Our seemingly healthy tree just fell over!   Apparently under the surface, the roots were not healthy.  This had me thinking what it might look like for our relationships, work, faith, and society to be planted in healthy, life-giving soil?  More personally, is my life deeply rooted in the things that really matter?  

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Jesus is out of his mind because politically, religiously and even in his own family he isn't conforming to expectations.  But conforming to one way of believing or belonging leaves too many people behind, which is why Jesus' redefines belonging to a family about something other than biology.  The Kingdom of God then for Dr. Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz becomes the Kin-dom of God, or the family of God, or maybe we should say, the non-traditional family of God.  In this family, all are welcome.  

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When it feels like there’s a threat to us, our views or our way of life it’s not uncommon for us to lean into the worst parts of our humanity.   It's one thing to notice the hypocrisy and danger in a strange cult, it's another thing to notice it within our own faith or even within ourselves.

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What happens if our religious words, images and ideas become too precious?  Do we ever stop to wonder how others might experience or understand our faith?  Do we even know what our favorite words mean?  Jesus talked about the kingdom of God coming near, but 2000 years later what images come to mind when we think of a kingdom?  Perhaps this is why Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would often pair talking about the "kingdom of God" which his vision for "the beloved community."  

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It's 2024 and we are now living in an election year!  Too soon?   Whether we like it or not, it's here and it's worth reflecting on  how our faith might guide us and sustain us through the opportunities and challenges that this year will bring.  

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Have you ever noticed that the birth stories of Jesus don't actually mention many of the animals that are often included in our Nativity scenes?  So, what happened to all the animals?   

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Santa is a rather strange character if you're not familiar with Christmas traditions about a jolly old elf dressed all in red breaking into homes once a year to leave gifts.   Similarly, John the Baptist, is a strange character, in part, because we're not always familiar with the stories and traditions that help us make sense of his costume and weird behavior. 

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What happens when the voice of the male religious leader is put on mute?  What happens when Christmas comes to turn our world upside down?  What voices will we hear?  This is a replay from a 2022 Advent sermon.  

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Why do Christians have this bizarre ritual where we talk about bread and wine as the body and blood of Jesus?  And why does the meal focus on the death of Jesus instead of the resurrection of Jesus?  Perhaps like the young church in Corinth, we need to rediscover what this meal means for us and for our world.  

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We've come to the end of 1 Samuel, which is really just a point of intermission.  It's an interruption in the story that gives us a moment to look back at where we've been and what we've learned.  

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