Advent comes from the Latin adventus and the season is a look backward at Christ’s coming in history (as a baby), mystery (into our lives) and forward towards his coming in majesty (his return). We live in the shadows of Advent.
Third Sunday of Advent (12/14): Unraveling in Joy
On the Third Sunday of Advent, we are reminded of the inbreaking Joy that comes with Jesus. Sometimes, though, the work of Jesus disorients us, and in the unraveling of our lives, we are invited to look and listen to God
Second Sunday of Advent (12/7): Prepare the Way of the Lord Into Your Heart
Matthew summarizes John the Baptist’s ministry with “Prepare, the Kingdom of Heaven has come near,” and “he is the one crying out in the wilderness, ‘prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'” Repentance is the way we prepare our hearts for God’s inbreaking kingdom to come into our lives.
First Sunday of Advent (11/30): Active Hope
When Jesus speaks about his return, the image he uses can be confusing. Is he talking about what we often call a rapture? Why does he say stay awake? From this passage in Matthew 24, we find encouragement to be motivated by hope–by hope that God is moving in history and is active in our lives.
The season after Pentecost is called Ordinary Time. This does not mean it is mundane, for nothing having been sanctified by Christ can be called mundane. Rather, it is ordered, and methodical. We have put together a travel companion for the season which you can download here.
Twenty Fourth Sunday After Pentecost (11/23): Some Really Weird Things
Christ is the King of All Creation. What does that mean for us? Wayne Shockley explores Paul’s treatment of this in Colossians for us.
Twenty Third Sunday After Pentecost (11/16): The Quiet Work of God
2 Thessalonians 3 is an oft-quoted passage in public conversations on welfare, public social programs and the like. But what does Paul mean? Perhaps Paul is encouraging us to see the work we do have, no matter what it is, as blessed by Christ and worthy to be done.
Twenty Second Sunday After Pentecost (11/9): Hold Fast to What is Good
In 2 Thessalonians, Paul addresses deceit and deception, that are rampant in the world. This deception can lead us to worry and fear, but Paul encourages us to hold fast to the love of God.
Twenty First Sunday After Pentecost (11/2): A Cloud of Witnesses
The Sunday following November 1 is a day where we honor the saints who have passed and gone. But we recognize that those saints have not passed and are impartial; rather, they are watching us, cheering us on and serve as models of life.
Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost (10/26): It’s a Trap
Flannery O’Connor once wrote “To know oneself is, above all, to know what one lacks. It is to measure oneself against Truth, and not the other way around. The first product of self-knowledge is humility.” Luke tells us that Jesus told a parable “to those who thought they could justify themselves.” From this parable we learn our need to approach God with humility. When we read this parable, we are tempted to think we are better than the Pharisee. When we do that, we fall for the trap that Jesus has set.
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (10/19): Persevering Prayer
In Luke 18, Jesus “told his disciples a parable about why they should always be in prayer, and not lose heart.” This is challenging, and it needs to be addressed, because it is challenging. But in the midst of the challenge is hope: God, who is just, will avenge his disciples speedily. God will come quickly to rescue of his disciples.
Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost (10/12): Easy Healing, Hard Recovery
In 2 King 5, Naaman, an Aramean (Syrian) General is affected by a skin disease that he cannot get rid of. And when healing comes quickly, he is, at first, offended by how simple it is. But in the simplicity he realizes that God is gracing him, and he comes to believe. Once he confesses that Yahweh is God, he realizes the parts of his life that are offensive to God and asks for forgiveness.
Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost (10/5): Symbols of the Faith: The Day
Ever wondered why we worship on Sunday? What if it was an intentional decision loaded with imagery and symbolism? The history of the Church and Biblical Witness testify that it was!
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost (9/28): Symbols of the Faith: The River
Paul describes our baptism as a symbolic burial. A burial in which we really die, and enter Jesus’ tomb with him, to be raised to new life. In that burial, sin loses its authority over us, and we are able to walk a new life: the Life of Jesus.
Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost (9/21): Symbols of the Faith: The Table
Our Church practices communion every week. Why? What do we learn? How does the Table open us to God’s presence and grace?
Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost (9/14): Symbols of the Faith: The Word
The Bible is one of the foundational aspects of Christianity. It serves as an instructor, reproover, corrector, and trainer. It’s purpose is our proficiency and equipment.
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost (9/7): Symbols of the Faith: The Cross
The Cross has been one of the primary symbols of the Christian faith ever since Jesus died upon one. But what does this symbol mean for us today?
Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost (8/31): Rest from Your Labor (Day)
Labor Day is a day off from work in honor of those who worked for fair hours, pay, and environment. But is a day off the same as Sabbath? Jesus says that the Sabbath was made for humans, because we need it. Join us to explore the topic of sabbath!
