Saint James Messages: Recent Episodes
Saint James Church Alexandria VA
When the disciples went to sleep on Saturday night, they were sure death had won, that the Roman Empire and religious authorities had succeeded. Sunday morning offered a new and unexpected response. New life is not limited to an Easter morning two millennia ago; what would new life look like for us today?
Join us as we ponder the meaning of the crucifixion and how we might be impacted by the death of Jesus today.
This Sunday is Palm Sunday. Jesus is headed into Jerusalem and the crowd/mob turns his arrival into a parade, For the moment, they only see Jesus as an answer to their problems, a fulfillment of a promise. They have placed their own expectations on Jesus and those expectations shape the way they receive Jesus. Their assumptions lead to misunderstanding, rejection, and death. How do our conceptions of Jesus lead us to our own misunderstandings? Just who is Jesus and what can we learn from the Palm Sunday parade?
The disciples offer Jesus food. He's been talking to someone next a well. His response is purely Jesus- it becomes a teachable moment. What does food mean for you? Is there another place for us to get our nourishment?
After Jesus's initial encounter with the woman at the well, we discover more about her and she becomes part of the good news. Join us this week as we continue the story of Jesus and the woman who was transformed in meeting him at a well.
Jesus is traveling through town and stops to rest at a well. The disciples head into town to scare up some food to eat. Jesus encounters a woman at the well. She has come for water but can Jesus offer her more?
We turn our attention to a questioner who made his way to visit Jesus under the cover of darkness. Our questioner, Nicodemus, probably had a variety of reasons to show up at night and we'll explore our own propensity to ask questions and sometimes avoid answers as we seek this Path that Jesus laid out for us.
This represents the first message in a three-part series about gratitude as an attitude worth cultivating.
Who really wants to be persecuted? And yet Jesus tells us, Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.What would it look like to be persecuted for the sake of "righteousness?" This week we take a look at this last of the beatitudes and ponder together what it might mean for us in our daily lives now.
This week we turn to the #peacemaker #beatitude:How blest are the peacemakers; God shall call them sons and daughters.Those who bring and make peace are called "God's children" by God!
Hunger and thirst are primal instincts that emerge from deep within. Both #hunger and #thirst are triggered when our bodies want to tell us we need food and hydration, not just want it. Jesus uses this image of hungering and thirsting to describe an attitude for God's Kingdom. The beatitude described is the yearning, the hunger, for "right to prevail" or, in another translation, "righteousness." What is it about this #beatitude evokes the primal instincts in us? Join us at 11AM Eastern on Sunday in-person or online or watch the recording later in the week.
As I sat pondering the passages for this weekend, I could not hope but notice a recurring theme of humility. Honor can only come from the other and not from a false sense of personal value. The passage from Hebrews sums it up as: Let mutual love continue. (NRSV) or Keep loving each other like family. (CEB) Where is it we are meant to find the "grounding," the humility (literally "on the ground" from the Latin; root word hummus meaning "ground, dirt") to be in community with one another? We are meant to find it in mutual love which is always building the other up. The honor is in honoring the other, the love is in loving the other.
This Sunday we will take up community, humility, connection, and honor as the foundation for our faith. Join us at 11AM Eastern in person or online.
For a fair portion of my life, I was not a morning person! Even now I suspect I am not a morning person though I get my most focused work done early in the day rather than later. What is this focus that Jesus brings up in Luke 12:35-40 about keeping awake? Join us Sunday in-person or online.
Busy? Martha gets that. This Sunday, we will look at Luke 10:38-42 and learn how Jesus' visit to Martha's home creates questions for her (and I think us) about life. It isn't always either/or? Or is it? Join us Sunday at 11am in person or online as we see what Jesus, Martha and Mary have to teach us about our own lives.
Presented with the commandments in Deuteronomy, the Israelites struggle to figure out if they can live into those commandments. The commandments seem to them high above them and out-of-reach. The word that comes to the people is one of reassurance and possibility. This Sunday we will look at the words of Deuteronomy and their connection to us today.
The prophet Elisha has taken over in the work of Elijah. A request for healing comes to the king of Israel form a rival king and leads to turmoil that only Elisha in his work for God can solve. Kings and prophets are not roles or people that seem familiar to us and yet as we look closely we may discover something about ourselves. Join us Sunday at 11:00AM in-person or online for worship.
At the height of his work, Elijah runs away into the desert. Sometimes I think I understand where he was coming from. He had given his best and he felt overwhelmed. What good was the work he was doing? What difference did it make? Elijah's answer was to run away. What can we learn from Elijah? Join us Sunday at 11AM Eastern as we study.
Sunday we are exploring Jesus' transition from daily ministry to Jerusalem. While the transition itself is important, on the way out of town Jesus runs into a blind man, Bartimaeus. That encounter is important for Bartimaeus. What might we discover in the story about Jesus and Bartimaeus? Will it matter to us?
This Sunday is a day in the church year called Pentecost, a day to celebrate when the “church” became the church with an outpouring of Spirit. Now two millennia later, we are going to ask what this Pentecost means for us and how Spirit plays in our lives today.
This Sunday is Ascension Sunday in which Jesus was carried up into heaven. And this week we were reminded again of the tragic pain and suffering in the world around us. What does the ascension mean for us today in this stressed out world and in our stressed-out lives. Join us on Sunday, in person or online, as we work to unpack this and look for hope.
In the end of John's gospel, Simon becomes concerned about the disciple Jesus loved. Jesus tells him not to worry about the "beloved disciple." I wonder what it would be like for each of us if we focused on our own spiritual journey instead of that of others.
After breakfast on the beach with Jesus, Simon has a conversation where Jesus asks him about love. "Do you love me more than these?" Why ask this question of Simon now? Since we get to overhear them, what are we meant to learn from the conversation for our lives? J
Jesus appears to the disciples several times, first to Mary in the garden, then to most of the guys that evening, and then a week later to Thomas and others. Some time later, Simon heads out to go fishing with several of the other disciples. Jesus shows up to cook breakfast for them and gives the disciples that nudge to start sharing the message. What were the disciples doing going back to fishing? What might we learn from another story of Jesus showing up?
Is there is such thing as having no doubts? We have a person in Thomas who has been caricatured as "the Doubter." I was raised understanding that this doubting was not a good thing. Don't be a "doubting Thomas." And yet I have found myself befriending doubt. I find my doubting to be an invitation to reflection, to questioning, to wondering, to deepening.
Easter is a central celebration in our life together as Christians. #Death does not get the final word. Still there is no new life without death. And that is where intrigue, joy, and mystery come together to form the Easter story. The women report that the tomb is empty. New life has escaped into the world and Jesus models the hope we can have through him. What does #resurrection mean for you and me? Join us Sunday as we ask this question and celebrate some of our answers.
I often find myself in the seat of judgment, quickly dispensing my own determinations about what is right and wrong with the world and with the people in it. Perhaps you find yourself doing the same thing? This week we are going to take a long and gracious look at our propensity to judge and ways to recognize what is happening as it does so we can be careful about dispensing what is not ours to dispense.
We rarely talk about fasting. I hear about fasting and cleansing among folks interested in their health and not-so-much in church. The exception may be in the lead up to Easter when many folks give something up (a form of fasting). And so here we are and yes, we will talk about fasting as a practice of our faith. This practice may or may not be for you; still I feel it is worth our talking about fasting.
"Show up for prayer; don't make a show out of prayer." Over the years, I have talked about and practiced prayer a lot (sometimes more of the "talking about" and less of the "practicing"). However, I know the word itself is elusive. What does it mean to pray? Sometimes it seems like it is just a list of words strung together; other times, we talk about silent prayer and wonder with all the internal chatter, is it really "silent?" I do not intend to settle it once and for all. I do intend to speak honestly about the challenges of opening ourselves into the Eternal Mystery, pouring ourselves out in and to Love.
Jesus spent a "long time" in the wilderness. What is his next move? Luke tells us his next stop is his home town. Jesus figures out who he is and then heads back to the place he grew up. Mistake?
We are leaping from our study of #stories in the Hebrew Bible to studying some of the stories of #Jesus. This week we take up Jesus in the #wilderness to see what he will teach us about finding "direction" in our lives.
In life change is inevitable. It can be exciting and hopeful but it can also be scary and cause us large amounts of anxiety. Changes in our family, our home, our work, our health, and anything deviating from what can be seen as a comfortable "normal." Change, however, is not only inevitable but also biblical. The Bible also shows us examples of initiating as well as handling change well, and of course some examples of not so well.
Last week we took a glance at the Hebrew people trying to settle into the Promised Land under the perceived leadership of God with the need for an occasional “judge” to pull them all together. Eventually, our Hebrew spiritual ancestors decided they wanted a king, someone to lead them all the time. This is the story we will examine Sunday: wanting a king we can see. What can we learn from a story about wanting a king? After all, the United States was founded, at least in theory, on the the desire for no king.
One set of stories from the Bible includes an early kind of leader called a "judge." The stories of the judges are remembered and told in the book of Judges. The early model of leadership for the Hebrew people was about raising up leaders from among the people almost exclusively when a community crisis was imminent. The model recognized that everyone and everything are ultimately under God's leadership; it further recognized that human self-interest might make a "long-term" human ruler seek selfishly after their own interests at the expense of all else. (Sound familiar?) In any case, this week we will explore the story of the judge Gideon for clues about ourselves and our relationship to all else.
On Sunday we will hear a message from Mark Hayes. Mark has been at Saint James for a number of years and has served as the Chair of Church Council, on the Staff-Parish committee, runs and manages slides and lyrics during worship, and creates Sunday sermon graphics. He will be speaking to us from one of his favorite scripture passages.
Moses said "yes" and so God sent him to Egypt to lead the Hebrew from slavery. Everything about the work was a challenge. Still Moses persevered and, with God's help, the people made it. So what can we learn, what can transfer from this story into our everyday living in the twenty-first century? Join us at 11AM Eastern this Sunday in-person or online.
Moses was minding his own business (really his father-in-law's business) which was tending sheep. Nothing about Moses would give him a sense that he would lead the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. In fact, from Moses' perspective it was quite the opposite. And yet Moses was called, tapped for leadership. What does this story teach us about ourselves and The Story? Join us on Sunday in-person or online at 11AM Eastern as we continue the #story #series.
Our story for worship on Sunday will focus on Exodus 1, the story of Shiphrah and Puah, two Israelite midwives who changed the world right where they were. Do you ever wonder if God could do that for you? Or me? Join us in person or online to see what these two women and their story can teach us.
In our story there is a repeated call to see our meaning and purpose. Even as we are called and sent, there is an underlying meaning to what we do and how we are meant to do it. Abram's call and response is an invitation to him and to us to consider the meaning of stepping out in faith and finding meaning in being present for others.
The second story has three major characters and a minor one. Adam, Eve, and God play the lead roles and the serpent plays a minor one. It is a story that has been characterized many ways; for instance, it has been described as the entrance of evil into the world, as the end of innocence, the entrance of of "sin," creation of the original wound, another opportunity to blame someone else for our current challenges, and more as well. No matter how you read and receive this story, it is meant to teach us something. This week I will be sharing some ways we might see the Garden story that could help us today.
The Bible is full of stories that are meant to give us hope, teach us who we are, and help us on the path to find meaning in life. We will spend the weeks ahead talking about some of the stories in the Bible that can help clarify our identities and God's as well. Join us Sunday when we begin in the beginning with Genesis.
Saint James is celebrating Christmas Eve online and carefully in-person. We will shorten our worship, wear our masks, and keep the doors open to the worship center in order to facilitate better ventilation.
So what about when you're expecting a place to land when you're in a strange place and that is not what happens? What can we learn from a full inn in the tiny hamlet of Bethlehem?
The shepherds are doing what shepherds do: shepherding. Suddenly, angels appear in the sky and announce a new birth. What can you expect when you weren't really expecting in the first place? Surprise! Still, there are lessons to learn about expecting from the shepherds.
This year we are switching it up. Normally we explore the magi who came from the East after Christmas. This year they are beginning the lead up to Christmas. It is not clear when they saw "the star" but they traveled a distance to get there. How can their story teach us something about our own?
In the end, faith, a relationship, has practical and practicable skills. We close out the #faith series with a reminder that the portable, resilient, and agenda-less faith are meant to be practiced in everyday living. What might it look like to take faith with you wherever you go, even when things get tough, and do so without any predetermined outcomes?
Jesus goes to eat at the home a religious leader. While he is eating there, a woman comes in to wash his feet and anoint him. The religious leader is bothered by it and Jesus sees the gracious gift in it. What are we to make of this story and how will it teach us to be us better?
Sometimes I find myself wondering how to bounce back from living like I had no faith. Simon is well-acquainted with denying his faith. Still, he bounces back. How can each of us learn from the master “deny-er” about how we can recover a sense of faith?
Where is your table? Where do you go to be welcomed, accepted, loved, known, and transformed? God always has a place at the table for you. And God's table is everywhere.
We are close to ending our series on the #table. I have found that being at table with others changes me. Zacchaeus found the same thing. Have you ever experienced the acceptance of table, where your name was known? This Sunday we will explore Jesus made table a place to be transformed.
Jesus did not hold back when it came to giving. Even before he willingly gave his life away on the cross, he gave his life away in healing and feeding and meeting people. There were times when it was when Jesus fed people from what seemed like little and the meal he leftovers, lots of leftovers. Jesus wanted us to see that God is a God of abundance. This Sunday we will approach a different nuance to the table than the extravagance of several weeks ago; with God there is more than enough.
Jesus models what it means to be a person at the table; he serves others. Sometime we do not appreciate those who serves us at table. Yet Jesus does not look askance at the opportunity to do what we might see as lowly work. Jesus shows us a way to be people of the table that includes others and serves others. Join us Sunday in-person or online at 11AM Eastern as we talk about #table.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke share the story of a woman who anoints Jesus with expensive and aromatic ointment. It is an extravagant gesture, filled with meaning. This week we will explore the meaning as we continue to explore the vital nature of #table as central to worship and to life itself. Join us Sunday online or in-person at 11AM Eastern.
This week we move into the New Testament with a story Jesus told about the table. Though the table may have become less central in our busy lives, it was the place for gathering in the times when the Bible stories were being lived. In many households, days began and ended at the table as they did when I was growing up. Jesus invites all of us to the table and like all invitations, we have to determine for ourselves if we are able to make it. Jesus' story about table will be our place to begin on Sunday. Join us at 11AM Eastern in-person or online.
