Mountain Grace: Recent Episodes
None
What is Jesus talking about when he says that to see the kingdom of God we must be born from above?
Readings: Genesis 12:1-4a Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 John 3:1-17 Psalm 121
Jesus' temptations show us the importance of paying attention to the ways we reach for the good goals in our lives.
Readings: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 Romans 5:12-19 Matthew 4:1-11 Psalm 32
Do we only find Jesus on the mountaintop in glory, or is he also in the mundane and ordinary experiences of life?
Readings: Exodus 24:12-18 2 Peter 1:16-21 Matthew 17:1-9 Psalm 2
God invites us to live as we were created and thrive or follow our own path and wither.
Readings: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Matthew 5:38-48 Psalm 119:1-8
In telling of salt and light Jesus reminds us that we work best together
Readings: Isaiah 58:1-12 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 Matthew 5:13-20 Psalm 112:1-9
We're celebrating the Feast of the Presentation and looking for signs of God's loving action in the world.
Readings: Malachi 3:1-4 Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40 Psalm 84
The story of Paul and Cornelius shows us how the Holy Spirit works to free us from our stuck places
Readings: Isaiah 42:1-9 Acts 10:34-43 Matthew 3:13-17 Psalm 29
We are called to offer ourselves, soul and body, to God's dream for us
Readings: Jeremiah 31:7-14 Ephesians 1:3-6,15-19a Matthew 2:13-15,19-23 Psalm 84 or 84:1-8
In Jesus we can see and understand the lives God dreams for us
Readings: Isaiah 61:10-62:3 Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 John 1:1-18 Psalm 147
The story of Joseph shows the power of generosity to remake the world
Readings:Isaiah 7:10-16 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-25 Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18
The story of the incarnation show us the power of God's promises to change the world
Readings: Isaiah 35:1-10 James 5:7-10 Matthew 11:2-11 Canticle 15
Where is the joy to be found not just at Christmas, but in our lives?
Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10 Romans 15:4-13 Matthew 3:1-12 Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
It's Christ the king, but does the reign of Christ look like what we think it might?
Readings: Jeremiah 23:1-6 Canticle 16 Colossians 1:11-20 Luke 23:33-43
Following Jesus has no passive options
Readings: Isaiah 65:17-25 Canticle 9 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 Luke 21:5-19
We are surrounded by the love of the saints, big and small, who have shaped our lives and our faith.
Readings: Daniel 7:1-3,15-18 Psalm 149 Ephesians 1:11-23 Luke 6:20-31
Life is filled with tasks and Jesus invites us to turn our penchant for busy-ness into kingdom building to show the world the grace and love of God.
Readings: Haggai 1:15b-2:9 Psalm 98 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 Luke 20:27-38
What might Jesus' story of the Pharisee and Tax Collector at prayer offer for understanding our own faith lives?
Readings: Joel 2:23-32 Psalm 65 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18 Luke 18:9-14
For St Luke's Day we celebrate vocations and the power of prayer
Readings: Sirach 38:1-4,6-10,12-14 Psalm 147 or 147:1-7 2 Timothy 4:5-13 Luke 4:14-21
Endurance brings the rewards of the race
Readings: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 Psalm 66:1-11 2 Timothy 2:8-15 Luke 17:11-19
Our hopes are powerful forces for positive change and the kernel of faith
Readings: Lamentations 1:1-6 Psalm 137 2 Timothy 1:1-14 Luke 17:5-10
How does money fit into our pursuit of the "life that really is life?"
Readings: Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16 1 Timothy 6:6-19 Luke 16:19-31
God is not some moral accountant carefully tallying our sins; God, instead, generously and abundantly offers us gifts of love and life heedless of whether we "deserve" it or not.
Readings: Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 Psalm 79:1-9 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Luke 16:1-13
The big problems of the world can feel overwhelming; drawing us into a vortex of cynicism and apathy, but Jesus invites us onto a different path.
Readings: Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 Psalm 14 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Luke 15:1-10
What can we truly own in this world aside from the love of God?
Readings: Jeremiah 18:1-11 Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17 Philemon 1-21 Luke 14:25-33
Sometimes our caution keeps us safe, but sometimes it keeps us from living boldly into our Christian faith
Readings: Jeremiah 2:4-13 Psalm 81:1, 10-16 Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 Luke 14:1, 7-14
Choosing the path of Christ always brings opposition and division; the power of God through the resurrection should impel us forward anyway.
