Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Second Sunday After Epiphany: Encountered by God's Embrace - Sharing Gifts Which Reveal God

On this Second Sunday after Epiphany we continue our series on Encountering GodThe season of Epiphany focuses on Jesus Christ being revealed to the world - particularly through the Magi - and now today, through us.  Throughout Epiphany we are exploring how, in our encountering God, we manifest the life and ministry of Jesus, how we go about demonstrating the presence of God in the places we work and live among the persons we engage in our day to day lives.  
 
Connect to Encountered by God's Embrace: Sharing Gifts Which Reveal GodThis week's message focuses upon the outpouring of Spirit given gifts which manifest the presence and love of God in the world.  Too often we think of engaging in ministry for the left-over hours of our weeks - the hours we give to volunteering.  But we are called to be about sharing God's love and presence and making disciples not in the left-over hours of our week, but rather in the 100+ hours in our week in which we are working, being with family, doing what we do with the main hours of our lives.  It is in these times we minister in the power of the Spirit with Spirit-given gifts through which we reveal God's love for the world.  


Tuesday, January 15, 2013

First Sunday after Epiphany: Encountering God in Our Baptism - Being at Home with God and Revealing God's Presence

On this First Sunday after Epiphany we begin our new series on Encountering God.  The season of Epiphany focuses on Jesus Christ being revealed to the world - particularly through the Magi - and now today, through us.  Throughout Epiphany we are exploring how, in our encountering God, we manifest the life and ministry of Jesus, how we go about demonstrating the presence of God in the places we work and live among the persons we engage in our day to day lives.  
 
Connect to Being at Home with God: Revealing God's PresenceThis week's message focuses upon God's love for us is revealed in God creating us, naming us and being with us.  As the people of God we do not merely grasp hold of God's love for ourselves, but we reveal and demonstrate God's love for the world by living in ways which make God's presence known in our worlds.