01/14/2018 John 1:43-51 Chris Breslin “There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred places and desecrated places.” –Wendell Berry “I was ready to give up. With my cup of coffee sitting untouched before me, I tried to think of a way to move out of the picture without appearing a coward. In this state of exhaustion, when my courage […]

01/07/2018 Psalm 29 & Mark 1:4-11 Chris Breslin “This is the Epiphany’s first lesson about joy: to rejoice in the coming of Christ, it’s not enough for Christ to have been born; we must also perceive him as savior and king. Otherwise we won’t rejoice but will treat him with fear, disdain, or indifference.” –Miroslav Volf “We say – and […]

12/24/17 Psalm 96 Chris Breslin “Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.” John Wesley, Directions for Singing Christmas […]

12/17/2017 Psalm 126 & Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 Chris Breslin “And I knew that the Spirit that had gone forth to shape the world and make it live was still alive in it. I just had no doubt. I could see that I lived in the created world, and it was still being created. I would be part of it forever. […]

12/10/2017 Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2; 8-13 Sarah Neff “The peace between God and man and the salvation which comes to us men is not something general, but the specific thing itself: that concrete thing which is indicated by the name of Jesus Christ and not by any other name. For He who bears this name is Himself the peace and […]

12/03/2017 Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Isaiah 64:1-9 Curt Lowndes Rev. Curt Lowndes is the Associate Pastor of the Gathering Church. He’s a graduate of Georgetown College (KY) and Duke Divinity School. He and his wife Jenny are both from small towns in Kentucky. Jenny graduated from the University of Kentucky’s Nursing School and is an experienced neonatal nurse (including in the […]

11/26/2017 Romans 15:3-11 Chris Breslin   “Advent is an invitation to plunge into the deep, dark waters of our worst world, knowing that when we re-surface for air we will encounter the hopeful, hovering Spirit of God. For when we dive into the depths of our worst world, we reach a critical point at which our chocolate and pageants no […]

11/19/2017 Mark 9:36-37; 10:13-16 Meg Hoffman   ‘Welcome’, the word is always on your lips, Each welcome warms another one inside, An interleaving of relationships, An open door where arms are open wide. First welcome to the child and through the child A welcome to the Saviour of the world And through the Saviour’s welcome all are called Home to […]

11/12/2017 Matthew 25:31-46 Chris Breslin “When we allow ourselves to be disarmed, we become both vulnerable and strong. The only weapons then at our disposal are those of the Spirit. We choose the way of Jesus laying aside all the earthly resources that give us power- in order to be present to those we love.” –Chris Heuertz When you can […]

11/05/2017 John 9:1-17 Chris Breslin “To proclaim the Gospel is to proclaim that it is at last possible to be properly human.” –Rowan Williams “The good news brings us to God, and it also brings life and healing to a broken, dying and divided world. Anything less is not the gospel.” –Brenda Salter McNeill “The task of prophetic ministry is […]