Adult Bible Study

Adults of all ages who enjoy reading scripture and applying what they learn to the unique problems of today's world are welcome to attend our Sunday morning adult bible study. We use the Seasons of the Spirit adult course materials. These materials use the same lectionary scripture that is read and preached during worship later the same Sunday morning. Class members are well prepared for worship because they are already familiar with the scriptures for the day.

Come join our lively and varied discussions as we learn to apply the scripture to our modern lives. As our understanding grows, our faith deepens. As our faith increases, our trust is strengthened. This is a very welcoming and nurturing group. If you're curious, just check out our class on any Sunday morning at 9:00AM and enjoy some coffee and rolls with the friendly folks of our bible study.

Details

When:	9:00AM, Sunday mornings
Where:	Church lounge, next to the church office, on the sanctuary level.

Curriculum Materials

Weekly materials for our bible study are made available to online for those who wish to participate, follow along, or read ahead. To download these materials, click on the download link beneath the scripture reading for that week.

Studies for 2010

August 29, 2010 Luke 14:1,7-14 download	Open Table An invitation in the mailbox brings anticipation of an event to come. Some invitations require formal replies; some expect only that we will show up. Each one requires us to decide whether we will accept the invitation and under what conditions. Today's readings prompt similar reflection on the invitation that is extended to the open table of God's realm.
August 22, 2010 Luke 13:10-17 download	Healing Reign God breaks into our world and shakes things up. When Jesus reaches out to the woman who is bent over and proclaims she is "set free," we rejoice in our liberation as well. We are set free to respond to God's call and participate fully in the new life of God's healing reign.
August 15, 2010 Psalm 80:1-2,8-19 download	Restore Us In today's readings there is a sense of sadness and disappointment - shattered dreams. Yet there is also a theme of hope. When life goes terribly wrong, we can trust that God forgives us and helps us to pick up the pieces, rebuild, and begin again. In confidence and hope, we affirm that God will resotre us and strengthen us to the end.
August 8, 2010 Hebrews 11:1-3,8-16 download	Living into the Promise So much in modern society challenges the biblical images of God's reign of justice and mercy. The readings for today encourage us to look to the example of faithful witnesses for the assurance we need to keep hoping and believing int he ultimate promise of this reign. In their lives we glimpse the dynamic nature of faith and are challenged to reflect on our personal call to build on the past for the sake of the future, by living faithfully.
August 1, 2010 Luke 12:13-21 download	Soul Investment Jesus continues to help disciples explore the meaning of life in God's reign. In declaring that accumulating material things cannot control our paths in life or our happiness, the witness of scripture challenges us to invest our souls in living in ways that are "rich toward God."
July 25, 2010 Luke 11:1-13 download	Shaped By Prayer Today's readings lift up God's nature of love and compassion, and assure us of God's readiness to hear and attend to our prayers. Prayer shapes the heart of a disciple's relationship with God. As Jesus taught and modeled, prayer keeps us nourished to live and share the good news of God's love in Christ.
July 18, 2010 Luke 10:38-42 download	Word and Work The call to take up the work of discipleship encompasses a call to ground our daily living in the word of God. We are called to listen to God's word of grace, and then let it shape our lives eash day. In spite of the ways we fall short as disciples as we live in God's reign, it is Christ - and not our own actions - that holds all together.
July 11, 2010 Luke 10:25-37 download	Caring Neighbors Ordinary actions of everyday life hav great potential for good. Our readings today invite us to consider how love and compassion are the essence of living faithfully in God's reign. They call us to shape our lives according to God's justice and mercy, striving for relationships that enable caring community.
July 4, 2010 2 Kings 5:1-14 download	Surprising Prophets God offers healing, acceptance, and forgiveness; at times these come in surprising ways. Such wholeness of live comes through God's grace, not through power, wealth, or adherance to human rules. God challenges us to become the Spirit's new creation - to commit wholeheartedly to lovingly and joyfully expanding the work of God's reign.
June 27, 2010 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 download	Pick Up the Mantle There are many kinds of leadership and may opportunities to serve as followers. We receive stories, traditions, and visions of our faith and weave them into the fabric of our own lives. In turn we pass this matle - these stories, traditions, and visions - along to others. When we pick up the mantle God gives us, we journey under the Spirit's guidance.
June 20, 2010 1 Kings 19:1-4,(5-7_,8-15a download	In God's Presence Today's readings invite us to turn our whole selves - body, mind and spirit - towards God, who envelops us in grace. God nourishes and sustains us, and reaches out to us in the depths of despair or aloneness. There are challenges in being faithful; God delights in each one of us and supports us as we journey in God's presence.
June 13, 2010 1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14), 15-21a download	Choose Justice God's sons and daughters are called to live lives that are holy and just. The choices we make each day have consequences. God does not delight in wickedness, and holds those who perpetuate injustice responsible. This judgement stands in tension with God's welcome for those who turn to God for forgiveness. God's people can take courage in choosing justice.
June 6, 2010 1 Kings 17:8-16,(17-24) download	Courageous Compassion God's presence and care are often given form through the actions of God's people. Both Elijah and Jesus show compassion as they minister to those considered by many to be on the fringes of society. As we encounter such faithful witnesses, we continue to learn what it means to listen for God's voice and to seek to follow faithfully in God's ways.
May 30, 2010 Proverbs 8:1-4,22-31 download	Wisdom Calls As we enter the Season after Pentecost, we encounter again the God who creates and delights in us, loves us, frees us, calls us, and equips us for discipleship. On this Trinity Sunday, the texts invite exploration of three aspects of the Divine Presence: Creator, Wisdom, and Spirit. They create an image of a delightful relationship among the persons of the Trinity, who call us to live and move and have our being in God.

