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Our "Get Off Your Donkey" worship series continues with "The Meaning of Life." Human beings … seem to be uniquely afflicted with the quest for meaning. … People look to their parents, their teachers, their pastors, their friends, their therapists – to anyone who might have an idea. The desire to understand the reason for our being is a fundamental part of what it means to be human. What is our life's mission? What is the meaning of life?

Discipleship is like breathing—inhaling the Spirit of God, taking in what we need, caring for ourselves spiritually, and then exhaling—going and doing—showing the love of God to others and caring for those in need.

Jesus ends the parable with clear instruction: “Go and do likewise.” He didn’t say, “go and agree with my teaching likewise,” or “go and debate your own course of action likewise,” or “go and lament the course of things likewise.” He said “Go and do likewise.” Are you ready to get off your donkey and go and do likewise?

Calling all seekers, all dreamers, all believers... Calling all glass-half-full optimists and lighthouse keepers... Calling all star-chasers and bedtime prayer speakers... Bring your questions, your hope, your faith and your fear into this space.

To paraphrase The Grinch, preparation for Christmas isn’t about bows or boxes or bags, but about something more. It’s about the hope, peace, joy, and love that are so clearly evident in Jesus’ birth, as well as his life, death, and resurrection. During Advent, we light candles for these things each week as a way to intentionally pause and recognize their truth—not just in heaven or this future reign of God, but right now, in this time and in this place. Today we focus on God’s peace.

When reading a scripture like this mornings', the first impulse is to think, “Oh, this is too monotonous and long. We should shorten it so people don’t lose focus and drift on to their grocery list. We should do only the important parts.” But that’s the thing—each name is important. Each name is connected to a person’s life-story. And like Dana shared in this week’s poetry prayer: there is room for every story—there is room for each one of us.

Christ is with us in our depression and anxiety. Christ is with us in the room with the cancer diagnosis and chemo treatments. Christ holds our relationships together when it feels like they’re just hanging by a thread. Or to put it the way Nijay Gupta argues, Paul is “tenaciously emphatic that, whatever the problem, Christ is the solution.” So over and over again, we see Paul assure this congregation—and us: Christ is in all. All has been forgiven. And all will be well. Forever.

As we have practiced remembering, releasing, and reimagining, we conclude the series by focusing on restoration. Ultimately, practicing faithful stewardship heals us as individuals and helps us restore right relationship with one another. In the final chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus appears to the disciples and fills their empty fishing nets. Even after death, Jesus restores our hope and provides an abundant feast.

This week we practice releasing shame, anxiety, guilt, greed or anything that keeps us from freedom and wholeness. We release the elements of our money story that prevent us from fully living into God’s story. In Matthew, we see a man grieved to let go of his wealth. Releasing is a spiritual practice that frees us from ourselves and liberates others.

On this World Communion Sunday we are joined by Rev. Ash and Peg Welch, and are reminded that the 45,000 Christian denominations are one with Jesus Christ.

We continue our worship series, "Three Simple Rules" with a look at rule number two -- Do Good: a meditation on Mathew 5: 43-48 with visiting pastor, Rev. Ash Welch.

A new worship series begins. We're looking at John Wesley's Three Simple Rules. Today, Do No Harm.

Today we finish our worship series, “Road Trippin’ with Jesus.” For the past few weeks, we’ve looked at texts from the Gospel of Luke, when Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem with his growing group of disciples. And in this series, we’ve paralleled discipleship with going on a road trip with Jesus: learning as we travel along the road of life, with Jesus as our navigator. And just like with any road trip, with discipleship, you need to trust your navigator, be ready for anything, pay attention to the road signs, be willing to pick up a few hitchhikers, and know your budget.

Jesus is calling us to help others, not as a way to get something in return, but solely to help the other person—to lift them up, reminding them that they, too, are worthy of love and inclusion; that they, too, are a beloved child of God.

Do you have your Trip Tik?

Jesus points the way. Are we paying attention to the road signs? Hear guest speaker, Matt Mellott's message.

In today’s scripture passage, Jesus is telling his disciples—telling us—that we do not have to rush to our destination. When we live confident and assured of God’s provision—that all we really need is the God who was revealed, lived, died, and was raised, in Jesus—then we will live in a way that is not focused on our own achievements, acquisitions, or assets—on “getting there”—but on being ready to see where God is working in every moment of our lives, so we can join in.

We sometimes wander through life, constantly seeking a purpose, a reason for living. Some store up wealth for themselves believing that the road to happiness is through the accumulation of possessions. Jesus shows us a different way to love, acceptance and wholeness.

When is the last time you used the word "dismayed" in a sentence?

Scripture tells us again and again that we are brothers and sisters in Christ—siblings in Christ. It’s a way to unify us—we’re all part of a larger family, created by One God, saved by Christ, empowered and enveloped by the Love that is the Holy Spirit.