11/24 Title: We Are Co-Creating with God Text: Eph. 4:7-9, 11-16 Summary: As followers of Jesus, we're engaged with God in nothing less than the ongoing act of creation itself. Keywords: creation, Creator, creating, flourishing, accountability, active, ongoing, Michelangelo, The Agony and the Ecstasy, "When will it be finished? When it is finished!", unfinished, Eden shalom, goodness, truth, beauty, together, enjoy the ride
11/17 Title: Fully Inclusive Text: Luke. 10:25-37 Summary: We are a people living into what it means to be fully inclusive children of our fully inclusive God. Keywords: Good Samaritan, Great Commandment, neighbor, Middle East, border policy, Black Lives Matter, Back the Blue, Red State, Blue State, Palestinian, Focus on the Family, victim, judgmental, holier-than-thou, hypocrites, unity without uniformity, diversity, pride, repair
11/10 Title: Restorative Community Text: Is. 32:1-8, 12-13,15-17 Summary: Now is the time to double down on our mission to be a restorative community of Christ's followers. Keywords: 2024 Election, fear, anger, love, compassion, building bridges not walls, divisiveness, unity caste society, inclusivity, culture, restoration, lament, mourning. Spirit, safe place, refuge, welcoming, affirming hospitality, grace, wholeness, peacemakers
11/3 Title: Followers of Jesus Text: Luke 9:23-24 Summary: Being a Christian isn't just about "believing" in Jesus; it's about following Jesus, anchored in his teaching and pursuing his way of life. Keywords: Faith, Jesus, belief, follow, way, wisdom, witness, C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Christian Nationalism, religious affiliation, cultural heritage
We are encouraged to opt for a mindset of abundance rather than a mindset of scarcity
The biblical account of the creation of human beings restores our sense of dignity and opens the way for us re-imagine our life stories, past, present, and future.
Like Elisha, we can be a disarming presence in the midst of conflict
