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| 3/07/10 |
Jonathan Chute - "Fixing Blame" Luke 13: 1-5. This week in the sanctuary... Jesus discusses two disasters - one caused by humans, and the other, natural. Where some might blame the victims for what happened, Jesus does not. Instead, he suggests that these are occasions for us to reflect on what really counts in our lives. |
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| 2/28/10 |
Diane Rehfield - "Where It Comes From" Luke 13: 31-35. This week we find that Jesus has "set his face" toward Jerusalem. He must go there - it is a mission from God, and nothing will stop him. Jesus knows that his death is near, yet his sorrow is not about his own death but rather about the people of Jerusalem. |
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| 2/21/10 |
Jonathan Chute - "Lifeline" Luke 4: 1-13. This week brings us to the first Sunday in Lent, the season that follows Jesus through the most challenging days of his life. Following his baptism, Jesus begins his ministry under somewhat trying circumstances. After forty days in the wilderness he is alone and hungry. The devil appears, tempting him to use his power to feed himself, to rule over the world, and to test God's care. Jesus rejects the offers before him. He knows that he is not alone but is sustained by the grace of God. |
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| 2/14/10 |
Jonathan Chute - "Deja View" Luke 9: 28-36. This week, our gospel text shows Jesus in a time of transition. Peter has identified him as the Messiah, but he doesn't really know what that means. Later Jesus takes Peter, James and John with him up a mountain, where he prays. Right before their eyes, his appearance is transformed, and he shines with a bright and holy light. Moses and Elijah are standing by his side, and God's voice speaks from a cloud. As they leave the mountain, the disciples say nothing about what they have seen. |
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| 2/7/10 |
Jonathan Chute - "The Deeper You Go ..." Luke 5: 1-11. This week we follow Jesus to the seashore, where he is preaching the word of God. Surrounded by an eager crowd, he gets into a fishing boat belonging to Simon, James and John, and puts out from the shore. When Jesus is done speaking, he encourages the men to move the boat out into deeper water and let down their nets. When they do, the catch is so large it threatens to sink them all. Then Jesus invites all three to join him in a different kind of fishing. |
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| 1/31/10 |
John Kwan - "Home Bound" Luke 4: 21-30. This week we find a rather surprising account of Jesus' return to his hometown of Nazareth. According to Luke, Jesus has just completed his very first sermon in Galilee, and the people were amazed. It was a good beginning, but as quickly as the people praised him, they now turn on him - a common experience in Jesus' life all the way to the cross. |
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| 1/24/10 |
Jonathan Chute - "How Long Is the Sermon?" Luke 4: 14-21. In the weeks after Christmas we watch as Jesus begins to move out into the world, showing by word and deed the fullness of his identity. From his baptism, to his first miracle, we move on to the first sermon Jesus ever delivers. It takes place in front of his home congregation, in the synagogue in Nazareth, where he reads to the people from the prophet Isaiah. The sermon itself is very short - just one sentence long. But it draws on a long history of God's involvement with the human family. And it stakes a claim on our present and future as well. In just a few short words we begin to see the scope of Jesus' whole ministry. |
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| 1/17/10 |
Jonathan Chute - "No Wine Before His Time" John 2: 1-11. Our gospel text tells the story of Jesus' first miracle, when he turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. The wine for the wedding feast has run out, presenting the groom with a crisis. The mother of Jesus seems to think that he will know what to do. But Jesus has other priorities than simply solving a drink shortage. Something more is going on that afternoon. But not everyone can see it. Most of those involved in the events, from Jesus' own mother to the wine steward, are preoccupied with logistics. But Jesus offers, to those who see it, a sign of God's glory. |
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| 1/10/10 |
Jonathan Chute - "At the End of the Line" Luke 3: 15-18, 21-22. In this week's gospel Luke tells the story of Jesus' baptism. But if you follow closely, you will see that the actual baptism does not appear in the text. First we hear John proclaim that there is one greater coming after him. Then Jesus appears, along with all the other people who HAVE BEEN baptized. The baptism itself is already over! But then his ministry begins. While he is praying, the Holy Spirit descends on him in the form of a dove. A voice speaks from heaven, pronouncing God's blessing. |
