Main Text: Phillipians 3:17-4:1 (Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Luke 13:31-35) Many have claimed that celebreties are role models. We wonder then why our children and culture begins to reflect over identification with the sensational and self absorbed culture of entertainment. We bemoan everyone being lost in their phones and much more passionate about what they can…
Main Text: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 (2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21) Change is often devastating and disruptive. We can all handle the little technical changes to adjust direction within a certain path. When the entire path changes in front of us or disappears completely, little adjustments no longer work. For those who have become familiar…
Overall Theme: Church planning, like most organizations, generally begins with the way it happened last year. We build our way forward based upon the way we have been doing it all along. Sometimes, however, that kind of process is not helpful. When a congregation faces significant change or is needing and wanting to venture into…
Main Text: Luke 4:1-13 (Deuternonomy 26:1-11; Romans 10:8b-13) We live in a world that seeks to separate sacred from secular. We would say sacred is God’s space and secular is human. Though we affirm God’s claim on the secular, we often do not recognize God’s presence in it. This, however, stands in stark contrast to…
Main Text: 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 (Exodus 34:29-35; Luke 9:28-43a) We often call this Sunday the Lord’s Transfiguration, for the disciples were able to witness the Glory of God in the face of Jesus. Yet even more than the Lord’s Transfiguration, this Sunday we are invited to be transfigured ourselves. In the old covenant, Moses had…
Main Text: Luke 6:27-38 (Genesis 43:3-11,15; 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50) We began this Epiphany journey with the Wise Men who traveled far and left their gifts of gold, frankincense and Myrrh. They were happy to lay down their very valuable gifts, because they sensed that Jesus offered them more than their gifts ever could. It…
Main Text: Luke 6:17-26 (Jeremiah 17:5-10; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20) This reading from Jeremiah says that relationship with God is like a tree planted beside a stream. When the tree sinks its roots deep into the moisture of the river bank, even when the heat and drought come, the tree is able to bear fruit through…
Main Text: Luke 5:1-11 (Isaiah 6:1-13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11) How do we move forward, when we can’t see exactly where we are going? It is so much easier to hold onto where we have been, then to move out into the murky unknown. This reading from Isaiah is God’s call to Isaiah. Last week we…
Main Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (Jeremiah 1:4-10; Luke 4:21-30) Jeremiah recognizes his complete inability to accomplish what God is calling him to do. He realizes that he does not possess the gifts necessary. God, however, gently tells him that it is not his gifts, but God who will work through him. It is not about…
Main Text: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a (Nehemiah 8:1-3,5-6,8-10; Luke 4:14-21) Nehemiah was called to return to the Holy City and help to restore its strength. One of the important steps was to build the wall to protect them. Careful reading of Nehemiah, however, will show that the wall was only a sign of strength and protection.…
Main Text: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 (Isaiah 62:1-5; John 2:1-11) This story in the book of Isaiah has the people of God completely desolate and displaced from their heritage, land and resources. Those who were once a great people, are now no people. Everything they counted on had failed them. Yet, even now God is saying…
Main Text: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 (Isaiah 43:1-9; Acts 8:14-17) The Gospel of Luke says that when all were coming out to see John, they were filled with expectation. They were wondering if John was the Messiah. John was clear that he was not the Messiah. He did not answer their quest by pointing to himself.…