What is the church? The famous hymn has taught us that the church is more than a building. The church is more than just an hour on Sunday. The church is the people. But what does that look like? Sometimes, to get the best answer, you have to go all the way back to the beginning!

Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the presence of God who gets things moving! In scripture, the Holy Spirit is seen as wind, fire and advocate. The one thing they all have in common is action! Winds blow. Fires burn. Advocates speak. When the Holy Spirit moves, things happen! When we follow where the Spirit is moving, lives are changed. How is the Spirit working in your life?

Who is Jesus? Christians know Jesus in 2 very important and distinct ways; fully God and fully human. This week, we will take a look at a few stories in the New Testament where we can see both sides of Jesus present. In particular, as we baptize two new Christians, we will look at Jesus' own baptism and where we can see his full divinity and full humanity in that story.

Who is God? Did you ever ask yourself that question? How could we possibly define God? Well, first the language we use is important. I asked 'WHO" is God instead of "what" is God. "Who" implies a personal relationship, that we relate to God on a personal level, not as an object. This week, we will explore the many names God has been given over the years and the ways that we may see God interacting with us and the world.

What is community? It's the thing we have been missing so much the last 18 months. People, family, friends, neighbors. Since the start of the pandemic we have learned just how much we need the people in our lives. Maybe we took them for granted before. But now that the pandemic has taught us how much we need them, let's never forget that lesson again. This need for human interaction is a part of who we are; it's how God made us. Who is a part of your community, and how does their absence affect you?

The Bible is filled with images of Labor. As Christians, we worship, serve and believe in the God of Abraham. Abraham was a man who God used to establish a new kind of religion. It wasn't always easy. Abraham's descendants would be thrown into forced, unpaid labor...slavery. That's one form of labor in the Bible. Another is the frequent use of the imagery of laborers in God's vineyard. Some labor scriptures are meant for the laborers. Others are meant for those who supervise the laborers. This week, on Labor Day Weekend, we will explore the theology of labor and we will discuss how we are to act as the laborer AND how we are to act when we are the boss.

Olympic athletes are focused. You can see that on their faces as they prepare for their event. They are able to block out all distractions; the noise of the crowd, the presence of other competitors, it's as if nothing else exists at that moment. Nothing is going to slow them down or distract them. Can we be equally focused on our faith? When we pray, when we worship, when we serve, what would it look like to be able to focus only on our spiritual task, even if those potential distractions are tasty, fun and boost our ego?

James 1 says "whenever you face trials...consider it a joy". Joy in trials? What's so joyous about trials? Our joy comes in persevering, overcoming obstacles and learning from experience. Joy is different from happiness. We may not be happy about our trials, but through them we can feel joy.

What is the most humble act you have ever seen? The Bible says a lot about what it means to be humble. What is a humble Christian? This week's scripture from Matthew 23 will teach us how Jesus defined humble faith. As he always does, Jesus will teach us how to practice our faith in every moment whether we are in church or out in the world.

Would you cook without first getting ingredients? Would you put a pot on the stove without first putting water in it? Would you try to drive a car without first starting the engine? Preparation and training is important. The same is also true with our faith. Before we do anything, we first have to prepare for it. Before we preach the Good News of Jesus Christ, we have to understand it for ourselves. In the second message of the Spiritual Olympics, we focus on the second characteristic that both Olympic athletes and active Christians share; preparation.