In the practice of Sabbath, God invites us to rest in the presence of our Creator, and experience the gifts of balance, time to refocus, and resistance to anxiety and commodity-driven oppression.

In the story of Joseph and his brothers, we see God's providential love at work: Beyond the reality of our decisions and misdirected intention, God intends for us our ultimate good, and accompanies us along the way there.

In the much-told story of the miracle of the loaves and fish, when the disciples think there's not enough to feed the crowds, Jesus says: "They don't need to go away.  You give them something to eat." In a world that feels scarce, Jesus empowers us to create capacity in community.

 In a fearful and anxious world, God is near. We consider this "nearness of God," looking to Jacob's dream of a ladder connecting heaven and earth, our own "pandemic dreams," and Celtic spirituality. 

We consider the Parable of the Sower -- the seed, the soil, the sower -- and notice that the parable describes a generative process for a generative season.  God empowers us to create something new together by sowing seeds generously and generatively. Grace abounds!

On this Fourth of July weekend, we stand at the intersection of faith and public life and consider "freedom" -- both Biblical and Constitutional.  What we affirm with the Apostle Paul is this: Christ has set us free for the freedom of others and ourselves.

Exiled into the wilderness, Hagar raises her voice in lament against the powers of slavery and patriarchy. In the power of lament, we summon God into the pain of the world, and God summons us and the world to create something better and new.

As Sarah laughs at the news that she will have a child so late in life, we listen with her to the question: "Is anything too wonderful for God?"  We consider the events of this week -- Supreme Court decisions and Juneteenth celebrations -- and we wonder, with Sarah, at things that seem too wonderful even after long seasons of hope.

Made in the image of a creating God, we are invited to become a creating and re-creating community, together with each other and all creation.

The symbols of our faith journey remind us of God's presence in each chapter in life, and they call us into the future God has ready for us.