It seems obvious that this is a story about greed.  But what if in fixating on behavior, we miss the abundance of God?  Join us to hear from our guest preacher, Zac Luben, Director of Graduate Student Ministry at Pepperdine University.  

Support the show

Once you see the arrow in the Fedex logo you can't unsee it.  And in the Bible, once you see judgement or punishment it's hard to unsee it.  But today we're going to do our best to unsee what we have projected onto Jesus.  

Support the show

When Jesus talks about God's house having many rooms, was he really talking about a McMansion in the sky?  

Support the show

Sometimes things break and there’s nothing good about that experience.  Sometimes the breaking gives way to grace.   And to make things more complicated, sometimes things break that need to break.  As Jesus washes his disciples feet, things are breaking in more than one way.

Support the show

Mary pours out an entire bottle of perfume and breaks all the rules.  But Jesus' reminds us that God doesn't require right belief or action in exchange for love and acceptance.  Instead Mary reminds us to look beyond the price of things to the greater meaning and the greater cost.   

Support the show

Shepherds (in the Bible) are people in positions of power who are supposed to reflect God's caring presence by guiding, feeding and protecting the people.  But that doesn't always work out well, because people in positions of power tend to prioritize their own comfort and control.  This is why God essentially says, "Fine, I'll do it.  I'll be the good shepherd."

Support the show

Seeing and not seeing can be a meaningful spiritual metaphor.  But anytime we assume that "those people" cannot see, we find ourselves in greater darkness.  Anytime we assume that we are the only ones who can see, the world is cast into greater darkness.  Jesus, however, shines a light into the darkness so that we might see with the clarity of God's wide and inclusive love. 

Support the show

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Support the show

Our most meaningful spiritual metaphors are often influences by our environment.  So light shining into the darkness makes a lot of sense in the middle of cold dark winters.  And water means a lot on those summer days that are hot and dry.  So during a celebration that remembers God's people wandering through the desert, Jesus says, "let anyone who is thirsty come to me."     

Support the show

The wise travelers  bring three gifts for Jesus.  This Christmas their story invites us to consider what gifts we might bring to help reflect Jesus' way of love in the world.  

Support the show