Pentecost is a very special Sunday. It was one of the main three Christian holidays for hundreds of years (along with Epiphany and Easter). The events of that 50th day were rich with meaning and echo our Jewish heritage back to Genesis. All are included, men and women, Jews and new converts, old and young, […]
How do we handle stress and anxiety? How are we to handle suffering? How do we handle fear or uncertainty or doubt? We are encouraged to lean into deeper relationship with God, to follow Jesus more closely, and to give our anxiety to God. “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” […]
Palm Sunday gives us a lovely story of Jesus’ being adored by the crowds; and, let’s face it, whenever the story has animals, we find it adorable and maybe even comforting. But looking a little deeper, Jesus is mocking Rome and Rome’s authority. Pilate would have arrived on a magnificent horse with guards and pomp […]
Most of us can do without suffering. It kind of goes with living. It is not just humans who suffer; so it is not merely the human condition, the cost of being human. It is the cost of being alive. Many of us would love it if, by following Jesus, all our suffering would magically […]
Self denial is a spiritual discipline. Self denial allows us to put our ego in check and push back against a world of self importance and a sense of entitlement. When we are able to practice self denial we are intentionally working to put ourselves in right relationship with God and with others. We are not the […]
First Sunday in Lent One of the key spiritual disciplines is prayer. Prayer comes in many forms; but central to its purpose is moving us closer to God. Prayer is not saying the perfect formula (even if Jesus did give us a framework to use in the “Lord’s Prayer”). At its worst, prayer is our […]
Gratitude can be a lifestyle choice, an intentional worldview that will transform us and others. Maybe enough of us, living in gratitude, could transform the world and bring a little more Kingdom of God into the present. So much of our lives is caught up in distractions rather than the true essence of life and […]
There are times when we own our stuff and other times it seems our stuff owns us. Finding the right balance makes a world of difference. A great preacher once reminded us that even if we win at the rat race we are still a rat. Stepping outside the rat race, living outside of “the […]