The earliest known written record of laws was the Code of Hammurabi in 1754 BC. Amongst their many laws is a very familiar one: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. This generally means that whatever actions are taken against you then legally you can act out the same actions in retaliation. … [Read more…]
When I walk into a church for worship, the seat that I take is up in the loft. As the child of a choir member, this was where I was raised to sit when in a church. To this day, I am a little uncomfortable sitting in the congregation. When I take a class, my … [Read more…]
Today is Reformation Sunday. This is an important day for Protestants around the world because this is where our religious sects originate from. But for many of us we have little concept of the radical ideas that went behind such a movement and the courage of many believers and clergymen to stand up to the … [Read more…]
My husband’s grandmother was an orthodox Jew and every year right before the celebration of Passover it was her custom to do a thorough cleaning of their house. They had to change out all the dishes, reline all the cabinets, throw away or give away all of the food in their home in preparation for … [Read more…]
When you imagine Jesus, what does Jesus look like, what does he act like? (Let Congregation answer) I often imagine this well spoken man, a brave man, not the poorest of the poor but not wealthy. I tend to imagine Jesus very much being like me. I imagine him as the ultimate comforter and these … [Read more…]
When we think of change: whether it is in the world, our careers, or our personal lives, what comes to your minds? Change can be exciting but it can also be a time full of anxiety and dread for many. Change can be frightening because we can’t always predict what will come next or how … [Read more…]
Our experiences of the transformative power of the Holy are often few and far between. In the Bible, many of those transformative experiences happen at special places and often on mountain tops as with the transfiguration, Moses’ encounter with God that gave the law, and Noah’s landing with the arc on Mount Ararat, to name … [Read more…]
Last week we talked about all that gets in the way of hearing and experiencing God’s call in our lives. This week we are going to talk about what we do when we have heard that call. Today we heard how Jonah got up right away and went to Nineveh. What we didn’t hear is … [Read more…]
If you had to define a Christian to someone, what words would you use? (Invite congregation to help) When Bill and I first started dating, my father-in-law had a very specific idea of what a Christian was from his experiences as a Jewish man. And I must say his views were not flattering. Yet they … [Read more…]
I always find stories of radical compassion, love, care and giving to be so inspirational. They are a reminder to me that God calls us to more in life then to be worrying about ourselves. They remind me that God’s care is so great for me and all of humanity and life that he watches … [Read more…]
