Turning water into wine is just a magic trick, right? If ‘The Amazing Chad’ can do it, what is so miraculous about Jesus’ version? Pastor Chad invites us to rePHRASE this story in a way that is less about a miracle and more about being a sign pointing to God’s vision for our world. It is about finding God’s abundance among the scarcity of life. When we share our time & resources with an abundance mindset something magical happens, our neighbors suffering in scarcity experience the abundance of God’s love, grace, and mercy.

We all have worries. But what happens when those worries become such a burden that we are paralyzed by fear? Our focus text has some words from Jesus addressing our worry. It is not simply have faith and your worries will be gone. Jesus recognizes that there are some worries that can be beneficial, those worries that spur us into action. But too often we get caught up in worrying about things that are out of our control. Those are the worries that Jesus is inviting us to let go of so that we can focus on taking action in relieving the fears and worries of our neighbors.

What is the story behind your name? Parents often are very deliberate in choosing a name, because names matter! That name is not the only one we are given. As we go through life we might acquire other names: sibling, spouse, or parent. Then there are names we are called. Too often these names are negative, especially those we call ourselves: fat, stupid, or unlovable. These same names are used by others as weapons to make themselves feel superior. Too rarely others give us names that build us up, typically as recognition for our accomplishments. There is one name we are called that builds us up without any effort on our part: beloved child of God! In our baptism we are claimed by God and given this name, the name that matters most! It is a name that cannot be taken away from us and is a name that contradicts all those negative names we are given or give ourselves.

We all want more peace in our lives. Unfortunately, too often we think we can find that peace in a quick fix: buying the latest trendy product that promises fulfillment, by tackling one more task that will finally let you relax, or turning to a chemical fix that numbs the mind & emotions. Today’s Focus Text offers a solution that brought true peace, but it wasn’t a quick fix! Simeon had waited his entire life to meet the promised Messiah. He didn’t feel the need to do anything or buy anything to find peace, he placed his trust in God and waited in hope. When Jesus is brought to the Temple for dedication, Simeon is there and recognizes the baby is the Messiah he has waited to meet. Simeon has true peace because he filled the void with hope and trust in God’s promises.  

FAIR WARNING: Today’s focus text takes us into a dangerous place: the wilderness! Across cultures the wilderness is dangerous place because it is where we encounter “the other.”  The story of the wise men visiting Jesus is a wilderness story. The wise men are travelling to an unknown land with foreign customs and culture, they are entering a wilderness space and bringing with them the customs & culture of “the other”. The thing about the wilderness in the biblical story is that it brings change which can sometimes feel dangerous. The good news is that the change the wilderness brings can help us experience the true joy that comes when we embrace “the other” as God calls us to do.

The focus text for this week is one that we tend to ignore because it doesn't fit our idea of the Christmas season. We would much rather focus on the Hallmark-esque version filled with family, friends, joy, and peace than hear about how children were massacred by a tyrant in the name of power and control. Pastor Stephanie encourages us to recognize that God is with us when Christmas and life don't meet the Hallmark standard. Like "Auld Lang Syne" if we forget the times God shows up in the rubble of life we miss out on the opportunity to find comfort when the Hallmark movie set begins to crumble around us.

One of the ideas behind our theme of rePHRASE was how perspective changes the way we interpret a story. This week’s focus text is a good example of how a little different perspective can help us relate to a familiar story that we may find unapproachable with our past perspective. The Annunciation, when an angel visited Mary to tell her she would carry the Son of God, often depicts Mary as at peace with the unbelievable life-changing news. Pastor Chad invites us to take a different perspective of the story, the word describing Mary as perplexed is better translated as: deeply troubled. The news was a major disruption to Mary’s plan for life. We know disruption, we know what it is to be deeply troubled when our life isn’t going according to plan. Understanding the Annunciation from this perspective helps make it relatable and offers us hope that we can find the same comfort that Mary found in trusting God’s plan!

One of the ideas behind our theme of rePHRASE was how perspective changes the way we interpret a story. This week’s focus text is a good example of how a little different perspective can help us relate to a familiar story that we may find unapproachable with our past perspective. The Annunciation, when an angel visited Mary to tell her she would carry the Son of God, often depicts Mary as at peace with the unbelievable life-changing news. Pastor Chad invites us to take a different perspective of the story, the word describing Mary as perplexed is better translated as: deeply troubled. The news was a major disruption to Mary’s plan for life. We know disruption, we know what it is to be deeply troubled when our life isn’t going according to plan. Understanding the Annunciation from this perspective helps make it relatable and offers us hope that we can find the same comfort that Mary found in trusting God’s plan! 

A diamond ring begins as some ordinary looking rocks. It takes time and energy to bring out the beauty within those raw materials. This week’s focus text reminds us that we too benefit from time and energy to bring out the true beauty that reflects the light of God! Advent is a season of waiting, a time to slow down and prepare for the birth of the Light of God in Jesus. May we all take some time and invest some energy in refining our lives so we may better reflect God’s love back out into the world around us.

Pastor Chad finds himself talking about fear more often these days. But why is that? Most, if not all, of us experience fear, and more specifically anxiety (fear of losing something without an immediate threat) so it is a relevant concern. Pastor Chad is focused on is how Jesus teaches his followers to counter their fear with compassion and action. Jesus does not dismiss our fears or promise our anxiety will be eliminated instead he shows us the way to actively love God and our neighbor.  Following this path prevents us from being overwhelmed by our fears and helps us grow into the life that God intends for Creation.