Jesus creates an offense by performing a compassionate act of healing on a day of ritual rest. In the end this shows who sees clearly and with compassion, and who uses rules to justify human judgement and control that don't align with God's own heart and will.

The community of true faith that is seeking to live and share God's love and blessings with every neighbor awaits us, if we are willing to step out our door and be swept away by God's Spirit.

The heart we draw upon to confront evils is the same one we employ to engage with others in respect.

Ash Wednesday 2026

We are called to be witness to God's grace, truth and life in our time. We do so with no guarantees about how it will be heard or lived out. But, we can trust that God continues to be at work and present in ways that we can't fully anticipate, and we certainly can't control.

In our words and actions, we are the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. We are called to bring seasoning and joy to life, to heal wounds, and illuminate God's love for all to see and experience.

We stand with people who have come to see with the same eyes as Jesus that blessings and honor belong to those who are often overlooked. When you embrace that same vision, you will come to see that you belong too, because there is nothing that distinguishes us in this life that makes us more worthy of God's blessings. It is our very humble humanity that God sees with love.

Jesus invites us to see the light—to see our neighbors with his own grace and compassion. It requires discipline and there will be moments when we falter, but we are called to have the same mind as Jesus.

Faith requires us to answer the question of what we're looking for. It asks us to look beyond our immediate needs and wants, and to see what is sacred and eternal.

In a moment in which heaven and earth converge, a message comes from God at Jesus' baptism, and we must decide whether we will receive the one who is called beloved into our own lives.