Becoming a neighbor

In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), a stranger has compassion on an injured man and heals him.  Not only is the extent of care surprising, but Jesus pushes the ancient world's buttons by surprising his listeners that the one who showed mercy was a Samaritan, definitively "the other."

We continue to live in a world, much like Jesus'  time, when there are all sorts of division and boundaries that exist, which make it challenging for us to become neighbors to each other.

But this happens -- at the holy cross-section of wounds and compassion.

The artwork is a sculpture by artist Daniel Borup

Packing List: Faith, Hope and Love

What is on your packing list?

Jesus sends out his disciples on a mission trip (Luke 10).  He begins by warning them that he is sending them out as sheep among wolves.  Then he gives them a very strange packing list - no bags, no sandals, instead

Faith, Hope and Love

A reflection on how each week, Jesus sends us out as his disciples, into a weary and broken world with simply this:  Faith, Hope and Love.

Freedom FOR

For Freedom, Christ has set you free! Paul to the Galatians (5:1)

We love our freedom as Americans and later this week will celebrate our independence.

Yet, freedom can go awry, as Paul warns; in fact, he tells us not to use our freedom for our own self-indulgence.  

How shall we live then?  Relish our freedom or discipline ourselves against it?  It can often seem as if we live (and especially try to raise our kids) caught in between a Scylla and Charybdis, between a "Do whatever I want-ism" and a "Legalism that becomes exclusiv-ism."

Paul offers a different way of thinking and moving forward: focus on how Christ has set us free FOR loving and serving our neighbor.

The Power of Naming

 

Jesus heals a man possessed by demons (Luke 8:26-39).

The healing begins with the naming of the demons.  Naming demons has the power to begin the freedom from them.  This is especially true when we name them ourselves.

Yet...

The disciples never learned the name of the man; they simply referred to him as the demon possessed man.  A reminder that we can demonize other people, ignoring their name and identifying them by their demons, their trauma, their sins and all the ways we don't like them.  This demonizing people is always the first step away from peace and reconciliation.  On the other side, learning someone's name is the first step toward peace.

In Baptism, we discover the power of Jesus both to give us the name that drives away the power of evil, but also the name that gives us back our humanity:  beloved child of God.

Suffering, Hope and Your Cross

Holy Trinity Sunday (June 15 2025)

"Suffering produces endurance; endurance produces character; character produces hope" (Paul to the Romans, 5:3)

In light of this passage, Pastor Rob asks two questions:

Where has God been in your life in the midst of suffering?

Where has God called you into the sufferings of others?

Given how crazy our world is, the second question turns out to be quite difficult.  For an answer, we need to turn further to the words of Jesus. 

My Peace I Leave You

Pentecost 2025

Jesus promises us peace (John 14:27)  In a world of anxiety and conflict, we yearn for this peace from Jesus.

What might this peace look like?  Maybe its like a walk home with friends.

Yet...a reflection on peace makes us realize the church's need again for Pentecost (Acts 2), to have the Spirit push us through the boundaries that block people from the peace of Jesus.

What might this Pentecost look like today?  Maybe its like an inflatable bounce house on a warm summer evening.

The image comes from the website "Why do Christians celebrate Pentecost", a Welsh church website.

A Truth to Build On

 

Ascension (June 1)

We are swimming in information today, but this hasn't made the truth easier to find.

Today's sermon is intended for all people, but especially the 8th graders being confirmed.  (They were making a public confession of faith, saying yes to the promises made to them in their baptisms).  Where can we -- above all young people -- find a truth to build our lives on?

This issue of truth is brought to the fore this particular Sunday, when we celebrate the Ascension (Acts 1:1-11), because Jesus sends out the disciples "to by my witnesses."  To be a witness means there is a truth we are called to point to in our lives.

Pastor Rob offers that in the ancient proclamation of faith -- Christ has died, Christ is Risen and Christ will come again -- we find a truth we can stand on and one we can witness to all the days of our lives.

Do you want to be made well?

Easter VI (May 25, 2025)

"Do you want to be made well?" Jesus asks the man who has been sick for 38 years!

The obvious answer should be "yes", but it isn't.  In our lives too, we often fall into cycles and situations in which we are not well, but we aren't quite capable of rising above the situation.

Into this situation comes Jesus, willing to offer compassion and challenge beyond anything we've experienced before.

The art is by Nathan Greene.  You can purchase it here.  I am sensitive to images of Jesus in which Jesus looks European instead of middle Eastern, but I loved the combination of compassion and power in this artist's rendition.

A New Commandment and a New Promise

 

"A New Commandment I give you:  Love one another.   As I have loved you, love one another."

How can Jesus command love, something seemingly impossible to command?  

And what might it mean to love others as Jesus has loved us?

To get at these questions, we look at the setting of Jesus giving this new commandment, namely, when he washes the disciple's feet.  As we ponder this act of service, we discover not only the depth of challenge in Jesus words to love as he loved, but also the word of grace and promise contained in them.

This is a screenshot of an artwork by Alida Bothma.  You can view the Etsy site to purchase the print.

What is your "full" name?

