Do You not care that we are perishing?

 

Sunday, June 23

"Do you not care that we are perishing?"  The disciples cry out to Jesus, who is asleep during the storm.

Inevitably, we will go through storms.  We will encounter hard times and observe terrible situations in the world.   We will wonder where God is in the midst of all of this.  Is Jesus sleeping?  During these times, we or those whom we love will cry out to God:  "Do you not care that we are perishing?"

A reflection on possible answers to one of life's most haunting questions.

The image comes from a blog by Eugene Luning (couldn't find art credit)

The Butterfly Effect and God’s Kingdom

 June 16, 2024

Did you know that a butterfly flapping its wings can change the path, intensity and even existence of a massive storm, like a tornado or hurricane!?

“The Butterfly Effect” is the term to describe how in a complex and interconnected system, the smallest change of one variable can lead to a big change in the outcome.

As Christians, we’ve confessed a belief in the “Butterfly Effect” before mathematical models were developed around it.  We have long worshipped a God who causes — in this interconnected world — butterfly wings to flap and change the world.  Pastor Rob develops this theme by looking at the parable of the mustard seed (Mark 4).

This is a message we need to hear, especially in our world of “big and terrible” news in which we lose all sense of our and even God’s capacity to make a difference.

 

Happy Families Are All Alike

 June 9, 2024

Things go wrong for Jesus after his “graduation” – he leaves town, makes friends with the wrong people, gets in trouble with the law and finds religion.  When he gets home, its a bit too much for his family who confront him about this.  At this point, things get even worse, with him renouncing them (Mark 3:20-35)  

The end?

Because our God is a God of forgiveness and reconciliation, the story goes on and does work its way toward new life.  Ultimately Mary, his mother, will come back — as Jesus is dying on the cross.  And his brother and he will be united — after the resurrection.

This is certainly good news for us, because time and time again in our families, we run into situations in which frustration and unaligned expectations cause deep hurt in our families.  We often pray for years for healing. 

A reflection on how the Holy Spirit brings forgiveness into our families.