Pastor’s Corner – August 15, 2024
Dear Beloved,
I want to take a quick pause from our spiritual practices of reflecting on God’s goodness through colors to simply remind you of your Belovedness.
Perhaps you have wondered why I begin my notes to you with Dear Beloved. My deepest desire for each human and each creature is for them to know their Belovedness - to believe they are loved by the Creator of the heavens and the earth in their innermost being and to proclaim to each of God’s children that they are beloved. God made you, my friend and sibling.
Pastor’s Corner – August 8, 2024
Jesus Told a Parable VII
Teachers in Jesus’ time commonly used parables to express ideas. The parable is a story-like form of metaphorical communication. Parables invite reflection and conversation through multi-layered and open-ended interpretation. Parables are a perfect form for God’s Spirit to convey wisdom in both timeless and timely ways. Parables often come with a surprising twist, revealing the way Jesus’ lessons are counter-cultural and counter-intuitive. Jesus told parables to help his followers understand the quality and character of life aligned with God’s values.
The parable of the Samaritan is found in Luke 10:30-37. This familiar parable is offered in response to a Lawyer’s question about living life with God.
Pastor’s Corner – August 1, 2024
Dear Beloved,
How is your summer going? If you or people in your family are transitioning back to school please know you are in our prayers. With yellow school buses passing through the streets again, I’d invite you to ponder yellow as a way of connecting with God or simply being still with God.
Pastor’s Corner – July 25, 2024
Teachers in Jesus’ time commonly used parables to express ideas. The parable is a story-like form of metaphorical communication. Parables invite reflection and conversation through multi-layered and open-ended interpretation. Parables are a perfect form for God’s Spirit to convey wisdom in both timeless and timely ways. Parables often come with a surprising twist, revealing the way Jesus’ lessons are counter-cultural and counter-intuitive. Jesus told parables to help his followers understand the quality and character of life aligned with God’s values.
The parable of the lamp is found in Matthew 5:15, Mark 4:21, and Luke 8:16 and 11:33.
Pastor’s Corner – July 18, 2024
Dear Beloved,
As we journey together experiencing color as an opportunity for a spiritual practice of reflection and meditation, I’d invite you to consider the color orange. When you hear the word orange or see something orange or smell the scent of orange fruit (an orange, peach, nectarine, mango, or cantaloupe) does anything emerge in your mind, heart, body, or spirit (in your being)?
Pastor’s Corner – July 11, 2024
Jesus Told a Parable V
Teachers in Jesus’ time commonly used parables to express ideas. The parable is a story-like form of metaphorical communication. Parables invite reflection and conversation through multi-layered and open-ended interpretation. Parables are a perfect form for God’s Spirit to convey wisdom in both timeless and timely ways. Parables often come with a surprising twist, revealing the way Jesus’ lessons are counter-cultural and counter-intuitive. Jesus told parables to help his followers understand the quality and character of life aligned with God’s values.
In Mark 4:26-29 we find the parable of the growing seed.
Pastor’s Corner – July 4, 2024
Dear Beloved,
This week I’d invite you to meditate on God’s gifts in the color red as we continue on our journey of praying with/through colors as a possible spiritual practice.
When you see the color red or if you think or hear about the color red, what comes to your mind? When preparing to write this, my first thoughts went to objects or symbols - red hearts for Jesus’ love, red rosebuds on the altar table in worship services to celebrate the birth of a child, and red flames to celebrate God’s gift of the Spirit on Pentecost.
Pastor’s Corner – June 27, 2024
Jesus Told a Parable IV
Teachers in Jesus’ time commonly used parables to express ideas. The parable is a story-like form of metaphorical communication. Parables invite reflection and conversation through multi-layered and open-ended interpretation. Parables are a perfect form for God’s Spirit to convey wisdom in both timeless and timely ways. Parables often come with a surprising twist, revealing the way Jesus’ lessons are counter-cultural and counter-intuitive. Jesus told parables to help his followers understand the quality and character of life aligned with God’s values.
The parable of the sheep and the goats is only found in Matthew 25:31-45.
Pastor’s Corner – June 20, 2024
Dear Beloved,
In my last note to you, I shared that I am inviting you to journey through colors as a spiritual practice. When I pondered what color we might begin with for your journey, gray came to mind.
Years ago, an art teacher changed my perspective on the color gray. When I asked her what her favorite color was. Her response was “gray” which puzzled me. Gray? Why gray? She said she liked gray because it was warm.
Pastor’s Corner – June 13, 2024
Jesus Told a Parable III
Teachers in Jesus’ time commonly used parables to express ideas. The parable is a story-like form of metaphorical communication. Parables invite reflection and conversation through multi-layered and open-ended interpretation. Parables are a perfect form for God’s Spirit to convey wisdom in both timeless and timely ways. Parables often come with a surprising twist, revealing the way Jesus’ lessons are counter-cultural and counter-intuitive. Jesus told parables to help his followers understand the quality and character of life aligned with God’s values.
The parable of the lost sheep is found in Matthew 18:10-14 and Luke 15:3-7. Matthew tells the parable like this: Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.
