From the Pastors

There is a way to be a Christian--or to practice a religion--that is all about trying to have a particular kind of experience. Here the main pursuit of religion is to secure a type of experience  that can bring desired feelings, sensations, or insights. I once had a conversation with someone who said, “I don’t need the church to experience God. I experience God outdoors. That’s my church.” Fair enough. I do not doubt that someone can experience God outside of church. Most of

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. “Bl

Christians often speak about having a calling in life. But determining what that calling actually is can be difficult today, not least because of so many different--and often conflicting--teachings and ideas about how to find one’s calling.  Jesus who clarified what life was all about when he taught the greatest commandments (see Matthew 22:36-40). The two great commandments are these: to love God with every part of your being, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is t

When we open the Bible to page one in the book Genesis, the first image we find is of the Spirit of God “hovering” over the chaotic waters, and then God’s voice speaking creation into existence. All creation emerges into existence through the voice of God.  At the start of the New Testament, in the book of Matthew, we find some similar details, especially in the story of Jesus being baptized. Jesus comes to the River Jordan to be baptized by John the Baptist. While water was

Nazareth is a small town on the outskirts of the Galilee region. Matthew tells us it is Joseph who makes his home with Mary and Jesus in Nazareth, but we can’t help but think about this on a bigger scale.    In Jesus, God literally makes God’s home on earth in a small town, among ordinary people. What began as an almost unbelievable tale - complete with heralding angels and kings from far away lands bearing expensive gifts - continues in a no-frills, inconsequential town fill

King Ahaz was told to listen and to trust. This message should’ve brought him overwhelming joy. But he did not listen.

There’s a phrase in Isaiah 35 that sticks out to me. Isaiah says,  “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing;” (and here’s the phrase) “everlasting joy shall be upon their heads .” The question I have been asking is, What does it mean for everlasting joy to be upon our heads?  When I went rooting around in the stories of Scripture, two images emerged.  The first is of a pitcher full of joy being poured out. So much joy is poured into our lives t

The season of Advent is not really about having a festive countdown to a jolly holiday season, despite the many chocolate Advent calendars that one can buy! Advent is more a deep longing for a new world, a world of justice, a world of goodness, a world of true and lasting peace. Every year during Advent, we see how far off these things appear to us now. Our world is longing for deliverance. And yet Advent itself is a stubborn refusal to fall into despair.  There is much that

There is at least one thing, however, about the season of Advent that I don’t think we should overlook - and that is the honesty of the season. 

Most people would agree that gratitude is good. We teach kids to say “thank you.” We share our thankfulness through cards or letters when the opportunity arises. We may craft a social media post. We spend a day each year celebrating Thanksgiving. But the Christian faith invites us into a deeper gratitude that goes beyond the merely conventional.  Last Sunday  I shared a quote by the Christian spiritual writer Joan Chittister that reminds us how important gratitude is in the C