Studies for 2009

Studies for 2008

Studies for 2007

More Information

For more information please contact Pastor Tam by phone (733-1325) or by email (christained@saintjamespres.org)

May 31, 2009 Acts 2:1-21 download	Spirit for All There are several accounts of the giving of the Spirit in scripture. In Acts we read how the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost transformed the disciples into a community of faith that was bold to witness publicly about what God was doing in their midst. We also are given Spirit's gifts of life, empowerment, vision, and strength as we proclaim God's message of live to all people.
May 24, 2009 Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 download	Guided in Prayer What does it mean for God's people to be guided in prayer? The early church seeks leaders with integrity and prays for guidance. In prayer, Jesus commends the disciples into God's care. The psalmist exults in a relationship with God grounded in God's ways. Disciples today are also called to journey in faith, prayerfully entrusting their lives to God.
May 17, 2009 John 15:9-17 download	Friends Together Jesus speaks heartfelt words to the disciples, encouraging them to band together as a strong community grounded in God's ways. From these early followers, the church emerges. Following the lead of these first disciples, we continue to look to Jesus the Christ as our beloved and loving friend who leads us as we continue to witness to the gospel in word and deed.
May 10, 2009 John 15:1-8 download	Abiding in Love Jesus is the true vine and we are the branches, called to live together in the Christian family as an Easter people. God tends the vine so that we may produce the fruits of justice and love. When we abide in God, we bear fruit of that love to others. All are welcome to become part of this community.
May 3, 2009 John 10:11-18 download	Enfolded by Love The biblical image of shepherd - used to describe both God and Jesus - is one of the steadfast love and faithfulness. The focus text and psalm invite us to imagine God's ultimate care for humankind through the essential qualities of a good shepherd: caring, rescuing, feeding, protecting, and guiding. Such love enfolds us as we journey as disciples of the Risen One.
April 26, 2009 Luke 24:36b-48 download	Christ Among Us Jesus' first followers responded in awe to the risen Christ. As they gained a bigger understanding of the situation, they grew in awareness of God's presence and purpose. They were transformed to go in new directions, telling the good news to all. Modern disciples are also called to embrace Christ - alive in our midst and empowering us for learning, serving, and witnessing as a community of God's children.
April 19, 2009 John 20:19-31 download	Marks of Faith With Thomas we long to see for ourselves, that we may believe in Jesus the Christ. Thomas's story reminds us that people come to belief in different ways, that there is room for question and doubt. To disciples, then and now, Jesus gives peace, Spirit, forgiveness, faith, and power to witness. Fellowship and joy are marks of this believing community.
April 12, 2009 Mark 16:1-8 download	What Now? Women were the last at the cross; not they are the first at Jesus' tomb. The news of the Resurrection fills them with "terror and amazement." How can anyone take in such amazing, alarming news? What will happen now? Later, the disciples proclaim the story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. This Easter Day we join them, and rejoice in God's saving work.
April 5, 2009 Mark 14:1 - 15:47 download	Into Jerusalem This Sunday, observed in some churches as Palm Sunday and others as Passion Sunday, sets the stage of contrast that is Holy Week: jubilant crowds hail Jesus as God's chosen one; angry crowds call for Jesus' execution. The texts address the complexity of discipleship, yet assure that those who serve God and neighbor remain in the embrace of God's unfailing presence.
March 29, 2009 Jeremiah 31:31-34 download	Deep in Our Hearts Our hearts call out to God - for healing, wholeness, mercy, salvation, wisdom. Jeremiah's prophecy assures God's people that God intends to draw close to us, claiming our very being as the center of the new and everlasting covenant. Deep in our hearts, we will know God's Word; we will live in God's ways.
March 22, 2009 Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 download	No Matter What God is rich in mercy, bringing healing and wholeness to our lives. The psalmist recalls God's steadfast love in bringing the people of Israel back from exile - God acted to save. As Christians, we also know God's saving action through Jesus the Christ. We turn to God in faith and praise. God loves and cares for us, no matter what!
