John the Baptist urges us to consider that hoping for the coming of Christ requires something of us. “Bear fruit,” he says. Hope is expecting, but hope is not merely waiting for what we expect. Hope is changing our habits and living differently. As we prepare for the Christ child, perhaps we need to listen […]
In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus tells us to be ready and the prophet Isaiah speaks of the glory of what we are told to anticipate. Our challenge is that many of us do not expect Jesus to return anytime soon. The first step of hope, is managing our un-expectations. How would we change our […]
On Christ the King Sunday, the last day of the church calendar year, we would expect scriptures that declare the majesty and reign of Jesus Christ. What does the story of the crucifixion have to do with God’s kingdom that is ushered in by Jesus? “The cross is not a detour or a hurdle on the […]
With a nation divided after the 2016 election, we listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah, who speaks of God “Creating a new heaven and new earth.” The newness that God has in store for all of creation is not only a future reality, it is a present creative activity. Our task is to […]
On All Saints Sunday we explore what Saints are and why Paul throughout his writings in the New Testament refers to all followers of Christ as Saints. While we might second guess this title because we do not live up to the stature of people like Mother Theresa, Paul believes that we are made into […]
In the familiar story of Zacchaeus, we see an example of someone who gives of their resources out of a joyful excitement for Jesus. Zacchaeus, despite being rich, goes out of his way to see Jesus even though he could have easily called him into his prestigious office. We give with our talents and our […]
We give of our whole selves to God and we give throughout our whole lives. We also commit to give to the body of Christ, the church, and we see this especially as we pray for one another. In prayer we hold one another up, trusting in God’s goodness, even and especially when our brothers […]
There is something powerful about giving our actual physical presence to God, about showing up. We all have experiences in our lives where being present at an event or activity has changed us. When we give to God in this way, it’s a path towards wholeness. ~ Luke 17: 11-19 and Psalm 66: 1-12
As Christians we are called to serve because it is fundamental to our identity. In the face of the large world concerns, we need not get discouraged. Jesus says, “if you have faith of a mustard seed,” and that mustard seed put into action can tell the mulberry tree to be uprooted and go into […]
We can get so focused on offering our money during stewardship time of the church, but God deserves so much more. God has given us God’s own son and Jesus held nothing back in his love for us. We respond to that love by offering our whole selves back to God. In the United Methodist […]