The kids have been singing. For those of you who don’t get here early at 4 PM each week, you should know that you are missing out on some fantastic congregational singing these days. Eric comes each week with his guitar and the kids sit up here and belt out hymns, as well as some […]
Transfiguration and fire
If you know me well enough, you’ve already guessed where I’m headed — you’ve already guessed what verse caught my eye, the part about the fire, of course. “Our God comes and does not keep silence, before him is a devouring fire, and a mighty tempest all around him” (Psalm 50:3). Obviously I’m going to […]
Paul and power
The first day of my community organizing class the teacher wrote the word “power” on the center of white board. “What are the words that come to mind when you see this?” he asked. We were eager seminaries, ready to take up our crosses, ready to die to ourselves. So we answered predictably: bad, pride, […]
Reluctant Prophet
If you consider the length of the bible, or the Old Testament, or even just the prophetic books of the Old Testament, Jonah seems insignificant in comparison — both in the space he takes up, and the gravity of his actions. The book of Jonah is only 4 chapters long, which takes up a mere […]
Attention
In our psalm today, we hear of how intimately God knows us. At first the psalmist describes God as knowing our day-to-day activities: sitting, standing, walking, lying down, and speaking. But we then hear about a knowledge that only God can know: God knows what is inside of us, God knew us in our mothers’ […]
Heavens torn apart
“And just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.” That’s the scene at the Jordan River, with John the Baptist and Jesus. There they are, at a baptism, and the heavens are torn apart. This is apocalyptic language. […]
In the middle
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This is the season to talk about beginnings. The new year. The end of the last one, and the beginning of the new. So we make our resolutions, on how this year will be different than the last. […]
The politics of Mary
The Politics of Mary Fourth Sunday of Advent Luke 1:5-56 Dec 21, 2014 Isaac S. Villegas “The Lord has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly,” Mary sings, “God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” There was a famous book, written in the […]
Songs of joy
Psalm 126 and Luke 1:46-55 December 14, 2014 Catherine Thiel Lee “It may be that no one on earth can tell the truth, except through flower and song.” ~ Nahuatl theologian, quoted by Virgilio Elizondo “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like [men and women] who dreamed. Our mouths were filled […]
Latino/a Mennonites
(A shortened version of this book review was published by The Mennonite World Review: “Despite missteps, Latinos joined Mennonites.”) In his book, Latino Mennonites: Civil Rights, Faith, and Evangelical Culture (2014), Felipe Hinojosa describes the struggle of Latinas and Latinos to become part of the Mennonite church in the United States. Hinojosa starts the story […]
I got a black space; I’ll write your name
I got a black space; I’ll write your name Matthew 25:31-46 by Isaac Villegas Nov 23, 2024 “Nice to meet you / where you been? / I could show you incredible things /… / Saw you there and I thought oh my god / Look at that face /… / But I got a blank […]
Permeable boundaries
Permeable Boundaries Luke 17:11-19 by Peter Hausmann November 16, 2014 One doesn’t run into lepers much these days, least ways in our parts. But Zombies, America can’t seem to get enough of Zombies on TV and in movies in the past few years. Zombie’s are what I usually think of when I hear the word […]
Beloved stragglers
Beloved Stragglers 1 Thessalonians 4, Matthew 25 by Isaac Villegas November 9, 2014 The apostle Paul says, in the passage we heard from 1 Thessalonians: he says, “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be […]
The glory of God
The Glory of God Exodus 33:11-22 by Isaac Villegas Oct 19, 2014 For the past month, we’ve been spending time in the book of Exodus. We never tell the preachers what Bible passage to preach on, but for some reason all of us have been choosing the lectionary passages from Exodus. So, for today, I […]
Ten Commandments
Exodus 20 Oct 5, 2014 Isaac Villegas With all the people of Israel gathered at the base of Mount Sinai, Moses goes up to receive from God the commandments, the guidelines for life after slavery. The people have been set free — freed from bondage to Pharaoh, freed from forced labor, freed from unjust laws, […]
Now what we expected
“Now what we expected” Exodus 17 by Melissa Florer-Bixler Sept 28, 2014 Bitter water. Starvation. Now thirst. Three times since leaving Egypt the Hebrews grapple with the possibility of dying in the desert. Three times since they were brought out of slavery the Hebrews murmur amongst themselves. Today’s episode occurs just after the Hebrews grumble […]
What is this?
What is this? Exodus 16:2-16, Matthew 20:1-16 by Isaac Villegas Sept 21, 2014 The Israelites fear their death, their annihilation in the wilderness, their dissolution in the desert sands. So they look back to Egypt, where life was somewhat stable, predictable, controllable — a familiar life, even if it was slavery. The people say to […]
Forgiveness
Forgiveness Matthew 18:21-35 by Isaac Villegas September 14, 2014 Peter asks Jesus, How many times do I have to forgive? It’s a good question, an important one. After someone has wronged you again and again, at some point, don’t you have to be done with him, done with her? At some point, aren’t you justified […]
Self, Others, God
Romans 13:8-14 by Isaac Villegas September 7, 2014 Romans chapter 13, verses 8 and 9: “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law… The commandments are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Somehow I have three things to say about […]
The midwives feared God
“The Midwives Feared God” Exodus 1:8-2:10, Matthew 16.13-30, Romans 12.1-8 by Nathan Rauh-Bieri August 24, 2014 I. In the story that Matt just read for us, we find the descendants of Abraham, the people God foretold would be a blessing to all, growing where they’ve been planted – in the land of Egypt. And then, […]
Voices in the Streets
Voices in the Streets Matthew 15:21-28, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-31 by Meghan Florian August 17, 2014 This week I was glued to Twitter on more than one evening, watching the events in Ferguson, Missouri unfold in the wake of Mike Brown’s murder. In light of these events, today’s gospel passage, one that always frustrates and challenges […]
Give thanks to the Lord
O give thanks to the LORD Psalm 105 & Genesis 37 by Jordan Farrell August 10, 2014 Prayer: God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, be with us here today. Help us to remember and sing of the ways you have already broken into this world, so that we might see the wonderful acts you […]
Wrestling with God
Wrestling with God Genesis 32:22-32 by Isaac Villegas August 2, 2014 It is night, and Jacob is alone. “Jacob was left, alone,” it says in verse 24. This is only the second time in the book of Genesis that someone is said to be alone, the first time since the beginning of creation, when […]
the Sower
The Sower Matthew 13:1-9, Romans 8:1-11 by Isaac Villegas July 13, 2014 I have a bag that I keep in my pantry, a large plastic ziplock bag, filled with packets of seeds, all kinds of seeds — cucumber and zucchini, butternut and summer squash, pumpkin and watermelon, carrots and sweet corn, beets and sugar […]