March 15, 2009 Psalm 19 download	Beautiful Law Author C. S. Lewis described God's law as "luminous, severe, disinfectant, exultant." God's law is certain and everlasting, instructing us in life-giving ways. The law is God's sweet word that enlightens us and calls us to account, leading us to be what God has created us to be. It enables us to live together in community, set apart as God's people.
March 8, 2009 Psalm 22:23-31 download	Always Close In times of suffering or stress, we may feel that God is against us or doesn't care. Yet God hears our cries and acts to restore wholeness, not only to individuals, but to the whole community and beyond. When discipleship includes suffering and rejection, God is faithful and does not hide. God keeps promises; we respond in faith and thanksgiving.
March 1, 2009 Psalm 25:1-10 download	God's Loving Paths During this Season of Lent, we reflect on what it means to journey through life as God leads us. The psalmist trusts that God is faithful in mercy and steadfast love, and calls all to follow in God's paths of truth. As we explore God's promise for all humankind, we rejoice in God's saving love made known to us in the new life that Christ proclaims.
February 22, 2009 Mark 9:2-9 download	Sense of the Sacred In the Season after the Epiphany, the church explores signs of God's glory shining in the world. Mark describes Jesus' transfiguration and, with the disciples, we sense the sacred moment; we will see things in a new way from this time forward. We catch Elisha's vision of the sacred as Elijah is caught up to heaven. With Paul and the psalmist, we give thanks that God's light shines forth through us.
February 15, 2009 Mark 1:40-45 download	Compassionate Community Consider for a moment the faith and trust required to risk crying out to God for healing for ourselves or for others. Joining the one with leprosy, the bold servant, the obedient commander, the psalmist, and the apostle, we proclaim - along with Jesus - that God desires to act on behalf of wholeness in human lives.
February 8, 2009 Mark 1:29-39 download	Source of Strength Scripture witnesses to God's faithfulness. As we are grounded in this story, we find our source of strength for following Jesus' call to serve. The readings today affirm the importance of prayer in keeping our focus for ministry. Restored by God's transforming love, we are reshaped as messengers of good news.
February 1, 2009 Mark 1:21-28 download	Power to Do The people of Capernaum were amazed at Jesus' power to teach with authority and cast out demons. Jesus embodied God's wisdom, announcing surprising reversals on behalf of God's promised reign. Such wisdom comes from relationship with God, who equips those who are called with the power to do God's will.
January 25, 2009 Mark 1:14-20 download	Follow Me God calls many different people in many different ways. Jesus sees four fishers, and they immediately leave their nets in response to the call to "Follow me." Jonah, a reluctant prophet finally heeds God's call and Nineveh is saved. How can we discern God's call in our lives? With the psalmist we affirm that God, who calls, is steadfast in love.
January 18, 2009 Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 download	Known and Loved The psalm tells us that God knows us intimately, even from before our birth. God also knew Samuel, calling him to be a prophet in Israel. Jesus recognized in Nathanael a person of integrity and promise. Paul reminds the Corinthians that they are to respect each other as persons created by God. God knows and cares for each of us.
January 11, 2009 Mark 1:4-11 download	Defining Moments In the defining moment of baptism, there is a new beginning for Jesus and for all who would follow him in the days and years to come. God affirms the goodness of creation and calls Jesus "beloved." As we grow in understanding our own baptism, we rejoice that we also are God's beloved. With the psalmist, we say, "Glory!"
January 4, 2009 Matthew 2:1-12 download	Another Road Epiphany, the season we are about to enter, comes from the Greek word that means "manifestation." During this season the church celebrates the gift of Christ for all people. We rejoice that God is revealed among us in unexpected places and persons. We rejoice that God comes among us in Jesus. With wise ones, we rejoice that God chooses to act in our lives.

