The Transfiguration confirms what Jesus has said, that everything will be different, especially in the face of losing one we love. Finding ourselves in the middle of change, we may be afraid but we are not alone. We have Jesus to guide us, to bring life where there is death, wholeness where there is brokenness. The essence of Christianity is that we do not need to fear death; death is a change, not an ending. When we die our life in Christ goes on. In the resurrection life we do not lose ourselves, we become our true selves forever. We cannot stay on the mountain, but we can choose how we go down; transfigured, the glory of Christ alive in us.

The Scripture references are Exodus 24:12-18, Psalm 99:1,2,5-8, and 2 Peter 1:16-21. The Gospel reference is Matthew 5:38-48.

As Jesus addressed the crowds gathered at the Sermon on the Mount, He brought hope in the midst of powerlessness and despair. He tells them to turn the other cheek, to love their enemies and to pray for their prosecutors; He is telling them to turn away from the conventional wisdom and, as God is merciful, to reflect that mercy. Far from being passive, by doing the unexpected and undeserved they will disarm their oppressors and remove their power. Prayer changes the heart of those who are praying as much as it does the heart of those for whom the prayers are said. Choosing mercy over justice allows us to change as well, and to see them as something other than just the enemy.

The Scripture references are Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18, Psalm 119:33-40, and 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-17. The Gospel reference is Matthew 5:38-48.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus interprets four of the laws given in the Torah in the light of His knowledge of God. Rather than seeing the Law as a fixed set of strictures, Jesus is concerned with looking and living beyond the letter of the Law. To Him, keeping the Law is not just about avoiding harm or punishment; to truly follow the Law means living and obeying God with our whole heart in our intents and in our actions. When we interpret His instructions in the light of God's will for us, to see each and every person as a fellow creature of God, much more is demanded of us than is by a mere literal interpretation.

The Scripture references are Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Psalm 119, and 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. The Gospel reference is Matthew 5:21-37.

How often we don't stop to realize how things have changed since the days when Jesus taught! When He called His followers "the salt of the earth" He was telling them how special, how important they were to God, and called them to act for God in ways just as special and as important as salt was to them in their day to day lives. As salt only acts to season and to preserve when it is released from its container, so too we only can serve God when we join our words with actions. We can reach out to a world in desperate need of "Christian seasoning" and go out bravely to do His work.

The Scripture references are Isaiah 58:1-9a, Psalm 112:1-7,9, and 1 Corinthians 2:1-12. The Gospel reference is Matthew 5:13-16.

When asked what God requires of us the prophet Micah responds, "He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" On this Annual Meeting Sunday, we are called to look at how are we accomplishing this in both our church life at Emmanuel and in our day-to-day lives. We are each day active in our community, sharing our faith, and in our future will continue to love God, love each other, and have fun doing it.

The Scripture references are Micah 6:1-8, Psalm15, and 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. The Gospel reference is Matthew 5:1-12.

Jesus said to his first disciples "Come, follow me" and they did without hesitating. They didn't consider their options, or discuss the pros and cons. They had no training, no apprenticeship, no practice, but they grew as they ministered and spread the Word. God's plan didn't rest on their ability to minister correctly, but on their willingness to say "Yes!", to try, to give it their best. We make decisions every day on how we will live, so dare to show up. The disciples didn't wait, and neither should we.

The Scripture references are Isaiah 9:1-4, Psalm 27, and I Corinthians 1:1-9. The Gospel reference is Matthew 4:12-23.

Consider Jesus' first words in the Gospel of John, spoken to two of John the Baptist's disciples who have turned to follow Jesus after he passed them on the road: "What are you looking for?" Taken at its deepest meaning, as "What are you seeking?", would we have been any more able to answer than they were? Jesus' question speaks to our deepest core, the spiritual creatures that we are as children of God, created for more than this physical world. We need to nurture our spiritual nature, to set time and practices aside that it may grow and we with it. Then we can follow Christ's invitation to "Come, and see."

The Scripture references are Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalm 40:1-6, and 1 Corinthians 1:1-9. The Gospel reference is John 1:34-42.

The story of the three Magi searching out the infant Jesus is central to the Epiphany story, often so much that we lose sight of the two kings who are also present. Herod, named "King of the Jews" by his Roman masters, in his palace in Jerusalem acquiring more wealth and power through any means, including murder. The infant Jesus, born King of the Jews by Almighty God through the Virgin Mary, in a manger in Bethlehem, "least among the lands". Herod ascending to power at any cost, Jesus descending to Earth and emptying Himself of power to live among us. True power is not just for the Herods of this world; we are all meant to be powerful in the way Jesus was, as children of God. We all have a choice. Which king will you choose to follow?

The Scripture references are Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72, and Ephesians 3:1-12. The Gospel reference is Matthew 2:1-12.

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would name her Son Jesus, meaning "God Saves", it was the most fitting name for the infant Savior. When we cry out to Him in prayer, is it not so that He will hear us and indeed come to our aid? When an infant is named at baptism, the child is named for all eternity and adopted as one of God's own. God knows us all by name, and desires that we live life fully and abundantly; we exist in this moment because God is thinking of us.

The Scripture references are Numbers 6:22-27, Psalm 8:1,4-10, and Galatians 4:4-7. The Gospel reference is Luke 2:15-21.

The story of the birth of Jesus, with the crowds thronging into Bethlehem and no rooms to be had at any cost, brings to mind those who find themselves each night without a place to call their own. But an innkeeper, showing ingenuity and accomplishing the unexpected, found a way to welcome Mary and Joseph. This thread of welcoming and hospitality winds throughout the Nativity story and extends itself into the adult Jesus' ministry, as He welcomes the outcast and the marginalized. We always have opportunity to practice this hospitality in Jesus' name; be inspired by the actions of those who were there on that first Christmas Eve, and remember that in Christ, there is always a place for us.

The Scripture references are Isaiah 9:2-7 and Titus 2:11-14. The Gospel reference is Luke 2:1-20.