Cornerstone Community

"(Luke 2:21-40). Where does that spirit of generosity and peace go when Christmas is over? Let’s look back to the Christmas story and see where it went for the shepherds, the magi and Jesus. How are we going to go away from Christmas this year as we return to the ordinary? Are we going to go with gratitude? Will we go by a different route? Will we let Jesus’ presence make a difference? How will we be faithful to God 100%?"

"(Matthew 2:1-12). Luke’s story is about the humble and lowly. Matthew story shows God’s concern for all people, all faiths, not just Jews. The rich too are invited to pay homage."

"(Luke 2:1-20). So the shepherds are the first visitors. And not only that, these were the night shepherds who worked for the day shepherds. Today’s equivalent of those night shepherds might be the day the laborers who work for the landscape gardeners. Imagine choosing them rather than our city officials or top business executives to represent the city if President Obama came for a visit. Time and again in this Christmas story we have God using lowly people in humble ways. What can we learn from it that?"

"(Luke 2:1-7). This was not a journey that Mary wanted to take. It was not the way she imagined it would be. Don’t we all take unwanted journeys in life? Journeys of battling illness like cancer, depression, and heart problems. Or the journey of trying to find work? ... Nobody wants to take these kinds of journeys. Journeys of pain and sorrow, disappointment and disillusionment. Journeys that crush the soul. "

"(Luke 1:39-55). As Mary finally gets to the point of feeling joy, she sings a psalm of praise to God for lifting up the lowly and filling the hungry. This reversal of fortunes is often found in the gospels. God is concerned about the underdog, about people who feel like nobodies. And more disturbingly, given that compared to most of the world we are rich, Mary also sings about God sending the rich away empty. Ouch. We do not want to be sent away empty. So what does it mean for us?"

"(Matthew 1:18-24). When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant, the text doesn’t tell us about his emotions. Imagine his feelings: shock, denial, disbelief, betrayal, dishonored, humiliated, hurt, anger, trust violated. Yet out of Joseph’s crushed hopes and dreams something amazing was about to happen. But Joseph could not see it yet. God was going to take his pain and disappointment and use it in a profound way. A way that would only be seen with hindsight. When life is hard, God can redeem the situation and act in ways that you cannot yet see. "

"(Luke 1:26-38). What does it tell us that this story was not set among the wealthy living in luxury villas but instead in Nazareth among working class people, some of whom lived in caves? Who has God chosen today? Are we listening to the prophetic voices of the humble? What is God doing through the Occupy movement, through the voices of the immigrant, the widow, the orphan, the homeless, the hungry, the downtrodden? ... Sometimes God asks us to be with people we don’t want to be with, to go to places we don’t want to go, and to do things we don’t want to do. Are we willing to say with Mary, 'Here I am, Lord.'"

"(Luke 17:11-19, 1 Thessalonians 5:18). My message for us today is for us to look and think less about what we do not have and for us to see what we do have and to give thanks joyfully. You can call it “Thanks-Living.” I am going to share some stories with you, for which I give thanks. I will bind them together with a few observations, and leave you to remember and ponder."

"(Mark 10:17-22, 12:41-44). I’m writing to you all again to explain the last part of my 3-fold statement on the use of money. This week I want to tell you to “give all you can.” It is this rule that gives meaning to the other two."

"(Leviticus 19:9-10, Luke 12:13-21). It is very easy for us to hear Wesley’s “save all you can” and think in modern terms. For Wesley it was a call to a simplified lifestyle a warning against extravagance, opulence, self-gratification and hoarding. Wesley’s directive speaks of saving in a way that is much more in keeping with the ancient practice of leaving gleanings."

"(Luke 13:6-9). I’m honored that you would each write to me. Thank you. My advice to all of you is this: “Earn all you can.” Now before you laugh too much – please don’t mis-hear what I am saying to you all. I preached a sermon on The Use of Money in 1760. You probably won’t understand my 18th Century English, so I’ll use 21st Century language and I’ll summarize it for you in this letter."

"(John 13:33-38, 18:15-18, 25-27, 21:15-19). Peter denies Jesus three times. Peter falls short. We may wonder why Peter denies Jesus. Perhaps we think that we would not have done. But then when we recall our baptismal vows and other promises we realize the ways that we have fallen short. It happens to us daily. . Then three times, Peter affirms love for Jesus. Jesus seeks Peter out and offers a restored relationship. Love comes to us as grace."