December 28, 2008 Luke 2:22-40 download	Long-Awaited Gift During this Christmas season, our rejoicing reflects our confidence that God makes things happen, that the reign of God shapes our world. We rejoice with Anna and Simeon, who proclaim that the amazing good news of God's just and loving way comes in Jesus for all nations, and celebrate with Paul that Christ is the gift who unites us as God's children.
December 21, 2008 Luke 1:26-38 download	Birthing a Promise Scripture bears witness to God's activity among humankind. To Mary, to David, to Paul, assurance of God's presence is clear. As we ground ourselves in the story of God's faithfulness, we join them in aw and wonder, rejoicing that God continues to give birth to grace, hope, new possibilities, and salvation for everyone.
December 14, 2008 Psalm 126 download	Shouts of Joy God promises restoration and healing. God has done great things for God's people in the past and is doing great things in our own lives today. With the community of God's people, we proclaim that God is faithful. We rejoice in God's promises and continue to work and pray for the fulfillment of this vision. We shout for Joy.
December 7, 2008 Isaiah 40:1-11 download	Messengers of Hope When God's people are in distress, messengers of hope come to remind of God's steadfast love. Isaiah speaks a message of comfort to God's people in exile: God will bring them back to the land of promise. The other scripture passages remind us of the good news of God's faithfulness. We, too, are called to be messengers of hope.
November 30, 2008 Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 download	Where Are You, God? With the psalmist, we cry out to God: where are you? We long for a restored relationship, to know that God is with us. As we enter Advent, Isaiah and Mark remind us to be alert, to be ready for God's appearing in our midst. In confidence and hope, we affirm with Paul that God will strengthen us to the end.
November 23, 2008 Matthew 25:31-46 download	Reigning Compassion Today is Reign of Christ/Christ the King Sunday, the end of the church year. This day we proclaim the hope of God's eternal realm of justice and peace. Disciples are called to imitate God's love for all creation, and especially for those who are vulnerable, weak, and oppressed. God is at work through us, as we find Christ in one another.
November 16, 2008 Matthew 25:14-30 download	Extravagant Opportunity Jesus' teaching used an extraordinary image to encourage disciples to seize opportunities to serve neighbors and strangers. God's extravagant, life-giving love is not limited by traditional boundaries. It is found in unexpected and surprising places. Faith, hope, and love empower us to live as though the fulfillment of God's reign is imminent.
November 9, 2008 Matthew 25:1-13 download	Tending God's Light Those who bear the light of Christ are called to give constant attention to tending the source of this light within. God's Spirit is the life given to each disciple. As we wait for the fulfillment of God's reign, we are to tend to the things that sustain and nurture our faith, and tend to the ministry and service to which God calls us.
November 2, 2008 Matthew 23:1-12 download	Partners in Service Jesus insisted that word and deed corroborate each other. Disciples are credible witnesses when their loving actions mirror their words. Religious leaders have authority when their teaching takes form in their love toward God and neighbor. Disciples are called to be partners in service, learning and growing together as they love God and neighbor.
October 26, 2008 Matthew 22:34-46 download	The Compassionate Life Extravagant, unrestricted compassion marks living in God's way. What helps us to stay faithful to living in this way? Some rules promote growth and energize positive relationships. Others limit, exclude, disempower, harm, and hurt. The gospel of Matthew reminds the emerging Christian community of Jesus' rules: unconditional love for God and neighbor.
October 19, 2008 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 download	Living Messages Like our faith ancestors in Israel and Thessalonica, we are called each day to choose God over "idols" that seek our allegiance. Each day we are called to serve God and neighbor. As we make God's story our story, we are fashioned as living messages of God's good news for others. We are shaped for living as disciples in community with God's people.
October 12, 2008 Philippians 4:1-9 download	Praiseworthy Living As the people of Israel journeyed in the wilderness while being formed as God's covenant people, so do we journey while learning to live as a community of disciples. Writing from prison, Paul encourages disciples to be open to God's leading, rejoicing in new patterns of praiseworthy living that reflect the joy of life in communion with God.
October 5, 2008 Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 download	Wisdom for the Way God's wisdom for creating healthy communities is found in the Ten Commandments. Such wise words are gifts from God to help our lives work better. This week, listen as the readings call us to consider again what God desires for our world and to learn patterns of living shaped by God's wisdom.
September 28, 2008 Exodus 17:1-7 download	God's Sustaining Presence As the Israelites learn to live as a community of God's people, they encounter frustration and anger, and then hope, as God's compassion comes in a surprising way. God's people today still encounter God's grace in unexpected places and persons. Taken together, these texts challenge us to discern God's abundant provision and our response.
September 21, 2008 Exodus 16:2-15 download	Tensions in the Wilderness God listens and responds, providing through nature, other people, and communities. After the Hebrew people fled from Egypt, they were tested by unfamiliar territory, hunger, and lack of knowledge. In the midst of such tension, God provided for their needs. In Matthew, Jesus responds to a time of tension with a parable about God's care and generosity.
September 14, 2008 Exodus 14:19-31 download	Road to Freedom God acted to liberate the Hebrew people, and they responded with joyful celebration. They saw God's saving work and believed. Then, as now, God hears the cries of oppressed people and acts. This God is worthy of trust and loyalty. The gift of such compassion strengthens faith for the lifelong journey toward living in freedom in God's reign.
September 7, 2008 Exodus 12:1-14 download	Remember, Restore, Renew Community is formed in ritual, learning, service and worship. The Hebrew people received God's grace and compassion in the gift of the Passover and in remembering this experience of liberation. Today, Jesus' disciples continue to remember and celebrate God's saving works in loving, disciplined, worshiping communities.
