One of my favorite scripture study tools of all time is to look at the verbs. Verbs are underestimated in a culture that is very focused on what we think and how our mind is the most important part of who we are.
Whether you have been a devout recycler for many decades, or the conversation about the climate crisis is new to you, we can say that in Genesis, God is pretty clear with humans as to what our role in the rest of the creation is to be.
Water is one of these common elements. Without it we cannot make a home anywhere. We cannot live where there is not enough water or clean water. With it, we can settle down and rest and eat and drink and gather with friends and family and a home is made.
Carrying the light of Christ brings lightness and goodness into our weariness. This weekend take the light of Christ with you. Carry him in your hearts.
All the buildup, all the anticipation, and all the glitter gives way to crisp, clear, dark January nights. The kind of nights when the stars shine so bright that you can see them from my backyard in North Minneapolis.
Jesus’ people have been through a lot. It hasn’t been easy to leave all they had and follow him. Jesus has warned them about the wolves that are coming to devour them, the persecutions they are about to go through, and the long and difficult path they will have.
While this moment might feel bleak, we cannot lose hope or momentum. Our siblings who experience homelessness need us more than ever to come alongside them.
This weekend in our stories from Scripture, people are dealing with what it means when your very own body doesn’t feel like home. Naaman is someone who has always been in complete control.
Mary and Martha hit some kind of primitive nerve in most of us. First-born daughters are often Camp Martha, last-born kids love Mary’s way of being in the moment.
This weekend we gather for worship knowing that in times of heartache and violence and mourning that we need to be in community. The Church is Christ’s body on Earth and when we are at our best, we can be a community for healing and wholeness and love.
