Parables (January-March)

Jesus told stories–enticing, inviting stories.  He threw them alongside the lives of his listeners, and he throws them alongside ours today.  He knows that stories beg participation and interaction.  For these months, we aiming to consider these stories once again and to feel the rub or nudge that Jesus was aiming for as he shared these words.

Luke 10:25-37: The Neighbour

Matthew 20:1-16: All in a Day’s Wage

Luke 12:16-21: Building Barns

Luke 14:1-14: Tables and Chairs

Matthew 25:31-46: Sheep and Goats (D. Buchanan)

Luke 14:16-24: Great Banquet

Luke 15:11-24: The Lost Boy

Matthew 18:21-35: An Ungrateful Servant (B. Roberts)

Luke 15:25-32: The Other Lost Boy

Luke 16:1-8: The Rascal

Luke 16:19-31: An Invisible Man

Luke 18:1-14: A Widow and Two Sinners

Luke 19:11-27: Three Servants

Resurrection as the Divine Subject Line

Re: Creation (Getting Back to Very Good)

Re: Deem (Healing the Shattered Image)

Re: New (It’s All in Your Head)

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Reflections from the Fifth Gospel (June)

There’s a quote that says,“Five gospels record the life of Jesus.  Four you will find in books and one you will find in the land they call holy.  Read the fifth gospel, and the world of the four will open to you.”

 

This series comes on the heels of a five-week course I participated in, in the Holy Land.  It’s my attempt over four weeks to share a few of the highlights of the class and a few of the ways that this “fifth gospel” might breathe fresh life into our understanding of God’s message to us.

Land of Promise

Water of Life

Into the Desert

Holding the Holy

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Our Lord’s Prayer (July-August)

Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Teach us how to pray.”  I have little doubt that they were looking for more than a script of words to follow.  They wanted to know how to connect their hearts to God’s.  They wanted to know how Jesus did it.  During our summer, we’ll walk slowly through these famous words, looking for just that too.

“Our Father in Heaven”

“Hallowed be Your Name”

“On Earth as In Heaven”

“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”

“Forgive Us as We Forgive”

“Lead Us, Deliver Us”

“Kingdom, Power, Glory”

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Life Simply (September-October)

God is FOR LIFE.  He is PRO-LIFE in every way imaginable, even as Jesus came declaring that he’d come–why?  To give “life to the full”.  But how might this look in all the chunks of daily life which fill our lives?  Is it really possible that LIFE is intended to saturate each of these realms?  For these two months, we’re going to try to find out.

 

Work

Rest

Bond

Grow

Eat

Get

Love (The mic died in the middle for a few moments.  That should explain the big, quiet spot!)

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The God Out There (November)
Much is made of the facts that God reveals Himself to humanity as a God who is “with us”.  We take comfort, as we should, that He is “here”.  But Scripture contains another message too.  Numerous passages aim to jar us with the message that God is also “out there”, beyond what we considered, outside of the lines we so desired to draw.  What magnificent things await when we’re faced with “The God Out There”!

 

Above All

Recruiting Recklessly

Stretching Saints

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We Wait (December)
This series is part of our efforts to focus during this Advent season.  Advent is unfamiliar to most of our church family, but its themes of anticipation, expectation, and preparation have significant power to center our hearts in the midst of Christmas craziness.  Join us as we ready ourselves for “divine arrivals” into our lives and our world.

 Come

How Long?

Rejoice

Uplifted Eyes