Readings: Isaiah 5:1-7 Psalm 80:1-2, 8-18 Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Luke 12:49-56
What are the hopes that ground our faith in the life of Jesus?
Readings: Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 Psalm 50:1-8, 23-24 Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 Luke 12:32-40
God entrusts to be the caretakers of Creation, not the rulers
Readings: Hosea 11:1-11 Psalm 107:1-9, 43 Colossians 3:1-11 Luke 12:13-21
It's the Lord's Prayer! which may seem rote to us today, but it's really a pretty radical teaching from Jesus
Readings: Hosea 1:2-10 Psalm 85 Colossians 2:6-19 Luke 11:1-13
Jesus, pepperoni pizza, and the gift of grace
Readings: Amos 7:7-17 Psalm 82 Colossians 1:1-14 Luke 10:25-37
Our civic freedoms are freedoms "from," but Christ's freedom is a freedom "for"... For peace, for love, for reconciliation, for a loving response to our neighbors.
Readings: 2 Kings 5:1-14 Psalm 30 Galatians 6:7-16 Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Sometimes the chaos of life seems to cut us off from God; but God remains.
Readings: 1 Kings 19:1-15a Psalm 42 and 43 Galatians 3:23-29 Luke 8:26-39
At Pentecost we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, not just to the apostles in Jerusalem two millennia ago, but to us as well.
Readings: Acts 2:1-21 Romans 8:14-17 John 14:8-17, 25-27 Psalm 104:25-35, 37
Jesus' ascension is a testament to His trust in or ability to get it right and to continue His work.
Readings: Acts 1:1-11 Ephesians 1:15-23 Luke 24:44-53 Psalm 47
What does it mean to be a Christian? What's the point of following Jesus?
Readings: Acts 16:9-15 Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 John 14:23-29 Psalm 67
Part of God's call on us is to be stewards of the Creation, ensuring the right and sustainable use of the world's abundance for us and future generations.
Readings: Acts 11:1-18 Revelation 21:1-6 John 13:31-35 Psalm 14
Immersing ourselves in the stories of our faith brings beauty and understanding to our lives and clarity in our calling.
Readings: Acts 9:36-43 Revelation 7:9-17 John 10:22-30 Psalm 23
Conversion is an openness to seeing the world differently so that we can act differently in the world.
Readings: Acts 9:1-6 Revelation 5:11-14 John 21:1-19 Psalm 30
Acknowledging Jesus' reality isn't the same thing as living a Christ-centered life
Readings: Acts 5:27-32 Revelation 1:4-8 John 20:19-31 Psalm 118:14-29
Jesus shows us another way
Readings
Psalm Liturgy: Luke 19:28-40 Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Liturgy of the Word: Isaiah 50:4-9a Philippians 2:5-11 Luke 23:1-49 Psalm 31:9-16
If we claim Christ as our Lord and recognize ourselves as His body, what should the greatest accomplishments of our lives be?
Readings: Isaiah 43:16-21 Philippians 3:4b-14 John 12:1-8 Psalm 126
God's love is abundant beyond measure and our invitation as followers of Jesus is to cast that love into the world
Readings: Joshua 5:9-12 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 Psalm 32
God may not test us beyond our powers, but there are other forces at work in our world too
Readings:Exodus 3:1-15 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Luke 13:1-9 Psalm 63:1-8
We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf.
Readings:Genesis 15:1-12,17-18 Philippians 3:17-4:1 Luke 13:31-35 Psalm 27
In the remembrance of what God has done stands the signposts of what God is inviting us into
Readings:Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Romans 10:8b-13 Luke 4:1-13 Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Sometimes Jesus leads us to places where we are unsure of ourselves but God is still there.
Readings:Exodus 34:29-35 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 Luke 9:28-36 Psalm 99
Hurt and brokenness stalk our lives but Christ's love has given us a powerful antidote
Readings: Genesis 45:3-11, 15 1 Corinthians 15:35-38,42-50 Luke 6:27-38 Psalm 37:1-12, 41-42
Not a sermon really (maybe just a little preaching), just a thank you.
Readings:Jeremiah 17:5-10 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 Luke 6:17-26 Psalm 1
Jesus invites us into something much deeper, much fuller than mere belief; Jesus invites us into faith.
St Paul reminds us that the love Christ invites us into, isn't something to be possessed, but something to be given away.
Readings: Jeremiah 1:4-10 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Luke 4:21-30 Psalm 71:1-6
What is happening in baptism? Whose work is it?
