June 21, 2020
The story of Sarah (and Abraham) banishing Hagar is a painful story (Genesis 21).
It reveals truly broken individuals, a broken family and a broken
society. Yet God finds a way, in spite of this brokenness to bless the
world through these people. Likewise, God finds a way, in spite of our
brokenness, to bless us and others through the work of Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
As one chapter ends, we praise God!
Sunday, June 14
We are moving from a time of pandemic to endemic; the virus is still with us and has become part of our lives, but pragmatism is replacing panic.
As we conclude this chapter, this intense time of lock-down, it is worth pausing and…giving praise to God! God’s people, again and again in the Bible, pause as one chapter of life comes to an end to give praise. Praise of God is not only proper, but it can transform us into more hopeful people, better equipped to live as disciples in the next chapter of our lives…until the final chapter when all that remains is praise!
We are moving from a time of pandemic to endemic; the virus is still with us and has become part of our lives, but pragmatism is replacing panic.
As we conclude this chapter, this intense time of lock-down, it is worth pausing and…giving praise to God! God’s people, again and again in the Bible, pause as one chapter of life comes to an end to give praise. Praise of God is not only proper, but it can transform us into more hopeful people, better equipped to live as disciples in the next chapter of our lives…until the final chapter when all that remains is praise!
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Where do we go from here?
Holy Trinity Sunday (June 7, 2020)
The last two weeks have been painful for our nation. Where do we go from here? Pastor Rob empathizes with the great grief we have all experienced and offers no simple answers. However, the sermon is ultimately one of hope, as Pastor Rob reflects on the church’s basic confession of faith in the Holy Trinity: The Apostle’s Creed.
The Creed suggests some ways that we might move ahead as individuals, families, community and ultimately a society. These steps include honoring the sabbath, listening to others and confessing our sins to Jesus. (How did we get there from the Creed? Listen to the sermon!)
The last two weeks have been painful for our nation. Where do we go from here? Pastor Rob empathizes with the great grief we have all experienced and offers no simple answers. However, the sermon is ultimately one of hope, as Pastor Rob reflects on the church’s basic confession of faith in the Holy Trinity: The Apostle’s Creed.
The Creed suggests some ways that we might move ahead as individuals, families, community and ultimately a society. These steps include honoring the sabbath, listening to others and confessing our sins to Jesus. (How did we get there from the Creed? Listen to the sermon!)
Pentecost 2020: The Church in NOT a building
Pentecost 2020 (May 31, 2020)
Today we celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit to give birth to the church (Acts 2). On this day, the Holy Spirit led the early Christians outside of their building and gathering place. Likewise, we have been led out of our building. We have learned anew that the church is not a building! Pastor Rob reflects on the ways in which the Holy Spirit has kept our ministry vital and vibrant the past months.
When we look at the challenges — the truly crises — our world faces today, it is clear that the world does not need a building, but the world needs a people, a people shaped by Christ and led by the Spirit.
Today we celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit to give birth to the church (Acts 2). On this day, the Holy Spirit led the early Christians outside of their building and gathering place. Likewise, we have been led out of our building. We have learned anew that the church is not a building! Pastor Rob reflects on the ways in which the Holy Spirit has kept our ministry vital and vibrant the past months.
When we look at the challenges — the truly crises — our world faces today, it is clear that the world does not need a building, but the world needs a people, a people shaped by Christ and led by the Spirit.
Humpty Dumpty, Ascension and Assurance
Ascension 2020 (May 24, 2020)
Humpty Dumpty has a fall and cannot be put back together again. In the same way, our lives — the way we remember them — cannot be put back together. We are slowly realizing that life will not be restored to what it was.
The early disciples also wanted things restored, namely, the Kingdom of Isreal (Acts 1:6-8). Jesus lets them know that this is not the plan, but that they will instead be witnesses to his death and resurrection to the ends of the earth. Their response to being told their hopes and plans would not happen…that there was a new normal, out of their control and without Jesus on earth… Worship with joy! (Luke 24:51-53).
What causes the disciples to embrace this new normal? What can help us move forward? This ascension, we hear the assurances — the promises of Christ — that allowed the disciples then and allow us now to forward into the new normal, one where God, as always, is with us.
Humpty Dumpty has a fall and cannot be put back together again. In the same way, our lives — the way we remember them — cannot be put back together. We are slowly realizing that life will not be restored to what it was.
The early disciples also wanted things restored, namely, the Kingdom of Isreal (Acts 1:6-8). Jesus lets them know that this is not the plan, but that they will instead be witnesses to his death and resurrection to the ends of the earth. Their response to being told their hopes and plans would not happen…that there was a new normal, out of their control and without Jesus on earth… Worship with joy! (Luke 24:51-53).
What causes the disciples to embrace this new normal? What can help us move forward? This ascension, we hear the assurances — the promises of Christ — that allowed the disciples then and allow us now to forward into the new normal, one where God, as always, is with us.
Easter 6: You Will Also Live!
Easter 6 (May 17, 2020)
“Because I live, you too shall live.” These are the words of Jesus to his disciples (John 14:19). But what does he mean by “live”? “Living”, we all acknowledge, means more than breathing in and out, so we must probe a bit deeper.
To understand the “living” that Jesus is talking about, we consider Paul’s trip to Athens (Acts 17). In Athens, the ancient city of philosophy and beautiful temples, Paul encounters many other answers to this profound question. Paul puts forward another idea and for this, he will be taken to the ancient court of ideas — the Areopagus — to defend his own answer. From this platform he puts forward the crucial claim that “living” is grounded in the resurrection of Jesus.
“Because I live, you too shall live.” These are the words of Jesus to his disciples (John 14:19). But what does he mean by “live”? “Living”, we all acknowledge, means more than breathing in and out, so we must probe a bit deeper.
To understand the “living” that Jesus is talking about, we consider Paul’s trip to Athens (Acts 17). In Athens, the ancient city of philosophy and beautiful temples, Paul encounters many other answers to this profound question. Paul puts forward another idea and for this, he will be taken to the ancient court of ideas — the Areopagus — to defend his own answer. From this platform he puts forward the crucial claim that “living” is grounded in the resurrection of Jesus.
Easter 5: Re-learning
Easter 5 (May 10, 2020)
Our current political debate is about “re-opening.” In this sermon Pastor Rob suggests we need to focus instead on “re-learning” – re-learning how to do everything, from going to the grocery story to re-learning how to love people in our lives. This is a daunting task, but Jesus spoke to his disciples in such a time. The night before he died, the night before everything in their world would change, the night before they would have to begin re-learning everything, Jesus offered them sweet words of comfort: “Do not let you hearts be troubled.” And those are the words for us.
Our current political debate is about “re-opening.” In this sermon Pastor Rob suggests we need to focus instead on “re-learning” – re-learning how to do everything, from going to the grocery story to re-learning how to love people in our lives. This is a daunting task, but Jesus spoke to his disciples in such a time. The night before he died, the night before everything in their world would change, the night before they would have to begin re-learning everything, Jesus offered them sweet words of comfort: “Do not let you hearts be troubled.” And those are the words for us.
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