June 3, 2018

Acts 4:1-22

This week, we continue in the book of Acts – stories of the Church developing and asserting its identity.  This week our story is from Acts 4:1-22, which immediately follows our story from last week.  Peter and John have healed a lame man.  The people are amazed.  And they have drawn the attention of the Council priests, who arrest and question them.  The Council orders Peter and John not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.  But they answer: “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.”  So, who are you listening to?  How are we called to listen and to speak? 

May 27, 2018

Acts 3:1-25  

For the next few Sundays, we will be exploring passages from Acts—stories of the Church developing and asserting its identity.  This week our story is from Acts 3:1-25.  Peter and John heal a lame man.  The people are amazed.  And very much rooted in their Jewish identity, this story plays out in the Temple.  Peter recounts to the crowd the some of the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  And he claims, to this we are witnesses.  My question is what are the responsibilities of witnesses?  What does this story have to do with us?

May 20, 2018

This Sunday, May 20, we will be celebrating Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, when the Holy Spirit comes and fills the place where people from all nations are gathered and reminds them that they are one family.  I hope you will make plans to join us!

The liturgical color for Pentecost is RED, and you are invited to wear some red this Sunday.

The traditional scripture for Pentecost is Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit sweeps through the gathering of the disciples.  Our Scripture Choir reading includes this passage, as well as other important passages about the coming of the Spirit.  In addition, gem will be using a passage from Romans 5:5.

May 13, 2018

John 17:6-21a  

Our scripture from John’s gospel is Jesus’ prayer for his disciples (and those who will come after them) in John’s telling of the Last Supper.  In this prayer, Jesus asks God to protect them, to give them the words they need and great joy, and to send them out—in the hopes that all may be one.  Jesus has done all he can do to prepare them.  Now the work is in their (our) hands. . . .

May 6, 2018

John 16:1-13    

Our scripture from John is teaching from Jesus about the coming of the Advocate—or Holy Spirit.  Bad things happen.  We have no control over all of that.  We do have control over how we position ourselves in relation to those things.  And Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit to be our advocate and guide.