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| 1/03/10 |
John Kwan - "What Child Is This?" John 1: 1-18. In today's scripture, John gets his turn to tell the Christmas story. Unlike the gradual unfolding of Jesus' identity in the other gospels, John's gospel tells us up-front who Jesus is and what he means - "The Word became flesh and lived among us . . . full of grace and truth." |
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| 12/27/09 |
Jonathan Chute - "As Usual" Luke 2: 41-52. This week's gospel shows us the only picture we have of Jesus from his childhood. He and his parents have gone to Jerusalem for the Passover, but when they leave he stays behind in the temple, teaching and astounding the elders. It will not be the last time that Jesus amazes religious leaders, or confounds his family. |
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| 12/24/09 |
Jonathan Chute - "Life, Interrupted" Luke 2: 1-20. |
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| 12/20/09 |
Jonathan Chute - "The Surprise Inside" Luke 1: 39-47. In this week's gospel two women, both pregnant, greet one another. Elizabeth, the older of the two, has been waiting and hoping for a child for years. For her it is the answer to prayer. Mary, her young cousin, is in a more complicated situation. Pregnancy outside of marriage was punishable by death. It may well not have been safe back in Nazareth, so she has journeyed far from home, to the hill country of Judea. It is easy to imagine that this is a stressful, difficult time for Mary, as she comes through the front door of the home. But at the sound of Mary’s voice the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaps for joy. There is warmth and compassion between the two women. But something even more important is going on than we can see. |
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| 12/13/09 |
Jonathan Chute - "Everyday Hope" Luke 3: 7-18. In this week's gospel John the Baptist addresses the crowds who came out to him for baptism. They have made a journey out to the desert. They know that they are among God's chosen people. Even so, John doesn't seem all that impressed with them. But he also says that if they really want to change, they can. John wasn't easy on his listeners. But he gave the people the hope that they could make a new beginning in their lives. For this reason Luke tells us that John preached "good news to the people." |
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| 12/06/09 |
Jonathan Chute - "Starting Fresh" Luke 3: 1-6. This week's gospel introduces us to John the Baptist, preaching repentance and forgiveness by the side of the Jordan river. It was a time of expectation and preparation for the people of Israel as well. From out in the wilderness John called them to make a new beginning. He knew that they were not ready for what God was getting ready to do. The time had come to clear away old habits and cherished hurts, and to make room the grace of God in their lives. Repentance is often seen as something negative - a reminder that we don't always live up even to our own self-image. But John's invitation opens the door to a new, more hopeful future. |
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| 11/29/09 |
John Kwan - "Looking to the Horizon" Luke 21: 25-36. This Sunday begins the season of Advent, a time of preparation and expectation for the coming Christ into the world. In this week's gospel, we hear Jesus speak of signs of distress among the nations, the powers of the heavens being shaken, the roaring of the seas and waves, and a steady diet of fear and foreboding. This after Jesus told his disciples of the coming destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem. Where is the victory? Where is the celebration? Where is the peace and love? The disciples may be asking themselves these very questions. What they and we hear is not a pretty or encouraging picture. In fact, it is downright apocalyptic. And yet Jesus dares to speak of such a time as a time of redemption. How can the ending of a world as they know it be a time of hopeful redemption? |
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| 11/22/09 |
Jonathan Chute - "The Early Rain" Joel 2: 21-27. We often think of Thanksgiving as a celebration by and for the human family. But in our scripture for this Sunday we see that God's promises of renewal and hope are for the whole creation. The prophet Joel speaks to the people of Israel after a time of drought, desperation and suffering, and tells them that good things are coming their way. God is sending the rain again, and soon the crops will be gathered in to harvest. But the good news is not only for the people. Joel tells even the soil to be glad, and the animals not to be afraid. The pastures shall be green, the trees and vines will bear fruit again. It is a reminder even in the most difficult of days that God is not finished with us, or with the earth, just yet. |
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| 11/15/09 |
