Weekly Word

A "Walk for Water" experience invited all ages to put faith into action by learning challenges to clean and safe water access and supporting solutions. God’s kingdom has broken into our troubled world. God reigns. Not suffering, evil or death. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. And our acts of love bring this good news to fruition. Word In a a parable Jesus describes God as the owner of a vineyard: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.” The man then asks the gardener to cut down the tree. Jesus is the gardener and says: “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it.” Connection Lent is like springtime for our souls. A time to work on our faith and grow, like gardeners and landscapers with the first warm days. We should use this opportunity to hear God’s word and obey it, to renew our faith through action. Take the chance we have from God and bear fruit throu

I enjoy Do It Yourself (DIY) projects. But they are not always as easy at they seem. I need to remember that they are much easier with help. I don’t like to ask for help when I’m working on something around the house, need a volunteer at church, or don’t know something. I rather struggle by myself until I get desperate. As a nation, we isolate ourselves instead of working on issues like conflicts, environment or trade with others from our global community. And as believers, we pretend we are perfect, and feel ashamed to share our personal struggles, instead of trusting God to care about us, or getting support from our church family. Word Jesus lived with hope in the present because he trusted in God’s care. You and I do well to follow his example: Jesus lived by faith. Trust that turning to God and believing in hope is not weakness, but instead it is sign of honesty and faithfulness. Jesus lived without fear. Trust that God provides direction and resources we need. J

Kuchle are unique German doughnuts, especially popular during mardi gras. These are even “evangelical”. Lent has a bad rap. It’s often seen as a time to feel bad for sin and with fasting. Instead it should be an opportunity to renew our trust in God’s love and joy in newness of life. Lent is an invitation to learn from Jesus how to experience God’s love and how to love each other like ourselves. Word The temptations Jesus faced were not designed to see whether would sin, but to prove that he would not give in to temptation. Luke tells us: “for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, ...” ( Luke 2) Jesus believed that only God can provide what we need for life, and could not be tempted to give up that trust. Connection Temptations are a test to our loyalty, our trust in God and the gifts of God for our life. In order to trust God we need to re-focus on God’s true nourishment of our soul (and body) and that means minimizing

Cleaning is not usually fun, and yet it can be spiritually satisfying. We rarely consider our mortality, or take time to search our soul like on Ash Wednesday. But it’s good to come clean with God so we can live life refreshed in our soul. Word In his repentant prayer David asked God: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:7) Connection Confession allows you to come clean with God. Jesus has forgiven us even though we don’t deserve it. When you forgive others you free not only them but also yourself. Message The Good News is: God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. In baptism we have the promise of forgiveness for eternal life. Jesus says to you: I am the way, the truth and the life. Repent and follow me in pursuit of life. Let go of your guilt and grudges. Live forgiven and free today.

I hope to continue to offer a message for your life through Weekly Word blog connections. However the format may change by shortening the posts. While this means that there is less substantive content, I hope that you will find brief inspirations are still effectively encouraging. I pray you benefit from my blog and welcome your feedback. If you like what you read, subscribe, tell others, and if possible hear my sermons in person.

Across Europe churches are built on mountains in a desire to feel closer to God who can seem hidden in the clouds. On Transfiguration Sunday, we celebrate the revelation of Jesus’ glory on the maintain. It’s often difficult to fully see God’s presence in our valleys of daily life. Three of Jesus’ disciples received a one-time glimpse of Jesus’ glory on top of a mountain. However, it was only a preview, not the final  destination. Because the disciples needed an affirmation of who Jesus is, and encouragement for the difficult road ahead. Just as you and me need faith in God’s presence and power when the going gets tough down here on earth. Word The apostle Paul, writing about the hope of our faith that shapes our lives, encouraged the Corinthian Christians that: “all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another ...” (2 Corinthians 3;18) In other words,