Scripture: Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7, Matthew 4:1-11What really happened in the Garden? Did humanity start with a story of disobedience, or maybe distrust? Did we leave a paradise with us at the center, or a web of mutuality and connection? As we begin Lent, Jesus resists the temptation to center self, and reconnects us to the … Read more
Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21We begin the season of Lent by remembering how fragile life is. Jesus reminds us that if we live for ourselves, all we build is just as fragile, but if we live for God’s love and others… that love makes something that can last.
Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9 As we hear the story of Jesus’s Transfiguration, we are tempted to define and limit the life of the spirit to experiences of wonder and amazement… but when a voice says, “Listen to him,” Jesus speaks with a life that does not revel in mountaintop experiences, but goes down into the heart … Read more
Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12Jesus proclaims blessings in “the Beatitudes,” telling of God’s closeness and care for those in the midst of struggle… and and the call to us all to do the same, drawing near to those who yearn for peace, righteousness, and comfort in times of mourning.
Scripture: Matthew 4:12-23“What are you prepared to do?” As Jesus takes on a new chapter in his ministry and begins to call disciples to follow in his way, we wonder at the gifts and skills we bring with us into the ministry of the church, and the challenge to use those gifts to “escalate in … Read more