Fourth Sunday of Advent: Carried on a Flood of Reversal - From Insignificant Things

On this Fourth Sunday of Advent we continue focusing upon the floods of difficulties that overwhelm our lives, but equally we can experience the flood of God's grace and mercy.  Throughout Advent we our prayer is to receive God's overwhelming presence in the midst of our difficulties. 

Connect to Carried on a Flood of Reversal: From Insignificant Things.  This week's message focuses upon the reality that evil does not have the last word.  In the midst of a world filled with sorrow and injustice, God sends a flood of reversal to make things right, especially those who have been trampled upon: mercy for the poor, the hungry, the lowly.  Our Scripture passages reveal that God conquers evil from insignificant places, through insignificant persons, as revealed by Bethlehem and Mary.  

First Sunday of Advent: Wading into Faithfulness - Passing on Mercy and Grace

On this First Sunday of Advent we are focusing upon the floods of difficulties that overwhelm our lives, but equally we can experience the flood of God's grace and mercy.  Throughout Advent we our prayer is to receive God's overwhelming presence in the midst of our difficulties. 

Connect to Wading in Faithfulness: Passing on Mercy and Grace.  This week's message focuses upon our hope our anticipation of Jesus' return.  It is a hope not of escaping this place - because we were created to be human and we we given the earth as a gift for being our home.  So when God makes all things new we will be recreated as human beings (bodily resurrection) and our dwelling will be on earth - new earth with God's dwelling being with us.  In light of this our hope, our ministry is to be partners with God in God's activity of making all things new. 

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost - Jesus, One of Us: Participating in God's Mercy and Grace

On this Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost we continue our final Fall series focus on the letter to the Hebrews.  This series is entitled: Salvation Comes Through Jesus and asks what is salvation?  We have many different understandings – perhaps negative, rather than positive. In this series through Hebrews, we are being challenged to explore salvation in a new light – salvation that comes through Jesus.

 

Connect to Jesus, One of Us: Participating in God's Mercy and Grace.  Jesus was one of us.  He became a human being, was tempted just as we are tempted - so experienced all what we go through - yet he did not sin - he did not align himself with the non-reign of God, but always gave allegiance to God and God's reign.  God "checked in" with us in becoming human to show the way and and be the way, and we help each other, in Christ, continue living as disciples of Jesus giving allegiance to God by "checking in" with each other as well.  

Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost - Hebrew Series: Salvation Comes Through Jesus

On this Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost we begin our final Fall series focus on the letter to the Hebrews.  This series is entitled: Salvation Comes Through Jesus and asks what is salvation?  We have many different understandings – perhaps negative, rather than positive. In this series through Hebrews, we are being challenged to explore salvation in a new light – salvation that comes through Jesus.

 

Connect to Salvation Comes Through Jesus: Jesus is the Atonement.  Salvation is more than just the cross. God speaks to us by his Son – what does it mean in Hebrews 2: 9 – “so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone?”  Atonement is not just the cross – atonement is in and through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus in which in him we are no longer subject to the powers of sin and death.

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Messages for the Community of God: Speaking Creatively . . .

On this Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost we continue our series on James' letter to a church struggling to live practically while their faith is being challenged.  These Messages for the Community of God guide us in living practically as well. 

Connect to Speaking Creatively . . .  James talks about how deadly our tongues, our speech can be - something we just are not able to tame.  With it we praise God and curse one another.  Though James does not offer any direct solutions, he leaves us wondering about our speech.  It is by the Spirit that even our speaking is transformed into life creating speech so that living waters flow out from us.  

 

Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost - Messages for the Community of God: Live Faithfully

On this Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost we continue our series on James' letter to a church struggling to live practically while their faith is being challenged.  These Messages for the Community of God guide us in living practically as well. 

Connect to Live Faithfully . . .    James admonishes us not to show favoritism, but to regard all, especially the poor and marginalized as God regards them - as persons of worth.  Showing favoritism is not only about admonishing those who show favoritism, it is also to acknowledge within us where we show favoritism to ourselves and so side with the rich and powerful over against the marginalized. 

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Messages to the Community of God - Humbly Accepting the Word the Word Planted in Us

On this Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost we begin a new series on James' letter to a church struggling to live practically while their faith is being challenged.  These Messages to/for the Community of God guide us in living practically as well. 

Connect to Humbling Accepting the Word Planted in Us.   Practical faith is not about sermons giving us "TEn Steps to Do This" or "Eight Ways to Do That" but practical faith is being open to what God has planted in our lives - and our giving attention what is being cultivated in us.  We find it leads us to set aside our own agendas and we are led and empowered by God's Spirit to embrace God's agenda / purpose for humanity.

