Living Lent (Week 1)
The art of the “soft-sell” is only becoming more common in our prevailing culture: cancel-at-any-time contracts, free trials, anything to help people ease into a new commitment. Jesus was terrible at the soft-sell. To start his ministry, he proclaims, “Change your hearts and lives!” This week, let’s talk about commitment in the life of faith, and why the transformation of the world could truly begin with one person committing to a new way of life.
Living Lent (Week 1)
The art of the “soft-sell” is only becoming more common in our prevailing culture: cancel-at-any-time contracts, free trials, anything to help people ease into a new commitment. Jesus was terrible at the soft-sell. To start his ministry, he proclaims, “Change your hearts and lives!” This week, let’s talk about commitment in the life of faith, and why the transformation of the world could truly begin with one person committing to a new way of life.
Searching for a Miracle (Palm Sunday)
Why don't we see the miracles of Jesus today?" It's a common question, as we read stories of healing and hope and power in the Gospels. During this season of Lent, the 6-week season approaching Easter, we will take a closer look at some of Jesus' miracles and consider how we are invited to not only witness but also participate in these miracles today. What does it mean to turn water into wine? To walk on water? To cast out demons? Are these miracles bound in the pages of our Bibles, or could they come alive once again?
Palm Sunday | March 28, 2021: "Searching For A Miracle" =====
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Searching For A Miracle: "Why don't we see the miracles of Jesus today?" It's a common question, as we read stories of healing and hope and power in the Gospels. During this season of Lent, the 6-week season approaching Easter, we will take a closer look at some of Jesus' miracles and consider how we are invited to not only witness but also participate in these miracles today. What does it mean to turn water into wine? To walk on water? To cast out demons? Are these miracles bound in the pages of our Bibles, or could they come alive once again?
Searching for a Miracle (Lent 5)
"Why don't we see the miracles of Jesus today?" It's a common question as we read stories of healing and hope and power in the Gospels. During this season of Lent, the 6-week season approaching Easter, we will take a closer look at some of Jesus' miracles and consider how we are invited to not only witness but also participate in these miracles today. What does it mean to turn water into wine? To walk on water?
"Why don't we see the miracles of Jesus today?" It's a common question as we read stories of healing and hope and power in the Gospels. During this season of Lent, the 6-week season approaching Easter, we will take a closer look at some of Jesus' miracles and consider how we are invited to not only witness but also participate in these miracles today. What does it mean to turn water into wine? To walk on water? To cast out demons? Are these miracles bound in the pages of our Bibles, or could they come alive once again?
Searching for a Miracle (Lent 4)
"Why don't we see the miracles of Jesus today?" It's a common question as we read stories of healing and hope and power in the Gospels. During this season of Lent, the 6-week season approaching Easter, we will take a closer look at some of Jesus' miracles and consider how we are invited to witness and participate in these miracles today. What does it mean to turn water into wine? To walk on water? To cast out demons? Are these miracles bound in the pages of our Bibles, or could they come alive once again?
"Why don't we see the miracles of Jesus today?" It's a common question as we read stories of healing and hope and power in the Gospels. During this season of Lent, the 6-week season approaching Easter, we will take a closer look at some of Jesus' miracles and consider how we are invited to witness and participate in these miracles today. What does it mean to turn water into wine? To walk on water? To cast out demons? Are these miracles bound in the pages of our Bibles, or could they come alive once again?
Searching for a Miracle (Lent 3)
"Why don't we see the miracles of Jesus today?" It's a common question, as we read stories of healing and hope and power in the Gospels. During this season of Lent, the 6-week season approaching Easter, we will take a closer look at some of Jesus' miracles and consider how we are invited to not only witness, but also participate in these miracles today.
“Why don't we see the miracles of Jesus today?" It's a common question, as we read stories of healing and hope and power in the Gospels. During this season of Lent, the 6-week season approaching Easter, we will take a closer look at some of Jesus' miracles and consider how we are invited to not only witness, but also participate in these miracles today. What does it mean to turn water into wine? To walk on water? To cast out demons? Are these miracles bound in the pages of our Bibles, or could they come alive once again?
Searching for a Miracle (Lent 2)
"Why don't we see the miracles of Jesus today?" It's a common question, as we read stories of healing and hope and power in the Gospels. During this season of Lent, the 6-week season approaching Easter, we will take a closer look at some of Jesus' miracles and consider how we are invited to not only witness, but also participate in these miracles today. What does it mean to turn water into wine? To walk on water? To cast out demons? Are these miracles bound in the pages of our Bibles, or could they come alive once again?
