Spark Cast

As we conclude Leviticus, let us not forget our story. Even laws, commands, and rituals, according to the writers of the Bible, are not segregated from the historical narrative. So, if you ever find yourself in a discussion about the seemingly arbitrary or confusing verses of Leviticus, invite the conversation to consider the chapters of the story that led us there in the first place. Frame Leviti...

In the year of Jubilee all debts are forgiven, and all prisoners go free. Not only is this an expression of justice, but it is a way of living that liberates us from the shackles of debt. Whatever dues you may think you owe, Jubilee declares, with a trumpet blast, that you don't owe God anything!

Leviticus 23 gives us the festival calendar by which we mark seasons and celebrations. Not only is this a way to keep time, it is also a way to awaken ourselves to God's presence in the celebration.

All ancient cultures had religious rituals and practices. All ancient cultures also had laws. Only in Israel, however, do the two come together. Leviticus 19 calls us to consider a public justice that is deeply connected to and flows from our personal religious devotion.

What is "leprosy" in the Bible? Contrary to popular understanding, it is not the modern disease known as "Hansen's disease." Rather, there is a ritual impurity that is connected to other passages that compel us to consider deeply the community in which we live, and the words we speak that either connect or isolate us from that community.

The people who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, did so with hope and expectation. Yet, those expectations may have caused them to miss what God was actually doing. Let us not do the same. You can't see what God is doing on the perimeter if you're only living in the center. And, for God's sake, enjoy being surprised by God.

Leviticus 12 is odd. Different time frames for purification after birth, and then the woman is considered "unclean." So, what is this really all about? How can we make sense of this for the spaces we have today?

Leviticus 11 begins the purity laws, and we start with our food, what we can and cannot eat. Here we begin to turn towards a rising conscience in being aware of our own ethical behavior in relation to the holy.

Special guest, former Assemblywoman Sally Lieber (www.sallylieber.org) shares her experiences in Lesvos, Greece working with incoming refugees, and exhorts us all to consider how we may respond when we see that the boats are coming.

Leviticus is in many ways a call for each of us to recognize the power and sanctity of the holy, that there is something distinctly different from the everyday, and common elements of life. And as we carry this distinctiveness around with us, we are reminded to respect that which is holy in us, and each other.

There is a series of conditions in Leviticus 5 that give hint of a major development in the history of human reconciliation. Rather than mere ritual recompense, this passage seems to indicate that feeling sorry, having remorse, is actually a critical piece of making amends.

Our actions, all of them, have unintended consequences. In this week's teaching we embrace the ethic of recognizing that life is unintended consequences, and how forgiveness and atonement can redeem even unintended sins.

The "well-being" offering is about giving thanks. It is also a constant reminder of the gratitude we are to have, to journal our blessings, and live out everyday thankful.

In the midst of hundreds if not thousands of deities clamoring for our attention and appeasement, this system of sacrifice comes in to declare clarity, responsibility, and an identity that the very best of life is already found within us.

Welcome to Leviticus. Many themes will emerge, sacrifice, holiness, ritual, purity, etc. But what is all of this really fundamentally about? Some clues can be found in digging deep into the whole narrative of the Bible, and the language that is used in Leviticus. In this opening talk, we discuss the relationship between sacrifice and closeness.

What does the turning of the calendar year mean? How did we end up marking our years? Our seasons? In this talk, we will look at the human tendency to mark our time and calendars by powerful events in history that govern us, inform us, and inspire us in how we are to live.

Few carols or traditions of the Christmas season capture the full weight of the story of Jesus's birth. In the midst of our sacred and pagan rituals, there exists a haunting reality, the death of the babies of Bethlehem at the hands of a ruthless king. On this Sunday we commemorate the "death of the innocents," and remember that this truly is a story for all of us.

A brief devotional thought on light, in this Christmas season.

Good things. Bad things. Stuff happens in our lives. Seeing each event, however, as an opportunity for God to be at work could radically change our hopes and expectations of everything that occurs in our lives.

Drawing on the work of philosopher and social anthropologist from Stanford, René Girard, this talk attempts to dig deep into the fundamental roots of violence, its relationship with religion, and the lessons that those relationships teach all of us.

This Christmas season, we are faced with the beauty and celebration of Christmas juxtaposed to with the darkness and sadness of recent tragic events. From the hymn, "O Little Town Of Bethlehem," the lyric, "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight," will set the framework for this series, as we tackle difficult and challenging issues such as evil, violence, and how to find hope...

There are two ways to live into this world. One is out of scarcity, a perspective of lacking. The other is out of abundance. Jesus has called us to live out of love, not out of fear, and that is especially true and important in times of uncertainty, and tragedy.

Omair is a Sparker who has studied deeply. In this message he illustrates the power of understanding the full scope of Scripture in light of the recent tragedies of terror.

So after several weeks of discussing the incarnation, what does this mean for us? How do we live "incarnationally?" One answer to that question is found in Philippians 2, and the idea of "humility." Through valuing others above ourselves, we "put love in the gap" of all of our relationships, just like God incarnated that love to us.

"Some glad morning, when this life is o'er, I'll fly away." This beloved hymn, while beautiful, fun, and traditional, speaks of a focus on the gospel that is about sometime in the distant future. Some "celestial shore," that will be made manifest when this life is over. In this message, we refocus our attention on what incarnation means to the phrases "heaven" and "kingdom of God," which is about...