Pastor’s Corner – June 9, 2024
Dear Beloved,
Do you have a favorite color or colors? If so, why do you enjoy or connect with them? I would be excited to hear or read if you are comfortable sharing with me. Mindful that everyone experiences what is taken in from our varied senses differently, please feel free to think of or share a favorite smell or sound if that is more helpful, meaningful, or enjoyable for you.
Pastor’s Corner – May 30, 2024
Jesus Told a Parable II
Teachers in Jesus’ time commonly used parables to express ideas. The parable is a story-like form of metaphorical communication. Parables invite reflection and conversation through multi-layered and open-ended interpretation. Parables are a perfect form for God’s Spirit to convey wisdom in both timeless and timely ways. Parables often come with a surprising twist, revealing the way Jesus’ lessons are counter-cultural and counter-intuitive. Jesus told parables to help his followers understand the quality and character of life aligned with God’s values.
Pastor’s Corner – May 26, 2024
Dear Beloved,
How are you as summer approaches? Please let me know if there are any ways that we can be praying for/with you? I would appreciate your prayers in this time of transition for so many - for students and educators, for changes people sometimes experience due to different summer schedules, for people who are traveling more, for summer campers and camp staff, for children and teens who miss the
Pastor’s Corner – May 16, 2024
Jesus Told a Parable I
Teachers in Jesus’ time commonly used parables to express ideas. The parable is a story-like form of metaphorical communication. Parables invite reflection and conversation through multi-layered and open-ended interpretation. Parables are a perfect form for God’s Spirit to convey wisdom in both timeless and timely ways. Parables often come with a surprising twist, revealing the way Jesus’ lessons are counter-cultural and counter-intuitive. Jesus told parables to help his followers understand the quality and character of life aligned with God’s values.
The parable of the sower is recorded in Matthew 13:1-9, Mark 4:1-9, and Luke 8:4-8.
Pastor’s Corner – April 25, 2024
Dear Beloved,
This year in this season of Eastertide (the season that stretches from Easter to Pentecost when we celebrate the gifts of God’s Spirit), I have been feeling overwhelmed (in a positive way) by so many blessings. I give thanks to God for the beauty of Creation, for all the people lifting up prayers for equity and shalom for all, for you and opportunity to serve with you, and for God’s mercy and grace. With each passing year, I find myself more in humble awe of God’s forgiveness - maybe because each passing year, my own sin and need for transformation becomes more clear to me - maybe that is why this year the story of Jesus and Peter at the end of John’s gospel is the one that keeps playing in my head and heart. Many years the stories that most resonate with me after Easter are the stories of Jesus responding to the disciples questions with care and his ever-faithful presence - maybe because I always feel like I have so many questions, but this year the story that is resonating most with me involves Jesus asking more questions.
Pastor’s Corner – April 18, 2024
The Fruit of the Spirit Part 8
How do we know that Jesus, Immanuel (God-with-us), is really with us? Paul answers that question beautifully in his letter to the disciples in Galatia who must have been wondering the same thing. Paul writes: the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). When we experience any of these gifts in our daily lives, we know that Christ’s Spirit is at work.
The eighth fruit of the Spirit is gentleness. To be gentle is to be humble, to be thoughtful and respectful, to resist judgment
Pastor’s Corner – April 11, 2024
Dear Beloved,
How is it with your being this season of Eastertide which stretches from Easter to Pentecost when we celebrate the gift of God’s Spirit? Are you feeling the energy of new life from our Risen Leader? Are you finding hope in the good news of God’s unstoppable, undefeatable love? Are you feeling fearful about what it means to follow a Resurrected Redeemer? Are you feeling worn out by the weight of the world, by suffering that happens near and far? No matter who we are or where we are on this journey of life, God is for us - calling us - loving us!!!
Pastor’s Corner – April 4, 2024
The Fruit of the Spirit Part 7
How do we know that Jesus, Immanuel (God-with-us), is really with us? Paul answers that question beautifully in his letter to the disciples in Galatia who must have been wondering the same thing. Paul writes: the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). When we experience any of these gifts in our daily lives, we know that Christ’s Spirit is at work.
The seventh fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness.
Pastor’s Corner – March 28, 2024
Holy Week Greetings,
You are in my prayers as I write this. Perhaps you will read this when it appears in your inbox on Maundy Thursday. If you are like me with all the emails that I deeply desire to read, you may be reading this on Holy Friday, or after Easter into the season of Eastertide that stretches fifty days until Pentecost. Whenever and wherever this finds you, I pray you will know you are loved by the Maker of the heavens and the earth. The stories of Holy Week, which begin with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem when people waved palm branches and shouted Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, and continue through the stories of Jesus sharing a meal with his closest disciples and his washing of their feet, through stories of Jesus being betrayed and denied by these same disciples, to the cross and then to the empty tomb and all the teachings and passages in between, may you know God sees you and loves you through all the emotions.
Pastor’s Corner – March 21, 2024
The Fruit of the Spirit Part 6
How do we know that Jesus, Immanuel (God-with-us), is really with us? Paul answers that question beautifully in his letter to the disciples in Galatia who must have been wondering the same thing. Paul writes: the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). When we experience any of these gifts in our daily lives, we know that Christ’s Spirit is at work.
The sixth fruit of the Spirit is generosity.