Sunday Homily

In the sixth chapter of the gospel of John we hear this incredible story of Jesus multiplying five barley loaves and two fish and feeding well over 5000 people! With this miracle Jesus is setting the stage for what we believe concerning the Eucharist, his body and blood. The Eucharist makes the church!  Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life!

Why was Jesus not able to perform any mighty deed in his hometown of Nazareth?  And what does that have to do with us and with true freedom?  There is much about us that is right and good in life.  And we know there are part of ourselves that need some work.  This reflection on Freedom, the Law, and Jesus Christ, the Son of God, may be helpful to you.

Jesus is different from any other religious leader who ever walked the earth. No one else has ever claimed to be God. Confucius and the Buddha claimed to offer wisdom and enlightenment, but they never claimed to be the ultimate source of that wisdom and enlightenment. Mohammad claimed to have a revelation from God. But he never claimed to be God himself.  In contrast, Jesus offers something more than wisdom, enlightenment, and revelation. he claims to be God. Not only does he claim to be God but he shows himself to be God by performing mighty deeds that only God can perform. IN your heart of hearts, who do you truly believe Jesus is? Ponder that question today.

God loves you more than you know and wants to help paint the Masterpiece that is you. God is with you and helping you to paint the story of your life.  You are his masterpiece. If we'd been conscious in those first moments of our life as a couple of microscopic cells, a microscopic human being, you may be sure we wouldn't have believed that someday we'd become the complex creatures that we are today.  We couldn't have imagined it, and yet here we are, marvelously made, beings capable of love and friendship, of running and laughing, makers of music and poetry, builders of great buildings and tiny gardens, and oh so much more. All from a few cells smaller than a fly speck. A miracle? Yes, but not a completed one. Let God help you paint the portrait of your life.  You are his Masterpiece and he loves you.

Corpus Christi Sunday (The Body & Blood of Christ)

Jesus gives us a meal to connect us with one another as the body of Christ. There is something deeper than a physical connection when we eat together with others. In this message we will explore the power of a meal to bond us together with our neighbors.

One of the core truths of our faith is that God is not alone but a community of three persons who love one another. This is not just an ethereal truth but one that impacts us. Because God is a community we have been made for community. In every area of our lives, we are meant to connect with people and love each other as each member of the Trinity loves each other. Often, we don’t do this because we think we don’t have time or because we are too busy caring for ourselves. The reality is that we cannot ever meet our needs on our own. Our needs are only met by giving and then receiving from others – from a life of interdependence.

The Art of Neighboring, Pentecost Sunday

At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to bring unity among people who were separated by different languages and cultures. Where there was confusion and discord, the Holy Spirit brings clarity and unity. In week one’s message we will introduce the topic of our series, Next Door: The Art of Neighboring. We start by asking the Holy Spirit to give each of us clarity and show us how God wants to use us to bring about unity in our neighborhood.