Zoar

Maybe it's the emotional roller coaster of being a companion to people who are navigating the peaks and valleys of life. Or maybe it's the bittersweet feeling of saying good-bye to our intern this past week - bitter because I'll miss her, yet also sweet because I trust God has important work for her to do. Or maybe it's my personal stress level, as I frantically try to round up all my runaway "ducks" and get them in a row, so that I can go on renewal leave August 11th in good

So you probably noticed that we're in the part of Matthew now where Jesus tells a whole lot of parables. It's like Jesus warmed up his audience with the parable of the sower where he stopped to explain what it means, and then he ratcheted this parable thing up a little more with last week's parable of the weeds, and then today he lets loose a rapid-fire series of parables that he ends by turning to his disciples and saying, "Have you understood all this?" The text says "they

Back in the day when I was a kid riding in the car with my family, I remember there were a few times when I was looking out the window, and I saw a bumper sticker that got my attention, though I wasn't exactly sure what it meant at the time. The bumper sticker declared, "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention...." Fast forward a few years to when I was a teenager driving myself around, and I saw that same bumper sticker on an older car: "If you're not outraged, y

Pr. Michelle and I typically choose who's going to preach based on our schedules and not the lectionary so imagine my delight when I opened up today's gospel reading and it was the parable of the sower. I get to talk about soil health to a captive audience! Thank you, Holy Spirit! Now I don't need to explain the meaning of the parable too much because Jesus does it for us. He tells us that seed sown on a path is like the one who hears the good news but let's evil snatch it

Yesterday morning, 23 of us from Zoar participated in Canby's annual Fourth of July parade. It was fun tossing candy, handing out flyers for Vacation Bible School, and greeting our friends and neighbors. We were grateful for cool weather, surprised by the larger-than-usual crowd, and encouraged by the words of community members who expressed gratitude he ministry Zoar's people do in Christ's name. Overall, it was a good morning, and yet for many of us, there was an uneasy fee

I want to begin this sermon by saying "happy heavenly birthday" to my sister, Sandy. Sadly, Sandy passed away from complications related to Parkinson's Disease on December 30th My sister was born almost a generation before me and would've been 81 years old today. She married young - at age 19 - so, I don't remember her ever being at home when I was a young child. In fact, her son, my nephew, Sean, is actually closer in age to me, since he's only four years younger than I am!.

Today's gospel holds a few oft-quoted and difficult nuggets. This text is a continuation of last week’s gospel when Jesus commissions the twelve to go out and "proclaim the good news ... Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons" (Matt. 10:7-8). Oh, and don’t take any money or provisions with you and you’ll be walking into really hard places but it's ok because the Spirit is with you each step along the way. In today>s reading, Jesus continues paintin

Well, it's graduation time, isn't it? Who here has been to a graduation or a promotion or a moving up day recently? (Show of hands) This time of year can be a knotted ball of sorrow for leaving the past behind, nostalgia for the ways things were, anticipation of futures mapped out but not yet trod, relief for just getting past the finish line or regret for not quite making it there. It's a complicated time, this graduation season that we're in. And as I read today's gospel, I

One day last week, I was driving through Barlow on my way to an appointment. I was almost at the stoplight at the intersection of Highway 99 when suddenly the bells began to clang and the railroad crossing bars came down. I rolled my eyes and sighed - as one does! - and thought to myself, "If only I'd been five minutes earlier! Grr..." Then I settled back in my seat to wait, hoping it wouldn't be a long train. Since I was right up front at the crossbars, I had a perfect view

Chances are, if you and I live long enough, we may end up having a mystical experience - a Holy Spirit encounter - that we can't explain. It might come in the form of a vision or dream. It might come as a voice that seems to speak from somewhere deep within us...or from somewhere far beyond us. Over the years, I've heard a number of people tell of such experiences, and some have even said that their experience included an acute sense of smell or a profound sensation of touch.

