JESUS SHAPES A VISIBLE FAITH
This week Pastor Penny’s message will be rooted in Matthew 5:13-20. Together we will wonder about how we are called to be “the salt of the earth and the light of the world”. Karoline Lewis writes: “It is not enough to know about God. As disciples, we have to be the activity of God in the world. We are called to live out our identity as salt and light.” Worship online with thetable.live. CCLI #805699 / CCLI Streaming #094804
JESUS NAMES HIS VALUES
This week we continue to ponder the question “Who is this?” as we encounter Jesus through the stories of some of his earliest ministry experiences in Matthew’s Gospel. As both Pastor Kelly and Pastor Jorge have already alluded to, this is a question that echoes around Jesus throughout his ministry and also directly impacts who we understand ourselves to be as a people who seek to follow in his way with passion and purpose today. Our scripture reading for this…
JESUS BEGINS HIS MINISTRY
As we celebrate his fight for racial equality and justice through nonviolent protest, honoring his commitment to freedom, service, and building a “Beloved Community” for all people, we continue the journey through the season that describes Christ’s revelation to the world, asking “Who is this?” This question anticipates the questions that follow Jesus throughout his life and ministry – questions from both followers and adversaries. It’s also a defining question of our own faith journeys: Who is this Jesus, and…
WHO IS THIS? JOHN INTRODUCES JESUS
Our scripture reading for this week features John – known as the baptist – introducing Jesus. John suggests two aspects of who Jesus is: “Lamb of God” and “Chosen One.” Later, Simon-Peter and Andrew call Jesus “Rabbi” (“teacher”). Jillian Nelson writes: “What is particularly poignant to me about this passage is that these markers of Jesus’ identity are not used to elevate him above everyone else, making him unapproachable. Instead, Jesus invites his new disciples into participation with him. He…
BAPTISM OF THE LORD
Matthew 3:13-3:17 (CEB) The story of Jesus’ baptism is very similar between Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s versions of the Gospel. John’s version of the Gospel alludes to it but doesn’t actually describe the event. In all the different versions, his baptism provides an opportunity for Jesus to be publicly identified as God’s beloved child. But baptism is never solely about the individual but rather it is a communal act that seeks to encompass all of us. Excerpts from Karri Alldredge’s…
FEAR DOESN’T STOP US
Matthew 2:1-12, Matthew 2:16-28 (NRSV) Luke’s Gospel begins the story of Jesus with this opening line: “In the time of Herod…” This detail may seem minor to modern readers, however, it reveals layers of information about the fearful world Jesus entered, one filled with rampant oppression, economic disparity, uncertainty, and instability. A world not so unlike our own. And yet, throughout the stories of Christ’s birth, we hear the whispers of angels delivering a surprising message: “Do not fear.” In…
LET FEAR FUEL A FIRE FOR JUSTICE
Matthew 2:13-15, Matthew 2:19-23 (NRSV) As we celebrate Christmas this week, we are filled with joy with the birth of baby Jesus, the announcement of the angels, the whole creation bursting with hope. And we are also reminded that the Holy Family endured fear, rejection, uncertainty at this moment in their life. Things could have gone wrong, but God accompanied them in the journey to Bethlehem. But that fearful and perilous journey was just the beginning. The Holy Family fears…
GOOD NEWS IS LOUDER THAN FEAR 11:00pm
Luke 2:13-20
GOOD NEWS IS LOUDER THAN FEAR 5:00pm
Luke 2:7-20, (NRSV)
WHEN YOU’RE AFRAID, GIVE ME YOUR HAND
Matthew 1:18-25, Isaiah 41:5-10 (NRSV) The theme for the fourth week of Advent is “When you’re afraid, give me your hand!” “Give me your hand” might be counter to how we usually respond to fear, but what if fear can result in connection instead of isolation? Joseph moves through his fears of rejection and shame in order to stand in solidarity with Mary, shielding her from harm. Their bond makes them each stronger. We don’t live out our callings in…
EVEN IN OUR FEAR, WE ARE CALLED FORWARD
Luke 1:26-39 (NRSV) When the angel Gabriel breaks into Mary’s life, she responds with confusion, resistance, and fear – and with good reason! The text says that she is “greatly troubled!” And yet, Mary steps forward anyway, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” But notice, Mary’s yes is not immediate and not naïve, it is rooted in her vulnerability, trust, and even survival. The Rev. Dr. Boyung Lee describes…
WHEN WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF HOPE, GOD IS AT WORK
Matthew 11:1-11, Isaiah 43:19-21(NRSV) At this point in the Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist is no longer the courageous prophet crying out in the wilderness, but he is now a prisoner of conscience held by Herod for inciting a rebellion, this new religious “movement” that was threatening the authority of the empire. John has been silenced, and in his despair, he pleads with the disciples to ask Jesus the following question: “Are you the one who is to come, or…