"(John 8:1-11). Sometimes we just need someone to intervene for us when we are under threat. But, interceding imposes a risk, and can be filled with conflict and danger. There are consequences of stepping between people. At times though faithfulness invites us to put ourselves in the position of advocating for another, for the sake of the innocent, and sometimes even for the sake of the guilty. "

"(John 5:1-9). Does the eagle in us want to soar while the hippopotamus in us wants to wallow in the mud? (from a Carl Sandburg quote). We can’t rely on our logic. If we want to be well, we have to be prepared to risk and to get up and walk. Grace is available when we choose to accept it. As we participate with Christ, the possibilities that we were unaware of will open up before our eyes. Are we missing seeing the miracles and possibilities because we are caught up in our present circumstances?"

"(Luke 4:5-29). Today’s scripture is permeated with grace: the grace of being fully loved, fully known, and fully accepted. Like the woman from Samaria, we go to our wells at noon, shying away from genuine community. We are driven there by what we would hide from others: our ignorance, our inadequacies, our doubts. But Jesus breaks the pattern, and the fear. "

"(John 3:1-8). Instead of asking you, have you been born again, let me ask it another way - have you been struck by grace? Have you ever been jarred into a new way of thinking that collides with your old way of being? When we are struck by grace and absorb the meaning of what has happened, it causes us to rethink the direction and momentum of our lives. We become new creations."

"(John 1:1-18,35-51). Our Christian lives are marked by grace at every turn. Grace that is surprising, and grace that comes in the middle of the mundane and in the hardships that we face. Jesus saw grace everywhere. Yet if I was to ask you to name some places you have experienced grace this week, how many could you name? Have you ever noticed that when we wear glasses we don’t see the lens? Today we are going to meet Nathaniel, one of Jesus’ first disciples, who was beaconed by grace. "

"(Romans 14:1-13,19). When we judge others or box them in or limit them, then we don’t leave God room to work, and it impairs both our relationship to them and God. A condemning spirit limits our ability to love our neighbor as ourselves and closes us to God’s spirit. We cannot control all of life and when we try it doesn’t work. Just think about trying to control your spouse or your own kids, never mind a larger group!!! It is only in yielding up our desire to control and yielding to Christ that we experience freedom. So Paul is saying: strive for what builds up rather than what tears down. How could that have affected our approach 10 years ago to 9/11? How should it change us now as we look at the world’s problems? Or what about this congregation? Or our local community?"

"(Isaiah 43:1-2,4a,18-21). I thought it was appropriate on this Labor weekend to think not just about the work we are called to do but about God’s work amongst us. I nearly put out a “Road Works” sign at the entrance to the sanctuary this morning! In our passage today we heard about God working in some different ways. When the slaves were led out of Egypt, God parted the sea and dried up the water. Now God is producing water where there is dryness and providing a way. "

"(Exodus 3:1-10). Burning bush moments happen to us too. Perhaps it is the sense that something is not right, and it keeps nagging at us. Or maybe it is something that seems right, and we are drawn back to it again & again. ... But notice that God told Moses to remove the sandals from his feet as he was standing on Holy Ground. These burning bush moments we have are Holy moments. We are standing on Holy Ground right now. And that is a place of awe, of reverence, of sacredness."

"(Matthew 16:13-20). So how did people think of Jesus? Who was Jesus? I grew up in the church. The first views of Jesus that I remember now were received as I sat on the small brightly painted chairs neatly arranged in two rows in the Sunday School room. And Jesus picture was on the wall. Do you remember the one? Fair skinned. Long hair. Kind looking. Smiling. Meek and mild. ... Who do you say that Jesus is? It matters because no one who meets Jesus stays the same."

"(Matthew 15:21-28). Jesus changes his mind because of an encounter with this Canaanite woman. He began to see his whole ministry in a different light.Transformation happens when we listen to someone else’s story that doesn’t fit with our understanding and we are challenged as to what we believe and how to respond. As we share our stories, our witness, our truth, then hope is given wings, and healing and wholeness happens. That’s the type of community that we are building here."

