When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.” The house of Israel called it manna…
Trust
“If we stretch our faith toward the real challenges life can bring, accept the uncertainties of living, realize we will never know the answer to every question, and dare to trust God in spite of the unknown, we will truly find life is an adventure in faith that leads us toward the fullness of God and expands our horizons of trust in God.” ~David E. Roberts. What difference, if any, might it make for you go out on…
Faith
“The life of faith, and the instinct of faith are one and the same. It is an enjoyment of the goods of God, and a confidence founded on the expectation of God’s protection, making everything pleasant and received with a good grace. It is indifference to, and at the same time a preparation for every place, state, or person. Faith is never unhappy even when the senses are most desolate. This lively faith is always in God, always in God’s action…
I wonder
David Lose writes: “After feeding the thousands who followed him into the wilderness, Jesus commands the disciples to head across the sea without him while he remains on shore to send the crowds on their way and then spend some time in communion with his Father on the mountain. While the disciples are crossing, a storm arises that threatens to engulf them. They spend the better part of an anxious night navigating the waves, and in the early hours of…
Toward Sunday
We continue our worship series this Sunday called How Deep? Our church continues to grow in number and depth because of the deep commitments of so many. Each fall we devote an entire worship series to reflecting on the depth of the commitment we would like to make to God & our church for the coming year. We will focus each of the first three weeks on the simple (artisan) ingredients that frame our life together: rooted in Grace, growing…
Rooted in Grace
AFTER CENTURIES OF handling and mishandling, most religious words have become so shopworn nobody’s much interested any more. Not so with grace, for some reason. Mysteriously, even derivatives like gracious and graceful still have some of the bloom left. Grace is something you can never get but only be given. There’s no way to earn it or deserve it or bring it about any more than you can deserve the taste of raspberries and cream or earn good looks or…
I wonder…
After “feeding thousands” who were following him Jesus withdrew and took time in prayer by himself. While he did this he commanded his disciples to cross the sea in a boat. The disciples soon find themselves in the midst of a storm, having “navigational challenges”. I wonder what they might be thinking as they attempt to keep their boat from tipping over in the waves. What is it like for you when you encounter “rough seas”? How might it be…
Toward Sunday
We begin a new worship series this Sunday called How Deep? Our church continues to grow in number and depth because of the deep commitments of so many. Each fall we devote an entire worship series to reflecting on the depth of the commitment we would like to make to God & our church for the coming year. We will focus each of the first three weeks on the simple (artisan) ingredients that frame our life together: rooted in Grace, growing in…
Moments of greatness
“Moments of greatness are far more appealing than a lifetime of faithfulness, but it is through a lifetime of faithfulness-a lifetime of integrity, in which we have chosen to be strong and courageous-that we will look back and realize that our lives have become masterpieces.” -Erwin McManus [The Artisan Soul]
Toward Sunday
We conclude our worship series, Artisans at The Table, this Sunday as we reflect on the masterpiece of our own lives. Erwin McManus writes, “Life becomes a work of art when we live it not for ourselves but for others. We live and tell our story, and through it we carry the hope of the world. The masterpiece is a life lived with courage and faith, with integrity and intention, with love and passion. We know we’ve seen a work of art…
Future
“Bees create hives, ants create colonies, but humans create futures.” ~ Erwin McManus What do you imagine in your future? How might you work with God to create that future for yourself and our community?
Toward Sunday
We are in the third week of our series called Artisans at The Table. Outline of Artisans at The Table September 7 Soul based on Genesis 2.7 & Exodus 2.1-15 September 14 Voice based on Genesis 3:1-11a September 21 Image & Craft based on Matthew 3.13-17 September 28 Masterpiece: A New Humanity based on John 2.1-11 In this week’s reading we encounter Jesus presenting himself at the River Jordan for Baptism. What voices might Jesus have been hearing…