Salvation Story
1 Pet 3:13-22 Peter paints a vivid yet odd description of the passion of Christ in chapter 3. Given our history/tradition, we tend to focus on the verse about baptism, but a fuller reading of the passage unifies the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension as the one story of salvation. Understanding how these events that are typically understood in isolation work together as one helps us better understand our own relationship with God.
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- May 14, 2023Salvation Story
Salvation Story1 Pet 3:13-22 Peter paints a vivid yet odd description of the passion of Christ in chapter 3. Given our history/tradition, we tend to focus on the verse about baptism, but a fuller reading of the passage unifies the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension as the one story of salvation. Understanding how these events that are typically understood in isolation work together as one helps us better understand our own relationship with God.
- May 7, 2023Living Stones
Living Stones1 Pet 2:2-10 We stand as monuments to the mighty acts of God, individually as living stones, and collectively as living stones assembled into this body of believers. We have been chosen by God as a holy people, built up to proclaim the marvelous light of God.
- Apr 30, 2023Christian Community
Christian Community"Christian Community" from Easter Season by Scott Brunner. Released: 2023.
- Apr 23, 2023New Life
New Life1 Pet 1:17-23 Peter contrasts the futile ways of the past with new life in Christ. One aspect of this contrast is knowing God through Torah v knowing God through Christ. Our access to God and our ability to know God has shifted from Torah to Jesus.
- Apr 16, 2023Living Hope
Living Hope1 Peter 1:3-9 Freedom from the fear of empire and death enables us to freely and boldly enter into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus.
- Apr 9, 2023Going Ahead
Going AheadMatt 28:1-10 It’s Easter, and like all Easters before we gather to celebrate the empty tomb. However, this year I notice Jesus’ comforting words about “going ahead” of us. As we follow Jesus, we go knowing that he is waiting for us wherever we are headed – preparing for our arrival, ready to receive and welcome us.
- Apr 2, 2023Your King is Coming: Matthew 21:1-11
Your King is Coming: Matthew 21:1-11This morning we heard the reading of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem as well as the story of his trial and death so that we can combine both palms and passion. The resounding refrain for this liturgy is “your King is coming.” Are we prepared for Christ to break into our lives? Do our expectations match the reality of his coming? Do we expect a conqueror on a horse or a carpenter on a colt?
- Mar 26, 2023Spiritual Life: Rom 8:6-11
Spiritual Life: Rom 8:6-11Paul speaks of dwelling in the Spirit as a multi-directional relationship. As the Spirit dwells in us, we also dwell in the Spirit. To dwell is not to rest but to live, actively not passively. The Spirit lives in us, guiding us and directing us so that our living is formed by the living Spirit within us. As God’s Spirit lives in us, we live by and in God’s Spirit.
- Mar 24, 2023Chilren of Light
Chilren of Light“Everything that becomes visible is light,” so because Christ has shown his light upon us, making us visible before God, we now are also light. It is strange logic to us who talk about light differently; we would use the word reflect. God’s light shines on us, and we reflect it out into the world. Everything that God is and does is reflected and projected through our lives.
- Mar 19, 2023Children of Light: Eph 5:8-14
Children of Light: Eph 5:8-14“Everything that becomes visible is light,” so because Christ has shown his light upon us, making us visible before God, we now are also light. It is strange logic to us who talk about light differently; we would use the word reflect. God’s light shines on us, and we reflect it out into the world. Everything that God is and does is reflected and projected through our lives.
- Mar 12, 2023Boasting in God: Romans 5:1-11
Boasting in God: Romans 5:1-11Forgiveness is often the word most used to describe the effect of Jesus in the life of the believer, but of the many effects listed in Romans 5:1-11, the word is not found. Forgiveness is a part of life with Christ, but so is peace, reconciliation, the gift of the Spirit, justification, hope, love, and even sharing in the glory of God. This passage gives us far more to boast about than merely forgiveness. Forgiveness is often the word most used to describe the effect of Jesus in the life of the believer, but of the many effects listed in Romans 5:1-11, the word is not found. Forgiveness is a part of life with Christ, but so is peace, reconciliation, the gift of the Spirit, justification, hope, love, and even sharing in the glory of God. This passage gives us far more to boast about than merely forgiveness.
- Mar 5, 2023Righteousness by Faith: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
Righteousness by Faith: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17Paul boldly declares that it is our faith that brings righteousness, not our righteousness that earns our faith. We cannot ever earn our salvation, but through the free gift of salvation we are reckoned as righteous. In other words, righteousness follows faith as a marker of our new life with Christ.
- Feb 26, 2023Dominion: Romans 5:12-19
Dominion: Romans 5:12-19The way that Paul speaks of death and life, sin and grace is temporarily different than we traditionally think of it. We tend to think of sin as a present reality with grace, righteousness, and life being an eternal reality, but Paul speaks of righteousness and life in the present and sin and death in the past. Sin had dominion over us, now we live in the dominion of righteousness, grace, and life.
- Feb 19, 2023Fear and Love
Fear and LoveAs God’s voice booms out of the cloud to direct people to Jesus, we would be wise to listen. Jesus calls his disciples to not be afraid as they experience the direct presence of God, drawing them deeper into love and deeper into the presence of God. As John would say “love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18).
- Feb 12, 2023Salt and Light
Salt and LightWe are called to be the salt and light of the world, which is a tall and intimidating order. However, when we stop to think about it, to add salt to a main course is to bring out the flavor that is already there, and to be a light is to illuminate something hidden by darkness. In this way, to be salt and light is to draw attention to Jesus with our words, actions, and lives.
- Feb 5, 2023Who is Jesus?
Who is Jesus?Epiphany is a time to understand who Jesus is and in this text he wears many hats, consolation of Israel, light to the gentiles, glory of Israel, sign of opposition, and even piercer of souls. So we join Mary and Joseph this week in being amazed at all these things, contemplating how we relate to Jesus.
- Jan 29, 2023Righteous Lives
Righteous LivesIn Matthew 5:1-12 Jesus gives his follows a radical example of what it meants to live righteous lives.
- Jan 22, 2023Kingdom of God
Kingdom of GodThe Kingdom of God/Heaven is not ours and we do not take it anywhere. Rather, we meet it when it comes near, and it is up to us to decide how we respond. God is constantly at work in and around us, but we have to have the eyes to see and the ears to see what God is doing. If we pay attention to the movement of God’s kingdom then we stand a better chance at welcoming it when it draws near.
- Jan 15, 2023Evangelism
EvangelismWe pressure ourselves to be like Jesus, to go out there and make disciples. The problem is, we aren’t Jesus and it isn’t our responsibility to save the world. This text reminds us that we are more of a John the Baptist rather than Jesus. Our role is to invite others to encounter Jesus, and then Jesus can take it from there.
- Jan 8, 2023Jesus’ Example
Jesus’ ExampleWe see who Jesus is in the act of baptism. Even without the dove and the voice of God declaring the identity of Jesus, we recognize Jesus in the act of death, burial, and resurrection. Though Jesus did not require baptism, he still chose to partake in the ritual, exemplifying to us the value in constant commitment to the Christian act of dying to self and living for God.
