God creates life from death, nothingness, and hopelessness. The Bible is full of such paradoxes, as Jesus tells us that those who try to keep their lives will die, but those who give up their lives for others will live. We are used to thinking of our life in terms of fixed beginnings and ends, […]
Coming in April: Tuesday, March 28, 2017 Bonnie and Larry Jorgenson’s house 6:00 pm Potluck Dinner 7:00-9:00 pm Brainstorming for Worship Everyone is invited to join the Worship Teams as they plan for the upcoming series, “Faith of Our Mothers.” Bonnie is making pulled pork. Bring a dish to pass and maybe a sweater as […]
Loving our enemies can sometimes feel like an idealistic a notion as instantaneous world peace, but Jesus showed us that caring even for those who persecute you is a real, actionable mandate that we can carry out by following Jesus’ example. Peace isn’t just a far-off fantasy. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people following […]
Love in the name of Jesus changes the world because it moves us to action based on our own experience of God’s love rather than obligation. Love becomes our witness and attracts others to seek a relationship with God. To read Pastor Mary’s message, based on Mark 12: 28-24, click here. For some interesting quotes […]
Jesus broke all kinds of social conventions by speaking to a woman in public, a Samaritan no less, whose own life was such a mess that it could have really messed up Jesus’ reputation as a holy man. But Jesus brought his message of grace and freedom to the woman, knowing that in her humility, […]
Abraham followed God’s call to leave his homeland and travel to the place God promised his descendants, even though he didn’t know how it would all work out. When Nicodemus is talking to Jesus, he has a hard time understanding what God’s grace is really about because he is used to thinking in terms of […]
Adam and Eve disobeyed God, thinking that they knew better than him, with disastrous consequences. While being tempted in the wilderness, Jesus denied his own impulses and followed God’s will. In the modern world, where we are used to having control over so many things, we often fail to seek God’s will for our lives […]
Our culture conveys that loving is getting and taking, but Jesus says that loving is giving and receiving. Whether it is money, time, or skills and talents, we love through our actions and words. We opened worship with “Loving Large” and “Without Love.” To read Pastor Mary’s message, based on Matthew 6: 19-24, click here. […]
It’s easy to get distracted from the root of God’s call on our lives to love God and neighbor. Up against the hype and enjoyment of the Super Bowl and the extravagance of spending, how can we hear Jesus’ message for ourselves and come back to the basics? This is the first in a new […]
Pastor Mary’s series, “Giving It Up,” is based (mostly) on the United Methodist lectionary and Give It Up! Click here to find out what the worship team came up with. Additional resources are listed below: General Board of Discipleship’s “Living Out Our Baptismal Calling” March 26: “Courting (D)anger” April 2: “Get a Life” April 9: […]