We are an Open and Affirming Congregation
Where no matter who we are or where we are on life's journey...we are welcome here.
Worship Services
We live stream our Sunday Worship.
SUNDAYS
Worship 10:00 AM
135 E Larch St, Rhinelander, WI 54501
FELLOWSHIP TIME
Enjoy coffee and conversation following worship.
At a time when religion is too often portrayed as narrow-minded and exclusive, we are raising our voices for alternative vision. One where God is all-loving and inclusive. Where the Church of Jesus Christ welcomes and accepts everyone as they are. Where your mind is nourished as much as your soul. Where Jesus the healer meets Jesus the revolutionary. Where together we grow a just and peaceful world.
Every visitor is also invited to share in the Sacrament of Holy Communion on the first Sunday of each month. We live stream our Sunday Worship to our Facebook page. You are welcome to join us on Facebook on Sunday or view it anytime during the week. Join us by clicking on the Facebook page above.
See you here!
Summer Kids Camp
Join us for 3 mornings of
Fun & Faith in Jesus
August 26-28, 9:00-11:30 a.m.
Stories, crafts, music, games, snacks, friendship!
Email Pastor Susie at RhiUniChurch@gmail.com
Outdoor worship and PICNIC
Come worship with us in the beautiful outdoors!
Sunday, August 10, 2025, 10:00
at Almon Park Shelter (Buck Lake)
Worship at 10:00, potluck picnic to follow.
This worship will not be streamed to Facebook.
Next 7 Days of Events
What Do We Mean by “God”?
| published on Jul 17, 2025
[Jesus said,] “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21 (NRSV)
People toss around the word “God” like we’re all talking about the same thing. Spoiler alert: we’re not. Ask three people what they mean by “God,” and you’ll get five different answers. Even atheists and theists argue past each other because they haven’t defined their terms.
Imagine someone saying, “I don’t believe in art. Art doesn’t exist!” You’d blink and point to a painting, a ballet, a haunting melody. And they’d reply, “That’s just pigment on canvas. Only bodies moving. Mere vibrations colliding with eardrums.”
If by “art” they mean some floating, invisible force with a paintbrush, well of course they won’t believe in it.
But what if we defined art as “the experience of meaning through human expression”? Suddenly, we’ve got something to talk about.
Let’s try a similar approach with God. Here’s one working definition: God is your ultimate concern (thank you, Paul Tillich), your highest good, your deepest loyalty, the thing you’d rearrange your life around, perhaps die for. That might be a divine being, sure. It could also be success, love, control, comfort, or the stock market.
Everyone has a god. The question isn’t “Do you believe in God?” but “What’s your God?” What sits on the throne of your heart? What do you love most fiercely? That’s what shapes and guides your life.
You may not believe in ‘God,’ but you’re definitely serving one.
Prayer
Holy One, help me name what I truly worship and redirect my heart toward what is truly worthy.
About the AuthorMatt Laney is co-Pastor of Virginia Highland Church UCC in Atlanta, GA and the author of Pride Wars, a fantasy series published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for Young Readers. The first two books, The Spinner Prince and The Four Guardians are available now.
ABout UCC
A church of firsts and of extravagant welcome. A church where "they may all be one" (John 17:21).
The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a distinct and diverse community of Christians who come together as one church to join faith and action. With over 5,000 churches and nearly one million members across the U.S., the UCC serves God in the co-creation of a just and sustainable world.
Since 1957, the United Church of Christ has been the church of firsts, weaving God’s message of hope and extravagant welcome with action for justice and peace. Together, we live out our faith in ways that effect change in our communities. Our church works to help make a difference in local, national and global communities.
