Friendship is both a vital Christian practice and as a way of describing intimacy between Jesus and human beings.
Through this message, Pastor Carol invites you to think about creativity and the way it helps you connect with God.
This sermon is a part of a series entitled, The Good Life, Practices for Abundant Living. The Bible has much to teach us about our invitation to care for Creation and why it is important. By looking at the Hebrew origin stories in Genesis 1 and 2 and God’s offer to join in the re-creation of humanity’s relationship with our Creator in 2 Corinthians 5, this sermon will explore how caring for creation honors God. Additionally, by applying the lens of Practical Theology to the conversation, this sermon will draw from an understanding of Ecology and how ecosystems work to bring light to the Year of Jubilee passages found in Leviticus 25 to recognize how our care for Creation also fulfills the second part of the Great Commandment to “love our neighbor as ourselves.” Creation care teaches us that the good life and abundant living is dependent on caring for the entire system, not just the individual. When we see the interconnectedness of God’s creation, we see that God’s command to love our neighbor as ourselves in not just an altruistic aspiration. My good and abundant life is connected to the good and abundant life of my neighbor. An ecosystem that is out of balance brings harm to the entire system, even the ones that are seemingly benefiting. So, my good is a shared good and that is by God’s design.
God has given us this good gift of our bodies; we want to honor them by listening to them and giving them the loving care, they need and deserve.
The Christian practice of listening is paying attention on purpose to the voice of Jesus
In the gospel of Mark, the story of Jesus resurrection is hopeful, but it is tentative hope, mixed with uncertainty and fear. It feels a little fragile, yet full of possibility. Kind of like we feel, as the vaccine rolls out, after a year of pandemic living.
Palm Sunday Again & Again we draw on courage
Again & Again We are Reformed. Seeing Jesus, Change, Violence, Death, Courage,
Lenten- Again & Again , God loves First
Again & Again- We are Shown the Way
