There are many wonderful creeds that have guided God’s people over the centuries, but I like this one which was written relatively recently as a summary of our beliefs. It was put together by Pastor and author Brian McLaren and is included in his book (which I recommend) entitled, The Story We Find Ourselves In.
Starting this Sunday, I’m going to add a blog to our church web page each week. Though it’s not a novel idea, it is something that’s been tickling my brain for some time now.
In our final sermon on Guardrails I drilled down into how to put into place guardrails against Greed. Christians have been fighting this battle for centuries. In fact, Greed is one of the Seven Deadly Sins (They use a more antiquated term, Avarice.) It can rob us of gratitude and hence joy, but greed can also undermine the kind of generosity of spirit that is so important to God.
Pastor Patti Napier shares some information from the first week of our in-person worship services.
Archived Posts
Such A Rich Passage (Luke 19:1-10)
I reflected a lot on the passage about Zacchaeus because it has been written off as “been there, read that, little guy in a tree.” But it is so rich in getting to the heart of what it means to be saved by grace through faith—to live our lives out of gratitude rather than obligation.
The Power of Presence
This last Sunday I had so much more to share than time to share it. The last Emotional Management Technique was to stay present in the process. Just as Jesus stayed with the woman who was judged and found guilty by the angry crowd, we stay by our children and our friends, especially when they need us the most. Here a couple of examples...
What’s In A Benediction?
Last Sunday I used one of my favorite benedictions.
It was inspired by a saying from about ten years ago:
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
There are several powerful and evocative artworks that depict the scene from Mark 9:14–29, where Jesus heals a boy possessed by an unclean spirit... Some of the following have internet links, the others are worth googling. Enjoy!
The Gift of Ourselves As A Gift of Love
The more the giving of myself costs me something, the greater the power of the gift. You know I love quotes, so after a little research, let me share a few of my favorites on this very subject: