The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. Fat Camels and Narrow Needles: Only Possible for God A rich man approaches Jesus and asks how to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells him to sell what he owns, give the money to the poor, and follow. Jesus will…
Who Would Jesus Bless Today? Many Bibles include a heading before the latter part of today’s gospel reading (Mark 10:13-16) that says something like “Blessing the Children” or “Jesus Welcomes the Children.” In reading such a heading, we might begin to imagine a sentimental scene in which Jesus is surrounded by cute, adorable children. When we…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. Don’t Try to Stop God In Mark 9:38-50 the disciples—at least John—are upset because they saw somebody, not a disciple, “casting out demons” in Jesus’ name. Here John sounds strikingly similar to the Pharisees, who became upset when someone out…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. The Most Challenging Spiritual Practice The writers of today’s readings express to God their fears about death and those who do evil. They rage against the cravings, coveting, envy, and selfish ambition that lead to disorder and war, within and around us. They describe one caught…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. An Unexpected Kind of Messiah Today we hear from three teachers. The prophet Isaiah calls himself a teacher, one whose words sustain weary people. James warns about foolish and hurtful use of our tongues, which should be used to…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. God Is Partial Again and again throughout biblical history, God is partial to caring for the poor, the weak, and the outcast. Which is why, perhaps, Jesus’ response to the Syrophoenician woman takes us by surprise: “Let the children…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. The Heart of the Matter When clay becomes a pot, it must first have a center. As a potter spins, pushes, and pulls the clay into its final form, it can easily lose its center and become misshapen. Having…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. Who Can Accept It? “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” (John 6:60). Jesus’ teaching about eating his flesh and drinking his blood isn’t something we can figure out and accept on our own. In his explanation of the…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. You’re Invited Today Jesus invites us to a meal. It is an extraordinary invitation to do an ordinary thing: form bonds of love and community through shared food and drink. Like Wisdom inviting us to the feast of insight…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. The Greatest Bread Jesus uses the image of bread to demonstrate that, even compared to all the great things God has done before, God’s greatest miracle is in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus, the bread of…