John 9 is a chapter full of questions, and to be honest, some are better than others.
We take a look at the host of questions asked in this story and consider what makes a lesser and better question? What mistaken assumptions often undergird our questions? And how might we follow the example of Jesus in this story who invites us to not just ask, but act.
In Ezekiel 37 the prophet (by the same name) is given a vision — a vision that not only captures the hopelessness of his world, but perhaps of his own life as well. And yet, this same vision also breathes hope and possibility. In our world, there is no shortage of hopelessness. What might this ancient vision offer us and our context today?
It’s a story we know well. Perhaps too well. Can we listen with fresh ears — like that time we first heard encountered the unbelievable world of chemistry, poetry or jazz.
When Mary meets Jesus in the garden she doesn’t recognize him. The disciples who ran with her to the tomb don’t understand. Questions abound. Confusion is everywhere. Into the fray steps the risen Christ – meeting Mary and the disciples where they were and calling them by name.
Our second week in this series (from March-May we’ll be preaching roughly every other week and having Group Sundays on the other weeks – see our blog for more) considers the story of Nicodemus. This religious, pious and seeking leader is confronted with an idea that confuses and shakes him: you must be born again.
To be willing to ‘begin again’ seems to be a consistent message in Jesus’ life. Whether it’s having the faith of a child, letting go of an old wineskin, or putting a seed in the ground, Christ consistently teaches us that growth and transformation only happen when we are willing to begin again.
Our first Sunday in our Lenten series explores the question: “Who Will You Listen To?”
Our final week considers what Sabbath has to teach us about our relationship with the rest of creation.
Teresa invites us to consider what Sabbath might mean for our work and, therefore, our identity.
We begin a series looking at the ancient practice of Sabbath.
When Mary is visited by Gabriel and told that she will give birth to the long awaited Messiah, she is understandably afraid and troubled.
What does Mary’s response to this visit have to teach us about our response to fear? And what might Gabriel’s words prompt us to remember about God’s promises?
The genealogy of Jesus (in Matthew 1) is often overlooked. But what does this long list of names have to tell us?
As we consider it together we find an unlikely lineage full of unexpected characters. But perhaps that’s the point. Even Jesus’ beginning is through and through marked by those we continually dismiss or try to explain away.
Both the Old and New Testaments use the same word for Spirit and wind. Elliot helps us reflect on this as a valuable metaphor to teach us about what God is like.
The beginning of our story (Genesis 1 and 2) is a story of utmost goodness. So is the end of our story (Revelation 21 and 22). Between these bookends comes God’s call to care for, tend to, serve and guard the created world so that it might be good, whole and complete.
Our second week in Genesis 1 invites us to consider how deeply connected we are to the creation and how God’s ‘first language’ can draw us more deeply into relationship with the Creator.
The beginning of a story matters, and Genesis is a beginning of profound goodness. This tells us something fundamentally important about the Creator and about ourselves.
Our final week in this series considers the overall goal: deeper and more meaningful connections with those in our lives. Which begs the question, what exactly does it mean to be connected and how do we connect? Jesus shows us a compelling way (Mark 10:46-52).
The Scriptures ask us to do a difficult thing — to live in a way that both honors every person’s individuality and intentionally integrates their lives in the larger body. This week we talk about that both/and and give time to consider what it might mean for us.
Easter is a paradox: death leads to life. Emptying ourselves leads to a filling — a renewal. It is only by descending that we are lifted up. Philippians 2:5-11
The last Sunday in Lent points us to the story of the prodigal sons and father (Luke 15) as a way to explore the common experiences of shame, guilt, humiliation and perfectionism.
We continue to expand our vocabulary of the heart by considering an all to common human behavior: comparison.
Envy and jealousy — and two German words – schadenfreude and freudenfreude — are emotions and experiences connected to comparison. We see them in action in a story from Mark 10:35-45.
