This week we looked at one of the most enigmatic passages in the entire book of Revelation. John finally gets to see the content of the scroll only Jesus had the authority to open, and it contains a story about two witnesses who are killed and rise again. We considered what the meaning of this story is, and why it makes John feel a bit sick to his stomach.

This week we took a deep dive into John's dizzying visions by looking at the second 7-part judgment in Revelation: the trumpets. These trumpet blasts bring ecological disasters, a plague of human-tormenting "locusts," and a terrifying army. We examined the significance of these judgments: what they would have meant for John's first readers in the 1st century, and what they mean for us today. We also explored the diversity of interpretations on the relationship between the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls - as well as the various views on when these judgments are occurring (or will occur) in history.

Is Ash Wednesday just about "apologizing for human"? What did the prophet mean when he said, "Rend your heart, not your garment?" We reflected on these questions as we prepared our hearts for the Lenten season.

Last week, the passage ended with a question: Who can stand? This week we looked at the vision John was given to answer that question. He hears of 144,000 Jews equally represented by each tribe, and then he sees a countless multitude of people from every nation. We considered the relationship between the two parts of this vision, and what they reveal about the Church.

After a three-month break, this Sunday we returned to The Book of Revelation. Where we last left off, Jesus (represented by "The Lion who Looks Like a Lamb") was given authority to open a seven-sealed scroll. This week we look at what happens when six of those seals open: four frightening horsemen, martyrs crying out, stars falling from the sky and mountains falling...we explore what all of this meant for people in the first-century, and what it means for us today.

This week we were joined by Dr. Bradley Wright, a professor at UConn and longtime friend of St. Paul's, who has researched the way our digital devices our affecting our lives. As followers of Jesus, it's important for us not only to think about how we steward our money but also how we steward our time and our attention. Dr. Wright helped us to recognize how mismanagement of our digital devices can harm us spiritually and emotionally, and offered several tips on how to get our usage under control.

What does Paul mean when he says that we are "dead to sin"? This week guest speaker Lucas Dourado from Reformed University Fellowship helped us unpack Romans 6.

When Jesus was 12-years old, he went missing. When his parents found him, he said, "Didn't you know I had to be about my Father's business?" We considered how this story reveals the unprecedented relationship Jesus had to God, as well as the way the story foreshadows his crucifixion and resurrection.

The third event the Bible records from Jesus' early years is the most dramatic and shocking so far: Herod, desperate to maintain his power, goes to great lengths to try and kill the infant Jesus. The holy family narrowly escapes tragedy by taking refuge in Egypt. We considered the significance of the fact that God became a refugee. We also considered what it means for Jesus' life to "fulfill" the Scriptures, even when the Scriptures being referenced don't seem to have anything to do with predictions of the future.

The second event the Bible records from Jesus' early years is the visit of the magi. What is a "magi"? When we understand what the magi represented, this well known story takes on greater significance.