Not Like We Imagine As we begin Holy Week, we join the procession as Jesus enters Jerusalem. We know this story well – the crowds of children singing and praising God, the palm branches waving, the celebration of the coming triumph of Christ. But, as with many stories of Scripture, this one may not have been like we imagine. And…
To Love, to Resist Jesus tells us to love our enemies. But does that mean to sit passively as they do harm to us and our neighbors? Or is Jesus inviting us to see a new way of living with our opponents? How are Christians called to confront the wrongs of this world with love? Read Luke 6:27-38 and Genesis 45:3-11,…
Hooray! (Oh…uh oh.) Hooray! (Oh… uh oh.) We love the blessings of God! And we love the stories of God raising up the outcast, and casting down the haughty. But what happens when we’re on the wrong side of the upside down Kingdom? What happens when Jesus speaks woe to us instead of blessings? Is there mercy for the villains…
Here We Are, Lord When we think of ‘call stories’ we might think of individuals called by God to a particular purpose – the prophets of the Hebrews, people called to a religious vocation, or maybe a story of personal salvation. And indeed, there is an abundance of these stories. But we often miss the fact that every individual call…
“Love and Truth (Can Get You in Trouble)” We’ve been sold a false notion of love – that love is about happy feelings and is reserved for a few special someones. But love is a divine gift, and its fullness and depth are transformative. But, of course, human beings resist transformation. We know that to be true in our own…
Not Like We Imagined: Christmas Eve 2024 Join us as we celebrate the Holy Night of Christ’s birth in song, story and candlelight. The events of Jesus’ birth may not have been what we imagined, but the story of God’s love come near is exactly what we need. Join us live at 7:30pm or watch the replay any time after.…
A New, Whole WorldAdvent 4 Mary, miraculously pregnant with Jesus, travels to her cousin Elizabeth, miraculously pregnant with John. In the joy of this encounter, Mary sings a prophetic song, celebrating God’s promise of justice in our world. In a world burdened by injustice, a woman on the fringes of “decent society” is the first to see the dawning of…
Upside Down, Inside Out Do you like roller coasters? The bigger and scarier, the better? Is following the Messiah, who comes to set the world right, a scary idea? Or is it comforting, knowing that God is at work? And why does John the Baptizer stand out in the wilderness telling people they’d better get ready? Join us live at…
A Compassionate God The second week of Advent invites us to hear the words of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. He proclaims God’s compassionate work to bring healing justice to the world. We often have a hard time imagining that the powers of the world could be displaced by a tenderly merciful God. But that is precisely the…
Time for Hope Advent is the season of Preparation for the coming of Christ. Like countless generations before us, we watch and wait for God’s renewing work in our world. And like countless generations before us, we sometimes look for hope through our tears, and we anticipate Good News even with heavy hearts. The prophets’ words remind us that the…
Living Faith All people who follow Jesus are called to be ministers of the Gospel – to offer themselves for God’s work in the world. Join us in worship for Laity Sunday as we celebrate the gifts we all have to lead and serve in the church and in the world. Join us live at 10:30 on October 27 or…
Flourishing There’s a lot going on this week – Trinity Sunday, Peace with Justice Sunday, Older Americans Month, and a promotion of a new Resilient Aging workshop series. Whew! But ALL of these remind us that God’s hope for us is to flourish – not just to survive, but to live vibrantly, joyfully, and meaningfully. Join us live at 10:00…