I am excited to begin our #Table series this Sunday. Saint James offers communion weekly, gathered around the table. Most folks spend time at the table eating and Jesus spent a lot of time eating with and feeding others. The Table is a central part of our lives and it is a place we find meaning and share stories. This week we will explore the table as a place of hospitality and welcome. Join us at 11AM Eastern Sunday in person or online.
There's inspiring poetry in the Hebrew Bible from sources other than the psalms: Song of Solomon. It is a beautiful love poem; sometimes for our more Puritan sensibilities, it is a little racy too! This week we will taste one of the less racy passages and see what flavor it has to offer us today for our practical, day-to-day living. Join us Sunday at 11AM Eastern for worship.
Sometimes it seems the most common characteristic of our lives is choices. Sometimes it feels completely the opposite as if we have no choices. This week we will explore what it means to make the choices God wants. Join us at 11AM Eastern on Sunday as see the vow Joshua makes.
As I have spent the last five weeks reading the writings of Jeremiah, it seems to be beautiful poetry and prose, written from the heart. The promise that comes to us this week as we conclude Jeremiah is that we are taking it a step further: writing from the heart will become writing on the heart. Where do we discover this heart-writing? Is the time that is coming when God will write on our hearts NOW or still not-yet?
What do we do when we reach the end of rational hopefulness? Hope is hard to come by at times. Jeremiah acts out his hope despite all indications to the contrary. What can we learn from Jeremiah that might help us in our everyday lives? Join us Sunday at 11AM Eastern as we see what we can learn.
Jeremiah stirred up the king last week. This week we're getting a glimpse of how he stirs up those folks in exile. Of course, they are longing to come back to the promised land. He tells them to be fully where they are now. What could a message like that imply for us today. Join us Sunday in person or online at 11AM Eastern
This afternoon we discuss and reflect on listening to people who disagree with us and even make us angry. On #Sunday we talked about the king destroying the words written by Jeremiah without considering them because he disagreed with them. Why should we listen to differing perspectives and sources who don't see things the way we do?
Jeremiah dictates a scroll to be read in the Temple, offering a vision of the truth. When it is read to the king, he cuts it up and burns it. Jeremiah dictates it again. What can we make of this story and what will it say to us? Join us in-person and online at 11AM Eastern on Sunday.
This week on Sunday we talked about the process of molding #clay from #Jeremiah. This afternoon we focus on inviting and accepting that process, as difficult, painful, or frustrating as it can be.
Where are you in the process? In what ways can you be open and sensitive to the movement of the Spirit during this time?
The prophets are masters of imagery and simple invitations to be more than we are. Jeremiah casts a vision of God's hand in our shaping. What can this story of an ancient tell us about ourselves? Join us Sunday at 11AM Eastern in person or online for some thoughts about our creatively
One of the topics we visit again and again is call. Jeremiah has a sense of call that runs deep. This week we move to a hybrid model of worship with some folks in-person and some folks online. As we do that, I wanted to address call for each of us as individuals and for us as a church. Join us online or in-person at 11AM Eastern this Sunday
I miss the days when I could come up with catchy titles to my sermons; that being said, working through Ephesians has been a helpful and challenging experience for me as I prepare these messages for you. This week we turn to chapter 2 of Ephesians. If last week we worked on understanding the root of each of our personal identities, this week we begin to ask about the identity of our community of faith. And this week is a breaking open of the intent of God to bring us together. So join us this weekend as we look at community and church and what we mean to one another.
Why this letter of Paul? And who are these "Ephesians" to whom Paul is writing? This week we begin a series on a relatively short letter in the New Testament. We read the letter to the Ephesians to catch a glimpse of the early church and what it meant and means to follow the path of Jesus. Join us Sunday at 11AM Eastern online.
This Sunday is celebrated in many churches as Trinity Sunday; it is an opportunity to talk about the theology of our God who is Three-in-One and One-in-Three. Still when it comes down to everyday living, we may wonder what this enigmatic understanding of God has to do with us. This Sunday Pastor James will do his best to talk about the impact of Trinity on our faith and way of living.
Ezekiel was a prophet speaking his visions of God's life-giving power. He spoke hope into a hopeless time. Can we hear echoes of our calling in a prophet who died centuries before Jesus was born? Join us Sunday when we catch a glimpse of what God might do even among the dry bones.
Jesus prays a beautiful prayer for us. He talks about to whom we belong. He talks passing along his word. And he talks about responsibility for us and the responsibility we bear as receivers of the gift. What does this prayer mean for us? Join us Sunday at 11AM Eastern online as we wrestle with this text to find a meaning for today.
Have you ever "awakened" to realize there was more than you ever imagined? Perhaps it was a relationship that meant more than you thought. Perhaps it was something else altogether. Life is surprising when it is happening. This week we're going to look at the surprise the gospel of John recounts of Jesus' final commandment. And perhaps it not quite as surprising as we might think.
Life happens in big and small ways. Last week we talked about Jesus handing on his mantle to us, all of us, as he did to Simon Peter in John 21. Are we each meant to replicate the things that Jesus did and, if so, in what way? What does that look like in practicality? This Sunday we will explore the ongoing, life-giving mission we are called to emulate and “particulate” in our everyday lives. Join us at 11AM Eastern online!
Are you starting to wonder if things will ever "get back to normal?" More likely, you have been wondering this for awhile. What are we missing? In the wake of the crucifixion and even the resurrection, the disciples seem to try to go back to what they knew before Jesus. Jesus had something else in mind for them and reminds them over fish. What do you imagine Jesus has for us in the "after?" Join us Sunday as we explore what can we learn from Jesus and the disciples about any "afters."
"Life" has been happening a lot over the last year; the greatest challenge was that life looked differently sometimes than we were used to seeing it. If we are honest, there was death, too. So how will we see life in the midst of death, new possibilities after the end of old ones? Perhaps we will be "surprised by God." Join us Sunday as we talk about being surprised by God as we look at some biblical surprises!
Following the events and excitement of Easter, many of us are left, similar to the disciples, wondering what this means for the imperfect and difficult world we live in. It was only natural for the disciples to assume the coming of Jesus, his death, and resurrection meant freedom from the oppressive Roman Empire and restoration of the kingdom of Israel. But, as things with Jesus usually go, it was much different than expected. Much better than expected.
Join us at Saint James on Sunday morning at 11 am as we begin our new series discussing how we navigate an imperfect world with often seemingly impossible circumstances through a post-resurrection lens. Expectations, struggles, successes, disappointments, and all.
She's been called "the apostle to the apostles"and yet not an apostle herself? This week we bring the six week Lenten series on the #crucifixion to a close. What do we know about Mary Magdalene and what can we learn about our own faith from her? Join us Sunday as we finish the series!
Who? After Jesus breathes his last, the centurion sees Jesus for who he was/is. Does the centurion see something we ought to be able to see as well? What is it about Jesus dying that changed the centurion's mind? He was, after all, there because of the part he played in putting Jesus on the cross. Sunday we will look at the centurion's part in the crucifixion. Join us online at 11AM Eastern.
Peter plays an important role in the crucifixion: he is the denier. It is one of those times when he couldn't seem live up to his nickname (Peter means "Rock"). Simon is his given name. He is absolutely certain that he will stand by Jesus until death. Given a chance to claim his connection to Jesus three times on eve of the crucifixion, Simon denies knowing Jesus; he even "curses" in the last denial. The realization of what he had done nearly broke Simon; the keyword here is "nearly." So, what can we learn about being followers from Simon, the denier? Join us Sunday at 11AM Eastern as we explore where we might see ourselves in Simon Peter.