A very wise woman recently reminded me that saying goodbye is hard. And I think today's readings reflect this. In the first reading from Acts, the apostles say goodbye to Jesus as he ascends into heaven. And in the gospel, Jesus says goodbye to his apostles through prayer. Last summer, I said goodbye to my dear friend, Inger. I met Inger when she was well into her nineties. A very perceptive pastor matched us for lay visitation and we became fast friends. I visited her most W

I know I’ve said this before, but I feel like it bears repeating: I don’t give nearly as much time and attention to the news media as I once did. I just can’t. And based on a number of conversations I’ve had recently, I think many of you resonate with that…. So, these days I dip into the news just enough to stay informed because it’s important to be aware of what’s happening in our community and in our world – in all the places where you and I live and work and play. One

A couple of weeks ago, I had the honor of attending a bat mitzvah for a dear friend's daughter. I always enjoy going to synagogue services even though I don't speak or understand a lick of Hebrew. But I appreciate the depth of dedication to the Torah and the intimacy of the Jewish community in that sacred space. And as I was basking in the beauty of the service and delighting in the pride of the entire community centered on that bright 13-year old girl, I wrestled with today'

Perhaps I only imagined it or maybe it showed up in one of my dreams because I've searched all over, and I've never been able to find it since.... I'm talking about a cartoon drawing I saw several years ago that shows Jesus behind a gated wall. In the cartoon, there are people standing inside the gate, alongside Jesus, and one man is scratching his head and saying to another one, "I just don't understand it. The gate is locked, so how do all these people keep getting in?" The

Luke the Evangelist tells us that the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus is a distance of seven miles, but you and I know better.... We know better, because even though most of us have never been to Jerusalem, at one time or another, we've all walked that stretch of road to Emmaus, though we probably know it by a different name— A name like Death. Depression. Divorce. Abuse. Addiction. Alzheimer's. ....You can fill in the blank!... And yet whatever name we give that road, you an

I love today's gospel. It is one of my absolute favorites. Poor Thomas. My memories of sermons related to this story centered on Thomas's failures to believe. They shame poor Thomas for his suspicions. I mean what do we normally call this story? The story of Doubting Thomas! Thomas has been labeled for millennia by his - quite rational, in my opinion - disbelief and need for reassurance. While Jesus's post-resurrection appearance is also recorded in Luke 24, there is no men

"All of life is grief...." My friend's voice was gentle, but her words jolted me. I opened my mouth to protest, but something stopped me in my tracks. I closed my mouth, pursed my lips, and nodded silently because those words had stirred up a truth somewhere deep within me. "Yes," I thought. "Life is laced with grief, AND at the same time, our grief is born of love, and so, it's all woven together with beautiful strands of love and hope and faith. That's what gives life mea

Just last week, I was at Fred Meyer with my son, Jack, loading our groceries into the car when an older man approached me in the parking lot. He said, "Did you see that guy who came up to me just now?" I filled with dread, wondering what had happened and thinking about keeping Jack safe. I said, "No, I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention." The man said, "He just walked up to me and gave me this" and reached into pocket to pull out ... a fat wad of cash. He continued, "'I...

Oftentimes on this Palm Sunday, the story about Jesus’s procession into Jerusalem is coupled with the Passion story. But today, we’re going to hang out with just the procession story because it is so rich, so meaningful, and so relevant for many of us today. It’s such a vibrant story that we read it twice! Come back for Good Friday services and we’ll experience the Passion story gospel then. Let’s set the stage for today’s gospel. Scholars generally agree that Jesus and his

During this season of Lent, our Thursday morning Bible study group has been exploring a small book that offers great insights into some of the characters on the fringes of the Palm Sunday path. The book is titled An Unlikely Lent: Extraordinary People of the Easter Story. Using the insights we've gleaned from the author, United Methodist pastor Rachel Billups, along with our own God-given gift of imagination, we've been able to step back and take a fresh look at the Palm S