The ax is at the root of the tree; the winnowing fork is separating the wheat from the chaff. Tithing a full 10% is good for our souls because it reduces our choices, makes us happier, and simplifies our lives. Tithing is the ax and winnowing fork that gets rid of what is not needed so that we may receive what is being gifted to us - Jesus.
Advent, 1st Sunday. Life without Advent leads to exhaustion, as we follow the gods of capitalism, consumerism, hedonism, and media overload. Besides, what about our soul? That is why God gave us Advent. Stay awake! Keep alert! God is already working in the world! Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Christ the King 2013. We have been rescued and transferred to the kingdom of light by Christ, the king of all creation. There is nothing that can happen to us now.
When we are rich toward ourselves, we may be rich, but we are also fools. Let's talk about money, so we may be rich toward God, and be freed from the tyranny of being possessed by our possessions.
Caregiver Sunday 2013. As U2 sang in "One" we get to carry each other. Caregivers do this important and exhausting work. We ask God's blessing on them today.
Saints are not perfect. Saints sing songs to us, and we join in to sing the Song together. All Saints 2013 (Recognition)
God told the people (in Ezekiel) I will "give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you." Paul says (in Romans) that the same Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead has been given to us. There are plenty of reasons to "rejoice in the power of the Holy Spirit." We have been called to join the dance with the Lord of the Dance.
We are good at serving God because we so freely serve our neighbors. But what about loving God--pure devotion for the One who first loved us?
To honor is to "fix the value" on someone or something. But what if our first impressions are wrong? The phrase "honor all persons" is a challenge to move beyond "single stories" which limit our relationships. We honor as we value persons as individuals for whom Jesus died.
The problem with platitudes is that they are an attempt to explain or fix what cannot be explained or fixed. It's best just to bypass phrases like "It's God's will" and go straight to real help by saying, "I'm sad for your loss. I care about you." And always pray. That is perhaps the best way to help the suffering.
A significant teaching within our Judeo-Christian heritage is God's command to care for the widow, the orphan and the foreigner living within our society. The weak and the vulnerable were under the LORD's protection in the Old Testament and Jesus came preaching good news to the poor. This emphasis continued in the early church, leading to great increases in the number of believers. All though out time, Christians have supported the weak by building hospitals and schools and opening food pantries...
Being faint of heart is not a character flaw--it is part of the human condition. The Bible calls it being wrapped in darkness. Today we call it despair, for being hopeless and helpless. Let us be of good courage and encourage the despairing around us.
The example of the martyrs teaches us that "returning to no one evil for evil" is not a sign of weakness. Nor is it "doing nothing." It is a powerful witness of love. It takes great courage. It prevents us from bearing the guilt of neighborhood bullies.
We suffer when we encounter something we don't like, cannot fix, cannot make go away, cannot explain. When we let our finite stories rest in God's transfinite story, then we can suffer in peace.
We have all been affected by words that have hurt, but each one of us also has the gift of the Holy Spirit that allows us to use speech as blessing.
Jesus was a person of character because his thoughts, words and deeds lined up. For us to be people of Christian character our actions must also be grounded in biblical and spiritual wisdom. God calls us to be Thinkers AND Doers.
Information can be debated and argued. It ultimately leads to violence: "I'm right, therefore you are wrong." Wisdom is the only way forward. According to the Hebrew Scriptures, wisdom is the culmination and direction of human consciousness. Torah to Prophets to Wisdom
Struggling with the impulse to be "Spiritual But Not Religious:" the wisdom of the Bible shows that we need people in our lives who will challenge us and correct us so that we may stay on the the path of righteousness. David received the gift of correction from Nathan. Who is your Nathan?
Struggling with the impulse to be "Spiritual But Not Religious:" We ask the questions: what is church? Is God limited to the wall of a church building? Do you view church as a museum, an institution or a promise?
Struggling with the impulse to be "Spiritual But Not Religious:" we ask the question, what is worship? Biblical story of David dancing before the altar of the Lord, bringing the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem, provides some wisdom for us to consider.
Struggling with the impulse to be "Spiritual But Not Religious:" we ask the question: where is your Zion? All throughout history people have gathered as a group in particular places to give praise to God. Where is your holy place? Where is the place that connects you not only to God but to others?
David was ready for the challenge of Goliath? How did he get ready? What resources did he rely upon? One of the church's key tasks is to prepare the next generation. Just as David had 5 smooth stones, so do we. I outline our 5 key ministries and what our mission is: by God's grace, to impact lives for the next generation.
One of the greatest impulses for humans is to become set in our ways. One of the greatest impulses for the Scriptures is to move us from congealed to fluidity. We think we know the story of Samuel annointing David as king, but what if we heard it again for the first time? Would you allow the Spirit to move you into a new way of hearing? a new way of being?
How do we live faithfuly at the intersection of God and government? Do we identify ourselves first as voters in a political party or as Christians? Can we accept God as our only right and true "King" regardless of government?
We carry lots of stories around with us all day, some of them are little deaths that kill us. Yet there is one story that saves us. It is a real story that changes people's lives and it can happen to you to. Resurrection is unlike anything you can imagine or expect. Listen for Jesus calling you by name!
We may not be the congregation that we used to be, or that we want to be, but the Spirit of Christ is working in and among us, conquering our demons so that we may be a healthy, vital congregation that changes people's lives. A vision setting sermon before our annual meeting "State of the Church."
Spiritual Discernment liberates us from the tyranny of having to make our own decisions. It allows us to participate with God in what God is already doing in the world. Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.
Jesus was given the name Jesus which means salvation. So we who carry his name are blessed, not by anything we have done, but through the gift of this child.
The birth of Jesus means that we are at home with God. So our primary identity is that we are children of God and this is, thank God, not dependent upon us or our actions. God has made us to be at home through the incarnation, God-with-us.
Generous giving is the miracle that saves us from the tyranny of having to spend all of our money on ourselves. Generous giving is where the Lord chooses to build the Holy Temple.