"(Matthew 14:22-33). I love this scripture. It’s a rich passage. A great gift from God. A box ready to be unpacked. It has meant a lot in my life at times when I have taken faith risks. I like impetuous Peter who gets out of the boat and sinks so fast. So I thought that this sermon would be an easy one to write today as I peered into the box. But as I wrote this sermon, this scripture, didn’t want to stay in a box. It kept popping open, kind of like a child’s toy … jack-in-a-box. We like to put Jesus in a nice tidy box. This is who Jesus is. This is what you should believe. But Jesus didn’t follow the rules! He didn’t stay in the box. "

"(Matthew 14:13-21). “What have you got?” He asks. “Not much.” Our reply. “More than you think.” He says. “Work with what you have – bring it to me.” And the miracle happens. We have to give God something to work with. What do our 5 loaves and 2 fish look like? "

"(Matthew 13:31-32, Romans 8:26-38). The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed ... it becomes a tree. Mustard is a surprising choice for an image of the Kingdom - why not the majestic cedar often referred to in the Old Testament, why choose an invasive weed? We want our lives to blessed and look like tall cedars, full of joy and goodness. We want to be in control, have power over our own lives But what if what you most want to be rid of might nourish you and heal you? "

"(Matthew 13:24-30,36-43). Parables tease us, we have to wrestle with them. We want so much to be the judge of others, but that is not our job. Instead, in mysterious ways, when we offer grace, forgiveness and love for all then God multiplies our personal efforts, and interweaves the work of others, and uses them to transform the world. As we do this, then purpose, meaning and hope come into our lives. We discover our true selves when we serve Christ with compassion."

"(Matthew 13:1-9,18-23). Jesus calls this story the parable of the sower. It is not so surprising that the seeds in the good soil grew. The surprise is that the sower threw his valuable seed everywhere. Our extravagantly wasteful sower God never gives up on us calls us to take risks and be equally generous in mission."

"Our guest Preacher Greg Rold spoke on Colossians 2:6-23."

"(Psalm 13). To complain and question God is an alien concept in our culture. Christians today are rediscovering the value of lamenting to God using the Psalms as a model for responding to tragedy and injustice. 'How long, O God, how long ... will it be before we take seriously your call to be disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world?'"

"(Psalm 8). A guided meditation experiencing the many ways that God appears to us, and listening to what God is saying to each of us right now."

"(Acts 1:3-14). Before Jesus left the disciples, he promised them power, gave them a ministry of witness, and instructed them to wait. Their wait was spent in community, in prayer, with attentiveness and anticipation. How do we wait?"

"(Acts 17:22-31). We are not the Athenians, so we know that God is knowable, but how often do we miss God’s presence? We know in our minds that God is present and yet in our minds we also fail to acknowledge and respond. God has placed in our hearts this longing and yearning; like the Athenians we feel God's presence before we can name it."

"(1 Peter 2:2-10). The imagery for the name Cornerstone Community United Methodist Church has a strong Biblical basis. It comes from today’s scripture passage. The passage we are going to hear is from 1 Peter 2:2-10 and it is a great statement of what this congregation stands for. Peter describes God’s building program, and we are chosen to be a part of it."

"(Psalm 23). Psalm 23 used at almost exclusively at funerals. I think that’s a shame because Psalm 23 is a psalm for the living -- it is a psalm for you and I to apply every day of our life -- it is good for soul restoration all the time. There is a paraphrase that says: "You are the one who leads me out into an array of pasture, which is exciting, frightening, challenging and changing." An array of pasture. Where is the Shepherd leading you? What does your pasture look like? "

"(Luke 24:13-35). God comes to us in mysterious ways. Sometimes we’ll recognize God’s presence at the time; perhaps we’ll even expect it. At other times, it will only be afterwards that we see the presence of the risen Lord. "

"(John 20:19-31). I like Thomas. I can relate to him. He seems so authentic. I wonder whether I would have done the same thing. Thomas lives with his doubts and wrestles with them until Jesus appears to him. Then it is Thomas who having satisfied his doubts makes the bold sweeping confident statement of faith “My Lord and my God.” Thomas came through his doubts through a crisis of faith to a more authentic faith. He doubted and waited and then one day his doubt turned into knowing."

"(Matthew 28:1-10). Why did Jesus die on the cross? What is the meaning of the resurrection? How do we find hope amid despair? The church has been wrestling with these questions since the very first Easter. The body of thought is deep, rich, hopeful and life-giving. Today I will consider four answers to the question: how does the power of hope come through Easter?"

"Luke 23:33-46. Luke tells us that Jesus forgave the soldiers. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” What magnificent and majestic words. Imagine the impact on the crowd. Imagine hearing them. “Father, forgive them.” These words would never be forgotten by those who heard them. They were unexpected words, words of non-violence, words of grace. And they were words spoken not just to the crowd but to us too. These words are for us to hear."

