In this season of Lent, we will dwell in significant lessons from the Gospel of John. On Ash Wednesday, February 18, we began with John’s remarkable prologue and the well-known opening: “In the beginning was the Word.”
Jesus is preaching on the mountain in the Gospel lesson. His famous sermon in Matthew’s Gospel begins with refrains of “blessed” and moves into the ways of love, even for enemies. In the section of his sermon for this weekend, Jesus proclaims us “salt” and “light.” Jesus is not saying we are like salt or have some of the qualities of light. He says we are salt and that we carry the light of Christ into the world.
In Isaiah and Revelation, we hear the invitation to “look” and “see.” On Christmas Eve, we visualize that manger scene, that Mary “gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth...
A church home is a place where we share all of life. As people of faith, called and gathered by the Holy Spirit, we show up in God’s presence on the good days and the not-so-good days.
We begin a new year together, celebrating that Jesus comes to dwell with us and we respond in song.
Jesus tends to our human frailty and limitation by reminding us of our home in God. Our human frailty and limitation are where we begin and end.
At Reformation, we celebrate the good news of God’s love for all. Martin Luther experienced a deep awareness of God’s unconditional love for all, a mercy that comes from God and is for you and for me.
A wise teacher once taught a group of us that mustard seeds are filled with potential, should not be underestimated, and like all seeds, they grow by their inherent power and grace.
In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Jesus reminds us that if we are not interested in participating in God’s creative and redeeming work of love, well, hold on tight.
Wise scholars through the ages have cautioned about overthinking quirky parables. If we follow that advice, we note that Jesus tells this parable immediately after the three lost and found parables.
