Minute Messages

Anger & Beloved Community

Jason Fairbanks • Ephesians 4

Opportunites to Practice Week of 8/11/2024

We Stand Humbly in God's Grace

We will be singing this new song in worship Sunday 8/9/24

Banality of Evil

Jason Fairbanks

Jesus Calls Us Friends

Jason Fairbanks

Jesus says, greater love hath no one than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends. Jesus brings up this idea of friends and then it seems like, I don't know, maybe it's my imagination, but he seemed to kind of lack on to that. And he said, oh yeah, these folks are my friends. And he started talking a little bit about this friendship, that if they do what he said, then they would be his friends. I don't call you servants anymore. In fact, in this moment, I'm not even calling you disciples. I'm calling you friends.

Let's Take Off the Halos

Let's take off the halos and let our horizons spread to the edges of the galaxy. Billions of years of creation. Let our horizons go in such a way that the people of God, no matter how flawed or unflawed, are welcomed in. And we find ourselves forgiving, not 70 times seven, but forever. For it is a gift of grace that we have been given to give to others. Let us take off this horizon and let us see the world populated not just with people, but with all of the creation. And may we see the interweavings of all of that. With that halo off, we can see the marvelous complexity of the creation of God. And maybe, just maybe, we can start to understand the grace and the love of that creator.

From Certainty to Mystery

Knowledge Puffs Up. Love Builds Up.

Opportunites for Practice 1/28/24

Jesus, Freeing Us

Nelson • Luke 1

We Are Waiting

We are waiting for you, knowing that you always abide. We are waking to your presence, and are hearts are open wide,  open wide. -Christopher Grundy

Feeling Sorrow and Joy

Luke 1

Maybe Zechariah wasn't able to admit his own sorrow and weariness in life. Maybe we can't experience joy because we don't allow ourselves to experience the pain of weariness and of sorrow.

Wade In

Over time wind and water will sand down the edges of a stone. For humans, our wind and water is the grief of the world. Stay here long enough and pieces of you will be pressed upon by life’s never-ending stream. It’s enough to make you weary. It’s enough to make you question. It’s enough to make you quiet. And yet, the stream continues. —excerpt from “Wade In” by Rev. Sarah Speed | @sanctifiedart

More than One Emotion

Luke 1

And yes, there is much to be concerned about. There's much to be disappointed in. There's much that we are regretful for. But what if we're able to hold more than one emotion at the same time? What if we could be anxious about what's going on in the world, angry about the injustice that's taking place in our world and hold on to some joy as well as that?