The Bible has an on-again/off-again relationship with religious people. Some are lionized and others are demonized. What are we to make of the religious folks in the life of Jesus? The more we look at the various religious crowd from the gospels, the more we see a mixture of what we might call good and bad. This week we will try a broad picture of the religious folk of Jesus' time and see they have lessons to teach us even today. Join us for worship online on Sunday at 11AM Eastern.
his week we begin a series about the people involved with the crucifixion of Jesus. Some of these folks were friends; others actually played a part in making it happen. Some abandoned him, betrayed him, sentenced him; one never left him. What can each of these tell us about Jesus and faith? We will spend the next six weeks exploring what we can know about them. We begin with Pontius Pilate.
Jesus had a way of turning the tables and, at least once, did so quite literally! Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem and was angered to see folks being cheated in the outer courtyard where some temple-related commerce happened. This week we will look deeper at this story and ask again what this story might tell us about Jesus and ourselves.
Jesus and the disciples are on the way back to Galilee. On any long road trip, it may be necessary to stop and get something to eat and drink. They stop in Sychar which happens to be a Samaritan territory. Jesus sits at the well and the disciples head into town to get some food. It’s midday and Jesus asks for some water from a woman who has come to the well herself. What a wonderful setting for us to learn from the master! Join us Sunday at 11AM Eastern online as we see what we can learn about Jesus and ourselves from this story.
...and Jesus went to it. The after-wedding party ran out of wine. Jesus' mom, Mary, asks Jesus to do something about it. In the end, he does do something. This week we turn to the gospel of John for Jesus' first "miracle." What can we learn about Jesus and what does it have to do with us? Join us online only at 11AM Eastern for worship and more about the wedding at Cana.
Immediately after being baptized by John the baptizer, Jesus heads out into "the wilderness." What is this wilderness experience all about? Is there some way in which our journey of faith is "into the wilderness?" Is there something deeper that happens in the wilderness? Is it always a literal wilderness? I have a lot of questions about this wilderness journey and what impact it had for Jesus and, by extension, how a wilderness journey might impact us. Join us Sunday online as we seek a shared wisdom this piece of Jesus' life.
Jesus walked a specific road which began in his baptism. To follow in his footsteps is the goal of our faith. So how will we do that? Why was Jesus baptized? Is baptism where the road begins for us all? We are going to spend the next several weeks talking about Jesus's Way by looking at key points in his ministry. The gospel of Mark starts with the baptism and so shall we.
On this last Sunday before Christmas we leave Isaiah to turn the clock back in Israel's history. King David wants to build a house for God, a "temple," where the Presence can abide. Initially, this plan sounds good to everyone. Then the prophet Nathan has a dream. A prophet's dream can mess up anybody's plan. Join us this Sunday online-only as we look together at houses for God. What will come of David's plan? Does Nathan indeed mess it up? We'll talk about it!
We turn again this week to the prophet Isaiah for a word about how to deal with all this #expectation and #waiting and #uncertainty. And there is also a hint of the #joy of expectation borne of trust. In this season of pandemic and anticipating Christmas, how will Isaiah help us be strengthened/comforted/joyful as we live into the most "unusual" Christmas in my memory?
Where do we find "comfort" when everything seems a bit upside-down? What word do we have when things are challenging and difficult and we do not have a clear sense of when "this" will be over? Isaiah 40 speaks words of hope and comfort to a people who have lost a sense of home and promise. If last week was a request to "break through the heavens," this week is a response promising consolation and the sign of a "voice" crying in the wilderness. Join us Sunday as we look together at this passage and seek a word for us!
After 8 months of pandemic, we are getting the feeling of what it means to wait. Sometimes waiting is exciting; sometimes waiting is monotonous and nerve-wracking. With every fiber of ourselves we cry out, "Fix it-NOW!" We are moving now toward anticipating Christmas and waiting is not our strong suit. Isaiah 64 is right there with us: O that you would tear open the heavens and come down...
There are stories that begin with "three people walk into a bar..." It is, however, the rare story that begins with "four guys lower another guy through a recently created hole in the roof." This Sunday we explore calling and how intention shapes what we do and how we do it. This week's story involves five unnamed guys, four of whom make all the difference for the fifth one. Join us as we look for the nuances in all of our callings.
We continue the Beginning the Path: We Start Where We Are with a fish story. Jesus begins his ministry in Mark with calling two fishermen and then another two fishermen. Apparently, fishermen make the best first disciples. So, what can we learn about our own calling from the calling of these four folks? Join us Sunday as we explore the callings of Simon, Andrew, James, and John. Online only at 11:00AM Eastern.
This week I am circling back around to the call of Moses; you know, the burning bush story. As I look at the text of Moses call, I ask the question: do I really want that clear of a sign? Do I want to be certain of what God wants for me? If you have an answer and are interested in hearing mine, join us for worship online-only this Sunday at 11:00AM Eastern.
Most of my life I missed out on the call story of Esther. If I am honest, I never really learned much about Esther at all. Now I have discovered the power of this story and Esther's response to the call on her life.
Matthew’s call story is pretty short. He is at work. Jesus walks by and says, “Follow me.” Matthew gets up and follows him. End of story? No, it is the beginning of a new story for Matthew. Join us this Sunday as we explore calling as an ordinary AND extraordinary event in every life.
Sometimes it is difficult for us to believe how God sees us and how God sees others around us. That is the story for our called-person of this week: David. Some of you may be saying to yourselves, "Wasn't David the great king of Israel?" Yes and he did not begin that way! Any more than any of us begin on top of the world. Join us at 11:00AM Eastern on Sunday for part 3 in our series Beginning the Path: We Start Where We Are.
Our second installment in the Beginning the Path: We Start Where We Are takes a look at some of the big, memorable stories of call in the Bible. Over the many years I have served as a pastor, I have been asked why a person didn't get a burning bush like Moses or a blinding light like Paul. Wouldn't it be cool to have a BIG call story like one of the biblical characters? Sure. But if you think about how each of us is a once-in-infinity creation, then it seems reasonable that we'd each have a unique experience of call. This Sunday, we'll talk about calling and God's unique connection to all of us. Join us at 11:00AM Eastern online-only.
This week we begin a series about call and working out our faith- Beginning the Path: We Start Where We Are. Over the coming weeks, we will examine the call stories of folks whose call stories from the Bible are less "bright-lights-from-heaven" or "burning-bush" episodes and more everyday. We'll be looking at stories more like yours or mine. We begin this week with the challenges of answering the call, working it out. Join us Sunday online-only as we kick off the new series at 11:00AM Eastern.
We continue with our series on the writings of Paul. This week is focused on Philippians 2:1-13 where Paul tells us to be of the same mind, having the same love and to do nothing from self ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. In the challenging world we live in today in 2020, how do we wrap our heads around this message of such love in this way? How do we cope with the unpredictable and stressful world we find ourselves in and yet live such a life with such love and humility?
We continue our series on the writings of Paul. This week in Philippians. Where Paul writes about living a life "worth of the gospel of Christ."
What is a life worthy of the gospel? How do we both boast in Christ and live in humility? On Sunday we discuss how we can not only live a life worthy of the gospel but live one that reflects it leading others to encounter Jesus.