Jonathan Chute - "Don't Panic" Mark 13: 1-8. This week's gospel describes signs and warnings of the struggles which Jesus' followers will face. A time of chaos and destruction is coming, Jesus says, and the disciples want to know when it will be. But Jesus reminds them that there is a more important concern to keep before them. Rather than worrying over events beyond their control, he encourages them not to be afraid - God is still in charge. |
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| 11/8/09 |
Jonathan Chute - "Behind the Gift" Mark 12: 41-44. This week Jesus and the disciples are sitting outside the temple. They watch as the crowd place many large gifts into the treasury. But then Jesus notices a poor widow who puts in two small coins. It is an almost invisible act of generosity. But what is different about the widow's gift is not the small size of the contribution, but the size of the spirit behind it. No one would have noticed her before, but now we can't forget her. |
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| 11/1/09 | All Saints Day
Jonathan Chute - "All Things New" Revelation 21:1-6a. This Sunday we remember and give thanks for the saints, those who have encouraged us in our own journeys with their examples of faith, hope and love. We know that they see even more clearly the grace of God that carried them through their lives, and we look to them to remind us of the kind of people we want to be. In this week's scripture we see a picture of the new heaven and new earth that God promises to the faithful in every age. It is a place and a time when the struggle and suffering of this present life will have passed away. It is a vision of community and compassion, the renewal of everything we have ever known. Our culture places a great value on what is new. At the same time, there are lots of things we wish would stay the same. In Revelation, God's promise is the end of struggle and suffering. Death and grief, crying and pain will pass away. A new day is dawning. |
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| 10/25/09 | Jonathan Chute - "Seeing the Way" Mark 10:46-52. The gospel text for this week is the story of a healing. It is the last miracle which Jesus performs during his life, the healing of a blind man named Bartimaeus. The scene is the side of the road, just outside of Jericho. When Bartimaeus, a beggar, hears that Jesus is coming, he calls out for a blessing. Other people try to silence him, but he cries out all the more. When Jesus calls the blind man to him, he throws off his cloak and jumps to his feet. Jesus commends the man for his faith and tells him to go... he is well. But rather than go on his own way, he chooses to follow the one who has just restored his sight. It is a new day in the life of Bartimaeus. Once a beggar, he is now overcome by gratitude. |
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| 10/18/09 | Jonathan Chute - "What You Don't Know" Mark 10:35-45. This week our gospel finds two of the disciples, James and his brother John, seeking places of privilege in God's kingdom. They ask, when Jesus comes into the fullness of his kingdom, to sit on either side of the throne - one to his right, and one to his left. The other disciples hear about it and get angry with the two. Jesus uses the occasion to teach that the path to greatness in God's realm is the path of service rather than self. Though they have spent much time with Jesus, it seems the disciples still have much to learn about the shape of the kingdom of God. |
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| 10/11/09 | Laity Sunday
Earl Butler - "Shine Bright" Exodus 20:1-17; Matthew 25:35-40. This week is Laity Sunday, when leaders from among the congregation take the lead in Sunday worship and our clergy step aside for the day. There are two texts for this year's service, both having to do with God's expectations and hopes for people of faith. In the first reading God shares with Moses what have become known as the Ten Commandments. Among the 613 individual laws that may be identified in the Old Testament, these were a shorthand list of some of the most important. But in our gospel for the day Jesus provides and even shorter short list. In response to a lawyer's question about which is the most important commandment, Jesus suggests that there are really two that belong together. Love of God and love of neighbor, he says, are the foundation of all the rest. |
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| 10/4/09 | World Communion Sunday
