One Thing We Lack

Each year we celebrate Thanksgiving as a way to ritualize our gratitude for all of the blessings we have received. And living in one of the wealthiest cities in one of the wealthiest countries in the world might give us pause to consider the depth of our gratitude. Amos and

Continue reading

What does it mean to be the church?

Job 1:1; 2:1-10 • Attack on Job’s health. Mark 10: 13-15 • Jesus blesses little children There are a lot of assumptions made about people of faith. Secular society likes to challenge the sacred and are often suspicious of it. Even with in faith communities there is suspicion and assumptions.

Continue reading

Salted with Fire.

The gospel reading this week closes with the words “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” Being faithful requires a certain spiritedness, a certain saltiness. Or, as Jesus suggests, a certain fire. Our covenant with one another includes a certain passion for the life, health, and

Continue reading

Affirming our commitment

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a • 2 kinds of wisdom. Mark 9:30-37 • Whoever welcomes a child, welcomes me. How do we live in community with one another, when we are all so different, when we express our faith differently? We start with a covenant which proclaims how we promise to live

Continue reading

The Power of Words

Wisdom cries and yet the cries seem to go unheeded. How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing? When will we choose knowledge? Have any of you seen similar questions on your facebook pages in recent months? It might be said that there has never been a more important time

Continue reading

Metanoia – a change of heart

James 2:1-17 • Faith without works is dead Mark 7:24-37 • The Syrophoenician woman’s faith challenges Jesus. Leaders, even Jesus, can lose track of what they have been called to do. The scriptures demonstrate how the courage and the faith of a person who is not part of the community

Continue reading

Dare to be different

Philippians 2: 1-11• Imitating Christ’s Humility Matthew 9:9-17 • The call of Matthew. Quirky, weird, and wonderful, that is what Christians are. Think of any movie about the underdogs and you get a picture of the people that Jesus gathered to be part of God’s ministry in the world. Over

Continue reading

Will you walk with me?

2 Corinthians 5:6-10, 7-20 • Walk by faith, John 8:1-12 • Never walk alone. In a world that values independence it can be difficult to ask for help, or to name what it is we need. As people of faith, we are called to live in relationship with one another.

Continue reading