This week, Matthew shares another story that includes Simon (aka Peter, the Rock). This time Simon wants to know how much forgiving is he really expected to do. In other words, Simon wants to know what limit Jesus is placing on this forgiveness-thing. Simon thinks he's being pretty generous and offers 7 times. Jesus has a counter offer and a story. Join us Sunday as we talk about forgiveness, Jesus-style.
Jesus has called Simon (“Peter”) out for getting who Jesus is, for receiving that knowledge as a gift from God. Now Simon completely misses the point and gets called out for that, too. Jesus uses strong words no less. Now Simon is labeled as adversary! Which is it? Is Simon for or against Jesus and the mission Jesus has laid out? Join us Sunday as we take a look at Matthew 16:21-28 for clues.
We are moving on in Matthew’s gospel to a place where Jesus asks who the disciples think he is. What is so powerful about this story is that in it, Simon discovers his own identity. This weekend we ask who Jesus is and how that relates to who each of us is.
Jesus is out for a walk with his disciples (pretty much, that is his whole ministry pattern). A gentile, a Canaanite woman, calls to him for help. He doesn’t respond. She keeps calling. His disciples ask him to respond. He does. As we continue to learn from the Jesus stories in Matthew’s gospel, we’ll look at what this story can teach us. Does Jesus not care for this woman calling out to him? What might be the reason Matthew included this story?
Do you feel overwhelmed by all that is going on? Do you feel like the storms of life are conspiring against you moving ahead? You are not alone! Many of us feel that way and certainly, the disciples felt that way on a stormy night, in a boat battered by waves and working against a serious headwind.
Solomon, David's son, followed a winding path to the throne of Israel. Murder, exile, marriage, sacrifices. Despite all these things, he was on the throne, leading Israel. An encounter with God, in 1 Kings 3 changes the course of Solomon's life. Do you ever think that God could not love you? Or the neighbor you don't like because of something in the past? Living the dream is possible! We can learn from Solomon's story and God's action in it.
At the end of Job, we learn that chaos is simply a part of life, that there isn’t always a reason for the troubles that come. The book concludes with Job having more children, more wealth, and a long life following his ordeal. It’s considered a happy ending. But is it? The truth of life is that there isn’t always a happy ending, that good times don’t always return and that people don’t always live “happily ever after." What about those times, when no resurrection comes? Join us Sunday as we talk about ‘When All’s Not Well.’
Job has been asking for, demanding, a face-to-face with God. He gets a meeting and his way of seeing is changed. And his life is changed. As we draw Job’s story to a close, what do we see in Job now that can inspire us and teach us something about facing challenging times? This weekend, we will ask this Bible passage to give up its hints about knowing God better.
Job has repeatedly insisted he is both innocent and demands an audience with none other than God! And in a surprise (not really), God does indeed show up! What does this “showing up” mean for Job and, by extension, for us today?
Things are not looking good for our hero, Job. He has lost everything and now his friends lecture him about how it is all his fault. And it is not. Yet in spite of the “forces” arrayed against him, Job dares to toy with hope. It is only a hint and then a declaration. When things come unglued, can we learn to cling to hope? What can Job teach us?
What do we do with suffering, ours and that of others? How do we speak of it? The Job who had everything is a man in the rear-view mirror. The Job who has lost much and faced tragedy is here and now. And yet Job also hold tight to his integrity and struggles to understand where God is in all his suffering. Join us as we listen to and learn from Job and his friends about our own struggles.
The book of Job has been a source of conversation, consternation, and hope in suffering for more than 2000 years. Over the next 5 weeks, we will search with Job for answers (maybe just better questions?) to our own struggles and suffering. What do we expect from God? What does God see in us? How do we find a way through suffering (not to be confused with a way around suffering)? The timing for a conversation about Job seems right in light of the pandemic and the uprising in response to racial injustice. What can Job teach us? This week we get introduced to Job in Job 1.
I don't know about you, but I want "due season" to mean "when I am ready" or "when I want it." Sometimes, waiting for any other timing than my own is difficult. Yet this life is not made this way. Can Abraham and Sarah teach us something that helps us prepare for "due season?" You can read our text for this week (Genesis 18:1-15).
As the early gatherings of Jesus-followers began forming, what did it look like? How have things changed since then? And what can those early followers teach us about being church now, in the world as it is today? This Sunday we will look at a piece of Acts, Acts 2:43-47 to be exact.
Have you ever thought about that phrase, "Watch your language?" How can you watch your language when it's floating invisibly through the air? Of course, the warning has more to do with the choice of our more colorful metaphors than with seeing what we're saying. Still, in the early beginnings of church, one of the biggest barriers was people who didn't speak the same language. So 50 days after Resurrection, the Spirit flowed and people could hear what others were saying. With this, church (literally "the gathering") was born.
he resurrection is accomplished and Jesus is still teaching the disciples. As we turn our eyes toward the story in Acts, we find the disciples asking Jesus when the kingdom will come. Sometimes we find ourselves asking the same kinds of questions: God, when will we see your kingdom, your plan unfold? This Sunday we will wonder together about this passage and Jesus' ascent into the sky. What can it mean for us today?
"Do you love me?" The risen Jesus asks Peter this question-three times! So, what was Peter's response? (read John 21:15-19) As I hear the question asked, I wonder what my response would be. Could I honestly say, "Yes?" And just what does "loving" Jesus entail? Could I do so wholeheartedly? How does a question addressed to someone else 2000 years ago fit into our following Jesus now? Join us online-only this Sunday at 11:00AM Eastern for a response.
It's another #resurrection story with a fishing twist. (read John 21:1-14) The disciples have seen the resurrected Jesus appear twice. Now that everything has changed, they go back to what they know? If the truth be told, most of us would welcome getting back to what we know; it is, after all, comfortable. So what will be next for these disciples? And what will be next for us as modern-day disciples?
This week we will continue with the gospel of John. The last two verses in chapter 20 (30-31) say there’s more, a LOT more that could be said and written. However, the writer has given us “just enough” so that we might believe. So, what is “believing?” And how does believing offer us life? This weekend we will explore what it means to believe and how we might find life in believing!
have spent a lifetime coming to know Thomas as the doubtful disciple, the one who demanded a sign in order to "believe." The descriptions of Thomas almost always had negative undertones (i.e. "Don't be a 'doubting Thomas!'"). Is what Thomas does in asking for a sign really bad? Does the gospel writer say that it is bad to doubt? As I am an occasional skeptic myself, I want to find a comrade in Thomas! This Sunday we will take a closer look at his much maligned disciple of Jesus.
As we continue to gather virtually, what does the Easter message mean to us? In this week's story (John 20:19-23), Jesus appears to his disciples who are hiding. He speaks to them, shows himself, and offers them direction in their bewilderment. Can these same words offer us some sense of direction in this time in which we find ourselves?
Easter is a robust celebration of the power of Life, life in the face of death. This year in the midst of a global pandemic, that robust feeling seems a bit more muted. There will be no large gatherings for Easter worship with the characteristic sound of voices lifted in victorious worship. What word of hope can this day, this Easter event, speak into our everyday struggles? Where is the God of Resurrection in our world right now?
