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Have you ever heard of "ominous positivity?" It's a joke - saying good things in the most ominous way possible. Things like, "Everything will turn out fine. You cannot stop it." Or, "You will be ok. You have no choice."  Well, our Advent Sunday of Hope readings have an air of ominous positivity around them: good news and the promise of love, couched in warnings a...

It's the week before Thanksgiving, so is it any surprise that our theme for this week's podcast is gratitude? And not just gratitude, but how that can flow out of us in profound generosity...of spirit, of time, of passions, of gifts. At the heart of gratitude is God's steadfast love and abundance, and when we reflect that in our lives, we are changed. 

It's Bible Study time again, and this week we talk about the twin disciplines of wrestling and waiting, as we take on the story of Jacob wrestling with the stranger, and Jesus' parable of the bridesmaids. There's a surprising amount of overlap here, in struggle, in readiness, in discernment, in looking for the presence of God in those dark and scary places. Join us this week as we w...

Bible Study takes us in what appears to be two wildly divergent directions this week, in Jesus' rebuke against religious hypocrisy, and an unflinching conversation about death. That said, the thing these two have in common is precisely how we live, day to day, every day. Is it authentic, is it honest, is it loving? Join us this week as we dive into some of the deeper questions of the life of...

This week, one of the most familiar and beloved sayings of Jesus, and then perhaps one of the more obscure figures of the Hebrew Bible. As different from each other as they may seem, both stories are about seeing the bigger picture, stepping out in faith in God, with courage and vision and grace. A wonderful pairing this week.

Aaron and Paige are on the same scriptural track this week, reading the story of Jesus and "the question of taxation" as told in the Gospel of Matthew. For a passage that is only eight verses long, this asks a lot of questions, perhaps, in good Jesus fashion, more than it answers. But maybe that's what discipleship is all about? Let's find out, as we dive into Matthew 22:15-22.

The Lectionary gives, and the Lectionary takes away. We have two very different passages to look at today, Matthew's version of the Parable of the Great Banquet, and Paul's wrap up of his letter to the Philippians. One is inspiring, and hopeful, and empowering, and the other is...well, not. What do we do when the scripture is difficult? We look at the big picture, just as Paul does. Join...

This week the lectionary gives us some tricky, challenging passages, both in Matthew and in Philippians, that have been historically (ab)used against Judaism. Despite the fact that neither Jesus nor Paul say, or even seem to imply these things, their words have been interpreted to suggest that Christianity supersedes Judaism as the language through which God is speaking to the world. Much wrong ha...

Jesus and Paul leave it all out on the field this week. They both face real questions about authority and unity, belief and behavior. And they hold nothing back. For all the challenge of their words, they also offer a real way forward, into grace, into community, into love.

Our lectionary track brings us to some interesting places this week. In Philippians, we get a glimpse of what's really going on in Paul's life and mind as he is imprisoned and possibly facing death. His hope rings true, and inspires not just the Philippians, but also us. And our Parable for the day is a familiar one, a loved one, and a deeply challenging one about grace, and worth, and a...

Following Christ isn't always roses and rainbows, isn't always easy. And so, this week, we get challenging words from both Jesus and Paul about what it means to live in community with each other. Hint: It's about putting the Other first. Not ever a simple thing, but vital to living out the love of God.

Jesus and Paul are on the same page today. (Well, every day, we hope.)  Both the Matthew passage and the Romans passage in this week's lectionary are about how to love in community...in the good times, in the conflicted ones, and everything in between. It's not always easy, but it is always important. From the Prophets to the Apostles, the Law of Love is central to the life of faith.

In the Gospel lesson for Sunday, Jesus tells his disciples to follow him. But what exactly does that look like? Will it be all sunshine and roses, or is it a more challenging path? This leads us to the book of Romans, where Paul lays out what following Christ might mean, an optimistic list of actions that are anchored in Divine Love. Join us for a meditation on what it means to follow.

Pivotal moments are on our radar this week, those moments when we look at what is, and ask the question "What is most essential?" As Aaron continues his exploration of Acts, that question is asked by the Apostles at the Council of Jerusalem, as they make decisions that will change the face of Christianity going forward. And as Paige wraps up her musical summer sermon series, that questio...

Two Bible stories this week with strangely similar themes...four friends lowering their paralytic friend down through a roof to be healed, and Peter's vision of a sheet being lowered from heaven filled with all sorts of animals, clean and unclean. This week is about breaking through boundaries, building up community, facing opposition, and being empowered by the Spirit to do the work. Join us...

What do the Apostle Paul and Mary Poppins have in common? More than you might imagine! Today's Bible Study is about conversion, transformation, and lovingkindness toward those who can't necessarily give you anything back. Join us as we delve into the Acts of the Apostles and a little Disney maagic!

It's been a minute. But we're back this week with a Bible Study about being lost and found, yearning after God, God yearning after us, and the places where we find love, divine and human. We'll explore a contemporary country music song, an ancient text about welcome, and the radical openness of God.

We're back after a two week hiatus to dive into the Book of Acts. This week, some stories about that fine line between doing the loving work of God in the world, and desiring to control what happens. Wisdom from the pages of the scripture that is as true today as it was 2000 years ago.

One half of the Indigo Girls and the Apostle Peter compose our power team this week, as we celebrate Pride Month by exploring the stories of same sex couples in our scriptures, and then dive headfirst into the wild, wonderful weirdness of the Book of Acts. From Ruth and Naomi to the strange, disturbing story of Ananias and Saphira, we cover a lot of ground this week.

It may not be OFFICIALLY summer yet, but we are kicking of our Summer Series' this week. For Aaron this looks like an exploration of the book of the Acts of the Apostles, a fascinating and important look at the origin of the Church, and the work of the Holy Spirit. For Paige, it's Summer Soundtrack, taking some of our favorite "non-church" songs as a lens through which to view...

Welcome to Pentecost - one of the most important days of the church year! (And one of the least celebrated, relegated as it is to late spring/early summer each year). We even make a (tenuous) argument that this is the moment it was all leading to: God with us at Christmas, Jesus faithful life and modeled ministry - all a way of calling all humanity into the work of God. Come and celebrate God&apos...

You can't have Pentecost until Jesus goes away...but what are we to make of this strange, shiny story about Christ being bodily taken up into heaven? On its face, it doesn't seem like there is much for us as 21st century Christians. But there is a tremendously practical level to this tale, where Jesus hands over the mission...and the authority...and the power...to his followers. Daunting...

We're going to the Acts of the Apostles this week with the Apostle Paul, for one of the greatest sales pitches in all of history. Here we see an authentic, subtle, yet bold Paul making the claim that God is our source, our purpose, our goal, and our journey, all in one. It's a beautiful speech, with great ramifications for how we can be Christians in a multicultural, multireligious world...

The Realm of God is so expansive, and this passage is about that! (Among many other things.) Here we find Jesus saying "Goodbye" to the Disciples, reminding them they are not alone, or powerless, or lost, but rather that God resides in, among, and through them. A great collection of verses for any Sunday, but especially poignant on Confirmation, which many churches will be celebrating th...

One of the most enduring images of God in our scriptures is the image of God as our Shepherd...protecting us, nurturing us, guiding us, loving us. It is an image of relationship, of care, of familiarity. So this week, we dive into Psalm 23 and John 10:1-10 to explore that metaphor just a little bit, as we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday.