This Sunday is Ascension Sunday in which Jesus was carried up into heaven. And this week we were reminded again of the tragic pain and suffering in the world around us. What does the ascension mean for us today in this stressed out world and in our stressed-out lives. Join us on Sunday, in person or online, as we work to unpack this and look for hope.

In the end of John's gospel, Simon becomes concerned about the disciple Jesus loved. Jesus tells him not to worry about the "beloved disciple." I wonder what it would be like for each of us if we focused on our own spiritual journey instead of that of others.

After breakfast on the beach with Jesus, Simon has a conversation where Jesus asks him about love. "Do you love me more than these?" Why ask this question of Simon now? Since we get to overhear them, what are we meant to learn from the conversation for our lives? J

Jesus appears to the disciples several times, first to Mary in the garden, then to most of the guys that evening, and then a week later to Thomas and others. Some time later, Simon heads out to go fishing with several of the other disciples. Jesus shows up to cook breakfast for them and gives the disciples that nudge to start sharing the message. What were the disciples doing going back to fishing? What might we learn from another story of Jesus showing up?

Is there is such thing as having no doubts? We have a person in Thomas who has been caricatured as "the Doubter." I was raised understanding that this doubting was not a good thing. Don't be a "doubting Thomas." And yet I have found myself befriending doubt. I find my doubting to be an invitation to reflection, to questioning, to wondering, to deepening.

Easter is a central celebration in our life together as Christians. #Death does not get the final word. Still there is no new life without death. And that is where intrigue, joy, and mystery come together to form the Easter story. The women report that the tomb is empty. New life has escaped into the world and Jesus models the hope we can have through him. What does #resurrection mean for you and me? Join us Sunday as we ask this question and celebrate some of our answers.

I often find myself in the seat of judgment, quickly dispensing my own determinations about what is right and wrong with the world and with the people in it. Perhaps you find yourself doing the same thing? This week we are going to take a long and gracious look at our propensity to judge and ways to recognize what is happening as it does so we can be careful about dispensing what is not ours to dispense.

We rarely talk about fasting. I hear about fasting and cleansing among folks interested in their health and not-so-much in church. The exception may be in the lead up to Easter when many folks give something up (a form of fasting). And so here we are and yes, we will talk about fasting as a practice of our faith. This practice may or may not be for you; still I feel it is worth our talking about fasting.

"Show up for prayer; don't make a show out of prayer." Over the years, I have talked about and practiced prayer a lot (sometimes more of the "talking about" and less of the "practicing"). However, I know the word itself is elusive. What does it mean to pray? Sometimes it seems like it is just a list of words strung together; other times, we talk about silent prayer and wonder with all the internal chatter, is it really "silent?" I do not intend to settle it once and for all. I do intend to speak honestly about the challenges of opening ourselves into the Eternal Mystery, pouring ourselves out in and to Love.

Jesus spent a "long time" in the wilderness. What is his next move? Luke tells us his next stop is his home town. Jesus figures out who he is and then heads back to the place he grew up. Mistake?