 

Easter IV (May 11 2025)

What is your “full name” — the thing that people say after your name that completes their description of you? 

For example, “That is Jane, she is a great teacher” or “That is Sam, he is an amazing basketball player”

Today we learn the full name of an early believer in the book of Acts (9:36-43):  Tabitha, aka Dorcas, “was always doing good and helping the poor…”  What a beautiful full name!

Pastor Rob offers a word of challenge today:  In your quest to make a good full name for yourself, have you focused on the right things?  It is very tempting to focus on the “resume” virtues instead of the “obituary” virtues!

There is also a profound word of grace today in today’s reading, a reminder that ultimately, God has the last word on our name and not our mistakes, failures or bad things that have happened to us.

Note:  I do not have permission (yet) to post this artwork by a Christian artist named Sarah Beth, but I found it so beautiful!  You can purchase the art here.

Do you love me? A reflection on shame and wholeness

Easter III (May 4, 2025)

The story seems like comfortable at first:  The disciples go fishing, they eat breakfast with Jesus and then Peter tells Jesus he loves him. (John 21:1-17)

But once you start digging, you realize this is a story about the power of shame.  Peter is ashamed of his denial of Jesus and this manifests itself in all sorts of typical shame behavior

• Avoiding
• Covering Up
• Focusing on self and past mistakes

How then can Peter move forward?  How can we move forward in our shame?

It turns out that nice guy Jesus isn’t going to cut it.  Instead, we need the son of the living God to redeem us from sin and shame.

The painting is by Tissot.  It is on display at the Brooklyn Museum of Art

Easter: The place of Memories

Easter 2025

Easter is a time of memories, including memories of our loved ones who have died.

The first Easter, in fact, began with a trip the place of memories — the word for tomb in Greek is memory!

A reflection on memories and how the resurrection changes everything, including how we understand our memories.

The image comes from the Kid’s Corner Bible site.

Good Friday: Where you there?

 

Good Friday 2025

Where you there?  It is a more haunting question than it sounds.  (Based on the passion of John, found in chapters 18-19).

In the end, yes, yes, you and I were there.

 

Donkey Power

Palm Sunday (April 13, 2025)

What does it mean to have power?

The Roman Empire displayed a type of power we know:  The ability to get what you want, when you want it.  Their imperial parades were the example of power, as the leaders rode in on majestic horses.  You could call this horse power.

Jesus offered a different vision of power: The ability to help others.  His parade, as he rode on donkey, showed what this power looks like.  You could call this donkey power.  Helping others through acts of love, humility and service.  Definitely not as glorious in the eyes of the world.  (I mean, really, look at the picture of the donkey.  Not the most inviting!)

A reflection on Horse power and Donkey power. 

Hint: Horse power isn’t all bad, but it finally takes the back seat.

The donkey comes from a blogpost called “Donkeys, Kings and Outcasts“

Rejoice with those who rejoice

 Lent V (April 6, 2025)

Who are people with whom you can share your joy and happiness? 

In our world of work, school, activities and even family, this kind of friendship and community is surprisingly rare.  Too many relationships have competition, jealousy and shame for this to happen readily.

As we wrap up the book of Ruth, we encounter a rejoicing Naomi.  She is holding a grandson.  Admittedly, it is not directly her grandson, but after the chaos, grief and loss of her life, she is rejoicing at this baby in her arms.  She is also surrounded by the women of the village, who rejoice with her.

A reflection on how the community of Jesus, the community of the cross and empty tomb, can provide this community of rejoicing for a hurting and lonely world.

The artwork comes from Gospel Images, https://www.gospelimages.com/paintings/115/naomi-receives-a-grandson  It was chosen because it emphasizes the whole community around Naomi and Ruth.

When Fairness isn’t enough

 

Lent IV (March 30, 2025)

We know well the look of the older brother in the painting.  His whole body shouts:  “It’s not fair!”

He is not wrong.  As the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-35) plays itself out, the story is unfair.  Which justifiably angers the older brother.

As humans, we all protest when we don’t think things are fair.  In order to make life together work, we need their to be fairness. 

Yet…  It turns out in life that we encounter situations in which we need more than fairness.  Sometimes the wounds and situations call for compassion, an unfair extension of mercy, an intentional bending of the rules to help someone.

A reflection on when life together needs compassion and where to go for the at compassion.

The painting is by Rembrandt, The Return of the Prodigal.

Life Together: Outsiders and Insiders

Lent 3 (March 23, 2025)

Life Together — our Lenten theme — sounds great, but what about the times we found ourselves as an outsider?

Pastor Rob reflects outsider-insider dynamics by looking at the book of Ruth, as Ruth begins her new life in Bethlehem (Ruth 2:1-7).  As we work with the story, we see that at certain points in our lives, we are like Ruth, an outsider; at other points, we are like Naomi, a bridge builder; at other points, we are like Boaz, the insider.  As it turns out, each role can be a sacred role.

Perhaps though this story isn’t just about our lives though, but also foreshadows the work of Christ, who becomes an outsider for us that we might become an insider with him.

The image comes from a leadership website about insider/outsider dynamics.