"Why don't we see the miracles of Jesus today?" It's a common question, as we read stories of healing and hope and power in the Gospels. During this season of Lent, the 6-week season approaching Easter, we will take a closer look at some of Jesus' miracles and consider how we are invited to not only witness, but also participate in these miracles today. What does it mean to turn water into wine? To walk on water? To cast out demons? Are these miracles bound in the pages of our Bibles, or could they come alive once again?
Searching for a Miracle (Lent 1)
"Why don't we see the miracles of Jesus today?" It's a common question, as we read stories of healing and hope and power in the Gospels. During this season of Lent, the 6-week season approaching Easter, we will take a closer look at some of Jesus' miracles and consider how we are invited to not only witness, but also participate in these miracles today. What does it mean to turn water into wine? To walk on water? To cast out demons? Are these miracles bound in the pages of our Bibles, or could they come alive once again?
"Why don't we see the miracles of Jesus today?" It's a common question, as we read stories of healing and hope and power in the Gospels. During this season of Lent, the 6-week season approaching Easter, we will take a closer look at some of Jesus' miracles and consider how we are invited to not only witness, but also participate in these miracles today. What does it mean to turn water into wine? To walk on water? To cast out demons? Are these miracles bound in the pages of our Bibles, or could they come alive once again?
Jesus Never Said "God Won't Give You More Than You Can Handle"
We will experience times in our lives when we go through really difficult things, we will face adversity….we are in one of those rare—oh how I pray it is rare—moments in history when we are all going through something hard,
We will experience times in our lives when we go through really difficult things, we will face adversity….we are in one of those rare—oh how I pray it is rare—moments in history when we are all going through something hard, we are all grieving the life we used to have just a month ago, we are all grieving the uncertainty of the future, grieving the loss of security for ourselves and our beloveds, what is there to hold on to?
As one of my favorite theologians puts it: Our life on earth can be unpredictable, we can be happy one day and sad the next the next, healthy one day and sick the next, rich one day and poor the next, what is there to hold on to, who is there to feel secure with, who is there to trust at all times?
Only Jesus, the Christ. He is our Lord, our shepherd, our rock, our stronghold, our refuge, our brother, our guide, our friend. Hold on to him.
Jesus Never Said "Everything Happens For A Reason"
We are given responsibility, we have the ability to respond to God’s invitation, to God’s commandments, but we can refuse, we can choose not to care for the earth and when we do that, well the earth will suffer…but God doesn’t just create us and give us dominion and leave us alone…
God tries to help us and influence us to do the right thing and make the right decisions: God gave us a conscious, and a brain, God gave us commandments and prophets to guide us
We are given responsibility, we have the ability to respond to God’s invitation, to God’s commandments, but we can refuse, we can choose not to care for the earth and when we do that, well the earth will suffer…but God doesn’t just create us and give us dominion and leave us alone…
God tries to help us and influence us to do the right thing and make the right decisions: God gave us a conscious, and a brain, God gave us commandments and prophets to guide us…
God came in Jesus to show us what it means to be human, to show us how to live selflessly and generously, and then God gave us the Spirit to be with us, to counsel us and nudge us in the right direction…yes God never gives up on helping us to make the right decisions but we still make the decisions.
Things The Spark Joy
Jesus says: focus on loving God and loving others and your joy will be complete. The Greek root of the word joy is the same as grace--joy is a gift from God, joy is a gift of knowing you are connected to the divine and this connection is not something you earn or win…it is always present with you, if you will just see it, in moments of stress, see your connection with God and with others and your joy will be complete. Joy comes in, fear goes out when we see ourselves as connected.
Jesus says: focus on loving God and loving others and your joy will be complete. The Greek root of the word joy is the same as grace--joy is a gift from God, joy is the gift of knowing you are connected to the divine and this connection is not something you earn or win…it is always present with you, if you will just see it, in moments of stress, see your connection with God and with others and your joy will be complete. Joy comes in, fear goes out when we see ourselves as connected.
Tidying Up: Putting Your House In Order
When we carry around the clutter from our past, the past wounds we have inflicted...we cannot move freely, we cannot live freely, and it gets in the way of everything, it gets in the way of our relationships with others and with God, and God doesn’t want that for us.
When we carry around the clutter from our past, the past wounds we have inflicted...we cannot move freely, we cannot live freely, and it gets in the way of everything, it gets in the way of our relationships with others and with God, and God doesn’t want that for us.
