Rev. Dr. Galen E. Russell III

Exodus 15 : 1-2, 11-12, 17-21                                                                                                                Sept. 13, 2026

“You brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your own possession, the place, O Lord, that you made your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord that your hands established.”

Prayer: [sung] “O God, you are my God, and I will ever praise you. [repeat]. I will seek you in the morning, and I will learn to walk in your ways. And step by step you lead me, and I will follow you all of my days. And step by step you lead me, and I will follow you all of my days.”

Oh my gosh! It is good to sing to God our songs of praise today! Why? Well, basically because of God’s track record. Throughout the bible, God has a history of leading faithful people out of limiting, degrading, sometimes oppressive situations into healthier, more vibrant, more

inclusive ones.

Stories like Moses and the Israelites being led by God out of Egypt. What a story! We can gleam a lot from the symbolism of the story. The Israelites sang a song to God because they saw God’s power and strength that not only got them out of the bondage of Egypt but also got them a way through the sea. On dry ground, no less! And God eliminated the threat of the Egyptians chasing them. 

So, you see, step by step, God led them. And afterwards, the Israelites sang their song of reasons to praise God for their freedom. —God gave them grounds for rejoicing!

 God’s track record also shows up when God sent Jesus to free humanity from the bondage of sin. That meant that hope started to grow in people because they would be loved and saved by the grace of God, and that there is nothing that God won’t do to reconcile everyone and everything unto God.

So, step by step, God led all people in this gospel, this good news. As people of faith, we sing our songs of praise to God because of what God did in Christ—God let grace grow wild and free, giving us and all people grounds for rejoicing! A reason to celebrate as we yield our lives to Christ.

That brings us to our church. Ever since 1743, Christ Church had faithful people supporting its ministries. Step by step God led the ancestors of our church to preach and teach the gospel of Christ right here in Elizabethtown.

God inspired the Peter Blaser to give an acre of land, now known as the Blaser tract, a half mile from here. It cost our church’s ancestors one grain of wheat, payable every September 1^st year to keep using the tract. A church building was built there.  That tract still is our property  And the church’s ruins, and old gravestones are still there. And the grain of wheat? No longer paid. They stopped this way back decades ago.

In 1815, that church building on Blaser Tract was abandoned when more land was provided, and a sanctuary was built on what is now our current parking lot on South Market Street, just at the back end of this sanctuary.

And speaking of this sanctuary, it was built 117 years ago in 1909 and remodeled two times since. Next the educational wing was built in 1957. UCC was born in this year, too.

So, step by step, God led our church’s ancestors, and they sang songs of praises to God. They had grounds for rejoicing because God was doing wonders, and our church people were preaching and living out the gospel of Jesus Christ! The message of God’s saving grace is for everyone.

And here we are today! God’s track record continues to lead people to places of spiritual vibrancy. And we continue to practice the gospel of Jesus Christ that all are loved and saved by the grace of God, and that there is nothing that God won’t do to reconcile everyone unto God.

Including letting the spirit of God stir our hearts from placidness into action.  In 2013, Christ Church members Edna and Jeanette Barnes were stirred deep within when they saw how difficult it was, and is, for some people of our church, to get to certain parts of our building. They knew that when areas were inaccessible to some and not to others, well, that excluded people and fragmented our faith community. With a vision for an elevator, they provided the seed money.

And Melvin Sonnon believed in our inclusive ministry, that God’s good news is for everyone. And he willed a sizeable seed gift to our church when he passed. Friends I believe God’s good news and God’s living spirit spoke to these people, and their voices are speaking still.

And God is still speaking to each of us. The Spirit is stirring us as we’ve added our gifts to the gifts of the Barnes’ sisters and Melvin Sonnon.

 And the Spirit is still speaking to us as we break ground for an elevator that will make all areas of our building accessible. And updated bathrooms will make these spaces accessible for those with wheelchairs. All this makes our church building accessible to all (A2A).

So, we are led by God’s Spirit. Step by step, Amen! See what God is doing here? We have grounds for rejoicing because God’s track record shows a sacred effort to move all people to the new life of the gospel of Jesus Christ here at Christ Church. Making our building accessible is just a mirror reflection of this great and holy work of Redeeming us, God’s people. This gives us grounds for rejoicing!



So let’s listen to the voice of one born in the stable, who calls from the hill, and whose Holy Spirit blows through each one of us in this holy sanctuary. Amen.