Pentecost, the wild, untamed unboundaried arrival of the promised Holy Spirit. It' s exciting, and inspiring, launching visions for the future and excitement for the present...and the Institution of the Church. Because, in order to hold on to what is good, there have to be some guardrails. The dance between Inspiration and Institution, Spirit and Stability, Freedom and Fence. It's all there in the text...so dive in.

This week, Jesus gets out of the way - or tries to, anyway. The disciples are once again waiting on him to work wonders, and it becomes clear they will never step into what is next while he is still there. So, after promising them the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to lead them into their new season, he is taken up into heaven - and they still need to be booted away from that moment, as they were getting stuck staring at the clouds. How about us? What kind of distractions do we use to keep us from the work to which Jesus called us? What would Jesus think of a Church that worshipped him (which he didn't ask his followers to do) but didn't live what he taught (which he did)? 

What a week to be the Church! Here in Dundee, we're celebrating our 185th Anniversary, where we'll hear stories of our less-than-promising ancestors but grow in appreciation of the great legacy we have inherited. In Batavia, we're doing different church work: gathering for funerals and remembering the God in whom we live and move and have our being. In all this - in the blessed, the messy, the constancy and change - we look for the abiding love of God, who has seen us through this far, and will carry us into a faithful future. 

The Gospel of John never disappoints. And this week's passage is a big one, touching on grief, comfort, empowerment, unity, and the work of building something that will last. We're in John 14:1-14, with a short side quest to 1 Peter chapter 2, as we explore together all of these themes, and more.

Two paths diverged in a yellow wood, and strangely went parallel to each other for quite a while. We are both going with different themes this Sunday, but the overlap is notable. One church will be observing Earth Day, another the lectionary's snapshot of the Early Church in Acts 2, and both led us to conversation about interconnectedness, what we owe other living beings, and the nature of community, be it a local faith community, or this world we live in. Join us as we traverse these paths...they go some interesting places.

This third Sunday of Easter brings us a strange (aren't they all?) post-resurrection appearance by Jesus to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. In turn cryptic, funny, poignant, and profound, this story describes the powerful experience of divine inspiration - and challenges us to look for God at work in more places than we expect. 

It's the Sunday after Easter, so it must be the story of Doubting Thomas. Which it is. but it is also so much more. It is the story of coming out of your fear, coming through your questions, finding the power, the confidence, the permission to go out and do good work in the world, Jesus' work, the work of justice, and compassion, and love. It's the next step after the resurrection...because that's really just the beginning of the story.

A classic story from the Gospel of John, an obscure and sassy comeback to the Pharisees from Jesus, and the fine balance between Justice and Mercy, held together by our faithful relationship with the Other. It's a good one for the last Sunday before the start of Holy Week, both Good News and Challenge.

The Good News for the 4th Week of Lent is Protection and Care for the Vulnerable, rooted in two amazing passages...the Law of Moses, found in Deuteronomy, and that Law lived out in practical action, demonstrated by Jesus blessing the children in the Gospel of Matthew. These are not mere children's stories, but the commitment of God to those most in need...will we follow in that path? 

Our Good News story for this week is one that shows up in one form or another in each of the four Gospels, a rarity to be sure. Luke's version tells it this way: an unnamed woman, known to be a "sinner," crashes a dinner party at a Pharisee's house to wash Jesus' feet with her tears, dry them with her hair, and anoint them with costly perfume. It's an intimate, extravagant, uncomfortable act...much, actually, like God's love for us. And in a wonderful flip, also the way we are to love others. It's a lot to consider in Lent, but we have 40 days...so let's dive in.