· Summary: God’s question comes as a call for introspection to clarify our values and our desires and all God to shape them. · KeyWords: Want, Desire, Values, Heart’s desire, Blessing, Petition, Prayer, Asking, Jesus, James and John, Kin-dom living, Downward mobility, Willingness, Trust, Delight in the Lord, Prayer of Relinquishment, Wisdom, Discernment
Should we prioritize the vertical aspect of the Christian life (our relationship with God) or the horizontal (our relationship with others)? In this sermon, we are called to support and build up our relationship with God by "building out" a stable foundation for our faith, because it is by loving others that we come closer to God.
· Text: Is. 6:1-13 · Summary: God’s question comes as an invitation to live daily life with a sense of purpose related to the purposes of God · KeyWords: Isaiah, Expectations, American Christianity, Religious trends, Annie Dillard, God’s power, the Glory of God, Holy, Awe, Wonder, Shame, Guilt, Spirit, Society, Justice, Injustice, Exploitation, Sin, Suffering, Vocation, Calling, Restoration, Love, Healing, Community, Inclusivity, Grace, God as Seeker, Jesus, Whom shall I send, Wounded healers, Peace, Earth care, Influence, Presence of Christ
· Summary: God’s question of Cain comes as a call to all of us to claim our kinship with all and live compassionately. · Keywords: Genesis, Family, Kin, Kindship, siblings, Cain, Abel, Anger, Animosity, Ignorance, Indifference, Neglect, Murder, Envy, Home, Neighbor, Good Samaritan, Compassion, Love
Summary: Wherever we are and however we got there, God is there with us, as loving Presence and Power. Keywords: Genesis, Forbidden fruit, Presence, Power, Love, Seeker, Hiding, Where are you, Adam, Eve, Serpent, Temptation, Trust, Distrust, Guilt, Shame, Pursuer, Solidarity, Faithful
" Here's my heart " | The Second Sunday of Easter Heart: Peter is a heart-on-his sleeve kind of a guy. When Peter sees Jesus, he puts on his outer garment in reverence, and then dives into the sea, not wasting a second to embrace his teacher, friend, and Messiah who then asks him three times, “Do you love me?”
" And I hope " | E A S T E R S U N DAY Sunrise: As the sun rises on the third day, Peter holds onto hope as he runs to the empty tomb to see with his own eyes the abandoned linen cloth. With each new day, we hold onto hope for new life and resurrection.
" Songs of loudest praise " | PA L M / PA S S I O N S U N DAY Music note with crescendo: This sub icon is a note overlaid with a crescendo symbol, which in music means to get louder gradually. As we find our footing in faith, we share and express our journey with more assuredness and confidence. We can sing loudly, like those shouting “hosanna” as Jesus enters the city.
" Teach me " Open book: Peter’s posture toward Jesus is that of an open book. He is eager to learn from Jesus all he can glean. In this week’s text, he wants to know all about the nature of forgiveness and grace.
" I'm fixed upon it " | T H E F O U R T H S U N DAY I N L E N T Fermata: In music, the fermata symbol represents a prolonged note or a pause. After learning Jesus would suffer and die, Peter rebukes Christ saying, “this must never happen to you” (Matt. 16:22). Jesus rebukes Peter right back, knowing he cannot yield on his journey of nonviolence and love. The fermata represents how Peter is fixed on how he wants things to go, but Jesus calls him to stop and get behind him. The symbol also looks like an empty tomb, which is foreshadowed in this story.
