We live in a world full of homelessness.  Henri Nouwen states: “But in this world millions of people are homeless. Some are homeless because of their inner anguish, while others are homeless because they have been driven from their own towns and countries.  In prisons, mental hospitals, refugee camps, in hidden-away city apartments, in nursing homes and overnight shelters we get a glimpse of the homelessness of the people of our time.” He continues, “Probably no better word summarizes the suffering of our time than the word, ‘homeless’.  It reveals one of our deepest and most painful conditions, the condition of not having a sense of belonging.”  We belong to God but that also means we belong to one another; we belong together.  The Church is a gift from God which provides belonging in its most essential form.  The grace of God beckons us to places and experiences where we can most fully be ourselves.  The invitation of God welcomes us “home.”

Sept. 7/8 | Ephesians 2:17-22
"Spiritual Home" 

Sept. 14/15 | Romans 12:9-21
"Emotional Home"

Sept. 21/22 | Matthew 25:31-46
"Physical Home"

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Though God’s grace is bountiful and amazing, being a disciple of Jesus Christ is difficult; it requires humility and a willingness to enter uncomfortable spaces. The story of Jonah is one of the clearest and most comprehensive examples of this in our Scriptures. The story of Jonah functions almost as an allegory for the Christian life, showing us that we often run from God, and even when we eventually say yes to God’s call on our lives, it’s hard work that doesn’t always go the way we want. Most of us can relate to the struggle of Jonah, which is what makes this text so wonderful. Together we are going to study this story, hoping to learn humility, determination, and comfort in knowing that we all struggle to say yes to God, but when we do, God does amazing things through us.

Sept. 28/29 | Jonah 1
Oct. 5/6 | Jonah 2
Oct. 12/13 | Jonah 3
Oct. 19/20 | Jonah 4

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We were created by a generous God for generosity.  The path to generosity travels through the experience of gratitude.  Awareness of our blessings transforms us from the fear of scarcity to the joy of God’s abundance.  But gratitude is a muscle that must be exercised.  It is a territory that must be explored.  It is the next generation in the development of our faith that leads to grace-filled living.

Oct. 26/27 | Mark 10:17-27
Nov. 2/3 | Luke 17:11-19
Nov. 9/10 | Genesis 12:1-4
Nov. 16/17 | Luke 19:1-10

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There are times when our best expectations turn into hopeless resignation.  The “most wonderful time of the year” can quickly turn into disappointment if we do not align our hearts with God’s purpose for the season.  Advent is the springboard to the true hope of God coming to be among us in the Christ child.  The question is not whether our expectations are realistic or unrealistic.  The question is whether we are preparing to enter into God’s great narrative or whether we are attempting to squeeze some irrelevant religious decoration into our over-scheduled, overdone holiday “festivities.”  

Nov 30/Dec 1 | Jeremiah 33: 14-18
Dec 7/8 | Isaiah 40: 1-11
Dec 14/15 | Music Weekend
Dec 21/22 | Matthew 1: 18-25

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The new year of 2020 seems like a watershed moment in our lives.  It feels like we are turning a corner, not just to a new decade, but a new moment in history.  Imagine the things planned and unplanned that are likely to occur in 2020.  Will we be active participants or victimized spectators? Will we embrace the journey or avoid it?  Are we prepared to “flesh it out”?  In Jesus Christ, God makes a clear choice to enter into our lives at a personal and integrated level.  We call this “Incarnation”.  Jesus is God joining us in the messiness, uncertainty, excitement and joy of our day-to-day lives.  

Jan. 4/5 | John 1:1-18
Jan. 11/12 | Matthew 3:13-17
Jan. 18/19 | Galatians 2:15-21

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Whether we focus on the concept of freedom or liberation, it is important to acknowledge that we worship a God of deliverance.  The central narrative in the Hebrew Scriptures is the story of the Exodus.  Much more than a historic account, The Book of Exodus challenges us about our fear of change even to the point of choosing captivity and inspires us to trust God explicitly with our promised future even when that future includes wilderness wanderings.  In Moses we find a connection to one who is flawed but finds his true calling as a servant of God.  Like him, through faith, we are drawn in God’s mighty acts of salvation.  

Jan 25/26 | Exodus 2:1-10
Feb 1/2 | Exodus 3:1-15
Feb 8/9 | Exodus 11:1-10
Feb 15/16 | Exodus 14:10-31
Feb 22/23 | Exodus 40:34-38

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The season of Lent is an invitation to deeper intimacy with God.  It is a time for God’s grace to remove the barriers that hold us in a superficial relationship with God.  The Gospel of Mark is a paradox of fast-paced narrative and vignettes of Jesus involved in deeply personal encounters with people and places that were considered “off-limits”.  In these encounters we discover that God’s love can reach us in ways we never dreamed possible.

Feb 29/Mar 1 | Mark 1:1-13
March 7/8 | Mark 5:1-20
March 14/15 | Mark 7:24-30
March 21/22 | Mark 8:22-26
March 28/29 | Mark 10:13-16
April 4/5 | Mark 11:1-11, 14:3-9

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The great theologian Howard Thurman reportedly once said: 

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Easter is the reminder that God is in the business of resurrection and making things come alive.  A spark of new life in us can set the world ablaze with possibility.  The Easter season is a time for us to read and study the Book of Acts because it is filled with stories of the Church coming alive to transform the world.  Christ’s resurrection opens the door for us to explore our greatest God-given desires and potential.

April 18/19 | Acts 3:1-10
April 25/26 | Acts 8:26-40
May 2/3 | Acts 16:11-15

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