Readings:Isaiah 43:1-7 Acts 8:14-17 Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 Psalm 29
At the Epiphany, we celebrate that we have seen God's presence. But we are also called to tell what we have seen to the world.
READINGS:Isaiah 60:1-6 Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12 Psalm 72:1-7,10-14
We are invited, as Mary was, to make Christ manifest in the world and in our lives
Readings:Micah 5:2-5a Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-55 Canticle 15
In the midst of grief and loss, a voice cries out in the wilderness
Readings:Zephaniah 3:14-20 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18 Canticle 9
Often, it is when we are in the wilderness; in the vulnerable and lonely parts of our lives, that God's voice comes most clearly to us.
Readings: Baruch 5:1-9 Philippians 1:3-11 Luke 3:1-6 Canticle 16
Jesus answers his accusers by saying that his kingdom is not of this world? What are we to make of this answer and what might it mean for our lives?
Readings:Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 Psalm 93 Revelation 1:4b-8 John 18:33-37
Jesus reminds the disciples and us that the hope of the world rests on our willingness to not be distracted from the invitation of faith
Readings:Daniel 12:1-3 Psalm 16 Hebrews 10:11-25 Mark 13:1-8
Generosity and responsibility - what is Jesus trying to show us in the story of the widow's mite?
Readings: 1 Kings 17:8-16 Psalm 146 Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44
We are the fruit of the labors of the saints; but we are also the seed bearers for the faithful yet to come.
Readings:Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9 Psalm 24 Revelation 21:1-6a John 11:32-44
image of dancing saints from St Gregory of Nyssa Church, San Francisco
Jesus' willingness and ability to work through us for the building of the kingdom of God is limited only by the boundary of our faith.
READINGS:Jeremiah 31:7-9 Psalm 126 Hebrews 7:23-28 Mark 10:46-52
Jesus asks; "who do you say that I am?" But answering the question is only the beginning if we choose to follow Him.
READINGS: Isaiah 50:4-9a Psalm 116:1-8 James 3:1-12 Mark 8:27-38
Gratitude is the hinge that opens the door to abundant life in Christ
READINGS: Isaiah 35:4-7a Psalm 146 James 2:1-17 Mark 7:24-37
We are freed through Christ's life death and resurrection; but freedom comes with responsibilities and obligations.
READINGS: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 Psalm 15 James 1:17-27 Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life
Readings: Joshua 24:1-2a,14-18 Psalm 34:15-22 Ephesians 6:10-20 John 6:56-69
image from lightstock.com
Jesus' path leads to the possibility of amazing things!
READINGS: Proverbs 9:1-6 Psalm 34:9-14 Ephesians 5:15-20 John 6:51-58
Christ offers us the choice of life or death; to immerse ourselves in Christ and to follow is example is to choose life
READINGS: 1 Kings 19:4-8 Psalm 34:1-8 Ephesians 4:25-5:2 John 6:35, 41-51
Sure, Christ is our sustenance, but how do we actually go about eating this "bread?"
READINGS: Exodus 16:2-4,9-15 Psalm 78:23-29 Ephesians 4:1-16 John 6:24-35
When people see you, do they see Christ in your words, actions and choices?
Readings:2 Kings 4:42-44 Psalm 145:10-19 Ephesians 3:14-21 John 6:1-21
Choices must be made; do we choose life or death?
Readings: Amos 7:7-15 Psalm 85:8-13 Ephesians 1:3-14 Mark 6:14-29
Following Jesus may be difficult, but it isn't complicated.
Have You filled a Bucket Today by Carol McCloud...Illustration by David Messing
Jesus offers us the life-giving Way in the midst of death
Readings: Wisdom of Solomon 1:13-15; 2:23-24 Psalm 30 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 Mark 5:21-43
When we can't muster enough faith to overcome our own fears, we can trust in Jesus to carry us through
Readings: Job 38:1-11 Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 Mark 4:35-41
In the life of faith, everyone has a part, and only by joining together do we make the beautiful song of God's love
Readings: Ezekiel 17:22-24 Psalm 92:1-4,11-14 2 Corinthians 5:6-17 Mark 4:26-34
Who we expect Jesus to be shapes our reality and our response as His followers. Is our hope big enough for His vision for us?