Jonathan Chute - "The Children's Table" (morning worship) Mark 10:13-16. The gospel for this week is the story of Jesus blessing the little children. At first the disciples try to keep the people from bringing their children to Jesus, as though they were an unwelcome nuisance. But Jesus tells them that the kingdom of God belongs precisely to "such as these." Jesus' ministry reached out and included those who were lost, vulnerable and broken. It surprises us to think of the blessing of children as somehow revolutionary. But in that time small children were not seen as blessed and beautiful. Things like preschool and kindergarden were centuries away. The hope was that they would move through those years quickly, and carry their share of the work as soon as possible. But Jesus takes them in his arms and blesses them. This is not what the disciples expected. Diane Rehfield - "This One's for You" (3rd service) Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12. The Letter to the Hebrews is something of a window into the theology of the early Christian movement. The author helps us to understand what the early church was thinking about God, about Jesus, and about our relationship with the two of them and with each other. On this World Communion Sunday, what does it mean that Christ calls us brothers and sisters? |
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| 9/27/09 | Jonathan Chute - "Getting out of the Way" Mark 9:38-50. Is the Christian faith easy, or hard? Is it simply a matter of loving and trusting God, and living in the light of grace? "Love your neighbor as yourself" - that's what Jesus says. Or is it a life-long wrestling match with questions and doubts, with God and with ourselves? Jesus says that we should love our neighbors, but also that we should love our enemies! So... is it easy or hard for us to follow Jesus? In this week's gospel the disciples tell Jesus that they have found someone performing healings in his name. They let him know that they tried to put a stop to it, since the man wasn't one of them. But Jesus says that good deeds done in his name are a good thing, not a bad one! Even the little things we do for others - a cup of cold water - count in God's eyes. We don't want to put stumbling blocks in front of others, to make it harder for them to do God's work. For some of us it is already hard enough to be faithful. |
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| 9/20/09 | Dr. Jerry Campbell - "Though You Have Not Known Me" Isaiah 45:1-7, Luke 19:41-44. We welcome Dr. Jerry Campbell, president of Claremont School of Theology, as our preacher this week. Our first scripture reading comes from a time of great hope in Israel's history. The people have suffered for many years as exiles in Babylon. But now it appears that Cyrus, the king of Persia, is preparing to deliver them home. He has conquered the Babylonians and wants to re-organize his empire differently. The prophet Isaiah speaks the word of God to the Israelites, telling them that even this foreign leader can be a chosen servant of the Lord. The gospel for this week shows Jesus' anguish and grief over Jerusalem, as he approaches the city in the last days of his life. He regrets that his own community has not recognized his coming for what it truly means. Both readings show us people who fail to recognize the presence or activity of God in their midst. It's going on right in front of their eyes, but they do not see it. |
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| 9/13/09 | Jonathan Chute - "How to Build a Church" Mark 8:27-38. This week's gospel follows Jesus as he and the disciples come to something of a crisis. The sense of anticipation and hope among his followers has been building for some time. They have seen and heard much, and their expectations are high. But what he says to them this day will shock them. He speaks of suffering and death, of following him in the way of the cross. His picture of God's kingdom, and what it means to be faithful, are different from anything they have heard before. |
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| 9/6/09 | Jonathan Chute - "To the Dogs" Mark 7:24-37. This Sunday's gospel presents one of the more uncomfortable pictures of Jesus for many of us, as he responds to a woman whose daughter is sick. She is a gentile, a foreigner, and Jesus suggests that she has no claim on him. In fact, he seems to refer to her, not as one of God's children, but as a dog. She could have taken offense, and been turned away by the harshness of his words. But she will not be put off from her search for healing and hope. |
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| 8/30/09 | Jonathan Chute - "Inside, Out" Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23. In this week's gospel, Jesus responds to criticism by some leaders in the religious community. They notice that his disciples are not following the rules for washing hands before eating, and are offended. Jesus responds that it is not what goes into our bodies that makes us unclean, but what comes out of us. He accuses the critics of focusing on the wrong end of the problem. While it is easy to judge the cleanliness of our hands, the intentions of the heart are harder to see and know. |
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| 8/23/09 | Sierra Service Project