August 31, 2008 Exodus 3:1-15 download	Called By Name God's people continue to grow through struggle. God called Moses by name in an unexpected encounter. God claimed him, and Moses responded in faith. Today, we also respond to God's call in faith. We receive God's liberation and commission to service. Following God is risky, but Jesus reveals God's saving work in such costly faithfulness./td>
August 24, 2008 Exodus 1:8-2:10 download	Courageous Women Women play a prominent role in securing Israel's future, providing models of courage and persistence. God hears the cries of those who are oppressed and stands with them, and can be trusted to help in times of adversity. God's people - empowered to resist and overcome - can work with God to achieve liberating justice.
August 17, 2008 Genesis 45:1-15 download	Blessed and Forgiven Joseph's brothers are dismayed. Joseph reconciles with them without revenge. God secures Jacob's salvation and Israel's future through Joseph. Compassion and forgiveness overcome evil; such reconciliation is possible because God is involved. God cares about the people beyond Israel too. God's saving love is for everyone.
August 10, 2008 Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 download	Lifted Up Sometimes it seems that God is absent, or manipulates human misery to achieve a purpose. The story of Joseph and his family reminds us that God is present in a living relationship with people. God protects what is promised, redeeming the day. God restores God's people, bringing good from evil and order form chaos. In challenging times, God is with us.
August 3, 2008 Matthew 13:13-21 download	Table of Plenty God can accomplish much with little. A few loaves and fish feed multitudes. An unpromising character is changed and lends his new name to the entire people of Israel. Community is shaped by such compassion in action. These stories evoke trust in God to welcome us to the table and provide plentifully for our needs.
July 27, 2008 Matthew 13:31-34, 44-52 download	Pictures of God's Realm Sometimes Jesus' teaching used familiar images in unfamiliar ways to help disciples understand the extraordinary value and unexpected shape of the reign of God, which is among us now and is also yet to come. God's way is full of surprises, bringing forth great things from small beginnings. Such treasure is for everyone.
July 20, 2008 Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 download	Wheat and Weeds Together God reigns now, but God's influence is incomplete. Jesus' followers wanted to know whom to exclude from God's reign. They wanted to judge who was a "genuine" disciple. Jesus' parable opens another way. In our time, all may live together in community as faith grows. God will decide what is acceptable and what is not, in God's own time.
July 13, 2008 Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 download	Abundant Possibilities Faith celebrates the abundant possibilities that God sows in our lives and the lives of all people each day. Disciples may wonder at the mysteries of the seasons of growth. We may lament why things happen as they do. Yet God continues to invite us to love and give extravagantly in certain hope of God's future.
July 6 22, 2008 Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 download	Sacred Rest Jesus beckons all in the community of disciples to seek moments of sacred rest. When we labour without recognizing Christ among others and even within us, we may overlook the peace that God promises to provide. The readings for today invite us to trust God, that we may know wholeness and peace.
June 29, 2008 Matthew 10:40-42 download	Gifts of Compassion Relationships that exemplify hospitality involve both giving and receiving. Welcoming one another in Jesus' name sets the stage for sacramental moments. We may encounter in another the presence of God. Another may Experience in us the grace of Christ. We trust God to provide what will be needed.
June 22, 2008 Matthew 10:24-39 download	Daring Discipleship Moving out into the world, empowered by the Spirit of Pentecost, Jesus' disciples encounter division and conflict. Jesus knew that following God's leading would not prevent such situations; it may bring them on. But scripture proclaims this good news: God hears voices raised in needs and responds. Daring disciples, then and now, move forward with courage.
June 15, 2008 Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23) download	Named for a Purpose Acting with great compassion, Jesus extends the reach of God's liberating justice by naming others for the purpose of sharing in the work of revealing God's coming realm. Jesus sends those who have followed and learned from him. Though the journey likely will lead through precarious places, God's presence will energize and sustain those who say yes to Jesus' call.
June 8, 2008 Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 download	Restoring Love God's powerful and restoring love provides a fresh start. In today's texts, those who encounter Jesus experience new lives of wholeness as they believe and respond. Abraham and Sarah follow God's leading, "hoping against hop" in God's promise of a new family. All find that God's restoring work leads not to what has been, but to what can be in God's reign.
June 1, 2008 Genesis 6:9-22; 7:24; 8:14-19 download	Waters of New Life Genesis 6 reports that the earth will be destroyed because of humankind's evil ways, yet also tells of the possibility of a fresh start through waters of new life. Noah lives according to God's plan, and participates in God's new beginning for all creation. Other scriptures also witness to God's redeeming and transforming power at work to secure our future.
May 25, 2008 Matthew 6:24-34 download	Seeking God's Way The readings today proclaim that God cares for us and provides for our needs. The realm of God, which Matthew calls, "kingdom of heaven," is now; we are formed by God's ongoing relationship with us. When we are distracted by the requirements and details of everyday living, Jesus invites us to entrust our lives to God's Spirit and follow in God's way.
May 18, 2008 Genesis 1:1-2:4a download	Creation Continues In Genesis 1, God speaks and new life emerges. On this Trinity Sunday, we celebrate the many ways that God continues such life-giving work among us. We rejoice in the gift of living each day in relationship with God as Christ's disciples - formed in the Creator's image and empowered by the Spirit - and commit to caring for what God has made.
May 11, 2008 Acts 2:1-21 download	Life-giving Spirit This Pentecost Sunday we celebrate God's life-giving Spirit poured out abundantly on the community of disciples. Rich images of wind and fire frame the proclamation of God's power in words that all can understand. Community is extended by the Spirit's blessing through a diversity of persons and gifts for the common good.
May 4, 2008 John 17:1-11 download	Community of Prayer Jesus offers a prayer that showers disciples - in that time and for all time - with vocation and unity in God through Christ. So prayed for, the community of Jesus becomes a community of prayer. Such prayer strengthens and empowers faithful witness and service. Such prayer holds up the vulnerable in word and for deed. Such prayer rejoices in God.
