Evangelism so often comes across as bad news. But God loves all of us, and is already at work in each of our lives. The story of the magi visiting Jesus demonstrates God’s persistent love for us – and that is good news worth sharing!
Continue readingTalking to people about Jesus is nerve-wracking. In this Epiphany series, we’re going to explore how Jesus met people where they were – and what was so good about the news he shared. Ultimately, we’ll see that sharing Jesus with people is easier than we ever imagined. All it takes is a lot of love.
We might be forgiven for thinking Christmas is all about the big, elaborate celebrations. But the prophet Micha reminds us that Christmas affirms God is at work in the small, overlooked and out of the way. How can we find God with us this tiny Christmas?
Gift-giving is central to our Christmas celebration. Hannah gave her son Samuel a coat every year as her way of remaining present with him. So too we can be present with those God has brought into our lives when we give of who we are and what we have. Raising our voices can be tangible!
Continue readingIt’s hardest for us to speak up in the circles that know us best. But those circles – our families, our co-workers, our friends and neighbors – are where we have the most influence. So how can we find the confidence to live out God’s calling among the people who know us best? We find the answer in a little town called Bethlehem…
Continue readingIronically, too often in the midst of our preparation to celebrate Christmas, we forget to actually celebrate. The same is true of our work for justice – we burn out or get overwhelmed. The third Sunday of Advent reminds us this work belongs ultimately to God, not us. So we need to take time to pause and rejoice that God is faithful!
Continue readingWho do you most identify with in the Christmas story? Maybe we most love Mary and Joseph, or the magi on their road trip, or the shepherds. The song Mary sings while she’s pregnant with Jesus is a reminder that Christmas is about more than gifts and parities… it’s about God rescuing the world. What does that mean for us? Well… it depends on where we are in God’s story.
Continue readingHave you ever been silenced? It doesn’t feel good. No wonder so many of us don’t speak up for what’s right. We feel ignored, unimportant or unworthy. But Mary’s story shows us that God calls us to speak up, to join in. All God requires of us is a “Yes”.
Continue readingAdvent is a season of preparation… and proclamation! How can we be a people who stands up for God’s peace, justice and love in our world? In this series, we’ll draw from Kathy Khang’s book, the Old Testament prophets and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem.
Churches often approach serving as an opportunity to take Jesus to people who don’t know him. But Scripture insists that God is always ahead of us, already at work. How can we learn to approach serving as pilgrims, looking for where God is already at work?
Churches often approach serving as an opportunity to take Jesus to people who don’t know him. But Scripture insists that God is always ahead of us, already at work. How can we learn to approach serving as pilgrims, looking for where God is already at work?
Continue readingChurches think of Discipleship primarily in terms of learning more about God. But we only become more like God when we let ourselves be known by God. What does it look like to become a church that makes it easy to be known by God?
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