"(Mark 15:15b-23). We are on a journey and we can learn from Jesus and how he walked through this difficult dark time. We can identify with Jesus when we find ourselves in dark places. God came down to earth in flesh and walked through the dark places too. Jesus knew what it was it like to be in the darkness. How did Jesus go through this time? What sustained him? What sustains us? "

"(Mark 15:1-15). Theologians have long wrestled with how we are to understand Jesus' death. It is an area of discussion called the Atonement, the at-one-ment of humankind with God. There are a variety of theories. You may find a theory resonates with you today (or not), or that it has in the past, or will in the future. Just like there are multiple ways of describing and relating to God, I’ve found depending upon where I am struggling at any given time, that different insights speak to me as an individual at different times. Similarly, for our communal struggles, over time various perspectives can speak to us as a community."

"(Mark 14: 53-72). Fear breeds hate which leads to tragic acts. This is not just a story of the men that made up the Sanhedrin. It is a story about the human condition. As Christians we need to ask, not what will make me most secure but what is the most loving thing to do in these circumstances. How do we respond to moral issues that affect our state or nation?"

"(Matthew 26:36-56). Christianity recognizes Jesus as both fully divine and fully human. Sometimes we tend to forget Jesus’ human nature. How would you feel if you were in Jesus’ situation? The prophets had written of a Messiah, but this was not a pre-written drama. Jesus was human and he was scared and anxious. That’s a perfectly normal reaction. He had good reason to be grieved. Yet he prayed, "Not what I want, but what you want." This is a bold prayer."

"(Luke 22:7-13, Matthew 26:20-30). Defining stories remind us of where we have come from, they define who we are now and who we will be. By the Jews reenacting the Passover story they remembered their deliverance in the past and brought it into the present. They experienced the message of freedom. So now Jesus takes the defining Jewish story of deliverance and transforms the Seder meal into what we call Holy Communion / Eucharist / Lord’s Supper. It was now the story of God’s liberation of all humankind from whatever enslaves. It was to be a perpetual reminder of God’s love and grace. It would be the meal for Christians to remember our story, and through which our lives will be reshaped. "

"(Matthew 7:24-29). We cannot just hear Jesus’ words and keeping on acting as we were before without change. Jesus is asking us to put in the hard work and to build a proper foundation and change our behavior. Then when the storms come we will have that foundation under us. God will be with us as we walk through the storm. While it is true, this passage carries an admonition about building on sand, the greater truth is, it conveys an assurance about building on the rock. "

"(Matthew 6:25-34). As we trust more and more in God’s providential goodness we will see a different kind of world. Then with a different perception on reality our dispositions will change and our characters will be molded."

"(Matthew 5:21-24,38-45). In these three statements Jesus says no and yes, both at the same time. No, I'm not contradicting the heart and spirit of Torah. Yes, I am challenging interpretations of the law that are not consistent with its heart: that is the whole-hearted love of God and neighbor. Jesus calls us to offer forgiveness, to non-violent ways of being, and to love those who persecute us."

"(Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18). Who are you when no one is looking? What type of person are you? How do you behave when your parents are not around? When your teacher or scoutmaster steps outside of the room? How do you behave with your spouse after your company, your visitors have left? When the boss is late to work? Who are you? Do you pretend to be one thing in public and do something different in private?"

"(Matthew 5:33-37, 7:1-5,12). Its 2000 years later, and what should be self-evident, we still find hard. We still need to make oaths in courtrooms - sign of our imperfect world. We still tell lies, or maybe what we call half-truths to protect ourselves. Think about how easy it is to make statements that are simply not true: How do you feel when someone says these to you?"

"(Matthew 5:1-12). Jesus describes what blessedness looks like, the secret of happiness. But he describes a recipe that is different from what the world offers. It is the antithesis, the opposite. The beatitudes are the great reversal. They present a different set of values to what the world says: the world says if you don’t have any suffering if your life you will be happy, Jesus says if you have suffering in your life you will find happiness, the world says you should be strong, in control and self-assured you’ll find happiness, and Jesus says happiness is when you are meek, and gentle and don’t need to be in control, the world says you must be liked and popular you’ll find happiness, and Jesus says if you do the things that make for happiness, then people won’t always like you."

"(Micah 6:1-8). We cannot see the wind, but we can observe its effects, and in that way we can see and touch and grasp the wind. To live as Christians in our world is to be a people shaped by the Biblical story of the living God. As we live out of justice, kindness and a close relationship with God, then we are shaped. As we are shaped, we become wind changers. As the wind changes, its effects will be felt and seen and experienced."