Apr. 27, 2008 John 14:15-21 download	Spirited Love God has listened to our searching for holy presence. Spirit's gift comes as response to that listening. The language of relationship with God is Spirited love. Love keeps this relationship in word and deed. Love casts out fear. Love does not abandon. Love is eager to do good. Love provides place. Through love we find, and are found, by God.
Apr. 20, 2008 John 14:1-14 download	A Place with God In word and deed and character, Jesus shows us God. In that revealing, Jesus assures us we have a safe place with God. That promise remains secure in times of joyous presence and of troubled absence. Such hope takes shape in the psalmist's trust of God as rock and fortress, and in Stephen's dying graciousness. This is the way, and the One, we follow.
Apr. 13, 2008 Psalm 23 download	Life Abundant God shepherds by providing all that we need, which is not the same as all we may want. The good shepherd does not abandon us in times of suffering and danger. God stands with those who enter and dwell in such places. Even there, especially there, God leads as a companion whose presence may still our fears. God's steadfast love is trustworthy. Always.
Apr. 6, 2008 Luke 24:13-35 download	Risen Indeed "Christ is risen!" With this traditional profession of Easter faith, we open ourselves to new life in Christ. We share this truth with the disciples whose hearts were opened along the road to Emmaus. We share this truth with the disciples in Jerusalem who preached the good news. In our rituals and in our living each day, we declare, "Christ is risen indeed!"
Mar. 30, 2008 John 20:19-31 download	Faithful Doubt Christ greets fearful disciples with the word of peace and the gift of Spirit. Easter joy results. Even Thomas' doubt becomes faith's stepping-stone rather than stumbling block. What kind of faith does God seek? God seeks trust that witnesses to a living hope; joy that celebrates God, who opens paths that lead to life.
Mar. 23, 2008 John 20:1-18 download	Alleluia We can rejoice in Easter's news because of its first witness: Mary Magdalene. Resurrection was not that day's prospect. The voice of the Risen Jesus calling her name surprises Mary into recognition, then prepares her for surprising witness. Christ is among us. So said Mary, so say those who follow her lead. Christ is risen. Alleluia!
Mar. 16, 2008 Matthew 26:14 - 27:66 download	To the Cross Questions. Doubt. Belief. THe readings for Holy Week hold these in tension, even as God holds us. God hears our voices and tends to our needs along this journey to the cross, as we should, "Hosanna," and cry out, "Why?" Even when there are no words to express our wondering, God invites our trust. We are safe in God, whose hands hold all our times.
Mar. 9, 2008 John 11:1-45 download	Out of the Depths Doubt and belief abound when death asserts that life and hope have boundaries. This week's readings assure individuals and the community of God's people that the life, hope, and comfort we find in God's care are boundless. Our song, even in the midst of tears, gives witness to such amazing grace and love.
Mar. 2, 2008 John 9:1-41 download	No Limits on Love Rules and traditions intend to set helpful limits. Yet even the best-intentioned may be narrowly viewed so as to love sight of what is needed: love. God sees and works beyond constricted perspectives so that opportunities to restore and anoint are not lost. Do we see and act that way? Or does fear of breaking with the old - or being open to the new - blind us?
Feb. 24, 2008 John 4:5-42 download	Water, Word, Witness Is God with us? Listen to these stories' witness of water and word. Water flows from need to gift. Words shift from misunderstanding to revealing. The confluence of water and word in the Samaritan woman's story witnesses to who Christ is and who we can be. Our need for living water is quenched by the God who is with us.
Feb. 17, 2008 John 3:1-17 download	Respect and Challenge One teacher ventures out at night to meet another. Respect and challenge mark their encounter. Ambiguous language opens rather than closes conversation. At stake, then and now, is the potential for birthing to new life and opening to God's blessing. Faith beckons us to go out from what is known and journey toward the One whose promises are trusted.
Feb. 10, 2008 Matthew 4:1-11 download	Wilderness Encounter Lent opens with stories of testing and trusting. In parched wilderness and in lush gardens, temptation comes. Sin or faithfulness follows, not because of the testing itself, but by what gets chosen in response. Live out of traditions whose truth we have experienced. Trust God's steadfast love. Rely on grace that ministers to our needs.
Feb. 3, 2008 Matthew 17:1-9 download	Holy Encounter As Advent opened, so the Season after the Epiphany closes: on a holy mountain where God may be found. It is a place of sacred mystery, where shining and shadow convey holy presence. It is a place of community across time, where God's people of past and present meet. It is a place of silence and witness where visions are kept quiet and God says of Jesus: "Listen to him."
Jan. 27, 2008 Matthew 4:12-23 download	Called to Follow Following in God's way is a journey that calls for choice and brings change. When Jesus calls ordinary fishers to follow, they choose to do so. Paul appeals to the church at Corinth to choose unity in Christ's mission. As the call to follow in God's way unfolds in our lives, such choice is ours each day.
Jan. 20, 2008 John 1:29-42 download	Meeting Jesus The Spirit brings change. When Andrew and Peter meet Jesus, the Messiah, their lives change. They choose a new direction, the path of discipleship. God's Spirit continues to form faithful servants who bring God's way of justice and peace to the world. As we listen to the witness of those who have been called by God's Spirit, we encounter our own Spirit-led call.
Jan. 13, 2008 Matthew 3:13-17 download	Accompanying the Spirit The Spirit is at work in our lives to help us claim our identity as God's children and lead us in God's way. In this short Season after the Epiphany, the scriptures invite us to wonder about the many ways that God's Spirit brings change. This week, we hear the voice of God speaking new things into action and consider the blessings and responsibilities that come with this gift of Spirit.
Jan. 6, 2008 Matthew 2:1-12 download	Where Is the Child? Wise ones and powerful ones ask "Where is the child?" for different ends. Epiphany, the name for the season we enter, comes from a Greek word that means "manifestation." Epiphany celebrates the revelation of Christ to the world. It reveals God's coming in unexpected places and people. It reveals that God's coming in Jesus is for all who would follow its light.

