Teachings

LIVING QUIET LIVES: Temptation To Be Powerful

LIVING QUIET LIVES: Temptation to be Spectacular

LIVING QUIET LIVES: Temptation To Be Relevant

Epiphany: A Given Life

Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

Our Formation as Followers of Jesus

ROMANS (PT 11): "The Apostle Feeds The Bears"

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses... Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. ~Hebrews 4:15-16

ROMANS (PT 10): "A Posture of Grace and Peace"

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 1:7

A Restful Kingdom

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."

ROMANS (PT 9): "Root of Kindness"

...remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you. ~Romans 11:18

ROMANS (PT 8): "Following Jesus Into Disorientation"

I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all these people. That they were mine and I theirs. That we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness of spurious self-isolation in a special world. This sense of liberation from an illusory difference was such a relief and such a joy to me that I almost laughed out loud.

ROMANS (PT 7): "Strong and Weak"

The same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." ~Romans 10:12-13

ROMANS (PT 6): "Christoformity is Public Oriented"

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ~Romans 13:8

ROMANS (PT 5): "Christoformity and Other-Orientation"

So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members of one another. ~Romans 12:5

ROMANS (PT 4): "Christoformity & Imagination"

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. ~Romans 12:1-2

ROMANS (PT 3): "An End to Zealotry"

Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!" It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you." Psalm 139:11-12

ROMANS (PT 2): "The Power of Powerlessness"

Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Romans 14:19

ROMANS (PT 1): "Beginning at the End"

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

FREEDOM FROM FEAR OF DEATH (PT. 2)

FREEDOM FROM FEAR OF DEATH (PT. 1)

Now you've got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I'm on the right way. ~Psalm 16:11 (The Message)

EASTER: "Peace Be With You"

Peace be with you! There is hope in the night.

STAY AWAKE WITH ME

The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" Matthew 21:9 ________ And the light is wilder here Out on the edge of reason And Love burns bright and clear Out where I cannot seize Him ~Audrey Assad, Irrational Season

PERILOUS JOURNEYS (WK 4): "Waiting, Ascending, Realigning"

We are in the unknown of the wilderness—         Discerning and working, seeking and dreaming. We are in the unknown of the wilderness—        Grieving and wondering, praying and hoping. We are in the unknown of the wilderness—        Longing and walking, creating and waiting. We are in the unknown of the wilderness, but we have not been alone; for God walks with us, every step of the way. So we will worship our God who walks with us in our darkest nights and our brightest days. --------- May God’s love sustain you, And may you love those who surround you. May God’s Spirit empower you, And may you empower all those you meet. May God’s joy fill your hearts, And may this joy overflow To the ends of the earth to bring God’s restoration to all things, Now and forever, Amen.

PERILOUS JOURNEYS (WK1): "Comfort in Dark Valleys"

Mosaic Gathering Prayer, March 8, 2020: You are welcome here—  The young and old, those who have visions and those who dream dreams.  You are welcome here—  The sinner and saint, those who seek forgiveness and those who long for peace.  You are welcome here—  The hurt and the doubting, those who know the wilderness and those who feel lost.  You are welcome here; for you are loved by God. For our world bombarded by illness and disease. Lord, have mercy. Bring healing and protection. For our neighbors on this planet suffering under the weight of chaotic weather systems. Lord, have mercy. Bring healing community and restoration. God, we give you our tears. We give you our hearts. They are brimming with doubt and are saturated with fear, but we give them to you anyway,  for you promise to love us as we are. You promise to walk with us to the ends of the earth, so in this moment, we promise to tell the truth.  God, you ask us to be brave and bold, but we cower in fear. You ask us to love our neighbors as ourselves, but we hold tight to privilege and the status quo. And you ask us to risk it all to follow you, but we are content with the injustices at hand.  Forgive us for our sin and lift our eyes to you. In our valley, lead us to your green pasture. Restore our lives beside the still waters. Gratefully we pray, Amen.

DARKNESS: "My Only Friend"

Psalm 88 Mosaic Community Liturgy: March 1, 2020 God hovered over the void and breathed life into dust. God created in the wilderness. The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. The Israelites found God in the wilderness. Jesus said “no” to the tempter time and time again. Jesus claimed his identity in the wilderness. We grow in the wilderness. We learn in the wilderness. For God is with us—before, through, and after the wilderness. Creator God, You breathed life into dust. You dreamed me up and brought me into existence. The least I could do would be to follow you, but even that is hard. Forgive me for my distracted ways. Remind me that in life and in death, I belong to you. On my best days and on my worst days, I belong to you. Amen.