 

Thirteenth Sunday of Pentecost - Live Prayerfully: Putting on the Armor of God

On this Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost we continue our series on life in Christ through Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus.  We live out our lives as the people of God as we are "in Christ."  This series in Ephesians challenges us to live out our lives as a community of God's people rooted "in Christ."

Connect to Live Prayerfully: Put on the Armor of God.   The focus is on Ephesians 6: 10-20.  How do we go about living prayerfully in a world that is overwrought with struggle - against rulers, authorities and powers, against evil?  We do not war against flesh and blood, but we do struggle for flesh and blood.  To live prayerfully is to put on the "armor of God" - living a life of praying in the power of the Spirit.

Twelfth Sunday of Pentecost - Live Wisely: Be Filled with the Holy Spirit

On this Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost we continue our series on life in Christ through Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus.  We live out our lives as the people of God as we are "in Christ."  This series in Ephesians challenges us to live out our lives as a community of God's people rooted "in Christ."

Connect to Live Wisely: Be Filled with the Holy Spirit.   How do we live wisely, making the most of every opportunity, recognizing that “the days are evil?” To live wisely is to live being drunk/filled with the Spirit – living a life full of worship in the presence of Jesus Christ. 

Second Sunday of Pentecost: The Holy Spirit - We Are Not Left Alone

On this Second Sunday after Pentecost we continue our series on the Holy Spirit.  

As Mennonites, as well as other Christian communions, we do not have a very developed theology of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit of God is the presence of Jesus Christ with us.  Over the first few weeks following Pentecost Sunday we are exploring how are living as disciples of Jesus is integrally connected to living in and by the Spirit of God.

Connect to Promise of the Holy Spirit: One Who Comes Alongside.  Jesus promised upon his leaving (ascension) that he will not leave us as orphans - but that he will send another Comforter - another Paraclete.  Paraclete is a Greek word meaning, "One who comes alongside."  Jesus sends the Spirit to be with us always - and no matter what we encounter the Spirit comes alongside of us.  In fact, the Spirit, in taking up residence in the Body of Christ comes alongside of us through one another.

Seventh Sunday of Easter: The Lord's Prayer - Lead Us Not into Temptation

On this Seventh Sunday of Easter, we finished our series on the Lord's Prayer.

Connect to Lead Us Not into Temptation: Depending On God to Be with Us.  The Lord's Prayer ends just as relationally as it begins.  In the beginning of the prayer we prayed expressing our relationship with God - "Our Father who is in heaven" and now in praying, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" we are praying for God to be with us who are on earth.


In praying the Lord's Prayer, we are praying in opposition to the principalities and powers - and so now we pray for us not to be alone but for God to be with us as we confront and are confronted by these powers, which were created to serve humanity, but now act to dominate and oppress.

Third Sunday of Easter: Co-laboring with God - Illinois Mennonite Conference Annual Assembly

On this Third Sunday of Easter, I preached at East Bend Mennonite Church which hosted the Illinois Mennonite Conference Annual Assembly from April 20 - 22, 2012.  Our theme for the Assembly was from 1 Corinthians 3: 1-9: We are Co-laborers with God.

Connect to A Vision for God: Seeing Whom God Sees.  Paul addressed the Corinthian Christians that they were fighting about which ministry and which leader was more important.  In so doing, they missed seeing God and they missed seeing whom God sees.  Ministry fails when we quarrel about what we believe to be important in ministry because we miss God and what God is doing and whom God is embracing.  May we not lose our vision of God in participating with what God is doing and whom God is embracing.

Second Sunday of Easter: The Cry for the Kingdom - The Lord's Prayer

On this Second Sunday of Easter Sunday, we move to a focus on praying the Lord's Prayer.  In being reoriented by Resurrection, we live praying a prayer that leads us into reorientation.  

The Lord's Prayer is a prayer that prays for the making visible of a new reality, a new reality that reorients creation through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  As a people who are now in this Resurrection community, we are a people of the new creation and so we pray for God's will and presence to be manifest on earth as it is in heaven.  The Lord's Prayer is a cry for the kingdom of God to reorient all creation - our economics, our security, our politics - in relationship with the Living and Loving God.  

The message for this Second Sunday of Easter focused on Matthew 6: 5-15 and Luke 11:1-4.


Connect to The Cry for the Kingdom: The Lord's Prayer.  In this message we discover that what the disciples of Jesus wanted to learn from Jesus is how to pray to God as personally and intimately as he did.  For Jesus praying to God was more than reciting the right words to God - it was entering into a personal, relational, family conversation with God.  This is what the disciples desired - may we desire to communicate with God in the same way - as family.  

