Talking the talk and Walking the walk!

 "God talk" in public, whether on screens, in businesses or in politics, has become common again.  

The Palm Sunday story of people pouring out into the streets to shout "Hosanna" reminds us that "God talk" in public is biblical.  We should not confine our praise to our homes and churches but it should flow into all aspects of our lives. 

The Palm Sunday gospel, as told by Matthew (Matthew 21:1-17) points to the fundamental way in which talking the talk must though be connected to walking the walk: the bolder we talk to talk, the more humbly we must walk the walk.  Ultimately, our talking the talk must be grounded in Christ having walked to walk.

Praying with Jesus 5: In times of grief

We cannot grieve alone! 

In the gospel of John (chapter 11), we hear of Jesus meeting Mary and Martha, two sisters who are grieving. 

Turns out they are not grieving alone, but they are part of a community that is supporting them.  Likewise in our grief, Jesus blesses us with community, giving us people who console us.

However, as we reflect more deeply on the interactions of Jesus with the two sisters, we realize that at some level we do grieve apart from others.  As we grieve and pray in our grief, we discover that we are not alone, and that the company of saints and ultimately Jesus meets us in our grief.

The painting "Jesus Wept" is from a program called "Horton Live" in which an artist paints live during a church event.

Praying with Jesus 4: Seeing the Goodness of God

Once again (John 9), the pharisees are the "bad guys", the people who cannot see the goodness of God because they are fixated on the sinfulness in the world.

Before we look down on them though, Pastor Rob explores how easy it is for all of us to succumb to the same type of spiritual blindness, where we cannot see God's goodness because we are focused on human sin and the problems of the world.

Just as Jesus healed the blind man though, Jesus too will heal our spiritual blindness, opening our eyes to God's glory and grace.

Praying with Jesus 3: At the well

 

What well is Jesus calling you to visit?

Jesus lived in a world that was filled with division, including division that was often violent. His response to this is very curious; he meets a woman at a well.  Here he begins to build a bridge with somebody who is totally other than himself (John 4). 

Jesus is content to play the long, slow game of stitching back the frame fabric of humanity, one person, one family, one village at a time. We learn from the interaction of Jesus and the woman how we too can be bridge builders.  The start of this process is meeting someone at the well and finding a common ground with them.

The artwork comes from a Via Latina Catacomb Fresco, 340 – 350 AD (Italy)

Praying with Jesus 2: Prayers with the one who knows us

 

Who has been a great teacher in your life?

On this Sunday when we’re celebrating the ministry of St Paul's Christian Early Learning Center (CELC), Jesus shows us what a great teacher looks like.  As he interacts with Nicodemus, Jesus reveals himself as the one who

- Knows us better than we know ourselves

- Tells us what we need to hear and not what we want to hear 

- Has patience with us as we work through it.  

What this means is that when we pray, we pray to the one who knows us better than we know ourselves.  He also knows that figuring it out takes time, especially to process what we didn't want to hear.  This plays itself out powerfully in Nicodemus' life, just as in our own.

The art work is by painter Lester Yocum.  A quite rare painting showing the lesser known but just as important interaction of Nicodemus later in the Gospel of John, when he helps bury Jesus.

Praying with Jesus 1: In times of trial

After fasting for 40 days and nights in the wilderness, Jesus is tempted by the devil.  (Matthew 4:1-11)

Is this time in the wilderness a test or a trial?  

(... and what might the difference be?)

• A test is something that assesses what we've learned and whether we are ready to advanced to the next stage.
• A trial is something that is designed to teach us what is necessary for the next stage.

Pastor Rob reflects on how understanding this wilderness temptation as a trial can help us do two things:

First, it can deepen our appreciation of fasting as preparation for the trials of life.

Second, it can deepen our connection to Jesus as one who prays with us during the trials of life.

The artwork is Christ in the Desert by Vasily Polenov, 1909

You are the salt of the earth

You are the salt of the earth (Jesus, Gospel of Matthew, Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:13)

This winter has been all about snow, cold and SALT!

When Jesus declares that we are the salt of the earth, this is a word of Gospel:  We are valued.  It is also a word of challenge:  we are called to work hard for others.

So far, so good. But wait, Jesus also says salt might lose its flavor.  What might that mean?  Hint:  It has to do with foolishness.  

Blessed are the Peacemakers

 

"Blessed are the Peacemakers."  Jesus Christ, Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew (5:1-12)

"Blessed are the Peacemakers" is a word of great challenge to us -- peace is not the norm.  What it mean for us to be peacemakers in our lives, in our communities and even in our world?

"Blessed are the Peacemakers" is a word of great promise for us -- peace will be the norm in Kingdom come.  Jesus promise of peace invites us to see the world, not as our eyes see it, as it is, but how it can and one day will be -- reconciled through and to him.

The image is from a basketball game that tells the story of what it might look like when we begin to see what the eyes cannot!

Spiritual Metabolism

 

Jesus hears terrible news:  John the Baptist has been arrested (Matthew 4:12-23).   He is sad for his friend, the world and himself.

Soon afterwards, he is proclaiming good news and healing everyone.  How does Jesus do this, that is, metabolize the hearing of tragedy into the sharing of love?

And, what, if anything, can we do, to metabolize the hard and even hateful news that we hear into love and compassion?

The artworks is a relief "The Arrest of John the Baptist" by Lorenzo Ghiberti

1000 Days

1000 Days -- that is all Jesus gets from the time of his baptism until his ascension.  One might expect and urgency that would mean Jesus is counting and optimizing how he spends each and every moment.

Yet on day 1, Jesus chooses to hang out with a person he hadn't yet met, Andrew, and another future disciple.  He doesn't teach, exhort, impress or anything -- he just spends time with them.

What gives here?  Why is Jesus just spending time with Andrew?  And why might Jesus want to spend time with us?

The image is from "What the Saints did Next" Photography blog.

All Righteousness

 "This [Baptism] is necessary for us to fulfill all righteousness"  Jesus, Matthew's Gospel

As he is baptized, Jesus makes the bold an audacious claim that he intends to fulfill all righteousness.  Pastor Rob explores how big of a promise this is in light of the unrighteousness in our world, our lives and in our hearts,

The second part of the sermon reflects on what this promise means for us who are baptized.  How we live in the face of our own and the world's unrighteousness.

The art work is the "Baptism of Christ, painting by Vladmir Zagltov 

Your Goals in 2026

As we turn the calendar, many of us make lists of goals or even resolutions for the next year.  

Often times, we skip the necessary step of asking ourselves:  Is this goal something that God intends for me? 

Working with the story of the magi visiting Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12), Pastor Rob reflects on how we can discern God's purposes and will in our lives.  It turns out that it isn't about a formula, but more like a recipe for a slow cook sauce, one that has a number of ingredients and takes some time. 

Stink, Stank, Stunk

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas continues to capture the imagination years after its debut.  Might it be that the problem for the grinch -- that is heart is too sizes too small -- is something we fear might happen to us?  Not only might our hearts be smaller, but as humans it is quite hard (impossible?!) to grow our own heart.  We need a love outside of ourselves.

Fear not though, for love has come!  As the Gospel writer Luke tells of the story 

1)  The love our hearts need has come into the world in Jesus Christ.

2)  This love is for the world and also for you!