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…
Incarnation
Frederick Buechner writes, The Word Became flesh,” wrote John, “and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14) That is what incarnation means. It is untheological. It is unsophisticated. It is undignified. But according to Christianity, it is the way things are. All religions and philosophies which deny the reality or the significance of the material, the fleshly, the earthbound, are themselves denied. Moses at the burning bush was told to take off his shoes because the ground…
Run to Feed the Hungry
Thankful for all the folks who joined us at church this morning for Run to Feed the Hungry! Such a great way to begin the Thanksgiving holiday. 25,000 people ran and walked to support the Sacramento Food Bank!
Give Thanks
Who are some of the people you are most thankful for? How might you let them know this week?
Run to Feed the Hungry
The Table will reach in love by joining thousands of folks from Sacramento for Run to Feed the Hungry on Thanksgiving morning. We’ll gather at the church between 8:00-8:30 am. Join us to walk, to run, and to cheer on the front lawn. We’ll have great live music & hot coffee / tea to get us ready and keep us going. Register as an individual or a family here: Run to Feed the Hungry. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Gz5KsZKxE]
Boundaries
In It’s Really All About God, Samir Selmanovic writes, When I ask people to close their eyes and imagine boundaries, most people tend to imagine just that, walls. Why walls? Why not windows? Why not doors? Why not bridges? They are boundaries too, aren’t they? (It’s Really All About God, 236). What walls have you constructed in your life that might be newly imagined as windows or bridges?
Toward Sunday
Our reading on Sunday will be Luke 23: 33-43. Here is a link to the text. Christians around the world will be celebrating this Sunday as Reign of Christ or Christ the King Sunday. We’ll be exploring the question of how we follow Jesus in a world with so many faith traditions. How might we be faithful to Christ as King and open to God’s movement in the traditions of others?
Holy Listening
Samir Selmanovic writes, What if, instead of casting ourselves as people who can explain God to others, we viewed our lives as a void into which God speaks? (It’s Really All About God, 142) What might God be speaking into and through your life today?
The Treasure of Religious Difference
Samir Selmanovic writes, I am not saying that it is possible or desirable to reconcile the religions of all humanity into one universal set of principles. Such an amalgamation would lead to the trivialization, dissipation, and ultimate loss of the treasures of religion and culture. The desire for common good and spiritual unity of all humanity often creates a mandate to impose these “obvious” universals on everyone. We all differ through our particular stories and ways of being. That we…
Intimate Conversations with the Other
Samir Selmanovic writes, An honest conversation about our religions is…an intimate endeavor. Only when we believe the other is not there to hurt us – though they may struggle to understand us – can we begin to share not only the light but also the shadows of our religion. To step into such conversations, we have to be ready to embrace the holy awkwardness that surrounds our God talk (It’s Really All About God, XVI). Reflect on some of the…
Samir Selmanovic
Below is a short video by Samir Selmanovic. We’ll be exploring the themes raised by him this Sunday in worship. How do you respond to this brief introduction to him? What do you find exciting? Concerning? What questions does he raise for you? [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lKbwxn30Xs&feature=player_embedded#!]
From Set of Beliefs to Practice
In an interview with U.S. Catholic, Karen Armstrong is asked how should we respond to atheism. She replies, We need a rethink. We can’t reproduce the spiritualities of the past because we are 21st-century people, but we can learn from history and make the huge creative effort to translate its wisdom into our own time. That’s going to be hard work, and people have gotten lazy about religion. They think it should be easy. They go in and sing a…
Like the Sun Rise
C.S. Lewis writes, I believe in God like I believe in the sun rise. Not because I can see it, but because I can see all that it touches. Where have you seen God’s touch this week?