How well do you listen? I am not talking about hearing but listening. True listening is hard work! True listening is not for the faint of heart but only the courageous. Mark is trying to have us hear who Jesus is. He is wanting us to see who Jesus and be transformed. Jesus is doing something new. Teh…

We all long for new beginnings. Most people love things “new” and then when something becomes “normal” or “used” we quickly go to something else. Mark is writing a “biography” of Jesus. Now this is not the same as our biographies today nor is it as simple as this. Yet, if we understand and use this framework…

What does “evangelical” mean? It is a question many people are pondering. Is it political? Is it a religious statement? It is a culture? Churches have problems. Always have. Always will. We need reminders, often. We have short memories. The Gospel is Jesus! Nothing other. Now it is way more complex than…

We are all searching for something. The ads have told us so. Maybe we have been poked and prodded to “make a list”. Our politicians tell us we are searching for their leadership. May I ask this evening, “what are you searching for?” Our world is hurting. We have drugs, disease, division and pain all…

What is Christmas? All the great Christmas stories, movies and songs try to share the meaning of Christmas. The Advent journey ends. Today marks the final Sunday of Advent; the roughly 40 days before Christmas (truly the 4 Sundays prior to Christmas). We have continued to reflect on the age old tradition…

Journeys are important. Sometimes we need reminded the journey is just as important as the destination. Advent is a journey of expecting God to show up in our world. This is part of the purpose we find ourselves in. If we are not careful we can quickly just appear at Christmas, the same with Easter,…

What does peace look like? It is a question our world is asking Advent is hard work. The two candles we have lit so far: peace and hope, are not naturally the state we live in. It is easier, as I was reminded this week, to be hopeless and without peace. The same will be true of the other candles we will…

What is a key ingredient of Thanksgiving? Go ahead and let me know you think. Is it the mashed potatoes, turkey, ham, gravy, green bean casserole, etc? Maybe it is the spices one uses, or doesn’t use. Relationships are key to life. We were created for relationships. From the very beginning of Thanksgiving…

The Holidays can be hard. Lets stop for a moment and just recognize this truth with empathy and grace. Families are not always safe places for people. Sometimes gatherings become a reminder of what or who is not sitting at the table. Joy and thanksgiving are not natural. Yes every person can experience…

What do you know about Thanksgiving? Take a few seconds or so to write down what you know about thanksgiving and how it began. 1621 for the Pilgrims and after the Civil Way when Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday a national holiday in 1863. Goal-To help us grow in thanksgiving year round. As we start…