Good Friday has always had a harsh edge to it. This year with all the suffering and uneasiness in the world, Good Friday seems an opportunity to struggle with these challenges we face. What can we learn from looking at Jesus being crucified that might help us? To be honest, most of the time it is easier to turn away. Pain and suffering does not go down easily. One night, one day really, is what the church has given us to stare Death in the face and ask, "Why?" How do we deal with grief and anxiety and fear and the unexpected? It's a tall order, but this year we will ask that of Good Friday.
"There is no fear in love..." What did he say? Could the elder writing the First Letter of John have any idea about what he is saying? Let us be honest with one another. When the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the world passed 1 million on Thursday, it shook us a bit. I know it gave me pause.
If I have fear, does it mean I don't have love? Since fear and personal struggle are on many folks minds, it seems providential that one of our readings this last week in First John is about fear. This Sunday we will look at fear and ask how we can deal with fear even now.
John tells us that love comes from God because it is the central characteristic of God. Those who love are "born of God and know God." In John's Gospel Jesus leaves his disciples with a final command: love one another. But how can we actually show God's love to our neighbors during this time of physical distancing?
1 John is a letter to a community with identity issues. So, who are they and what is the true message? What is their communal identity? And how can they reflect that identity in their lives? This letter has beautiful and challenging echoes for us today. Furthermore, our work to be the “church” is at stake.
1 John 2:15-17. What does it mean to “love the world?” And why is it “bad?” I mean, we have been talking about how LOVE is a good thing; to love is to “walk in the light,” right? This Sunday we will tackle what this elder who is writing may mean by not loving the world.
1 John 1. The first week of readings invites us into a world loved and created by God- through Jesus. So, is this just esoteric theology or is this something more? Is there some way to apply these teachings to our everyday life? Hint: yes!
Matthew tells the story of Peter, James, and John (Jesus’s followers) on a mountain with Jesus. In itself that is not all that unusual sounding. Then Jesus starts “shimmering” and talking with Moses and Elijah. No big deal until one realizes that Moses and Elijah are long dead by the time of Jesus. So what are we to make of this? And how are we to find application of this “glowing” Jesus to our own lives?
After the “foolishness” of last week, we turn to the message Paul delivers. So what wisdom does he bring? Christ and Christ crucified. What does he mean and what could this mean for us? Join us un Sunday at 11am Eastern in person or online as we take a look. (1 Corinthians 2)
In his letter to Corinth, Paul opens fairly quickly with the “foolishness of the cross.” What could he mean? Is he saying we are fools for following in the way of Jesus? I don’t know about you but I’m not fond of being a fool! This Sunday we will talk about the foolishness of faith and what it may mean for us.
In our final week of our series based on The Monkhood of all Believers we’re going to talk about the vow of obedience. It doesn’t mean just being a good little boy or girl and obeying what those above us tell us to do. Rather, its meant to bring peace and stability in a world that encourages ambition and ladder climbing.
This week we will be looking at the second monastic vow, the vow of chastity. Chastity carries a whole host of connotations, some of them less than encouraging, especially for those of us who are in relationships. Is that all there is to this vow? Is it really that narrow? What would a vow of chastity look like for the non-monastic in this modern world as we seek to follow Jesus?
I admit it: this first vow does not sound very “attractive.” Further, it may sound a little counter-intuitive. Would God really want me to be in poverty? So, what if delve a little deeper into what poverty might have looked like to a monk making the vow, and how we might find some places where it would make sense for us?
his week we begin a series on The Monk-hood of All Believers. Lest you be dissuaded by this series title, this series is for anyone. Furthermore, we reflect faith through practice. A monk takes vows to shape life around practice. So we launch the series this weekend with a look at creating a monastic space where you are!
We expected more from Christmas: more hope, more peace, more joy, more trust, and more love. And Christmas has come. So we ask: was there more that mattered? Or were there just more things? Further, now that Christmas Day has passed, what do we do with the “more?”
Join your neighbors in person or online for Christmas Eve worship as we figure out what Luke 2 has to say to us today about the love of God in Christ.
Christmas is not “happy, happy, joy, joy” for everyone. Further, this season reminds some of someone missed, a lost loved one, an “empty nest,” a broken relationship. So we recognize the mixed feelings of Christmas in our Longest Night worship experience.
We end out Expect More from Christmas series with trust. To be clear, it is the bedrock of every relationship. And in the end, Christmas is all about a relationship.
Isn’t joy the same thing as happiness? And if it is, chasing after it just leads to disappointment, right? Furthermore, I am too busy to be joyful just now. Perhaps I can fit it in between gifts on Christmas? So it goes. Yet find joy is a core message of Christmas!
Does Christmas bring out your hope or simply anticipation and anxiety? Certainly, the season leading up to Christmas is busy. Furthermore, the preparations are overwhelming. And the world is overwhelming! So what will we do about it? And where will we find hope, let alone, more hope? In short, is there “hope” in this season at all?
Peace? You’ve got to be kidding! This is busiest, sometimes pressure-filled time of year. So how will we find peace? And how would “more peace” be possible!?
For 1500 years Christian mystics, monks, and nuns have sought union with God in the religious life. But for those of us who lead lives in the ordinary world, it seems like an unreachable goal, and that often saddens us. But should it? And can we touch this feeling of union even though we don’t live our whole lives in seclusion in a monastery? The answers will surprise you! Join us on Sunday to learn more.
Have you ever wanted to size up Jesus? If so, you are not alone! Even when people saw Jesus in the flesh they wanted a measure of the man. So Zacchaeus was one of those folks. And he measured Jesus. Further, Jesus measured him. By love. This Sunday we will look at the story for hints about who Jesus is.
“O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” - Psalm 63:1 Having spent these last weeks talking about The Universal Christ, we turn again to why it matters. This Christ is not some abstract thought-project. This Christ is at the core of all that exists, the first Word spoken, and is in some way our “connection” to the Eternal! So this week we will explore desiring God.
Last week we discovered there are a number of theories about who Jesus was and what part he played/plays in our God-connection. So this week we dig in and ask, “What does my ‘theory’ say about who I am and who God is?” And how will I let the “theories” play out?
The Universal Christ, the First Word spoken, the Shape and “Blueprint” of All-That-Is, took form. He is the One we call Jesus. And we have been trying to describe this “Jesus” ever since. So I suspect anyone asked would give some description of who Jesus was/is/will be. Whose explanation of Jesus, of the Eternal Christ, gets to hold sway? Is it possible to define and limit the Infinite? This Sunday we will look together at these questions.
Have you ever felt weak? Perhaps you also felt it difficult to press on? So this week’s topic is all about weakness. And it is all about discovering our place in the universe through, you guessed it, the Universal Christ. In summary, sometimes I am weak; sometimes you are weak. This weekend we will discern how Paul considered weakness a “good” thing. Moreover, we will seek to divine how weakness might be a good thing for us, too.
Have you ever thought about the Universe and where we fit into it? So it is a question of scope and meaning. This second message in our Universal Christ series is about our place in it all.
Jacob is on the “road.” He is traveling and he stops for the night. Then he gets a rock for a pillow and shuts his eyes. And as you might imagine, Jacob dreams. He dreams of a ladder/staircase/ramp with God’s messengers ascending and descending and God speaks to him. Where Jacob sleeps is a piece of the Promised Land. What is more, Jacob will inherit it. When Jacob arises in the morning, he sets up his “pillow,” the rock, and anoints it with oil. So what does this have to do with The Universal Christ?
The Way of Jesus changes us. Sometimes the change is instantaneous but more often the change happens over a lifetime. Moreover, it is the path itself and practicing the relationship that changes us. Still more confounding, we find who we are becoming is the person we always were. Jesus invites us to a path; our walking the path transforms us. Still want to say, “yes?” We will talk about transformation this Sunday at 11am Eastern in worship.
Embodiment sounds like a fancy, churchy word! So why are we using it? Well, to start we all live in a body. And contrary to what some may say, our bodies are good things! Bodies are the way we experience life and the way we hold hands and listen and talk and the list is ongoing. Furthermore, we believe that the Eternal “Word became flesh” and lived among us; that in itself implies the Whole Body is a pretty awesome.
What does it mean to be transparent? It is when others can see the truths they feel they need to know in one another. Further, it is actively being open to others. This is a tall order. But it is one we are called to follow. This week we will talk about how we might be transparent.
Keeping it all together is hard work! Holding together all the pieces of our fragmented lives in a crazy world is challenging. Then how do we bring it together? Integrity. God works in us and through us to help us approach life as a whole.
We begin talking about our values at Saint James with Authenticity. Debbie shared the message with us this week and challenges us in how we practice authenticity as Christians.
For all of us, our most original “footing” or grounding is in the image of God written on each of us. Harkening back to our days of movie clips in worship (before the live streaming), our message will unpack the Marvel hero, Thor. The message will be based around the discussion of how our insecurities and flaws shape who we are. Not only that but it makes us who God wants us to be.
God’s love for us is unequivocal. It flows to us without measure or preconditions. But just like forgiveness, which caries an expectation that we will forgive as we’ve been forgiven, love is a key marker that signifies our relationship with God, and also carries expectations. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love,” (1 John 4:8).
Are you ever uncertain about where you’re going? What you should do? How do you figure things out? Staying open to God invites us to keep searching, to be in conversation with God daily. We will look at the prophet Jeremiah and his words to the Israelites in exile found in Jeremiah 29: 5-14. God invites us to keep searching through our lives. In that search, our hearts will be changed.
How can we be open to experiencing God? Since Jesus tells us to come to him as children, we will explore how being childlike can create an openness to God.
Is it possible that God is trying to connect all the time? Would we notice? That is why this week we take up keeping awake.
“Do no harm” is behind us and fair “do all the good you can” awaits! So this week we take a look at the second general rule. The rule invites us to do our best to do good all the time everywhere. Now that is a challenge. This week we will take on the challenge.
Do no harm. It seems very simple until you look a second time. So I looked a second time. When do words escape my mouth that hurt others? When do I judge myself extra harshly? And when do I let thoughts cross my mind that are negative? Still we can catch ourselves, can we? Now it is clear there is more to doing no harm than it appears at first glance!
What do we need rules for? And how do they go with the “grace” thing? Furthermore, aren’t the rules covered by grace? This week we begin the Rules series by looking at the big picture of rules.
“Who do you say I am?” Jesus asked. So how will we answer? That is to say how will you answer? Moreover, having answered, will it make any difference? We will ask this weekend after Jesus’s identity and how that matters in real life.
Everyone leaves a legacy and is a legacy, too. Who we are is a gift to us from God. And we can thank those who came before us as well. So what have we received? And what will we pass on?
od’s deep concern for us and the universe calls us to step out and step up. So that seems “big.” And I feel inadequate to the task. You probably do, too. Hence, we will talk about it this week. Above all, we will look at our stepping toward God’s vision.
How do we discover God’s vision for us? Does God give us any hints? This Sunday in worship we will focus on God’s vision for us and some steps we may take toward discovering the vision.
Christianity labeled Thomas as doubting Thomas. Yet nothing less than Love can label us. However, we have been slow on the uptake! What if doubt is a gift and not a curse? How will we receive this gift? And is it really a gift?
On Easter Sunday (April 21) we will have two worship experiences! We will ask the question in both: What is YOUR resurrection story?
The crucifixion seems difficult to “celebrate.” And yet every year we gather on Good Friday to remember what the crucifixion means for us. Is there good news for us in death, in the death of one we call “Lord?”
Now that we’ve walked through the 12 steps and even talked about practicing them, what now? We know that we will see growth and change as we make the steps real in our lives. So let’s talk about applying the steps.
We have now come to step 12 in our Breathing Under Water Series. Now that we have begun to spiritually practice the 12 steps, we give it away! So as we change our lives, we give the gift of what we learn to others. And in so doing, we more completely internalize them ourselves. What would it look like to practice step 12?
Sometimes I feel like that squirmy kid, you know the one who is anxious to get somewhere, anywhere else. Sometimes this is how we are in our faith life, squirmy, unable to listen. Sunday in worship at 11:00AM Eastern, we will look at Psalm 46 and Ephesians 4 to see what God has to say to us about prayer, listening, and the call to just be still.
Didn’t we just talk about moral inventories? So why are we going at it again? The answer is mostly because the deeper we go, the more we find. And the quicker we discover and respond to those challenges that arise in us, the more likely we are to recover from our addicted patterns of behaving.
We’ve just come off of making a “list” of those we wronged. So the question is what we do with the list? It may seem that we ought to track down everyone on the list to apologize or seek to make things right. However, there are some people who could be harmed more by seeking them out. Perhaps we must consider the reasoning and wisdom in each case. This Sunday we will look at wisely seeking to make amends where appropriate.
On step 8 we “make a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.” The impact our addictions have on others becomes, possibly, at it’s clearest during this step. How has this lifestyle, this pride, this whatever impacted family, friends, and other people around us? This week – the first Sunday of Lent – we will talk about forgiveness, reconciliation, and the example Jesus gives regarding step 8.
We are taking a one-week break in our Breathing Underwater Series to talk about love (yes, AGAIN!). Additionally, we will talk a bit about what the recent decision by the United Methodist Church means for us. Some worry about what this decision. So, how it will impact our policy of loving and accepting people as God does: as they are, right where they are? What does this mean for Saint James being Saint James?
God already knows me and my needs. And God also loves and cares about me. So I admit my faults and expect God to take care of my shortcomings. However, this is where many relationships can take a bad turn, assuming the other party knows and will take care of things. Since this “thing” is part of our ongoing relationship, I humbly ask God to remove the shortcoming. “Seek…, ask…” Now, I get the picture! This week we will sort together step 7 of the 12 steps.
I would very much like to fix all of my challenges to living fully. However, I must first discover the blockages and challenges themselves! So Step 6 says we must live in tension: discover what needs fixing AND leave the fixing to God. That is a tall order for fix-it folks like me.
Do we want to be transformed and grow to be more whole? That question shapes our next step: admitting our wrongs to God and one another. So I admit freely that accountability is challenging for me. I believe accountability is a challenge. This Sunday we will take a look at becoming accountable for our wrongs in order to grow.
Have you ever taken a serious look at yourself? That self-reflective look is probably one of the most difficult tasks one can undertake. And yet, if we seriously reflect on our lives, we can learn some important lessons. So this week we will look at taking a moral inventory of our lives. Let the discovery begin!
Surrender is never a pleasant sounding choice. Consequently, it is something we avoid at all costs. But what if surrender is the way that leads to a fuller life? And what if it is only by letting go that we experience true freedom? Furthermore, Father Richard points out that it is not “giving up” so much as “giving to.”
What or who could possibly move us from the place of powerlessness we talked about last week? Certainly the force has to be bigger, higher than us if we are powerless. Hence, this week we will talk about this next step after we admit powerlessness.
