Jesus literally comes down from a mountain and encounters an arguing crowd. The disciples weren't able to do something Jesus had empowered them to do. How does Jesus respond in the wake of his disciples' failure? What might we as the Church learn as we notice how Jesus responds?

Mark 9: 14-29

When Jesus interacts with people he seems to always be inviting them to see what is beneath their question or issue. We too are inviting to look deeper at where God is calling us to surrender in order to find freedom and healing. 

Matthew 19:16-22

We can learn a lot from the ways that Jesus interacted with the spiritually discouraged duo who were walking to Emmaus. Being a Jesus people for the sake of world looks like centralizing the Story of God, offering presence, nourishing and encouraging one another.

Luke 24:13-35 

Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters who were ordinary people just like us. Sometimes ordinary things like sickness and death make us question his love, yet we still sow our ordinary life and faith in Jesus' extraordinary power. 

John 11:1-16

Mark 5:21-26

Elijah presents before the people a decisive and unwavering decision that they must make, "Who is God in Israel?". It is not simply a decision of the mind, but rather, an embodied reality in which one commits with the entirety of one's heart, being, and might.

1 Kings 18:15-21

One of the great invitations we are given during the season of Advent is to investigate our capacity for surprise. The characters Ahaz and Joseph encourage us to consider our openness to the surprising work of God in our lives. 

Isaiah 7:10-17 and Matthew 1:18-25

Taking a closer look at the reactions of Mary and John the Baptizer when encountered by God offers us a window into our own ways of reacting to God's invitation and encounter. A closer look at the text reveals how they [and we!] can respond to God's love and invitation... and it is something we can't do alone. 

Luke 1, Matthew 11, Isaiah 35

Matt 11:2-6, Luke 1:46-55

In this Advent season, we wait. This waiting is one rooted in trust and hope that the Branch that grows up from the stump of Jesse is One who has come and will come. This One is the enthroned King, anointed by the Spirit, who brings a kingdom of peace. 

Isaiah 11:1-10