Ninth Sunday After Pentecost (8/10): Habits of Hope
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be as well. This does not only apply to the things we have, it applies to the habits we have, and what they reveal about our treasure. Jesus is inviting us into habits of hope, which keep our hearts focused on heaven.
Eighth Sunday After Pentecost (8/3): Knowing the Power of the King
In Luke 7, Jesus is encountered by servants of a Centurion, who has immense faith. From this Centurion, we learn what authority means, and how much authority Jesus has.
Seventh Sunday After Pentecost (7/27): The Most Beautiful Chapter in the Old Testament
Hosea 11 describes the unfailing love of God, and that separates God from humanity. What makes God holy is not God’s wrath. It’s God’s refusal to come in wrath.
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost (7/20): Hush.
In Amos 8, God’s anger towards the Israelites leads God to tell them to “Hush.” That he will be quiet until they are quiet and ready to listen. We are invited to hunger and thirst for God’s voice and for righteousness.
Fifth Sunday After Pentecost (7/13): Soul Ripening
Amos took a message to Israel that was rejected by the High Priest and the King. From this episode we are encouraged to put our faith in God alone. When we do so, we will see that God’s reproof is an act of love, and while it may hurt, it is ripening our soul.
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (7/7): Reaping what we Sow
Paul tells the Galatians that they reap what they sow. But this is not meant to put them down or create a moralist view of the world. It’s an encouragement to sow to the Spirit, to act as the new creations that they (and we) are. How can we become the kind of community that does not grow weary in doing what is right?
Third Sunday after Pentecost (6/29): Set Free, Now What
Paul tells the Galatians that they have been set free from obligation to the Mosaic Law. But that does not mean they can do whatever they want. There is a new guide: the Spirit. And if they walk in and through the Spirit, they will be led to serve one another in love.
Second Sunday After Pentecost (6/22): Open Doors
In Galatians 3, Paul says that in Christ all that had once divided and determined who was “in” or “out’ has been put aside. We have been united in Christ, and therefore have been made “one.” There is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female. In this way, Paul is saying that all are welcome to participate in the Body of Christ.
First Sunday After Pentecost (6/15): Crucified with Christ
In Galatians 2, Paul challenges the necessity of following the Mosaic Law, claiming instead that through our Faith in the faithfulness of Christ’s life, we can be crucified with Christ, having therefore followed the Law with Christ. Why, then, do we add things to the Gospel?
Eastertide is the celebration of Jesus’ life and what it means for us to live with a Savior who conquered death!
Easter (4/20): He is Risen, Indeed!
We celebrate the Empty Tomb not because it is empty but because of what it means for us! Jesus is the door to life! He has walked through Hades and come out victorious.
Second Sunday in Easter (4/27): Trustworthy People
Jesus appears to his disciples after the resurrection in a scene that many focus on for the wrong reason. Yes, we are told that Thomas was unsure of Jesus until he saw him. But John seems uninterested in the doubt, and more interested in the faith Thomas shows and Jesus’ blessing on all who will believe and not see. From this we ask: how can we help people believe, who do not see?
3rd Sunday of Easter (5/4): Lamb Tenders
After resurrecting, Jesus appears to his disciples by the Sea of Galilee. When he does so, he gives Peter an opportunity to make right his denial. From this, we see our ability to be forgiven, but also the commission to care for others as we follow Jesus.
4th Sunday of Easter (5/11): Learning to Listen
“My sheep hear my voice,” Jesus says. Do we know how to listen to our Good Shepherd? How does Church fit into this? Church, and the disciplines, are about learning to listen so that we can hear Jesus above the tumult of life.
5th Sunday of Easter (5/18): What’s New About the New Commandment?
In John 13, Jesus tells his disciples that he is giving them a new commandment: to love one another, just as he had loved them. What is new about this commandment? That is the focus of Adam’s sermon this week.
7th Sunday of Easter(6/1): In Illo Uno Unam
In John 17, Jesus prays that his followers would be united. That Christians everywhere would be unified just as Jesus was with the Father. How can we make strides towards that goal?
Last Sunday of Eastertide, Pentecost (6/8): To the Ends of the Earth
Lent is a season of recommitment, renewal, and repentance. To learn more about Lent, check out our Lenten Road webpage.
First Sunday in Lent (3/9): Muscle Memory
The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil. Why does Luke tell us this story and what can we learn from it? We learn, first, that only Jesus is able to say “no” to sin. We also learn that our ability to say no comes to us only through the Holy Spirit.
Second Sunday in Lent (3/16): Boldy Go
On the way to the Cross, Jesus is warned about someone who wishes to kill him. Nevertheless, he is boldly defiant of him. Jesus does not fear death; in fact he is on his way to die.
Third Sunday in Lent (3/23): Virtue Signaling
Unfortunately, our recording and stream did not work this week, so we have no media for you.
