We light the Peace Candle as we examine the artwork of the Psalmist who wrote Psalms 85.  The songwriter presents an all too common tension of humanity that is only relieved when God speaks peace from Heaven.  Only God's peace, Shalom, is more like "wholeness" than "quiet".  God speaks wholeness to His people and Jesus comes to show us what that looks like.  Our best bet at achieving this wholeness is in community.

We gather for a Fifth Sunday Family Service. We kick of Advent by looking at an ancient piece of art that identifies Hope in a special way. Until Jesus returns, our greatest hope for advancing the Kingdom of God and making our better, is our children. They are our Hope, and even more, they can teach us how to hope. Children hope so easily and Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who act like children. Go create Hope.

We wrap up our 2020 saints series titled Surrounded with a discussion about Billy Graham. Though we barely scratched the surface of this great man's life, we focus in on Billy's tenacious grip on the Gospel. With the temptation to throw himself into countless incredibly worthy causes, Billy remained focused on the Pearl of Great Price. We also stand in a time when there are so many great fights to fight that it's important for us to remember that the Gospel has to central in both our church and our lives.

We continue our 2020 saints series titled Surrounded with a discussion about Jonathan. Most famous for his friendship to David, an in depth look introduces us to a guy who lived fully and threw himself into his life with passion. Above all we find a man who never needed a spotlight or recognition for the good he did. For Jonathan, simply being a good son, a good man, and a good friend was all the notoriety he needed. In a day of "likes", "shares", and "viral" recognition, Jonathan reminds us that it's the unseen goodness that changes the world.

We continue this year's saints series with Monica of Hippo. She's a humbling example of faithfulness over a long period of time as well as a demonstration of how much impact an utterly normal person can have on history by being faithful.

We open this year's saints series with Juan de Zumarraga, the first bishop of Mexico.  As we look at Zumarraga's life, we realize how much God can do with a completely unqualified and under resourced person who has a heart to do good and love people, even in the backwoods of nowhere.  Like the early apostles who were ordinary misfits in the boonies of the Roman empire, Zumarraga gives us hope that we can make a real difference in the world by doing what good we can do, right were we live.

As we wrap up our Apocalypse Series we look at a Cosmic Apocalypse and the emotional impact that collapse had on the people involved.  The Messiah, the very Son of God, came to earth and rather than being welcomed as the creator and sustainer of the universe, He was abused and crucified.  This had a profound and painful impact on those who dared to hope that this Jesus was the long awaited King.  Anyone who has every tasted real disappointment understands.  But this was not the end.  The Resurrection changes everything.  Now we face every challenge, every struggle, every disappointment, every apocalypse knowing THIS IS NOT THE END!

Apocalypses do happen on a grand scale. They sometimes affect the entire planet. As we face global struggles in 2020, what better place to look for help then the story of Noah as Noah also face a global pandemic. Esther helps us to enter the story of these very real humans who were so much like us. In the end, we find the hope to show up and continue doing what we know God has called us to do, no matter what our new normal looks like.

We look at a the collapse of First Temple Israel as a dire warning of the way nations can undergo Apocalypse. Despite its glorious beginnings, God judges Israel because they had abandoned justice. As we head into an election, we realize both the importance of our nation obeying God's commands and the greater importance of focusing our allegiance on the Kingdom of God which is never at risk of an Apocalypse.

We start this new series by looking at personal apocalypse. Sometime everything falls apart. David had a charmed life. He was an anointed, giant-killing rock star who had the praise of the people. Everything he touched turned to gold until a single thrown spear turned him into a homeless refugee. In a moment David's life was changed forever. He wrote Psalms 59 in the wake of his apocalypse and it holds the secret to surviving a personal apocalypse.