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.
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.
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!
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!
August 25, 2024
A google search on “Sunday Morning” comes up with a lot of images — but almost none of them church (or the Bible)!
As we live into this time – a great unchurching of the United States – we hear the question of Jesus to the disciples: “Do you also want to leave?”
For many of us, though, we say no, we want to stay in the community of faith, we want to follow Jesus.
Why? Why do you attend and participate in a community of faith?
“Take heed therefore — making the most of your time” St Paul, letter to the Ephesians (Chapter 5:15-16)
YOLO — You only live once. This is what is often said now when someone wants to encourage us to pursue adventure and indulge ourselves!! In short, play hard! This is especially true in our post COVID world, one that has realized how preciously short and fragile this one, holy and previous life that we have is.
But is YOLO the Christian response to the shortness of our life span?
Pastor Rob reflects on how for Christians we are called not simply play hard; or do avoid play altogether, but discover where our play and work meet each other. When our work and play become each other, then we discover we are praising our creator.
Yet…there are times when work and play do not overlap. What then? We discover we need something more than YOLO — We need YOLG — You only live by grace!!
August 11, 2024
“Be gracious, as God graced you in Jesus Christ” Paul, to the Ephesians.
What does grace look like in our lives? (Standing out in the rain listening to Taylor Swift concerts from the city park?) How do we extend grace to others? (Including neighborhood bullies?)
A reflection on how God gives us our daily bread, the grace that forgives and opens our hearts to forgive others.
