The story of all those who surrounded Jesus parallels our own failures, fears, and missteps. Where do we go from here? We journey into our fullness, continuing to embrace the Gifts of the Dark Wood where the Spirit beckons us into extraordinary life. We opened worship with Mark 16: 1-7 and “None Like You.” To […]
We do not travel alone in the Dark Wood, but are blessed with the presence of others who help us see, reflect with us, and discover together with us the riches of a life lived with intention. As Jesus comes into Jerusalem at the beginning of that fateful week, he is surrounded by those who […]
The gift of temptation may bring images of resisting evil – sometimes in seriously dangerous forms or seemingly benign as the pastry in front of you. But instead, the temptation for this week is following the “shoulds” dictated only by logic, outside expectation or shine “rewards,” instead of following the path our intuition and imagination […]
The path of life is rarely clear or straight-forward. We find ourselves lost in a Dark Wood, unclear which direction to go, perhaps having strayed from the path we though we were on. It is at these times that the gift of getting lost is that we begin to pay more attention than we usu […]
Ancient civilizations and religions all metaphorically describe the voice of the divine coming through thunder and lightning. We often describe experiences of insight as a “sudden flash,” or “seeing the light,” or “rocking my world.” Storms of life can make way for moments of insight, like the sun radiating in a clearing in the woods […]
Many of us sometimes feel empty inside and we fear that there is nothing there of worth. But what if we let go of our obsession with worthiness and released into the idea that if we want to be filled – to find God – getting empty is the best way. God will find us! […]
When we allow ourselves to accept the journey within the Dark Wood, the Holy Spirit Guide tends to shake things up a bit as we begin to awaken to nudgings toward a fuller life. But life is messy. Life is uncertain. Rather than a problem to be solved, what if we saw uncertainty as a […]
In a time when “fake news” is on our minds and we’re seeking truth, how do we use our faith and reason to love and serve God and witness to others? Pastor Mary’s message is based on John 1: 43-51 and the film, “The Case for Christ.” To read it, click here. Learn more about […]
Our faith journey is our own, but it’s lived out in community with others in the Body of Christ. In community, we learn more about God and God’s love for us than we ever could alone, and we build trust in God who loves us just as we are. Pastor Mary’s message is based on […]
Everyone expected Jesus to be the Messiah they’d been waiting for – one who would overthrow the Romans by power and might – but his power came through servanthood and peace. How do we follow this Jesus, and how do we open ourselves to get beyond our expectations of others based on our preconceptions and […]