Holy. It's a four-letter-word in America right now. And that's due, in part, to many years of hypocrisy (folks who SHOULD have been holy and weren't) and many years of holier-than-thou (folks who, because they do certain things and avoid other things, they're somehow better than everyone else). Holiness is also out of style right now, because Americans value authenticity and brokenness MORE. So what's a church to do? Especially when God wants His people to be...holy.

Face it: America is full of inconsiderate jerks! They're everywhere - and they have a tendency, when thinking about Jesus, to think primarily or exclusively about what Jesus does for them. We Americans LIKE a Jesus who heals, who provides and who wins. But that Jesus doesn't capture the full picture of him we get in the Gospels. Jesus was going somewhere - and he calls us to join him.

Face it: America is full of inconsiderate jerks! They're everywhere - and they have a tendency, when thinking about Jesus, to think primarily or exclusively about what Jesus does for them. We Americans LIKE a Jesus who heals, who provides and who wins. But that Jesus doesn't capture the full picture of him we get in the Gospels. Jesus was going somewhere - and he calls us to join him.

Apparently, a while back we all stopped RSVP'ing to weddings...or birthday parties...or graduations...or anything, really. And even Facebook has developed a tool to help us keep our options open when it comes to events. Face it: we Americans have commitment issues. Which is interesting when it comes to church, because according to the Bible...marriage is way to talk about church and its relationship with Jesus. Talk about awkward!

Apparently, a while back we all stopped RSVP'ing to weddings...or birthday parties...or graduations...or anything, really. And even Facebook has developed a tool to help us keep our options open when it comes to events. Face it: we Americans have commitment issues. Which is interesting when it comes to church, because according to the Bible...marriage is way to talk about church and its relationship with Jesus. Talk about awkward!

Most Americans are looking for a place of worship where they feel comfortable: comfortable with the liturgy (or lack thereof), comfortable with the music, comfortable with the types of people there, comfortable with the preaching. But most of our (actual) experience IN church is awkward and UNcomfortable. In this message, Max Vanderpool, makes the case for why we should expect and embrace the awkward IN church.

Most Americans are looking for a place of worship where they feel comfortable: comfortable with the liturgy (or lack thereof), comfortable with the music, comfortable with the types of people there, comfortable with the preaching. But most of our (actual) experience IN church is awkward and UNcomfortable. In this message, Max Vanderpool, makes the case for why we should expect and embrace the awkward IN church.

Pastors get asked all the time to pray for people. And when we do, we are passionate, hopeful and believing that God is at work. Sometimes, the results of all that praying causes us to think WOW, God! And sometimes the results of all that praying causes us to think WOW, God...REALLY?!? In John's Gospel is an important encounter with two sisters and a brother who's died - and what to do when God doesn't do what you ask for or expect.

Pastors get asked all the time to pray for people. And when we do, we are passionate, hopeful and believing that God is at work. Sometimes, the results of all that praying causes us to think WOW, God! And sometimes the results of all that praying causes us to think WOW, God...REALLY?!? In John's Gospel is an important encounter with two sisters and a brother who's died - and what to do when God doesn't do what you ask for or expect.

Incarnation: it's a word we use at Christmas time, but do we really KNOW what it means? Incarnation means God shares our human frame, participates in our human limitations and enters INTO our world. In short, God moved into the neighborhood. Do you know that God is WITH you? Really know it...in a way that you believe it?