In Joseph we find not only the story of a man of dreams, but also of one who was seduced and wrongly accused of adultery. Through slavery, prison, and living in the midst of a foreign empire, we see that God is with Joseph even when the structures of power are against him. God does not prevent us from experiencing all that is risky in life, but God does not abandon us.

To make a real beginning is the most difficult act- and when called by God at 75, Abraham made quite the real beginning. All beginnings, no matter how small, are blessings from God. When we take a small step out in faith toward the places that God calls us to we find hope, life, and joy. Abraham doesn't make this step by himself- he has Sarah and many generations of his family to journey with. For when God calls just one of us, God calls all of us.

The creation story is often cut short in our usual worship readings. In this sermon Pastor Lara explores the sections of the story of Noah that we tend to glance over- the sections in which God suffers in the disappointment of humankind, causes distruction, and then has a momentous change of heart. In the great flood of the Old Testament God does not change humanity, but promises to turn to us in a new way.

When we encounter the woman at the well, do we judge and offer forgiveness, or do we offer dignity as Jesus did? When we are the woman at the well, do we lie about our identity, or do we come to God and one another in truth and honesty?

Dian Fossey acted on her passion for mountain gorillas to help change the way the world viewed and treated them, just as Jesus acted on his passions to change our world.

In her Christmas Eve message, Pastor Cara reminds us that our choices really do matter.

Pastor Cara's touches on the recent challenges the United Methodist Church has been facing in the news and the prophet's temptation to offer a false hope when deliverance may still be far away.