Reflections Jonathan Chute - "Building a Home" Mark 9:2-8, John 14:1-6a. This Sunday we get to hear from some of our youth and their counselors, following their experiences with Sierra Service Project this summer. The scriptures for the day are brief passages in two gospels, speaking about different kinds of dwellings. In the first, Peter offers to build a set of tents for Jesus, Moses and Elijah, while he is up on the mountain with Jesus and two other disciples. That does not seem to be what Jesus had in mind. In the second, Jesus speaks to his disciples about the many rooms in God's house, where he is going to prepare a place for them. |
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| 8/16/09 | Diane Rehfield - "Be Careful What You Ask For" Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14. What would you ask for if God invited you to ask for something? Solomon was presented with this very question. Often we think we want something that turns out not to be fulfilling in the long run. How many of us have closets full of things we thought we really wanted, which now are just taking up space? Some things we think we want even turn out to be burdensome or harmful once we have them. Solomon describes himself as "only a little child" - yet he is wise enough to resist the temptation to ask for such things. Instead he asks for an understanding mind with which to govern God's people, and the ability to tell the difference between good and evil. God is pleased, and grants him not only that for which he has asked, but riches and honor as well. God also promises Solomon a lengthened life, but there is a condition to that. God expects Solomon to walk in God's ways, and to keep God's statutes and commandments. |
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| 8/9/09 | John Kwan - "Day by Day" Acts 2:42-47 - Throughout the Gospel of Luke, we see people interact with one another in a variety of ways. We see acts of compassion and love. We see acts of distrust and contempt. What we see is a wide range of human emotions and responses. Throughout his life, Jesus hoped to share with the world a better way of being with one another. However, that seemed to be too much to ask for and it ultimately cost Jesus his life at the conclusion of Luke's gospel. The book of Acts continues Luke's story and begins with the appearance of Jesus and his ascension. We learn in this book what happens to Jesus' disciples after his departure and discover the beginnings of the early church. His disciples have just experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them and Peter gives a rousing testimony to the crowds. In this text, we catch a glimpse of the early church and its life together following these events. |
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| 8/2/09 | John Kwan - "The Next Food Network Star" John 6:24-35 - On the heels of Jesus' feeding of the multitude, a group of people have followed him seeking similar nourishment. Jesus tells the crowd that the bread he offers is not the kind of bread they are looking for. It's not a matter of looking for white bread and being offered wheat. Rather, we learn in this text that Jesus is offering something completely different. |
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| 7/26/09 | Jonathan Chute - "The Wisdom of Crowds" John 6:1-21. This week Jesus responds to the need of the large crowd that follows him out to the wilderness. They are hungry, and there is clearly not enough food for everyone. All four gospels include accounts of this miraculous event, though they differ from each other in some of the details. As John tells the story we see that those who followed Jesus recognized that something truly amazing was happening before their very eyes. But they did not really understand what it meant. Often we take large numbers to be a sign of success. Sometimes that probably is the case. Other times, not so much. Jesus did draw crowds throughout his life, but he knew that popularity was not the measure of his mission. |
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| 7/19/09 | John Kwan - "Hide and Seek" Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 - In this text, Jesus' disciples have returned from their work and are now sharing with Jesus all that they had done. Jesus then encourages them to take this opportunity to catch their breaths and rest a while. But even in their rest, Jesus and his disciples are met by the crowds. They then travel by boat to Gennesaret and again are met by the crowds hoping to see them. No matter what they do or where they go, they can't seem to avoid the crowds. |
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| 7/12/09 | Jonathan Chute - "Powerless?" Mark 6:14-29. This week we see that even those who hold the reigns of power can be weak at the same time. The death of John the Baptist at the hands of Herod shows us the best and worst of the human family. John was courageous and spoke the truth, even at risk of his own security and safety. Herod was cowardly and anxious, even though he was "in charge." Sometimes we think we are powerless over our own lives. Sometimes we try to take power in ways that aren't healthy, for us or for others. Jesus knew, and John knew, that we are called to be faithful, more than to be "successful." |
