Am I rich?

 October 13, 2024

“I am the rich Jesus is talking about???”

When Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God” many of us as Americans get uncomfortable…

Are they for us?  Are we the rich Jesus is addressing?  Or do the rich refer to the “Scrooge McDuck”s of the world, the people obscenely wealthy?

Pastor Rob offers two questions to wrestle with in determining whether our money is a problem

1. Do our possessions possess us or do we possess our possessions?
2. Is our identity wrapped up in our wealth and possessions?

Toward the end of the sermon, Pastor Rob offers two powerful words of grace

1. We are works in progress, trying to figure out faith and finances
2. We are worship in progress.  Life is about more thing than consumption of things, it is about worshipping the Lord!

I believe, help my unbelief!

 

October 6, 2024

“I believe, help my unbelief!” cries the father who has brought his sick son to Jesus (Mark 9:24).

Like all who have long prayed for a suffering family member, the man is brought to the brink.  While he sees the strength, conviction and love of Jesus — before his very eyes — he acknowledges the forces against him are ancient, mighty and hideous.

A reflection on what we do when we find our own prayer the prayer of this father — “I believe, help me in my unbelief.”

This artwork is from an artist named Judy Cooley.  

What we do in life echoes in eternity

September 29, 2024

“What we do in life echoes in eternity” – a stoic philosopher said it first (Marcus Aurelius) but most of us know it through the movie Gladiator.

When one hears the Gospel today (Mark 9:38-50), one could argue that Jesus seems to say something similar, as he both promises blessing and warns of condemnation based on our actions.  It is true that our actions can have a huge impact on the world around us and long into the future.

However, it is a bit more marvelous and subtle that this, because Jesus has made a choice that echoes throughout eternity as well, namely, he chose to go to the cross, condemn evil and then bring forth new life.

Servant of All...One Person at a Time

 

September 22, 2024

Jesus today offers words we like want to soften:  He calls his disciples to be last of all and servants of all (Mark 8:30-37). 

At first, this sounds impossible. The only person who ever was servant of all was Jesus.

Yet, Jesus does show us a way forward.  Right after calling the disciples to be servant of all, he embraces one child.  Jesus is servant to all…one person at a time.

Likewise, Jesus invites us to serve others, one person at a time.

 

Our Father in Heaven, Our Kingdom Come

September 15, 2024

Peter has committed his life to follow Jesus.

Peter is the shining student, confessing Jesus as the Messiah (Mark 8:27-38).

Then, all of the sudden, Peter is being rebuked by Jesus.

What gives?

Most Christians do not succumb to blatant worship of idols; but we often lose ourselves, even when pursuing the faith, hope and love.

A reflection on our capacity to make the good into a false god…and God’s capacity to cause repentance and resurrection.

The image is taken from a church website about our tendency to make idols.

We are Works in Progress

September 8, 2024

As Jesus is healing a man’s blindness, the man says “I can see people, but they are like trees walking.”  (Mark 8:14-26)  This prompts Jesus to work more on the man’s eyes.

It turns out that Jesus really has to work to heal the man!  The story serves as a key to understanding Mark’s Gospel in that Jesus repeatedly has to work on the disciples to open their eyes and hearts.

Like the original disciples, we too are works in progress.  We are beloved, capable — saints; but we are also broken, selfish — sinners.   Our whole life Jesus is working on us.

If we take it that we are, indeed, “Works in Progress”, what doors to relationship does allow for?  And what does it mean for us that our society remains a “Works in Progress”?

Perhaps the short answer is — our hands are going to get dirty!

Calories are both Physical and Spiritual!

 September 1, 2024

Once again, Jesus is criticized by religious leaders for his mealtime practices (portions of Mark 7).  Turns out, he is always being criticized for WHO eats with him, WHAT he eats and HOW he eats.

It would be easy for us to judge the religious leaders of his day, but turns out, in our world today we have lots of rules, judgement and shame around the WHO, WHAT and HOW of food.

So what do we do?  We can’t quite give up on food!

Pastor Rob picks up the idea of “spiritual calories” and our need for spiritual nourishment.  While there are many ways to find “spiritual calories”, this particular Sunday we are invited to consider ways in which we might reclaim our eating as a spiritual practice.  In so doing, our physical nourishment also becomes our spiritual nourishment.  Ultimately, we cannot give up on food and eating as spiritual, for Jesus himself does not, choosing to become our physical and spiritual bread.  In so doing, he turns our shame into joy!