"(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). The Wesley Covenant prayer asks us if we are serious about the baptismal and membership vows that we made. Those vows of our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness that I talked to the children about. It reminds us that discipleship is a way of life, and that discipleship is a difficult but rewarding journey with Christ’s people into the world. It challenges us to think about how we use our time and live each moment."

"(Matthew 2:13-23). I don’t like this scripture reading. I don’t like hearing about Herod’s actions It’s not part of my picture-perfect Christmas. It’s the day after Christmas, and I want to stay with the familiar feelings of Christmas. I imagine you do too. But Matthew isn’t going to let us. Matthew reminds us, graphically, Jesus was not born into picture-perfect world. Jesus entered our messed-up world."

"(John 1:1-14). The light shines in the darkness, writes John. This is the message of the incarnation. God enters into the darkness to sit alongside of us. God refuses to dwell in the heavens above and from a safe distance watch the drama of human life play out. Instead, God climbs right into the darkest places to be with us; God puts on skin and comes to us in the darkness, and in that holy action we find reason to hope."

"(Matthew 1:18-25, 2:1-2,9-10). The best gift that we can give anyone is the gift of love. But the Christmas Story is strongly reliant upon people saying yes to God. It is no easy thing to say yes. To say yes involves risks. But when we say Yes to God's love we say Yes to that which will change our lives and give to them meaning and purpose, and a radiance that transforms others. "

"(Isaiah 35:1-10). God’s promise is for those who live in the wilderness. It is for those who are desolate, who despair, who lack what they need, who are lonely, who long for home and restoration and joy. Just like the Israelites knew the wilderness, it is a place that we all know too. Sooner or later we all face tough times. We all find ourselves in the wilderness. Isaiah’s promise, God’s promise, is for us too: “The deserts will bloom.” Again and again when Jesus came into people’s lives their lives were like deserts and when he left they were blooming. These are the signs of the presence of God. Dare we hope for such wonders? If we just look, then we will find these signs are all around us today."

"(Matthew 3:1-12 and Isaiah 11:1-10). What we do matters. God has not forgotten us. Whatever we are struggling with and causes us restlessness whether family dynamics, or the effects of the recession, or the state of the world, the dream of peace is there for us too. As we return to God we will build together a dream of peace. We become prophets. "

"(Romans 13:11-14). How can we put our Christmas list into perspective? How can we live an advent that is not self-centered and exhausting? We will never be satisfied by the things of this world. If what we hope for is things then our hopes will be in vain. Our hope comes from drawing closer to God. As we focus on that eternal hope, then God will break through our circumstances. Dawn will break. The daylight will come. [Daily questions to ponder are on www.facebook.com/HeartHome.] "

"(Colossians 1:15-20). Jesus, our Messiah, our king, is here today somewhere in this church, somewhere in this community. Let’s lift each other up, and encourage one another. ... The Kingdom of God is coming. When we live our daily lives out of our Christian values, then we should be concerned for the poor and the oppressed. And being concerned for them means that politics has its place in the church. Religion and politics even have a place at your thanksgiving table! Perhaps Jesus will be sitting at your table."

"(Luke 6:37-38). 'Give and it will be given to you.' The way we behave shapes our destiny. This counter-intuitive way of behaving seems to make no sense. This giving away our blessings, giving away our time and our money sounds crazy. Yet, when we do so, we find there are blessings. We reap what we sow. "

"(Acts 20:32-35). God owns everything and desires that all people share in the blessings of God’s good creation. We do not give out of duty but because we are invited to share in the life of a steward and become channels of God’s grace poured out to all. And so we need to be intentional. Through the practices of firstfruits giving, proportionate giving and extravagant sacrificial giving we are transformed. We discover that it is more blessed to give than to receive."

"(Ecclesiastes 5:10-20). One of the clearest insights we can gain into ourselves is what we do with the money God gives to us. Where God’s Spirit is present, people give. No stories from scripture tell of people living the God-related spiritual life while fostering a greedy, self-centered, self-serving attitude. Our attitude matters. We need to make the discovery that greed lessens joy while generosity increases it."