Readings: 1 Samuel 8:4-20 Psalm 138 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 Mark 3:20-35
Allow yourself to be swept up in Christ's love to be an agent of grace in the world
READINGS: Isaiah 6:1-8 Romans 8:12-17 John 3:1-17 Psalm 29
Pentecost isn't just something that happened to a faraway people a long time ago, it is an unfolding event that is happening to us all the time.
READINGS: Acts 2:1-21 Romans 8:22-27 John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 Psalm 104:25-35, 37
Jesus has given us what we need, including his bodily absence, to continue his ministry and to grow into the people we were created to be.
READINGS: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 1 John 5:9-13 John 17:6-19 Psalm 1
What might Jesus mean by "love" and how might we "abide in it?"
Readings: Acts 10:44-48 1 John 5:1-6 John 15:9-17 Psalm 98
What we are going to be has not been revealed to us; but Jesus invites forward into deeper relationship always. We are always becoming Christ's new creation.
Readings: Acts 3:12-19 1 John 3:1-7 Luke 24:36b-48 Psalm 4
When Jesus' women followers went, in grief, to his tomb they encountered an angel who told them; "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, `He has been raised from the dead. What a cruel joke that must have seemed to them. Everyone knows the dead and buried don't get up again.
Readings: Romans 6:3-11 Matthew 28:1-10 Psalm 114
Hope is the most scandalous promise of Jesus
Readings: Mark 11:1-1 Philippians 2:5-11 Mark 14:1-15:47
Jesus' suffering and death was his own choice, but even he hoped not to make it. What could possibly compel such a choice?
Readings: Jeremiah 31:31-34 Hebrews 5:5-10 John 12:20-33 Psalm 51:1-13
You were there when they crucified the Lord
Readings: Numbers 21:4-9 Ephesians 2:1-10 John 3:14-21 Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Love that serves our own interests first isn't really love.
Readings: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 Romans 4:13-25 Mark 8:31-38 Psalm 22:22-30
Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, and yet did not sin; the temptations in the wilderness are archetypes of the ones we faceright here, right now. Justice and peace ar enot possible for us so long as we continue to give into them.
Links: In the Name of Jesus by Henry Nouwen
Readings: Genesis 9:8-17 1 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:9-15 Psalm 25:1-9
Jesus invites us into abundant life; how do we get there?
READINGS: 2 Kings 2:1-12 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Mark 9:2-9 Psalm 50:1-6
What does it mean exactly that we are "saved?" Are we saved 'from' something or 'for' something?
READINGS: Isaiah 40:21-31 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 Mark 1:29-39 Psalm 147:1-12, 21c
Jonah is the most peevish and half-hearted of prophets, yet God does amazing things with his meager effort
Readings: Jonah 3:1-5, 10 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Mark 1:14-20 Psalm 62:6-14
We don't read the Bible because it's some kind of owner's manual for humans but because in seeing how God (who is constant and consistent) has responded to human troubles in the past helps us to see God's work in our midst today.
Readings: 1 Samuel 3:1-10(11-20) 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 John 1:43-51 Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17
In Christ, God emerges into the world in a way that leads us to understand the full measure of God's love
Readings: Genesis 1:1-5 - Acts 19:1-7 - Mark 1:4-11 - Psalm 29
St Peter reminds us that the wait for Christ isn't to be passively endured, but actively engaged with here and now.
The Holy Spirit continues to invite the church into deeper relationship with God, nto deeper knowledge of God's race, and into an ever-widening crcle of relationship with all the beloved children of God.
Giving to pay the church's electric bill isn't sexy, but your gifts don't pay the bills - they enable the ministry, the presence and grace of Christ to enter the world.
It's All Saints where we take time to remember that unbroken chain of loving relationships that connects us back to Jesus.
God's grace is unearned and freely given; at the same time accepting Christ's invitation (or not) matters.
In reminding the Pharisees to give to God what is God's, Jesus puts us on notice that ignorance and denial do not eliminate our complicity in the evil done on our behalf
It's the feast of St Luke and we're reminded that Jesus asks us to be commit ourselves, soul and body, to God's mission of redemption and healing
Water is life and the gateway to a life of faith, but water is also immensely powerful demanding our respect and caution. God is a alot like that too.
Readings: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 Psalm 19 Philippians 3:4b-14 Matthew 21:33-46
Jesus beckons us onto a journey potentially fraught with peril and whose ultimate destination is unknown, but with the promise that He will always walk with us and that he will lead us to a promised land
READINGS: Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16 Philippians 2:1-13 Matthew 21:23-32