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| 7/5/09 | Jonathan Chute - "Moving On" Mark 6:1-13. It's just like that sometimes. Back in Nazareth, Jesus preaches in his home synagogue. The people of the village have a hard time believing that he is anything special. Their reactions are astonishment and offense, rather than joy and amazement. In the face of their rejection he can hardly accomplish a thing. Immediately after, he sends his disciples out to carry on his work in some of the neighboring villages. He tells them how to handle both welcome and rejection as they travel, bringing the message of the gospel to the any who will receive it. As for those who won't, he says, that's not your problem. |
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| 6/28/09 | Jonathan Chute - "Double Crossing" Mark 5:21-43. Early in his ministry Jesus crossed back and forth, from one side to the other of the Sea of Galilee. He has spent some time among the gentiles and in this week's gospel now returns to his own people. It is as though he wants to be clear that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace. He heals people on both sides of the deepest cultural division of his day. And in both communities he makes the point that there are always people who have been left out by others. It is with them that he will share his gifts of healing and hope. |
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| 6/21/09 | Fathers Day Jonathan Chute - "Greater Than the Storm" Mark 4:35-41. In this week's gospel Jesus and the disciples travel to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. A storm catches their boat on the way and the disciples call out to Jesus - who is sleeping! - for help. After he silences the wind and calms the raging sea, they discover an even better reason to be afraid. They ask each other - if Jesus can command the wind and waves, then who IS he? |
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| 6/14/09 | Jonathan Chute - "Less Is More" Mark 4:26-38. This week we get to listen in as Jesus shares two of his briefest parables. Both portray the kingdom of God as something LESS than we might expect. In the first, the kingdom grows up like a plant, pretty much on its own - without a lot of human help. Even the one who planted the seed does not understand what is going on under the ground. In the second, Jesus says that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed that starts out small, but when it grows up becomes a giant . . . well, bush. Like most of us, his hearers had other, grander expectations. We'd rather see the kingdom of God in large, capital letters, and big bright lights. That way no one would miss it. If we were in charge, we'd take it to the next level. But Jesus encourages us that it grows even without our help. How could this be??? |
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| 6/7/09 | John Kwan - "No One Can" In Sunday's text, Nicodemus, a Pharisee, comes to Jesus to strike up a conversation with him. He recognizes Jesus' authority and is willing to listen to him, but Nicodemus still has questions and is unwilling to recognize Jesus' authority publicly. So, he comes to Jesus by night in the hopes of getting his questions answered. |
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| 5/31/09 | Pentecost Sunday Jonathan Chute - "The Conversation" Acts 2:1-18. This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, also known as "the birthday of the Church." Pentecost was an annual Jewish festival in the first century, celebrating the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. This week's scripture describes the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples. Jesus had told them to stay in Jerusalem and wait, and the city was full of Jews from all over the known world. As the Spirit descends upon them, in the form of a mighty wind, and tongues of fire, the disciples begin to speak. Those who are gathered hear them in their own native languages. Whether the miracle was in the speaking or in the hearing is hard to tell. But what happens is the beginning of a conversation between us and God that still continues. |
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| 5/24/09 | Ascension Sunday Jonathan Chute - "Up" Acts 1:1-11. For forty days after Easter Jesus appeared, off and on, to his disciples. He encouraged them to give up their fear, and to share God's forgiveness with the waiting world. He helped them to understand the meaning of his life, of his death, and of his resurrection. And then, after leading them out of the city, he disappeared from their sight for the last time. As they watch he is lifted up on a cloud. They stand there, seeming to wait for his return. Where he is going they cannot follow - at least for now. But where they are going, he has already promised to be with them always. |
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| 5/17/09 | John Kwan - "The Ties That Bind" John 15:9-17 - Jesus had just completed his last meal with his disciples and offers final words of instruction, comfort and hope before his departure. Earlier, he had given his disciples a new commandment - to love one another just as he has loved them. This Sunday, we hear Jesus offer this commandment once again, but this time he elaborates further. We hear Jesus share with his disciples what it is that binds all of them together. |
