StoneWork

Rush and Sarah Cowherd were high school sweethearts at Orange County High school. Rush was born in Gordonsville and Sarah was born in the big city of Orange. They were married in 1954 and had three girls, Anna, Jane and Sara. Rush worked for the IRS and Sarah ran the household with three little ones occupying her days. After their marriage in 1954, ther young family with three girls moved from Charlottesville to Richmond. One Sunday they discovered a group of people meeting at Ridge elementary school. This young family felt welcomed and quickly joined the congregation -Three Chopt Presbyterian. Rush served as an Elder, Trustee, Clerk of the Session, unofficial painter, etc. to name a few roles. Rush knew every face coming through the doors. He was the “Google” of this time as he could tell you anything you needed to know about members, finances, etc. Sarah taught Sunday School, attended Bible Studies, provided a taxi service for the girls to youth activities, etc. TCPC has always been a center point of the Cowherd family. This was/is their extended family. Rush and Sarah's commitment and love for its people and ministry continues to this day. Through the challenges and joys of both the church's and their lives the TCPC family has been an anchor.

This week we listen together to the story of long serving member John Ballsrud. John and his wife Bonnie came to the church and experienced a special kind of family connection as they started their own family journey together. It's a joy to listen together to their journey here, and the way that God has inspired John to leadership in the church.

Karen and her family have been at the church since the late 90s, and today we listen as Karen shares her story of finding her "port" along the river with the Three Chopt Family. Also, we hear how she came to be the lead volunteer of the food pantry, and how the stories of clients and members alike are all searching for that place called "home."

Stacy came to the church through Promises Preschool, and in a season of life which met them with the unimaginable hurt of losing a child. We are priveledged to listen and to be changed by her story of church, and the new family that was found there.

This week we participate in the story of Nick Broughton. Nick and his wife have been members of the church since 1994 when a drive down the road and some quick urgency on the part of the Holy Spirit brought them across the threshold and into their new church home after moving to Richmond in 1993.

To begin our new series which recounts stories from our church family we are talking together with Helen Salita. She is currently serving as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) with the PCUSA Mission Agency and is living and working in Scotland. A graduate of Mary Washington, she has served for two years in the advocacy department of Sojourners Magazine in DC. We are so glad to bear witness to Helen's great passion and calling!

for our last podcast in the series we are taking some of the elements of Easter with us throughout the rest of the year. No matter what the year will bring we know that we are standing on the solid foundation and power of Jesus Christ.

As part of our Lenten practice for holy week or just as a meditation at any time this episode focuses on the practices of the Lord's supper but also the ways in which we are all the beautiful body of Christ.

This week we enter into a mindset of humility and asking for God to do the things that we cannot possibly do. Will be listening to a brother sister duet in this contemporary singing of "Give Us Clean Hands." The perfect song for Lent and our COVID experience.

Matching with our current sermon series at the church this episode today focuses on the Lord's prayer. An operatic version written by Albert Hay Malotte in 1935. Whether you are imminently familiar with the Lord's prayer or hearing it for the first time let's listen together!

Spring is almost here but we are still feeling the effects of being separate and the ache of loss. This week a song comes to us softly and tenderly from the Watkins family singers and we are blessed to remember how Jesus is constantly calling out to us softly and tenderly to come home.

A place of Healing! This week our own music director takes the microphone and brings us a beautiful melody of our role as a church and our place as Christians who are beloved and who love the people of the world.

This week we are so pleased to have Rev Alex Fisher bringing the music to our Lenten meditation. The lyrics might be familiar to us as we listen to this take on Psalm 23.

For our first week we're going to listen to music that reminds us how God leads us lovingly and carefully. Join us and listen to some good music and a time of meditation in this Lenten season.

In this episode we look together at the last section of the book of Mark covering a lot of ground in the triumphal entry death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Also keep an ear out at the end of the episode for a couple of recommendations for further reading. Meet Jesus in Mark: His Gospel in 24 Readings: The Gospel of Mark (The New International Greek Testament Commentary) Preaching Mark in Two Voices: Blount, Brian K., Charles, Gary W.:

This week we're looking at chapters in the Gospel of Mark up to chapter 9. There is more weird stuff, and more admonishment to keep silent about who Jesus is. What is going on in Mark?!

The book of Mark gets right to business! It begins with the announcement that God is coming and then Jesus shows up. Doing deeds of power and actions that only God is "allowed" to do, Jesus continues to reveal the kingdom in ways we never counted on or expected.

In biblical terms apocalypse means that a revelation is soon to come. As this season of anxiety continues from any of us it seemed a nap time to take a few weeks and talk about the book of Mark. This first episode in dialogue with Pastor David Wall gives us an opening in perspective into this gospel.

Priscilla was an incredible leader for the early church, in this episode we talked about her leadership and about what being a leader is like when we run into people who seem to oppose our work.

Joseph has an opportunity to reconcile with his brother's but these are the same brothers who were going to kill him and who threw him into an empty well while they waited to sell him into slavery. these are the brothers that lied to his father and who kept him away from his family for years. Can there be reconciliation between them? How will Joseph use his power as leader to help heal this rift?

Lydia is a leader in her community and in her family. not only does she bring her whole family into a new belief in Jesus Christ but she also is relentless in bringing strangers into her home to share in her hospitality. How will the holy Spirit lead you into a deeper understanding of Jesus and into a new way to create hospitable moments for others?

Elijah is a big name when it comes to being a prophet of God, but the people of Israel are splitting their time between Ba'al and God, which isn't working out! After years of drought and famine, Elijah approaches the king and comes up with a contest. Who will answer the prayer of the people? God, or Ba'al?

We read today the first part of Deborah the judge of Israel. How does her leadership and prophetic voice lead to the end of misery for her people? How does Barak's willingness to let others lead alongside HIM lead to victory? Join us in our continuing look at biblical leadership.

Paul and Barnabas are the leaders of this new church in Antioch. They bring a powerful word and at first glance it may seem that they must be an integral part of the Church's survival. But what happens when they get run out of town? Will the church collapse? Or will God's spirit sustain them?

This is just our introductory message reminding everyone what to expect over the next few weeks. Be sure to subscribe so that you are alerted when we upload new episodes.

anxiousness is high right now, so this moment for worship is a good time to continue to consider the deeper meaning of Sabbath. Join us in this episode in which we will sing listen to scripture and reflect on the nature of what it means to be Sabbath people in the world that struggles through pandemic fear. Please use this link to view the words to our included hymns this week.