Through the storms of life, in Job’s trials and in the disciples’ seasick panic, God’s promise is not that we will be airlifted out of troubles but that God is with us. God proclaims to the chaos and to us – Peace! Be still.
Accompanying Scripture:
Mark 4:35-41, Psalm 107, Job 38: 1-11
The mustard seed becomes a great shrub that shelters the birds, recalling ancient images of the tree of life. We’d expect a cedar or a sequoia, but Jesus finds the power of God better imaged in a tiny, no-account seed. It’s not the way we expect divine activity to look. It may not appear all that impressive, but while nobody’s looking it grows with a power beyond our understanding.
Accompanying Scripture:
Mark 4:26-34, Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15, Ezekiel 17:22-24
| In the midst of conflict and shame, the messiness of life and relationships are lifted up in these texts. No matter how entangled we become, with God there is always steadfast love and forgiveness. |
Accompanying Scripture:
Psalm 130, Genesis 3:8-15, Mark 3:20-35
| This Sunday our texts are about sabbath. Rest is meant for the welfare of all. In our gospel story, Jesus reminds us that well intentioned laws might need to be broken from time to time in order to make space for God’s wide love. |
Accompanying Scripture:
Psalm 81:1-10, Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Mark 2:23-3:6
| Fifty days after Easter, we celebrate the birthday of the church! Crossing all boundaries that would separate us, the Spirit brings the wideness of God’s mercy to places we least expect it—to a crowd of strangers of different lands and tongues, to a valley of deeply dry bones and to our messy hearts. Today we celebrate the incredible gifts of the Holy Spirit in our midst: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in God’s presence. Amen! |
Accompanying Scripture:
Psalm 104:24-35, 35b, Ezekiel 37:1-14
| On this final Sunday of Easter, we hear this last piece of Jesus’s farewell to the disciples where Jesus moves from lecture to prayer. At a time when it would be understandable for Jesus to be worried about himself, he is thinking and praying for the disciples and for us. In prayer, Jesus asks that we are one. And this continues to be our prayer- not that we would all be the same but that we will continue to remember our common love in Christ and the call to love one another. |
Accompanying Scripture:
Psalm 1, John 17
| On this sixth Sunday of Easter as we bring worms with us to church, we celebrate spring and our connection with God’s good earth. Being a person of faith is not just something we do on Sundays, but it is something that follows us out into the real world – as we wash dishes, as we are a kind neighbor or friend, as we care for the smallest living things among us, even the worms. Signs of resurrection and new life are indeed all around us – Alleluia! |
Accompanying Scripture:
Jeremiah 29:4-7, Psalm 98, John 15
| This Sunday’s image of how the risen Christ shares his life with us is the image of the vine. Christ the vine and we the branches are alive in each other, in the mystery of mutual abiding described in the gospel. Baptism makes us a part of Christ’s living and life-giving self and makes us alive with Christ’s life. As the vine brings food to the branches, Christ feeds us at his table. We are sent out to bear fruit for the life of the world. |
Accompanying Scripture:
Acts 8:26-40, John 15: 1-8
| On this Good Shepherd Sunday, we embrace the fact that we are sheep and God is our shepherd who feeds us, walks with us and cares for us all the days of our life and after. We are also celebrating our relationship with camp today with special staff from Caroline Furnace. |
Accompanying Scripture:
John 10, Psalm 23
| On this third Sunday of Easter, we are filled with images of real life – joyful hearts, peaceful sleep and eating together. In this season of Easter we celebrate we are proclaimed beloved children of God for this is who we are. Resurrection sometimes shows up in the most mundane simple things. |
Accompanying Scripture:
John 3:1-7, Psalm 4, Luke 24:36b-48
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