The Road

In a moment in which heaven and earth converge, a message comes from God at Jesus' baptism, and we must decide whether we will receive the one who is called beloved into our own lives.

Jesus came as the true light into our world, bearing truth and grace. We grow as children of God when we embrace this incarnate light.

The good news of God's love and grace, that began with the Christmas story, has always posed an alternative and a challenge to rulers from Herod to the present.

God comes amidst the fractured places of our lives and world—into our uncertainties, failures and fears—and brings a radiant grace, filled with truth, peace and hope.

Prophets like Isaiah and John foresaw a messiah who would come and set things right in the world. When we look to God's coming with reverence and awe, we prepare our own lives. We become ready to cast away whatever parts of ourselves are not in sync with God's vision of love and mercy for the poor and those oppressed.

Isaiah spoke of a time when God would bring peace. God invites us to welcome this and dedicate ourselves to walking in this way of light and peace.

In the cross, we see that God is vulnerable and willing to sacrifice for us, even to the point of death. God rules with love and grace, rather than fear, meaning that we share in God's blessings and can share them in turn.

We continue to light candles symbolically every week, and let the light of God's gracious Word shine, as a reminder of God's presence with us through our life's journey. This has always been our mission and always will be.

Jesus extends an invitation to meet with a man who is an outcast to his people and it leads to transformation and redemption.

As the Church we gather in the presence of all the faithful, past and present, and live into our calling to be light for this moment in time, bringing hope and grace to the world.

In God's grace we are no longer divided, but made into one common humanity. In this is true freedom.

It is in both praying and pursuing justice that we hope to transform the broken world we live in and our own hearts in the process.

The grace and love of Jesus brings healing to our world, and we have the gift of his light to expand the sphere of his grace and healing to all.

Jesus calls us to forgive others and save them and us from further damage to our relationships and the social fabric.

Today is the day to move beyond complacency and embrace God's compassion for all, and to live with a spirit of generosity.

The need for justice in the world requires the voice of prophets, but perhaps even more importantly the companionship of true friends across divides who can reflect care and truth in our lives.

Throughout history, humans find themselves restless. Like days of old, we find ourselves in restless times again. This uncertainty can lead to poor choices, but as Christians we are called to find peace and hope in the grace of God.

God invites us to put aside the ways of death and choose the path of life, which brings love and peace for ourselves and every neighbor.

Jesus cut through rigid rules to reclaim the point of spiritual practices in the first place—promoting life and wellbeing.

The kingdom of God is a gift that comes only by God's grace, and we're called to be a part of the larger story: extending grace and hope to neighbors, strangers, and even our adversaries.

Jesus teaches us to live lightly, putting aside our focus on material possessions, and instead being vigilant so that we can respond to the needs of our times without fear.

The words of both Ecclesiastes and Jesus witness to the vanity of placing our trust only in worldly pursuits for ourselves. Instead, we're called to honor our relationship with God and one another.

We live a world in which many bonds of trust are frayed and broken. In Jesus, we receive a prayer and a spirit that helps us on the way, and we see a God worthy of our renewed trust who is capable of making things new.

Love of God and neighbor are intertwined, with devotion toward God providing the insight and calm to care for others.

How do we inherit the life God offers? We begin by creating a world in which every neighbor is loved and treated with dignity, even the foreigners in our midst.