The Bible is a holy and powerful book, but we can also do great harm with the Bible when we read it without care and compassion. Today we read one such dangerous passage about marriage and divorce. But when we look closely, we start to see that Jesus is not laying out rules and laws, but instead giving us a vision of what a holy relationship looks like. On World Communion Sunday, this vision might even show us how to live together as a global family, united in God's love...

The disciples argue about who is the greatest, and Jesus responds, "Whoever wants to be first must be the last." It's a hard concept for any of us to understand, and often we need teachers along the way who show us more practically what Jesus means. To learn from these teachers, Jesus says we need to start welcoming children and others who won't help us get ahead or gain status. In them we find the presence of God, transforming us so that all can know the depths of Jesus's love.

Our Lay Leader Cheryl Charles preaches a timely and powerful message about Jesus's call to compassion.

On Homecoming Sunday, we explore Jesus's identity as our Messiah. He comes to save us, yes, but how, exactly, he saves is another question. Like the apostle Peter, we often find ourselves trying to fit Jesus into a box of our own making. But when we take Jesus on his own terms, we find a savior who desires more for us than we can even imagine.

Labor Day is a great time to remember our heritage of Christians who fought for better wages and safety in the work place. Like some of these union activists, our reading from James invites us to ponder which side we are truly on, and how Christ is inviting us to put our faith into action.

It's one of the most common refrains in churches: "That's how we've always done it!" In our reading from Mark's Gospel, Jesus invites us to find a balance between honoring the wisdom of tradition and being a part of a totally new thing. As it turns out, any practice - new or old - will prove its worth by how it leads us to share the love of Christ.

In this story of the apostle Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, we hear a question, "What is to prevent me from being baptized?" In one way or another, we all ask this kind of  question. Will the church accept me as I am? Does God really love me unconditionally?" Today we'll remember how, through our baptism, God extends a radical welcome to us, which we are called to extend to others in the name of Christ.

Scripture: Acts 8:26-40