Have you ever stopped to ask yourself how we might think of God if we simply took one story at a time from the Bible and tried to concoct a "theology"? There are many stories that would create some serious problems. Think about the story of the flood and the implications to what God is like as a destroyer of so much life, while only saving a few. Or what about God's command for Israel to wipe out their opposition and leave no one alive? These individual stories would leave us with a troublesome view, yet that is exactly what some people do with the Bible. Though the individual stories present some challenges in how we are to think about and understand God, the overall collection of stories and teachings provide a broad and diverse narrative within which we get to "construct" a theology. The incarnation of Jesus brings a whole new way of seeing God and gives us a lense through which we can look back on the journey of Israel. This broad story also provides a safe haven for each one of us to gain an understanding of who God is and what God is like without being totally dependent upon our own subjective experience. In other words, the Bible provides an opportunity to place my story within a much larger story and as such, keeps me from thinking that "my way" is the only way to think about God.

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself how we might think of God if we simply took one story at a time from the Bible and tried to concoct a "theology"? There are many stories that would create some serious problems. Think about the story of the flood and the implications to what God is like as a destroyer of so much life, while only saving a few. Or what about God's command for Israel to wipe out their opposition and leave no one alive? These individual stories would leave us with a troublesome view, yet that is exactly what some people do with the Bible. Though the individual stories present some challenges in how we are to think about and understand God, the overall collection of stories and teachings provide a broad and diverse narrative within which we get to "construct" a theology. The incarnation of Jesus brings a whole new way of seeing God and gives us a lense through which we can look back on the journey of Israel. This broad story also provides a safe haven for each one of us to gain an understanding of who God is and what God is like without being totally dependent upon our own subjective experience. In other words, the Bible provides an opportunity to place my story within a much larger story and as such, keeps me from thinking that "my way" is the only way to think about God.

For many of us, Mosaic represents a place where we have been allowed to ask questions, deconstruct parts of our faith journey that created confusion and hopefully a place to begin to rebuild our faith in God. One area that is often slow to rebuild, is what we do with the Bible. How do we read it? How do we respond to the Older Testament? These are great questions and some of the ones we are going to begin to tackle this Sunday. Hope you'll join us!

For many of us, Mosaic represents a place where we have been allowed to ask questions, deconstruct parts of our faith journey that created confusion and hopefully a place to begin to rebuild our faith in God. One area that is often slow to rebuild, is what we do with the Bible. How do we read it? How do we respond to the Older Testament? These are great questions and some of the ones we are going to begin to tackle this Sunday. Hope you'll join us!

Have you ever been around an older person that is hard, cynical, angry and opinionated? What about a young person like that? Nothing worse than youthful arrogance combined with a hard heart!

Then there are those that have been through a lot and still, they are soft, caring, humble and haven't given up on the world. How do they do it? How do we keep our hearts soft without them being weak? How do we have a strong heart and still keep it soft?

Have you ever been around an older person that is hard, cynical, angry and opinionated? What about a young person like that? Nothing worse than youthful arrogance combined with a hard heart! Then there are those that have been through a lot and still, they are soft, caring, humble and haven't given up on the world. How do they do it? How do we keep our hearts soft without them being weak? How do we have a strong heart and still keep it soft?

Why do we procrastinate? Most of us have one or more areas of life that we just tend to "put off". If you do a search to find the top reasons why people procrastinate, you'll find so many different lists, you'll probably put off doing any more reading.

One reason that shows up in many of the lists, has to do with staying in the now, or the moment. It's so easy to let the past impact our present, or let some future possibility freeze us with fear. Take some time to listen and learn from Jesus how to stay in the moment.

Why do we procrastinate? Most of us have one or more areas of life that we just tend to "put off". If you do a search to find the top reasons why people procrastinate, you'll find so many different lists, you'll probably put off doing any more reading.One reason that shows up in many of the lists, has to do with staying in the now, or the moment. It's so easy to let the past impact our present, or let some future possibility freeze us with fear. Take some time to listen and learn from Jesus how to stay in the moment.

One of the great challenges that I face as a human, is my inability to slow down. My friends (if you can call them that), call me "jack rabbit" on the golf course. You can imagine why.

So, lately, I have been feeling this draw to take the time that I have available and try to be more mindful of what's going on. In doing some reading and thinking about Sabbath, I was struck by the phrase in Deut. 5, where the writer recounts the 10 Commandments. Take a look at the passage, then take a listen to todays discussion.

One of the great challenges that I face as a human, is my inability to slow down. My friends (if you can call them that), call me "jack rabbit" on the golf course. You can imagine why.So, lately, I have been feeling this draw to take the time that I have available and try to be more mindful of what's going on. In doing some reading and thinking about Sabbath, I was struck by the phrase in Deut. 5, where the writer recounts the 10 Commandments. Take a look at the passage, then take a listen to todays discussion.