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.