We believe we are in control: of our lives, of our time, of what we think, of what we do. As a consequence, we do not fully experience or enjoy the life we truly have. So what do we do about it? This week we will take step one together as we trust God more.
The sermon series is based on a book about the spirituality of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is not too late to find/order/get a copy of Father Richard Rohr’s book Breathing Under Water. We will also gather two Thursday evenings each month from 7:00PM -8:30PM to explore together. In January, it’ll be on the seventeenth and thirty-first. Let James know if you wish to join (james@sjumc.net).
We celebrate the arrival of the Magi from the East, often referred to as wise men. What can we learn about them from Matthew 2:1-12? Furthermore, having learned about them, what does it mean for us today? So we transition to this New Year with a word about wisdom. Join us Sunday; we will explore the Magi!
James and James discuss entering into the new year with joy. This simple discussion responds to three questions: "What do we find that prevents us from being joyful? Some Examples?" "What does God really have to do with joy in a pragmatic way?" and "What are some things we can do (or do more of) to receive and embrace the joy (that God is actively and regularly providing) in the new year?"
What is the point of religious faith? It’s a question lots of folks ask. And also how does it make life any better? And how does it make the world any better? But maybe even more pertinent: how does it make me any better?
We finish our series with a look at the manger. And we ask what is the significance of the Eternal being born in such an earthy place? So familiar is the story we miss this crucial element! However, we will take this place ever-so-seriously and make certain to ponder it closely.
Life is busy. So we fall into a pattern of assuming that life has to be busy. Additionally, we believe fitting more and more into our lives will give us meaning. Eventually we do not know any other way than living lives crowded with motion. Consequently, we begin to confuse motion with meaning with busy-ness. Then we have no room remaining as was the case for Mary and Joseph. Join us this week as we explore how we might make a little more room in these days before Christmas.
Mary and Joseph find they must make a journey to Bethlehem. Mary is pregnant. This is no easy journey. However, this is the way to Christmas. We all walk roads that are sometimes difficult. What can we learn from Mary and Joseph and the rest of the biblical story about walking the hard roads?
Luke 1:26-38. What are the key pieces of the Christian story that lead us to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem? The first is Mary’s Encounter with God’s messenger. So this week we begin a new series on crucial pieces of the Story. Consequently the road to Christmas begins with an encounter. Additionally, our Christmas Story, the one we experience now, also begins with Godly encounters.
Failure is a part of living, even for leaders and maybe even especially for leaders. When a person puts themselves “out there,” tries new things, they are almost certainly going to fail sometimes. However, this potential for failure does not prevent the leader from trying the new thing. So the leader musters courage deep within to press on. They give the best they have. They fail boldly, and then rise again to face new challenges.
When a leader says something, we want to be able to believe it. So we are taking up trustworthiness as the next quality for leaders. Furthermore, we’ll explore the implications being trustworthy will carry for all of us when we lead. In addition, we will work on ways to embody trust.
Last week we began talking about what it means to be leaders in more than our titles in life. So this week we continue by looking at Living into Our Values. Furthermore, Brene Brown in Dare to Lead is correct to point out that we cannot live into values we cannot name for ourselves. Hence, the question becomes can you name what you values? Additionally, once named how willing are you to do the hard work of living them in everyday living? With that in mind, we will talk about leadership this week in worship.
his week we begin a series based on Brene Brown’s newest book, Dare to Lead. Pastor James will look at the lessons of the book against the backdrop of the leaders in the Bible. Furthermore, all of us lead somewhere; additionally, we wonder what “real” leadership looks like. So Brene Brown fleshes out principles that are clearly evident in the biblical witnesses. And Pastor James freely admits that he is preaching this series selfishly in hopes of improving his own skills. Maybe overhearing his learning will help us all?
“I’m late, I’m late for a very important date. No time to say ‘hello, goodbye.’ I’m late.” And like the Mad Hatter, we find ourselves rushing from place to place without being present in any of them. Hence, this week we will take on the delightfully daunting task of practicing being where we are. And yes, it is a spiritual discipline as we shall discover together.
Joshua 1:8. Last week, James challenged us to read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) over the next month. How can we read the Bible in ways that make the sacred words breathe new life into us? This weekend we will look at some ways the Bible has been read for thousands of years so that it might speak anew to us.
The week we will end the On the Mountain Series. However, the questions only just begin! What kind of ground will we choose for the Ground for our lives? Apparently, everything we’ve heard from Jesus leads to this question. Furthermore, Jesus is clear that the choice matters especially when the going gets rough.
We are drawing near to the end of our time with Jesus on the mountain. Furthermore, Jesus did not save the easy, light teachings for the end! Rather, he invites us to decide if we are willing to enter the “narrow” path of following him. This week we look together at the narrow way, asking what that narrow way might look like and how we will live into that narrow way.
What is it that you are looking for in living? What is it that you seek? Jesus tells us that if we seek, we will find. But we ask what is it that we will find? This Sunday, we will listen closely for Jesus’s direction in our lives of seemingly endless seeking.
Jesus brings yet another blistering challenge to folks who follow him: do not judge. Furthermore, he leaves absolutely no wiggle room for the dangling “but,” a favorite equivocation I like to use. Additionally, Someone will judge me by the measure I use in judging others. Seems like that is not fair at all! As a result, Jesus clearly wants me to take this “not judging” seriously. Therefore, like it or not, we will take up “not judging” this weekend in worship at 11am.
What do we treasure? Probably Jesus asks that because he wants to know what it is his disciples value. Also, Jesus knows that we build our lives around the things we value; we sacrifice and even give our lives to the that which we value. Read Matthew 6:19-24. On what will we stake our lives?
Prayer is a core part of our faith life. Perhaps that is why I find that I have shared a message about prayer four times this year. Furthermore, there are a variety of ways to understand what prayer is. Because of that, there are a variety of books that explain “how” to pray and even the words to use when we pray. It is, therefore, natural for me to weigh in with some thoughts of my own, as drawn from Matthew 6:7-15. As it turns out, Jesus had some instructions on praying!
Have you ever thought that religion is a show that, if it’s good enough, might attract God’s attention and let people know just how holy we are, too? I am sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but God is not interested in the show and even less so if we “do the show” so others will see just how religious we are. There was a time when folks referred to me (Pastor James) as “the religious guy” when I was hanging out in Starbucks! I thought that was pretty cool. I wonder now if it was cool at all. Was it because I was an example of loving and accepting as God does? Or was it because I laid out my religious books and tried to “look holy?” I hope it was the first, but all of us have to be careful lest we cross over to looking holy so others will admire our holiness! This weekend we look at Matthew 6:1-18 (focus on Matthew 6:1). (I shared some thought about it on my personal blog if you’d like to take a look.)
The Sermon on the Mount is a wonderful collection of Jesus’ teachings from Matthew. Over the next several weeks, we are going to explore the teachings in a series called On the Mountain with Jesus. This week we will look at Jesus’ teaching on Law. What is the Law and how are are we bound by it? And further, are you wondering what this has to do with you in today’s world? Join us Sunday at 11am in person or online.
“Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.” Does this statement point to a divine feedback loop of mercy where to receive mercy we must first give it? If Christ has poured out his mercy on the church, why isn’t the church a more merciful place? In this message, Megan recounts her own struggle with the topics of mercy and forgiveness.