Prince of Peace

In today's lesson from Romans, Paul tells us that "in one body we have many members, and not all the member have the same function..." . Pastor Jonathan explains that Paul understood the meaning on living in community, and contributing our talents and time to help restore the world in grace and peace.

In this sermon Pastor Michelle discusses a gospel passage in which Jesus changed his mind. We are encouraged that if Jesus changed his mind, we can change ours as well. We can learn to listen to others and be open to change and through this show the world a more excellent way.

This morning, two of our youth reflect on how the gospel lesson of Peter walking on water is a direct parallel to experiences our youth had on the most recent Discipleship Tour.

Pastor Michell explains this week's gospel as a tale of two worlds. In Herod's world, he wanted power and loyalty, but the price of that power was not only pleasing the Emperor, but also sacrificing John the Baptist. Later in the Gospel lesson, Jesus feeds 5,000 people, asking nothing from any of them. This, pastor Michelle explains, is the difference between the world and the Kingdom of God - there is no cost to be at Christ's table.

This morning's gospel is a series of parables about heaven. Pastor Jonathan explains that Jesus used these parables to tell us that God's grace is very different from what the religious leaders of his day (and even some in the present day) would have you believe. Rather than having to conform to standards, or follow certain rules, God's love and grace are freely given to those who would accept it.

This week's gospel is another parable about sowing seeds, but in this one, Jesus tells how weeds will be sorted out. Pastor Hannah explains that a weed is really a human concept, because it is simply a plant growing where you don't want it to. Much like Jesus explains the parable, Pastor Hannah reminds us that it is up to God to sort out the weeds among us. We are just to spread God's love.

In this week's gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the sower, and how the seeds represent those who hear the word of God. Pastor Michelle explains that, despite the challenges that the world throws at us, God sows the seeds of faith with us time and again. He wants us to spread those seeds of love, faith and mercy to the world.

On this Independence Day. Pastor Hannah reminds us that while the Kingdom of God was expected to arrive with strength and power, God's way is the way of peace and unity. In the same way. America was founded on the ideals of peace, liberty and justice. Like all things created by humans, we struggle to live up to those ideals, but we can still celebrate what we aspire to.

Today's gospel is Jesus telling his followers how good it is to welcome others, bringing them closer to the Kingdom of God. Pastor Michelle expands on this by giving examples of how welcoming, or being welcomed, makes us all part of the community we share.

Today, Pastor Hannah explores how we become who we are, starting with our earliest childhood experiences, and through our adult life. Each event defines who we are and where we belong, but God has established *whose* we are even before we are born.