Fourth Sunday in Lent (3/30): The Prodigal Son
This week, Roy Ratcliff leads us through the parable of the Prodigal Son, to remind us of the depths of God’s love and mercy, for everyone who comes to him.
Fifth Sunday in Lent (4/6): Aroma of Life
6 days before Passover, Jesus is reclining with his friends, when Mary empties a bottle of expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet. This anointing is done, Jesus says, to prepare him for his burial. We apologize, but we did not have video for this week.
Sixth Sunday in Lent (4/13): He Came in Peace
For the last Sunday in Lent, we looked at Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, often called the Triumphant Entry, and celebrated annually on Palm Sunday. Why does Jesus’ message of peace get him killed? Because it disrupts our status quo.
On the first Sunday after the Epiphany, we find Jesus at the Jordan River where voice from the heavens declares that Jesus is God’s beloved son. That Jesus is the Son of God is not something we merely think. We “believe and confess” this truth and live our lives full of it.
Second Sunday after the Epiphany (1/19): The Wine
On the second Sunday after the Epiphany, we find Jesus at a wedding a town called Cana in Galilee. At this wedding, Jesus turned water into wine. We are told that when he did this “he revealed his glory and the disciples believed in him.” When we see the signs of Jesus around us, do we believe?
Third Sunday after the Epiphany (1/26): The Scroll
When Jesus first preached at his hometown synagogue, he read from the Prophet Isaiah and then declared that in him the prophecy was fulfilled. When people think about us, as followers of Jesus, do they find us doing the things that Jesus said he was here to do?
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany (2/2): The Temple
At 40 days old, Jesus was brought to the Temple so Mary could offer a sacrifice of purification, according to the Law. While in the Temple, 2 people, Simeon and Anna see him and are overwhelmed with the Good News. They immediately look for people share it with. Do we?
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (2/9): The Fish
When Jesus performed a miraculous catch of fish, Peter was aware that something about Jesus was different. In the face of this epiphany, Peter recognized his own sin and brokenness and told Jesus to leave. But Jesus comforted him and promised him work to do: catch people. Confession is the beginning of our ministry in following Jesus.
Sixth Sunday of Epiphany (2/16): The Plain, pt. 1
Jesus professed a series of “blessings” and “woes” to his disciples and those who were listening in. In these we find our need for Jesus, and in that need all of him.
Seventh Sunday After the Epiphany (2/23): The Plain, Pt. 2
As Jesus continues his Sermon on the Plain, he says the hardest thing to do, and the thing which we least want to hear: Love your enemies, forgive those who hurt you. How can we wrap our heards around such impossible commands? By remembering our place as former enemies of God, who were loved and forgiven while we were still hostile to God.
Last Sunday After the Epiphany (3/2): The Mountaintop
On the last Sunday after the Epiphany, we join Jesus on the mountaintop where his appearance is transformed, and Moses and Elijah join him to talk about his exodus. From the mountain, Jesus begins his walk towards Jerusalem where he will free his followers from their oppression by Sin.
On Christmas Eve, we celebrate that our salvation has come to us! Now that we have embraced him, go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born!
First Sunday after Christmas (12/29): Mind Your Fruit, Tend Your Roots
Second Sunday After Christmas (1/5): The Crutch of Grace
We often relegate the realm of grace to only our sin and God’s forgiveness on it. However, grace supports every moment of our lives and we are fully reliant upon it. May we ever walk on the crutch of God’s grace.
Nothing is dead until God says so. On the first Sunday of Advent we look at the hope of a Returning Christ who will arrive and is our righteousness. The Branch of David looks dead, but it is not.
Advent 2 (12/8): Refined by Love
God sent a messenger to prepare the way for his arrival, because our tendency is to think the day of the Lord will be easy for us and hard for others. But God is coming to refine with fire and bleach. However, God’s justice is not punitive, but purifying.
Advent 3 (12/15): Rejoice in Renewal
On the third Sunday of Advent, we focus on the life-giving joy that comes from God alive in our midst. Zephaniah prophesies to the Judahites to rejoice in the present because of what God had done in the past and what he promised to do in the future.
Advent 4 (12/22): People of Peace
The Fourth Sunday of Advent reveals our final theme of the season: peace. In this week’s sermon, Adam explores how Jesus is the “One of Peace” whom Micah prophesied would come. What does it mean to follow Jesus if not to be a person of peace?
Jesus is the King. We do not put him on the throne, God did. In such a time as this, we are ever more lacking the reminder that the one who is in the King of all things is Jesus. On this Christ the King Sunday, we look at Daniel 7:13-14 I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus challenges the way that we ask questions surrounding how we love our neighbors. Do we do so by identifying our neighbors or looking inward?
Calendars influence our lives in deep and dramatic ways. In the Old Testament, God gave the Israelites a calendar to revolve their lives around him. It is no wonder the Church has developed a calendar to help us revolve our lives around Christ.