Jesus says: there is a way to be released from this burden and it is the way of forgiveness. Don’t wait. Make amends now. Don’t let another day pass, make amends now. Deal with the clutter from your past today so you can free today.
Tidying Up our Tradition
When the teachings of the church are cutting off people from doing the ministry God has clearly gifted and called them to do, we must question those teachings, we must rethink those teachings, we must tidy up those traditions, now is the time for tidying up, church.
Tidying Up Tradition
When the teachings of the church are cutting off people from doing the ministry God has clearly gifted and called them to do, we must question those teachings, we must rethink those teachings, we must tidy up those traditions, now is the time for tidying up, church.
There have been throughout the years groups of people who seek to gain power through excluding others...they have used doctrine and scripture to justify this harm; but take heart....
There have also been every step of the way, people who have stood up and said: no. They have questioned and researched and written and argued and protested and participated in civil disobedience to stand up for the excluded and marginalized and those without voice…and you know what they’ve been called? Well I’m sure they’ve been called a lot of things but here’s one:
They are the people called Methodists.
Tidying Up How We Interpret The Bible
If you do not read the Bible, you place yourself at the mercy of those who do. The discipline of wrestling with scripture frees you from people who want to impose their reading on you.
A prominent pastor here in Dallas thinks we should build a wall at our southern border. He told the news the Bible says heaven has a wall around it. That’s Revelation 21:12. He didn’t mention there are twelve gates in that wall that never close. That’s Revelation 21:25. If we want to build a wall at the border like the one in the Bible, we’ll have to put big holes in it every few miles.
Tidying Up How We Interpret The Bible
If you do not read the Bible, you place yourself at the mercy of those who do. The discipline of wrestling with scripture frees you from people who want to impose their reading on you.
A prominent pastor here in Dallas thinks we should build a wall at our southern border. He told the news the Bible says heaven has a wall around it. That’s Revelation 21:12. He didn’t mention there are twelve gates in that wall that never close. That’s Revelation 21:25. If we want to build a wall at the border like the one in the Bible, we’ll have to put big holes in it every few miles.
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Below are some practical exercises you could use to bring joy into your heart and make the Bible a greater part of your life...
Step 1: Share a verse
Pick a favorite Bible verse and share it on one or more of your social networks. Say a little bit about why it's meaningful to you.
Step 2: Share a verse with someone
Call a friend or relative and share with them a Bible verse you think might make their day brighter. Say a prayer together.
Step 3: Read the Bible together
Make an appointment to meet with a friend and spend some time reading the Bible together. Pick out a chapter, maybe the chapter your favorite verse is in, read it together and talk about how you could apply the lesson of that passage this week.
Tidying Up Our Misconceptions About God
Many of us Christians have collected a lot of beliefs we’ve been taught and told and even repeated…this season of Lent is a time to sort through what we believe or have been told for so long and decide: which ideas about the faith do we need to keep and which do we need to throw out? This week we are tidying up our clothes or the things we put on God.
Tidying Up Our Misconceptions About God
Many of us Christians have collected a lot of beliefs we’ve been taught and told and even repeated…this season of Lent is a time to sort through what we believe or have been told for so long and decide: which ideas about the faith do we need to keep and which do we need to throw out? This week we are tidying up our clothes or the things we put on God.
Our spiritual house is packed full with all kinds of ideas and doctrines and rules about who God is and who we are and it can be suffocating really, all the stuff, it can be overwhelming to even think about sorting through it, so oftentimes we don’t, we just ignore it and even add more stuff to it because why not?
The deeper truth is that if we don’t go through the clutter in our spiritual homes, well it’s the same truth about what happens if we don’t go through the clutter in our physical homes--it gets in the way--it gets in the way of our life and relationships.
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Below are some practical, creative and challenging steps you could take this week toward bringing joy to your heart and creating space in your life:
Step 1: Create A Reminder
Put a Post-it note in your wallet/purse that says 'Do I really need this?' If you don't, put it down and put the money you were going to spend to better use.
Step 2: Make Purchases More Meaningful
If you're buying something new, make the purchase more meaningful. What it's going to replace? What are you going to do with the old item instead? Who could it be of use to?
Step 3: Assess Your Stuff
What do you really need? What can you give away? Are there hoarding habits that need to be changed? You can give to the clothing drive at the church or your local Goodwill. Perhaps considering calling Network of Community Ministries to volunteer at their clothing closet.