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| 5/10/09 | Mothers Day Jonathan Chute - "Some Mother's Son" Acts 8:26-40. This week's scripture tells a story of community and hope in the early days after Easter. While traveling along a desert road Philip, one of Jesus' followers, meets a court official from a distant land. The man is an Ethiopian, on the way home after a visit to Jerusalem. He had gone there to worship, but is searching for something more. The Bible intrigues him, but he is not sure of what he is reading. He invites Philip to help him understand. Philip tells him about Jesus, and as the two men talk, the Ethiopian discovers the sense of community and hope he'd been seeking. He wants to be baptized. He is among the first of many outsiders to become a part of this new family of faith. |
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| 5/3/09 | Jonathan Chute - "Other Sheep" John 10:11-18. One of the most encouraging images of God's care is that of a shepherd for his flock. From the familiar words of the 23rd Psalm to the picture of Jesus as "the Good Shepherd," God's grace is made known to us in this compassionate, self-giving way. In this week's gospel Jesus speaks to his friends about what it means for him to be such a shepherd. While it may come as a surprise to them, it turns out that he has other sheep to care for - people beyond this one small group. His care for all of them runs deep. Unlike a hired hand, when things get tough he will not run away. The good shepherd, Jesus says, lays down his life for the sheep. |
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| 4/26/09 | Jonathan Chute - "Remember Who You Are" Luke 24:36-48. This week we follow Jesus as he keeps visiting the disciples in the days after Easter. He finds them still in Jerusalem, not quite knowing what to do next. They are startled and afraid to see him. He greets them with a word of peace and assures them that he is not a ghost. Then he shows them his hands and feet, and even asks them for a bite of food. It seems like an odd request for a risen savior. But Jesus realizes that his friends are still having trouble moving forward in the aftermath of Easter. He wants them to go back into the world, where the ministry of hospitality and healing, of compassion and forgiveness, must be proclaimed. |
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| 4/19/09 | Charles Hoffman - "Hard to Believe" John 20-19-31. Ah, the glory of Easter! When was that, exactly? Remember the trumpets? The beautiful flowers? The joy and wonder? Did it last through the rest of the week? If so, you did better than the disciples. This week's gospel tells us that on the evening of Easter, they were back in hiding, locked behind the doors of the house where they were staying. They were afraid. And even when Jesus visits them there, offering them his forgiveness, there is still doubt. Thomas was not there to see. And he cannot believe what the others are saying. Our guest preacher is the Rev. Charles Hoffman ("Chuck"), who was Jonathan's youth minister in Escondido, and a mentor and guide to a number of ministers now scattered around the country. |
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| 4/12/09 | Easter Sunday Jonathan Chute - "The Last Word" Mark 16-10-8. Easter celebrates the central truth of the Christian story, that God's grace and love are more powerful than sin and death. It is a message that we yearn to hear and long to believe. We dare to hope in the truth of this good news. Yet the stories of that first Easter show us that Jesus- followers were perhaps as confused by the resurrection as they were hopeful. In Mark's gospel three women come to the tomb, bringing oil and spices to anoint to anoint the body of Jesus. As they walk, they consider an important question - "Who will roll away the stone?" But when they arrive, the stone is gone and the tomb is empty. A young man in white tells them not to be alarmed - Jesus has gone ahead of them to Galilee. He will meet them there. But they are overcome with fear. They flee from the scene, saying nothing to anyone. |
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| 4/5/09 | Palm Sunday - the Passion of Jesus Jonathan Chute - "Poured Out" Mark 14 & 15, selected verses. From triumph to tragedy, courage and compassion to betrayal and fear, the events of Jesus' last days embody a wide range of human experience. The events of the week begin with a parade, and a crowd of joyful pilgrims. It closes with a different sort of crowd, looking on as an innocent man is condemned to death. Between his triumphal entry and the crucifixion, he experiences moments of grace and pain, betrayal and hope. Some of the best and the worst of us is woven through the story of his gracious gift. |
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