Easter Sunday: Resurrection - The Ultimate Reorientation

On this Easter Sunday, we move from our Lenten focus on Psalms of Disorientation and Reorientation in which we were preparing ourselves for the new life that comes through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter, to celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus as the ultimate act of reorientation.  Our lives on our own are so often disoriented from the ways of God, but in being joined with Christ in his resurrection from the grave, we enter into a radically new orientation as human beings in human community.


The message for Easter Sunday focused on Acts 10.


Connect to Resurrection: The Ultimate Reorientation .  In this message we focused on the Spirit being the main character in Acts 10 who brings about transformation not according to our political or theological agendas, but according to what the Spirit desires to do in bringing a diverse human together as a community in Christ.  In the example of Peter and Cornelius - a Jew and Roman soldier, we as a community of Jesus are to be open to whomever the Spirit of God brings into our midst so that we might all be transformed in ways the Spirit desires. The Resurrection and transforming work of the Spirit are the ultimate acts of reorientation in our lives.

Fourth Sunday of Lent: Psalms of Disorientation and Reorientation - How Can We Give Thanks to God in Difficult Times?

On this fourth Sunday of Lent we continue our focus on Psalms of Disorientation and Reorientation in which we are preparing e ourselves for the new life that comes through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter.  We are reminding ourselves in what ways our lives are so often disoriented from the ways of God and as we engage these Psalms in Lent we seek to be open to being reoriented to the ways of God.

The message for this fourth Sunday of Lent focused on Psalm 107

Connect to How Can We Give Thanks to God? Being Reoriented in Difficult Times. In this message, we experience reorientation as we learn to give thanks to God in difficult times.  This does not mean we thank God for everything - because trauma and pain is not the will of God - everything does not have a purpose for God.  But in giving thanks to God IN every circumstance, rather than for every circumstance, we are connected to God in our difficult times - and in being connected to God, in giving thanks, God walks with us through our dark times.  God is with us IN our difficult times

Third Sunday of Lent: Psalms of Disorientation and Reorientation - Hearing God Speaking

On this third Sunday of Lent we continue our focus on Psalms of Disorientation and Reorientation in which we are preparing e ourselves for the new life that comes through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter.  We are reminding ourselves in what ways our lives are so often disoriented from the ways of God and as we engage these Psalms in Lent we seek to be open to being reoriented to the ways of God.

The message for this third Sunday of Lent focused on Psalm 19

Connect to Hearing God Speaking - Being Reoriented. In this message, we experience reorientation as we learn to hear God speak to us.  There are three movement in this Psalm which lead us into deeper relationship with God - and as a result - we become more open to hear God speaking into our lives.  We move from witnessing God and God's creative work to being encountered by God and ultimately to being personal to God - in which we worship God.  It is in worshiping God, that we hear God the clearest.

Second Sunday of Lent: Psalms of Disorientation and Reorientation - Where is God?: Experiencing Disorientation

On this second Sunday of Lent we continue our focus on Psalms of Disorientation and Reorientation in which we are preparing e ourselves for the new life that comes through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter.  We are reminding ourselves in what ways our lives are so often disoriented from the ways of God and as we engage these Psalms in Lent we seek to be open to being reoriented to the ways of God.

The message for this second Sunday of Lent focused on Psalm 22

Connect to Where is God? - Experiencing Disorientation. In this message, we experience disorientation when it more than seems God abandons us - we actually feel abandoned by God.  Deep cries from our souls emanate when we are left alone by God.  Jesus also cried this cry from the cross.  Yet, as he recited Psalm 22 it became an expression of trusting God to be with him, even as he entered into death.

May we also discover God to be with us, when we feel that God has abandoned us - may our new cry be in times of difficulty and struggle, "My God, my God, you are with me!"

First Sunday of Lent: Psalms of Disorientation and Reorientation - Trusting God: Entering into Disorientation

This past week we entered into the season of Lent (actually on Ash Wednesday), but we observed the first Sunday of Lent. During Lent, our community is focusing upon a series entitled Psalms of Disorientation and Reorientation in which we are preparing e ourselves for the new life that comes through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter.  We are reminding ourselves in what ways our lives are so often disoriented from the ways of God and as we engage these Psalms in Lent we seek to be open to being reoriented to the ways of God.

