Lisa Thornton begins her encounter with Ephesians 6:10-20 by suggesting we do a google image search on “armor of God,” and see the resulting images of battle armor. This makes sense in the world we live in today. Paul, the author of Ephesians, uses this imagery because it was familiar to his readers; and though we don’t generally have soldiers marching our streets, we can easily envision someone in modern armor. Yet this is human armor. Paul is giving a new way to understand and redefine armor. He is saying we need a different kind of armor: God’s armor. This is armor not for an individual, but for the community. It's a new identity we wear to help us carry the word of peace, not violence.

Midway between gen X and millennials, Tim identifies more with a micro-generation: “the Oregon Trail generation.” This is the final generation with an analog childhood and an adolescence marked by a seismic shift to a digital world. Tim compares the slowness of the Oregon Trail game with the pressures of covid. In Ephesians this week, chapter 5:15-20, Paul talks alot about walking. Translated either live or walk in verse 15, we are to be active in the world. Paul asks the believers in Ephasus to walk wisely and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The status quo is more comfortable, especially for those of us with privilege. Yet we are called, in the language of Oregon Trail, to ford the river.

Melissa Spolar spoke about venturing out after improvements in COVID care post-vaccine. She participated in two mud & obstacle races. The first, “Tough Mudder,” was presented with teamwork as the spirit of the event. Next, a Spartan Race, was based on self-challenge, success and competition. Feeling covid isolation from church community, Melissa approached Ephesians 4:1-16 in need and with prayer. The passage calls for churches to live in unity, and an ultimate goal toward unity was knowledge of Jesus. Our acts as a body of Christ must be second to knowing Jesus. This is our foundation and our bond of unity.

Lauren Murtidjaja tackles this passage that we're almost too familiar with. Yet scripture is living, moving, breathing — so Lauren jumps in to share observations from her encounter with the text. What hasn't been said about this story? Why is David not at battle with his troops as a King should be? David catches sight of Bathsheba bathing, purifying herself to enter the temple — a ritual bath. She is in her proper place. But David inquires about Bathsheba, sends for her, takes her, and lays with her. Does she have a choice? She must obey the King. But David is abusing his power — and this is rape.

Tim Reardon contrasts a monument to the Egyptian pharoah Ramses II o the temple that God would build from the time of David through to the time of Christ. The poem, Ozymandias, is a comment on a monument to fallen power — a call to fear. Paul's description of the temple of God's people built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and the cornerstone of Christ Jesus. This temple is dedicated to Jesus, and inhabited by the Spirit. And the power of God in this temple manifests in mercy, in Spirit, and in life. And we live out God's call within a community of the Spirit.

Jason Timothy Smith deftly weaves together the symbols of our nation's history, the art and life of Jasper Johns, the call of Ezekial as prophet to the nations of Israel in Ezekiel 2:1-5, and above all — the mercy of Jesus. See and hear as Jason calls us toward that mercy.

A sighting of bald grapevines led Tim Reardon to look into viticulture — both now and in Jesus' time. What he learned shed new light for him on Jesus' parable of the vine in John 15. He learned that there is a source vine — a trustworthy root. And next that there are two types of pruning — and not all branches are meant to bear fruit. How does this impact our life in Jesus the true vine? Our relationship to one another as branches?

Lisa continues our reflection of the roles each of us uniquely play in the kin-dom work that our community has set out to do. Hopefully, our small efforts at righting the world add up and bring us closer to the kin-dom of God described and displayed to us by Jesus. The story of Tabitha in Acts 9 is one such story. We know that she devoted her life to caring for others. And like the widows in the first century, our communities are filled with people who are not protected by the system in which they live.

Sarah Fuller takes on a tricky passage following the Israelites' demand for a king to lead them. Saul, a man of status, is annointed as king, but fails to obey God. God instructs Samuel to anoint a son of Jesse instead. The selection process reflects God's perspective: "...the Lord does not look at the things human beings look at; people look at the outward appearance ... the Lord looks at the heart." How do expectations of prestige and status affect our view of ourselves and others?

This Memorial Day sermon makes clear that what we remember and how we remember matters — for our understanding of the world, and for how we define ourselves. Memories are foundational for how we connect with our past and with others. They help build collective memory, social memory, memories that we all hold in common. To these memories we build monuments. They are our stories. Monuments not only tell stories, but they invite us to be part of those stories, whether for good or for bad. This week we celebrated two intersecting events — communion and Memorial Day. Each mark a liturgical calendar centered on sacrifice.