Relating, Creating, Transforming
John 20:19-31 Let’s engage in a creative exercise, shall we? If you’re willing, join with me. Do you remember the first time you ever heard the story about Jesus of Nazareth dying on a cross and then rising to life? Were you a kid? A youth? An adult? Who told you the story? Did you […]
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John 20:1-18 Well, well, here we are. It’s the Easter/Resurrection story. Now I don’t know how you interpret this, or how it makes you feel. If you’re someone who thinks it’s BS, stay with me; your insight is needed in this conversation. If you’re someone who isn’t sure what it means, keep at it; your […]
Read MoreJohn 2:1-11 Winemaking was a practice in the ancient world we now call the Middle East and parts of Africa. Wine was made in the triangle of the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee—consider eastern Turkey, Georgia and Armenia. Then the vines made their way to Egypt. There wine’s […]
Read MoreLuke 3:15-17, 21-22 Water is essential for life. Without water, we die. Without water, there is no life. Period. Look around the world right now and you’ll notice that there are far too many people who struggle to survive…because they don’t have access to drinking water. 844 million people don’t have clean water. (WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring […]
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Psalm 34:1-8;18, John 6:51 Okay, do me a favor. Open your mouth and say “ah…” Go look in the mirror. You have taste buds. You know, those sensory organs on your tongue that allow you to experience tastes that are sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. See the bumps on your tongue? Those are called […]
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John 6:35-37; 48-51 So here’s the thing—bread is a universal food. Now it varies, of course. Some people eat wheat-based bread of all shapes and sizes. You’ve probably tried that at some point in your life—a flaky croissant, a baguette, an Italian loaf, even a doughnut. And even if you’re gluten intolerant, you have options. […]
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John 13:33-35 Someone who loves a neighbor allows them to be as they are, as they were, and as they will be. -Michel Quoist You can be a follower of Muhammad or Jesus or Buddha or whomever. Always, they said that the most essential factor is to love your neighbor and to love you. -Leo […]
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John 15:9-15 Question of the day: Who do you feel safe with? Do you have people in your life who make you feel safe? What I mean by that, in this moment is—do you have people who make you feel at ease, that you can be silly, raw, honest, ridiculous, crazy you? These would be […]
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John 15:1, 5; I John 4:7-8, 11-13, 18 Imagery of the natural world—metaphors that are living things—often speak to us in powerful ways. I think you’ll agree that being compared to a tree is much more agreeable and full of possibilities than being compared to another person or a material thing like a car. In […]
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Proverbs 18:10, John 10:2-4; 7-10 Define safety. What does it mean for you to feel safe? In the Hebrew literature of the Psalms and Proverbs, Yahweh is portrayed as a physical and spiritual presence–and place of safety. A refuge. A comfort from the storms of life. Yahweh is also portrayed as a safe space for […]
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