When the unimaginable happens some jump for an explanation, some lash out, and some just want to forget. After Jesus rocked the fishermen’s world with a huge catch, they became his followers and friends. Pastor Jody considers the implications.

Christianity in the US is increasingly mean-spirited – appointing all white males as gatekeepers, labeling immigrants of color a threat, and deeming non-heterosexuals perverse. Pastor Dan talks about what to do in the face of growing Christian Nationalism.

Jesus was a hometown boy who made good; then the town tried to throw him off a cliff! Pastor Jody reminds us that maybe we have wanted to ‘throw someone off a cliff’ after they confronted us about our behavior or said something that changed our lives.

At the wedding in Cana, Jesus performs the first of many miracles. Oddly, it is not an occasion of healing. Rather, the wine runs out – gasp! Pastor Dan suggests that this story is about abundance – God’s, ours, and Martin Luther King’s.

Christmas is about love that comes from the edge of society, the poorest of the poor, the outsider, the foreigner. People often receive compassion, mercy, or an unexpected gift from a surprising place. Rev. Jody Betten helps us imagine the Holy Family and the gifts they bring.

Many of God’s creatures support our ancient stories. At Christmas, they include a donkey carrying Mary to Bethlehem, oxen sharing a manger, and camels carrying wise ones who follow a star. Rev. Jody asks us to consider the gift of the life of our planet.

Today’s reading is about pregnant cousins Mary and Elizabeth visiting together. It’s helpful to commiserate with others who know what we’re feeling as changes in body and lifestyle prepare us for what’s ahead. Children can bring us much joy; so can friends who walk with us on the journey of parenting.

In a sort of ‘audition,’ Dan and Jody shared a few ideas about how Douglas UCC might grow and change. Afterward, the congregation voted overwhelmingly to accept them as the church’s new co-pastors.

When we extend mercy to the unforgivable or advocate for the least, last, lost, and lonely we may not be well received. This week Rev. Jody considers the consequences and rewards of following the way of Jesus.