocanonical books . These writings appear in the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint ) and have been read in the Church since before the time of Jesus. While they are not included in most Protestant Bibles , they offer wisdom that has shaped faith across Christian history. We include Sirach here for reflect
T.J. Lucas
Oct 235 min read
Dwelling in the Word- From Complaint to Call
This week, I’d like to do something a little different with our practice of Dwelling in the Word. Rather than beginning with guided...
T.J. Lucas
Sep 303 min read
Whose Land Is It Anyway?
When I was a kid, evenings often meant sitting with my brothers watching Whose Line Is It Anyway? Drew Carey hosted, comedians...
T.J. Lucas
Sep 223 min read
Find a Bible Believing Church!
Finding a Bible-Believing Church — What Does That Really Mean? Jesus didn't cancel anyone...should we? What does the bible tell us? I saw...
T.J. Lucas
Sep 186 min read
What is freedom, really?
(Luke 16:1–13) Sometimes I catch myself wishing I had been born into wealth, or that I’d hit the lottery, or stumble across that one...
T.J. Lucas
Sep 163 min read
Peace Be With You
By Doug Wigginton September 10, 2025 Again, Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21...
T.J. Lucas
Sep 132 min read
Paint, Pie, and Praise the Season!
Calling all basic white girls (pumpkin spice in hand), flannel-wearing fellas, and everyone else who just loves fall. Come for the pie,...
T.J. Lucas
Sep 32 min read
What Is the Revised Common Lectionary (and Why It Matters for Us)?
We just wrapped up our Made to Belong sermon series—a beautiful reminder that God has created us for connection, not isolation. As we...
T.J. Lucas
Sep 23 min read
Walking Together: A Prayer for Healing and Hope
Today our community gathered for a prayer walk in support of those who are healing from substance use disorder and for the families and...
T.J. Lucas
Aug 304 min read
Prayer for Minneapolis, Our Youth, and Our Educators
God of Justice and Mercy, We come before You broken and weary as we hear the news from Minneapolis. Another act of violence has shaken...
T.J. Lucas
Aug 271 min read
bottom of page