When Dreaming is Love on the Run
This week we trade rainbow technicolor dreamcoats for someone we normally only talk about near Christmas. That’s right, it’s time for the other Joseph (of nativity fame) to shine! God visits him in a series of dreams, and while it is ultimately really big, really GOOD news, it’s also fear-inducing, life-changing, and pushes Joseph to places he never imagined he would go. Where might his dreams lead us?
Joseph is kind of a jerk, and that’s kind of the point.
Whether or not you’ve read the story, you’re likely familiar with it. A favorite son. A “many-colored” robe. Jealous brothers. Donny Osmond. (Okay, Donny isn’t in the Scripture.) The story of Joseph and his “technicolor” coat famous, to be sure, but when we dig deeper into the story of this dreamer, we find a complicated tale of hubris, humility, and family infighting that might change the way we approach the God-sized dreams in our life.
Coming Out and Coming Home
He’s on the run from a brother he believes is keen to kill him. In a dream, Jacob is visited by God with a simple message: go home. That simple message would lead Jacob to unexpected places and people, and it would change life for generations to come. As we step into June, we center ourselves on Dreamers, and wonder how God might be leading us to dream once again today.
For the Beauty of the Earth
In some circles of Christianity, it can sound like God hates the world or creation itself, but is that the story Scripture really tells? This week, we take a look at the creation stories in Genesis and consider how they inform our understanding of who God is, and who we are called to be. The way we understand the beginning of it all can definitively shape the way we live today.
Called, Equipped, Ordained
“Why am I here?” It’s a question we can ask ourselves at an especially boring meeting, and its also a question we can ask ourselves in those existential moments of life. Maybe your story is going exactly as you had hoped, or maybe you are wondering when your story will really start. This week, let’s talk about how God calls, equips, and ordains us for a meaningful purpose in this life.
Laying Down My Guns
We’ve all been guilty of overzealousness from time to time, but have you ever sliced a man’s ear off in the heat of the moment? Peter does in Luke 22, and how Jesus responds will give us pause when we take it seriously. Where might the Prince of Peace lead us, if we are open to living differently?
Laying Down My Pride and Place
Luke Chapter 8 begins with explicitly naming women among Jesus’ core disciples, and ends with the stories of Jesus encountering a woman and a young girl who require healing. When we look through the context of the day, what might sound simple is revealed to be a provocative and profound declaration of God’s courage and care.
Laying Down My Demons
Alone. Bound by chains. Untouched and unseen. Possessed by demons known only as “Legion. It’s a dramatic story, to be sure, but what might first look like a prequel to “The Exorcist” is a deeply moving story about restoration and making right. Before you write off “casting out demons” as the stuff of scary movies, let’s talk about how Jesus might be leading us to encounter the “Legion” in our own lives.
Lay down your shame.
Shame is a terribly effective tool, one that you’ve likely wielded and been wounded by. In Luke chapter 5, Jesus encounters a man who is paralyzed, and the man has been led to believe that this is a result of his sin. How Jesus responds will shape not just his future ministry, but also makes him a target. What can happen when we lay down our shame?
Laying Down My Power
What if 40 days of intentional release could lead us to wholeness? The season of Lent is a time of preparation in the Christian calendar as we reflect on the life and ministry of Jesus, drawing nearer to Easter. This year, we turn our attention to the Gospel of Luke, as Jesus promotes an integrated life where the personal and social aspects of faith are indistinguishable. For six weeks, we’ll look closer at stories from Luke’s Gospel, and notice who Jesus encounters, what he asks them to lay down, and how he lifts them to wholeness.
The End Times are Less Scary and More Important Than We Think
The “end times” might sound like a scary topic, but in truth it is a hope-filled and mission-critical subject that we have to talk about. In our final week focusing on the stained glass of the Sanctuary, we take a look at the image of Christ’s great commission and the ultimate ending of hope that we are working towards. And we promise, Pastor Scott is not starting a doomsday cult… this week, anyways.
Wounded Healers
In recent years, AUMC has become known as a place where people looking to heal could find hope. Many folks who call this community home have experienced serious wounds in their life, including wounds at the hands of churches. This week, we focus on the resurrection of Christ, and how his resurrection leads us to live as wounded healers today.