"(2 Timothy 3:14-4:5). If the Bible is “inspired by God” literally translated “God-breathed” does it mean that God dictated every single word, guiding the author to write exactly what God intended, and that it is free from human error and infallible? Or does “inspired by God” mean that the Bible is God’s self-disclosure not dictated directly by God but written by authors who were themselves inspired by God, with the Holy Spirit enabling them to discern how God was acting in nature, in history and in the ordinary affairs of human life? "

"(Jeremiah 29:1,4-7). Jeremiah goes further than just telling the exiles to build houses, garden, get married and have children. His letter tells us that God says to seek the welfare of the city. Jeremiah is telling them to look after the welfare of their enemies. The welfare of the exiles and their captors was bound together. The welfare of others is bound up in our welfare. We live in an interrelated world. When one part of our world is broken, then another part hurts. There is a web of brokenness. "

"(Luke 17:5-6 & 2 Timothy 1:1-14). 'I couldn’t be more sure of my ground … this faith and love rooted in Christ.' Paul is sure of his ground. But what about us? Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a quick fool-proof way to boost our faith? A 'faith inoculation' that would increase our faith, protect us from evil, suffering, and despair, and transform us into effective and efficient disciples."

"(Luke 16:19-31). Who do you identify with? The poor man, the rich man, or the 5 siblings? How is the story going to end? If we are truly listening, and place our hope in Christ and not in the world, then we can move to engage with whatever is placed beside us. As we practice offering our love and getting to know those who lie outside our gates, the attitude of our hearts will change. When we offer Christ’s love, we create relationships rather than chasms."

"(Luke 16:1-13). Is Jesus commending or criticizing the steward’s behavior in this parable? Today we are going to ponder the steward’s question that he asks himself: “What will I do?” Like all of us faced with a difficult situation, he has some options."

"(Luke 15:1-10). This story though is not just about our becoming lost and God performing a ‘search and rescue.’ Jesus told these stories to the Pharisees because they were objecting to him eating with tax collectors and sinners. In talking about searching for the lost sheep and coin, he was telling them that they needed to do this work too. We are called to be like Christ and search and rescue those who are lost."

"(Philemon 1-25). This is a very practical letter for us to read. Here we have three Christians each having to figure out what it means to live a Christian life. How does their faith make a difference when the rubber hits the road? In messy situations, how can Christians get it right?"

"(Hebrews 13:1-8,15-16). As I was reading this, I could visualize a movie moving quickly from scene to scene. The author of the letter did not spend long on each point. So to help us learn how this letter applies today I will paint or describe some scenes, some modern-day examples, some positive and some negative. We’ll move quickly from scene to scene fading one into the next. I’ll leave you to ponder and draw your own conclusions about how love is embodied in concrete efforts seeking the well-being of others."

"(Hebrews 12:18-29). Expeditions change us. When we embark on an expedition we are invited to travel to new places. We will see new things. We will meet new people. We will taste new food. We will gain new skills. We will be exposed to other ideas. We will be challenged as we try to make sense of the experiences. Travel transforms us. Our scripture passage today invites us to think about what we are invited into while remembering where we once were. "

"(Hebrews 11:29-12:1). The Hebrews passage we read is like a photo album. By examining it we can learn more about who we are. But as we look carefully at the pictures in Hebrews there are two portraits that are printed. Some of the pictures are of success: when the sea parted, when the walls fell down, when battles were won, and when there was protection from lions. But some of them are pictures of failures: of homelessness, of abuse, of battles lost, and even of those who were murdered. God does not promise a charmed life. Moses did not reach the Promised Land. There will be times when perseverance is necessary."

"(Hebrews 11:1-3,8-16). By listening to each others stories, we will learn from each other, and discover the ways in which we are walking by faith. As we are challenged by hearing those stories, God will call us to step out in faith as sojourners into a foreign land. As we journey together we will orient ourselves to the future, walking together trusting in God’s promises."

"(Luke 11:1-4). How we communicate with each other is important. A lack of communication or a miscommunication can have consequences that we don’t expect... Prayer is the way we communicate with God. Like all forms of communication, prayer changes our behavior and forms our identity. It bends our feelings, desires and thoughts. What we talk to God about is important. So what should we pray about? “Teach us to pray” said the disciples to Jesus."

"(Luke 10:28-42). We gain strength from the time spent with God in prayer, and reading the Bible and in worship. This time we spend sitting and listening gives us the power and the motivation for the acts of mercy. We may love those who are easy to love, but without Christ firmly in the center of our lives we will not find the strength to risk our comfort to love those who are less easy to love."

"(Luke 10:25-37). Our navigation instructions for every step of our expedition are to love the Lord our God all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves. There are no limits to those we can call our neighbors; we are invited to open our eyes and look around us, to have open hearts, open minds and open doors. We will know that we are navigating using God’s Positioning System when we are the ones showing mercy to others."

"(Luke 10:1-11,16-20). Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We are all invited, called, and sent by Jesus. We don’t need to spend a lot of time packing, and in fact, there is much we are better off leaving behind."