Message delivered by LaVinnia Pierson.

Message delivered by LaVinnia Pierson.

Message delivered by Pastor Martha Butzier.

Message delivered by Dave Denny.

Does the Kingdom of Heaven have boundaries?

As we follow Jesus and the disciples into the Syrophoenician territory of Tyre and Sidon, we see them feeling tired, defensive, and suspicious.

They are “on edge” because according to their Jewish traditions, they are in an unsafe and unclean place.

Against the wishes of the disciples, a bold and desperate Canaanite mother approaches Jesus.

Her daughter is desperately ill.

Somehow, she knows that this wandering Palestinian Jewish Rabbi has the power to deliver her daughter from misery.

She crosses all kinds of boundaries to make her case.

Message delivered by LaVinnia Pierson.

Message delivered by Pastor Martha Butzier.

Message delivered by LaVinnia Pierson.

Message delivered by Dave Denny.

Among other things, Rabbi Jesus is a master storyteller.

One of his central themes is “the kingdom of heaven,” a phrase that illustrates the way Jesus’ own daily life embodies the presence of his Abba Father.

More, it reveals the “open secret,” that our lives, and indeed the lives of all living things, may find fullness in Him, not only in the future, but right here and right now.

Like all good storytellers, Jesus instinctively knows what will appeal to his listeners.

Like seeds, he sprinkles his stories with poetic metaphors from the everyday lives or ordinary people.

This Sunday we explore together how His kingdom takes root in us, flourishes, and produces the fruit of God’s goodness and grace, which we then freely share with all creation.

Message delivered by Pastor Charlane Lines.

Message delivered by Dave Denny.

Common Lectionary often pairs readings that open a dialogue on a particular theme in our sacred literature.

This week we hear the Apostle Paul describe a universal struggle at the center of the human condition—

the inner war between heart and mind that often plagues our thoughts, distracting us from the presence of God.

And in Matthew’s Gospel, we hear Jesus pronounce the cure for what ails us:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

The way Rabbi Jesus diagnoses our spiritual and psychological weariness opens a method for consolation, refreshment, and renewal.