Just Sitting Here Thinking

Lesson on the disciplines  of faith, sharing with the needs of the community, the gift of communicating with God, and fasting for grief, reverence, and repentance - and practicing all with humility. Being the salt of the earth, and the life-long quest for purity and positivity to reflect the light of Christ.

Lesson on St. Mark's account of Jesus' resurrection and the history of its translation and revision. The importance of the three women who discovered the empty tomb and  the enigma of Joseph of Arimathea. 

Watch the VIDEO version at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WCJnvTe-_c

Sermon on the Apostles witnessing the Transfiguration and their journey of discipleship, having the faith of a child and real humility before God and in the world, from St. Francis and Mother Teresa to a Tennessee farmer named Dewey Strange. Accepting the cup of Christ fills us with the courage to stand up against tyranny and racism for justice and grace.

In honor of Independence Day, we repost this discussion referenced in last week's episode on the history of the church from the Holy Roman Empire to the Reformation, and the foundation of religious freedom in the American colonies up to today.

Lesson for Independence Day on the religious groups crossing the Atlantic Ocean to worship freely, the faith of the individual founders such as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, George Washington, how the separation of church and state preserves religious liberty, and danger of ignoring the history of religion in America.

First: Where is God during tragedy? - a discussion in the aftermath of the December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that killed almost a quarter million people.

Lesson on the transition of John the Baptist to Jesus beginning his ministry, finding disciples, and his critical first message to the world. The need for repentance to see "I am the truth" and the good news of the kingdom of God.

Lesson on the healings of Jesus and Peter, and the power of faith for the benefit of others. The difference between healing and curing, and the role of the church in healing and serving the spiritual and physical needs of the people. The story of Dr. Robert F. Thomas and his journey from minister to doctor, becoming one of the first to bring modern medicine to the remote Smoky Mountains of Tennessee in the 1920s.

Lesson on the emergence of baptism, the history of ritual washing in Judaism, and the origin of John the Baptist. Also the question of transformation and the significance of Jesus' baptism as a symbol of the start of his ministry.

Lesson on one whom God called out of the wilderness, not as a prophet, but to proclaim God's displeasure with the people of Israel for the corruption of the temple, forsaking the poor, and intolerance of the people for each other. What does that mean for us today, and what are the church's responsibilities in caring for all people?

Lesson concluding this study of Revelation, final thoughts on the book as a whole, interpreting the final battle of good and evil, and finding love over judgment from God.