This week in The Gathering and Sanctuary worship, we’ll examine how the prophet, Elijah, experienced the presence of God — just when he needed it most. Rather than in dramatic events, Elijah experienced God as a “still, small voice.” How can we make more space to experience God in our lives today?
This Sunday in The Gathering (Lance is on vacation) and Sanctuary worship, we’ll spend some time with the story of Jacob and Esau and we’ll focus on an event in Jacob’s life that was so transforming that he took on a new name: Israel, which means One who strives with God. All night long he wrestled with himself and all night long he wrestled with a mysterious stranger whom he knew to be the very presence of God — tangible and touchable. I look forward to sharing with you on Sunday and I invite you to bring your struggles with you to the time of worship.
Given all the suffering in our world and the grave difficulties we face, what are we to say? What, then, are we to say about these things? That is our question for this Sunday in Sanctuary worship, live online at 11:00 am. I hope you will think about and pray about this question, and join in worship with us this Sunday morning.
If you were to ask someone to name a parable or two, I am sure that the Parable of the Prodigal Son would be near the top of the list of favorites. Some have said it’s the world’s greatest short story. But more than that, it is our story — in particular, it is our story in relationship with God. I look forward to our worship on Sunday when I will share some insights from this beloved parable.
This Sunday in Sanctuary worship we’re wrapping up our series, “A Healthy Spirituality for Our Time” with a look at the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and how we move through difficult times from suffering to hope.
Sunday we’ll be looking at Psalm 139, which speaks of the nearness of God. God is with us to trouble our souls when we are complacent and when we let things stand that should not be. God is near to stir our souls; to make us human, to make us whole.
In this time in our world, there are many, many “thorns”— those things which torment. It is so easy to see the thorns and miss seeing the Grace. It’s so easy to see the pain around us and hear the crying prayers and miss God’s answer: “My grace is enough for you, because power is made perfect in weakness.”
How are you conformed to the world? How have you been “transformed by the renewing of your mind?” I invite you to think about conforming and being transformed and what that means for you as we go out to be God’s people in the world, today.
What does it mean to have the mind of Christ in us? Or, to put it in the words of the CEB, what does it mean to adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus? Join us this week in sanctuary worship as we continue our series, A Healthy Spirituality for Our Time, with “Having the Mind of Christ.”
I think we have thought of prayer so much as something we do—an activity in which we mostly ask for something from God — that it may be hard for us to think of prayer as constant attitude, orientation to God, and awareness of the presence of God. I invite you consider some questions: What is your prayer life like? When and how do you most often pray? What do you find most difficult about praying? What would it mean for you to “pray continually” or to make “all of life a prayer?”
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