The message for this first Sunday of Lent focused on Psalm 25: 1-10

Connect to Trusting God - Entering into Disorientation. In this message, we are invited to not fear times of disorientation.  When we encounter disorientation, rather than praying to go back to our comfortable ways, our old orientations, may we trust God to a new place, a new orientation - in which we are reoriented.  Reorientation only comes when we journey through disorientation. 

Seventh Sunday After Epiphany: Hungering After God in the Ordinary Rhythms of Life

This past week we celebrated the seventh Sunday after Epiphany - the last Sunday of Epiphany. Our community has focused upon a series entitled Discovering the Presence of God in the Ordinary Rhythms of Life in which we juxtaposed the Old Testament and Gospel texts.

The message for the seventh Sunday after Epiphany focused on the following Scriptures: 2 Kings 2:1-12; Mark 9:2-9

Connect to Hungering After God in the Ordinary Rhythms of Life. In this message, we are invited to hunger after God in the ordinary rhythms of our days.  Often in our hungering we hunger after what gratifies us, but we are timid in hungering after God or the things of God.  We are challenged to be like Elisha who wanted a "double portion of Elijah's spirit."  Our hungering for God ought to be a passion in which we desire to be filled to the brim with God.  Our hungering after God leads us to be open to the Spirit being poured out in our lives. 

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany: Being Like Jesus in Bringing Healing in the Ordinary Rhythms of Our Lives

This week we celebrated the sixth Sunday after Epiphany. Our community is in the midst of a series focusing on Discovering the Presence of God in the Ordinary Rhythms of Life in which we are juxtaposing the Old Testament and Gospel texts.

The message for this sixth Sunday after Epiphany focused on the following Scriptures: 2 Kings 5:1-14; Mark 1:40-45

Connect to Being Like Jesus in Bringing Healing in the Ordinary Rhythms of Our Lives . In this message, I invite us to notice the rhythms of God in our lives so that we might join in with what God is doing. This is much like a dance - in which we just don't jump in and do our own moves, but take a moment to discern, to catch the beat, to become attuned to the rhythm of God so that we can join in with God in dancing the dance of life, being invited in and inviting others into the dance that is the community of God. 

Fifth Sunday After Epiphany: Dancing with God in the Ordinary Rhythms of Our Lives

This week we celebrated the fifth Sunday after Epiphany. Our community is in the midst of a series focusing on Discovering the Presence of God in the Ordinary Rhythms of Life in which we are juxtaposing the Old Testament and Gospel texts.

The message for this fifth Sunday after Epiphany, which took place at our annual Church Retreat at Camp MennoHaven, focused on the following Scriptures: Isaiah 40:21-31; Mark 1:29-39

Connect to Dancing with God in the Ordinary Rhythms of Our lives . In this message, I invite us to notice the rhythms of God in our lives so that we might join in with what God is doing.  This is much like a dance - in which we just don't jump in and do our own moves, but take a moment to discern, to catch the beat, to become attuned to the rhythm of God so that we can join in with God in dancing the dance of life, being invited in and inviting others into the dance that is the community of God.  

Second Sunday After Epiphany: Hearing God in the Ordinary Rhythms of Our Lives

This week we celebrated the second Sunday after Epiphany. Our community is in the midst of a series focusing on Discovering the Presence of God in the Ordinary Rhythms of Life in which we are juxtaposing the Old Testament and Gospel texts.

The message for this second Sunday after Epiphany focused on the following Scriptures: 1 Samuel 3:1-20; John 1: 43-51

Connect to Hearing God in the Ordinary Rhythms of Our lives . In this message, I ask how we might go about training our ears so that we might hear God in the everyday rhythms of our lives.  Cultivating our imagination and responding to the Spirit-guided intuition helps attune our lives to the voice of God who speaks to us in the midst of our days.  Some suggestions are provided how we cultivate our ears through engaging Scripture, through prayer, and through spiritual conversations.

First Sunday After Epiphany: Seeing Re-creation in the Ordinary Rhythms of Our Lives

This week we celebrated the first Sunday after Epiphany. Our community is in the midst of a series focusing on Discovering the Presence of God in the Ordinary Rhythms of Life in which we are juxtaposing the Old Testament and Gospel texts.

The message for this first Sunday after Epiphany focused on the following Scriptures: Genesis 1:1-5; Mark 1:4-11

Connect to Seeing Re-creation in the Ordinary Rhythms of Our lives .  In this message, we are being called to have eyes to see the light of God. Just as God created light in creation, so the presence of God is not only revealed in Jesus, but also through us, as the people of God, as we live out our lives.  What we discover is that God's presence is not primarily in spectacular ways, but in the everyday ordinary rhythms of our lives.