Jun. 17, 2007 Luke 7:36-8:3 download	Grace-Filled Hospitality In the reading this week, we encounter God's generosity in pouring out gifts of forgiveness, salvation, and healing. Such grace-filled hospitality inspires response, and we take up our role as faithful disciples, pouring out kindness and justice, and empowering the ministry of others, as we have opportunity.
Jun. 24, 2007 1 Kings 19:1-4, (5-7), 8-15a download	Deep Down Questions Elijah flees for his life to get as far away as he can from Jezebel's anger. In despair, he questions God's call. God nourishes and sustains Elijah, and speaks to him in the depths of his aloneness in the sound of sheer silence. There are challenges in being faithful, and God cares for us and supports us in the low points in our lives.
Jul. 01, 2007 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 download	Take Up the Story Elijah comes to the end of his prophetic work and is taken up into heaven. Elisha's leadership is affirmed in picking up Elijah's mantle. We hear God's story from our ancestors in the faith and in turn pass that faith along to others. Our call is to claim the mantle God gives us and follow Jesus as faithful disciples, guided by the Spirit.
Jul. 08, 2007 2 Kings 5:1-14 download	Unexpected Prophets Help comes to Naaman from an unexpected source, a young Israelite serving girl. Naaman hopes for a dramatic healing of his leprosy; however, God works in a simple way. God's healing and restoration come through unexpected prophets. As the other readings affirm, God's presence is revealed through perseverance and faithful witness.
Jul. 22, 2007 Luke 10:38-42 download	Faithful Listeners The call to take up the role of discipleship encompasses a call to ground our daily living in the word of God. Each day there are opportunities to hear and follow God's word, if only we pause and listen. The action of faithful discipleship is informed by reflection on Christ and the way of God's realm.
Jul. 29, 2007 Luke 11:1-13 download	Prayerful Disciples Prayer is at the heart of discipleship. Prayer is at the heart of our relationship with God. The readings for today lift up God's nature of love and compassion; they assure us of God's readiness to hear and attend to our prayers. As we pray we know God more fully, and as we know God more fully we pray confidently and with persistence.
Aug. 5, 2007 Luke 12:13-21 download	Loving God Back What is important in the life of a disciple? Jesus tells a parable about a rich farmer who allowed love of possessions to dominate life. Jesus warns us against all kinds of greed - which the letter to the Colossians identifies as "idolatry" - and challenges us to "love God back" by living in ways that are rich toward God.
Aug. 12, 2007 Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 download	Faith Is... As God calls us to claim our role as disciples, our response is grounded in faith. What is faith? In the readings today, we encounter the dynamic nature of faith and its expression in the lives of individuals and communities. We live in the assurance of faith as we await the fullness of the reign of God.
Aug. 19, 2007 Hebrews 11:29-12:2 download	Faith Witnesses The readings today invite reflection on the sources of strength and encouragement that God provides to restore and guide as we take up our role as disciples. There are both joys and trials in choosing a life of faithfulness, and we give thanks for the great cloud of faith ancestors who journey with us in God's realm.
Aug. 26, 2007 Luke 13:10-17 download	Out of the Shadow Nothing can stop Jesus from healing, welcoming, and loving all. When Jesus reaches out to liberate the woman who is bent over, we sense our liberation as well. God breaks into our world and shakes things up. We are set free to respond to God's call and to participate fully in that new life.
Sept. 2, 2007 Hebrews 12:1-8, 15-16 download	Let's Be the Church As we enter the second half of the Season after Pentecost, we continue to explore what it means to journey with God as disciples, what it means to be the church. We live within the faith community, called to show mutual love and hospitality to all, for God excludes no one. We are mentors for one another as we learn what it means to follow God's ways.
Sept. 9, 2007 Philemon 1-21 download	Freed to Be What does it mean to be the church? Jesus and Paul call us to embrace both the cost and promise of living in a faith community shaped and transformed by the gospel. Because God is already present in every situation, we can work with confidence through the challenges we face, helping one another to live as faithful disciples.
Sept. 16, 2007 Luke 15:1-10 download	Of Great Value The God we follow showers us with blessing each day. Through a lost sheep and a lost coin, Jesus teaches about God, who can be trusted to seek us always, pursuing us with steadfast love. God's intention is to save. God's people are called to live within this treasure and gift, rejoicing as the faith community grows.
Sept. 23, 2007 1 Timothy 2:1-7 download	In Jesus' Name God's people pray. The author of the letter to Timothy urges Christians to pray for everyone, including political leaders, so that all people may live in peace. Our readings today encourage us to seek God's reign of peace and wholeness - shalom - as we live as citizens both of our own countries and of God's realm.
