Spark Cast

The people who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, did so with hope and expectation. Yet, those expectations may have caused them to miss what God was actually doing. Let us not do the same. You can't see what God is doing on the perimeter if you're only living in the center. And, for God's sake, enjoy being surprised by God.

Leviticus 12 is odd. Different time frames for purification after birth, and then the woman is considered "unclean." So, what is this really all about? How can we make sense of this for the spaces we have today?

Leviticus 11 begins the purity laws, and we start with our food, what we can and cannot eat. Here we begin to turn towards a rising conscience in being aware of our own ethical behavior in relation to the holy.

Special guest, former Assemblywoman Sally Lieber (www.sallylieber.org) shares her experiences in Lesvos, Greece working with incoming refugees, and exhorts us all to consider how we may respond when we see that the boats are coming.

Leviticus is in many ways a call for each of us to recognize the power and sanctity of the holy, that there is something distinctly different from the everyday, and common elements of life. And as we carry this distinctiveness around with us, we are reminded to respect that which is holy in us, and each other.

There is a series of conditions in Leviticus 5 that give hint of a major development in the history of human reconciliation. Rather than mere ritual recompense, this passage seems to indicate that feeling sorry, having remorse, is actually a critical piece of making amends.

Our actions, all of them, have unintended consequences. In this week's teaching we embrace the ethic of recognizing that life is unintended consequences, and how forgiveness and atonement can redeem even unintended sins.

The "well-being" offering is about giving thanks. It is also a constant reminder of the gratitude we are to have, to journal our blessings, and live out everyday thankful.

In the midst of hundreds if not thousands of deities clamoring for our attention and appeasement, this system of sacrifice comes in to declare clarity, responsibility, and an identity that the very best of life is already found within us.

Welcome to Leviticus. Many themes will emerge, sacrifice, holiness, ritual, purity, etc. But what is all of this really fundamentally about? Some clues can be found in digging deep into the whole narrative of the Bible, and the language that is used in Leviticus. In this opening talk, we discuss the relationship between sacrifice and closeness.