Things to Ponder

EVERYTHING is religious! That’s not a problem; that’s the world God created. The problem is when we don’t see it. Just because we fail to take interest in the spiritual doesn’t mean the spiritual fails to take an interest in us. And over the course of time, 6 days of work and television and socials and friends and culture will overcome an hour on Sunday every single time. The way of Christ requires a choice.

Catechesis is an intentional process that forms us as disciples of Christ. But it's not a "smorgasbord" of spiritual options, but a path that we walk in the way of Christ. It reminds us of our identity with Christ, and enables us to live like Christ lived. This Lent, set out on this intentional journey to follow Jesus!

At his Transfiguration, Jesus is fully revealed as God from God, light from light. We read this on the last Sunday before Lent, so that we go into Lent strengthened by this vision. So do not head into Lent without having witnessed the uncreated light of Christ.

We did a deep dive into the Beatitudes, Jesus' most substantive teaching on who is blessed (or "happy") in the Kingdom of God. While we might have heard these read from time to time, we tried to bring a new perspective on them, and the invitation to discipleship that they are.

On the heels of our sermon two weeks ago, we wonder what the church can do in times of great upheaval to be a light to the world. We found a historic precedent in St. Benedict of Nursia, who "preserved humanity" in his early monastic groups. Centered on Christ and his cross, we too can be a place which preserves the humanity and dignity of all.

Sermon Text: Deuteronomy 11:7-21

 

God is not mindless about land, but cares for it, so the Lord sees your faithfulness on it and sees your unfaithfulness on it.“ There is an ominous – perhaps a fatal – presumptuousness in living in a place by the imposition on it of one’s ideas and wishes.” Scripture calls us to this agrarian work, to tell the truth about our land and our selves. Our first, most faithful step isn’t to do, but to listen. An agrarian people must be a contemplative people. Action emerges from silence. Planting emerges from pasture walks. Design emerges from seasons. Repentance emerges from confession. Programming emerges from observation.  Because good land, good economy, good communities come from deep faithfulness. Listen. And it is listening, to God, ground, and neighbor, that we come to learn how we live faithfully in this place, a place that Christ gave himself for.

 

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Sermon Text: Genesis 11:1-9, Philippians 2:1-13, Luke 4:1-13

 

The Church is the body of Christ, so we reflect Christ's nature - fully human, fully divine. Therefore, there's nothing we do in the church that doesn't have eternal, spiritual ramifications. When it comes to stewardship, all of it draws us to Christ or obscures Christ to us. So as we go through the "administrative" parts of the church in the coming months, let us look with the eyes of faith - pray, listen, discern, and commit.

 

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Sermon Text: Acts 1

 

The Church is the body of Christ, so we reflect Christ's nature - fully human, fully divine. Therefore, there's nothing we do in the church that doesn't have eternal, spiritual ramifications. When it comes to stewardship, all of it draws us to Christ or obscures Christ to us. So as we go through the "administrative" parts of the church in the coming months, let us look with the eyes of faith - pray, listen, discern, and commit.

 

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Sermon Text: Proverbs 3:1-12; Matthew 19:16-26

 

So when we talk stewardship, we aren’t first talking about budgets, but about a vision. We aren’t talking about money, but about how we align our lives with a world being renewed by Christ, How do I take ALL of me and let Christ’s power flow from me and from us?  That’s the question of stewardship!

 

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Sermon Text:  Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12; Mark 10:2-16

 

Our associate conference minister, Sheresa Simpson-Rice, joins us to celebrate World Communion Sunday, and to reflect on a faith that calls us to a wider view of God's welcome for all people around the table!

 

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