Sept. 30, 2007 1 Timothy 6:6-19 download	Generous Spirit Follow Jesus. This directive sounds so simple, but there are many "nitty-gritty" details that challenge our journey as disciples. The readings for today focus on our attitude towards wealth and poverty, and how we use our resources. The letter to Timothy warns against setting our hopes on uncertain riches, encouraging us rather to serve with a generous spirit.
Oct. 7, 2007 2 Timothy 1:1-14 download	The Good Treasure We learn the faith in many different ways - from parents and friends, teachers, and the study of scripture, and from living in the Christian community. We are strengthened by hearing the faith stories of others and by passing on our own. We have a responsibility to nurture this faith and hand it on to others. It is the good treasure entrusted to us.
Oct. 14, 2007 Luke 17:11-19 download	On Our Way Rejoicing As Jesus' followers, we present ourselves to God and open ourselves to God's presence with us. We encounter God's grace and healing amid all the circumstances of our lives. As the passages today reveal, this encounter may come in unexpected ways. We, in turn, are called to respond richly - in our relationship to God and our relationship with others.
Oct. 21, 2007 Luke 18:1-8 download	Don't Lose Heart God's people are called to persistence in discipleship - persistence in prayer and meditation, proclaiming God's word, and seeking justice. In the readings this week, the longing for justice and the coming of God's reign are palpable. In such times, Jesus urges us to stand firm, with bold confidence that God will prevail.
Oct. 28, 2007 Luke 18:9-14 download	Heartfelt Prayers God sustains humankind and all that exists with gifts of love. This premise is central in the readings today. As we place ourselves in God's presence, we are mindful that the things we do don't make us deserve the richness of God's grace and mercy - these are gifts. We ground our lives in prayers of thanksgiving for such daily blessings.
Nov. 4, 2007 Luke 19:1-10 download	Welcoming Jesus What does it mean to look beyond our present understanding in order to see the amazing ways in which God's promises are being fulfilled? In this week's readings, Jesus, the prophet Habakkuk, the psalmist, and Paul all see beyond the obvious and welcome God's reign. Following their example, we are invited to live in the presence of God's promises and work toward their fulfillment.
Nov. 11, 2007 Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 download	Bless God's Holy Name As disciples, we follow a God whose loving care extends to all people. God is faithful and trustworthy, strengthening us in times of trouble. Our response is worship and praise. We bless God's holy name. We proclaim God's mighty acts from one generation to another.
Nov. 18, 2007 Isaiah 65:17-25 download	New Heaven, New Earth God is creating a new heaven and a new earth, a reign of harmony and wholeness for all creation. As disciples, we are called to explore what it means to live into that vision and to help bring about a world of justice and peace. What does it mean to be open to the new thing that God is doing in our midst?
Nov. 25, 2007 Colossians 1:11-20 download	Jesus the Christ Reign of Christ Sunday completes the church year. The readings today give us a variety of pictures of who Jesus is - firstborn of creation, righteous king, one who suffers and yet reigns over the world, the one who comes to show us what God is like. As individuals and as the church, we are learning as we journey with God towards the full reign of Christ.
Dec. 2, 2007 Isaiah 2:1-5 download	Prophets of Peace Peace forms Advent's prayer and hope. Prayers and hopes are not passive good wishes that leave us unchanged. Today's scripture passages invite choices that lead in holy directions. God sends prophets whose invitations and warnings spur our choosing. Their message is: expect the unexpected. Our calling is: journey with others to God's holy mountain.
Dec. 9, 2007 Isaiah 11:1-10 download	Dare to Hope Hope, like God who offers it, can be shocking. Dead stumps send out live shoots. Spirit-led leaders rule for the poor. The overturning of enmities in the natural order breaks ground for a wilderness prophet who shakes up privileged orders with calls to repentance. God raises the banner of hope for all to follow, and a little child leads the way.
Dec. 16, 2007 Isaiah 35:1-10 download	God Comes to Save When God comes to save, no one gets left behind. In Isaiah, the barren places of creation gush with the waters of new life. The psalmist and Mary rejoice in God, who lifts up the vulnerable. John's wondering of "are you the one?" finds an answer in a litany of Jesus' saving actions. Where there appears to be no way forward, God makes a highway homeward.
Dec. 23, 2007 Matthew 1:18-25 download	Sign of God's Love As this Advent season draws to a close, we are invited once again to journey with Joseph and Mary, and ponder the awesome mystery of God's choice to enter our world through the gift of Jesus - Emmanuel, God-with-us. Like many before us, God calls us to choose to follow this Promised One, and to embrace God's ongoing work of fulfilling promises.
Dec. 30, 2007 Matthew 2:13-23 download	Flight to Egypt This Christmas season we celebrate that in Jesus, God is with us. Joseph and Mary responded with faith and trust in God's promise as they protected the child, Jesus, during their flight to Egypt. When we declare our confidence in God's presence in times of joy and in times of strife, we join them in choosing to live with hope.