“Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly” has almost become a slogan for faithful living. But God’s message is a caution – to resist temptation to feel good about empty rituals that don’t bring us closer to God and instead see the connection between claiming our faith and doing our faith. This is the third week […]
We know there were important celebrations for the Israelite community and in Jesus’ time, and many of those celebrations are connected to the Christian calendar we keep today. This series will help us to look back at our faith ancestors so that we might look back to learn more about ourselves and look forward seeking […]
We can easily fall into a trap where God’s love is conditional – for ourselves and for others. We assume that God treats us like we sometimes treat others – withholding love and grace. But the message of the prophets is that God is faithful to the covenant-promise God makes with us. God will love […]
It’s difficult to hear God’s call to care for those who are in need and the most vulnerable in our community, especially when times are good for us and things are going well. Worship of God is an offering, but worship sends us into the world in mission and ministry on behalf of God whom […]
We don’t always pay close attention to the certain parts of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, even though Jesus quoted it frequently. In fact, the prophets, especially the Minor Prophets (named that because the books are short in length and fit on one scroll), are overlooked even as they have a lot to say […]
Some say we’re not so afraid of death as we are afraid of dying. But death is the great equalizer, even as we know the pain and grief of losing loved ones. We can face our fear with faith and trust that death is not the end – and that our lives have meaning and […]
Loneliness and the fear of being alone are a stark reality even as we’re more connected than ever before. We all need time alone, just as Jesus took time away from others, but we also need to be connected. God created us for relationship with God and each other, and God promises to sustain us […]
Fear of failing can stop us from living our faith because faith commands that we risk, which also makes us vulnerable. God calls us to be faithful, trusting that failure isn’t an end, but a part of living fully. This is the third week in the series, “Unafraid.” Worship opened with “10 Celebrities Who Failed.” […]
Fear of the “the other” takes many forms in our world – racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia, and more. These fears are not a new reality, but continue to be sin that we must confront personally and systemically. Often we vilify one another in order to give credit to unfounded fears. God calls us to see […]
Fear and worry are a reality for everyone – no one is exempt. But these don’t have to control and dictate how we live every day. We can trust in God’s presence and care for us – and in God’s promise to walk with us and guide us through times of trouble. This is the […]