Pastor Brian's Blog

  “Bearing Witness to Life” Series Overview We were not around on the first Easter to see the resurrected Jesus, and yet we are called to be witnesses of new life.   Bearing witness is more than simply saying we saw something.   It is about claiming a responsibility for it, sharing the experience, extending the gift we’ve been given, inviting others to be part of a dynamic and diverse family of faith.   Our neighbors’ struggles affect us, and bearing witness involves being present for and with one another.   As we join God’s response to suffering and injustice, the moral witness of the church is our deliberate effort to participate in God’s desire to reconcile all creation.   Christ is leading us to proclaim a more just world for the flourishing of life. April 17 – Easter Sunday C GOD RAISED HIM : We know about the risen Christ because people like Peter have shared their story.   In Acts 10:34-43 , Peter overcomes his past fears and bears witness to th...

“From Pain to Possibility” Series Overview Pain presents perplexing questions.   What does pain mean?   How will I survive?   What do I do with it?   The good news is God can help us in our pain.   Lent is a season of spiritual reflection that invites us to tend our longing for healing, restoration, and fulfillment.   Although Lent is traditionally a time to give up something, our series for Lent this year encourages us to give in and make meaning from our woundedness.   Pain is not something that needs a quick fix.   It calls us to acknowledge both our wounds and the wounds of others for the sake of healing and peace. March 2 – Ash Wednesday IN PARCHED PLACES (Isaiah 58:1-12): Each year Christians gather on Ash Wednesday to mark the beginning of Lent.   We mark this day by marking ourselves with ashes.   As we do this, we know that we do it in preparation for Easter.   We might ask ourselves why we do it.   Is there somethi...

  “The Art of Faith ” Series Overview Art is for everyone, not just professionals.   Through art, music, literature, and other creative endeavors, we open ourselves to a future of hope and the new life God promises.   We use our imagination with inspiration from God’s Spirit to bring forth something new.   As artist Makoto Fujimura puts it, our creative endeavors invite “the abundance of God’s world into the reality of scarcity all around us” ( Art and Faith , 3).   In our series, we will train as apprentice artists with God the Master Artist to make a world of beauty and mercy in anticipation of God’s new creation.     January 9 – Baptism of the Lord GOD THE ARTIST: God’s artistry comes from love, not necessity.   Creation is a gratuitous act of generosity.   In 1 Corinthians 3:4-9, 16-17 , Paul describes us as God’s co-creators.   Fujimura asks: “What are we making?”   What helps people flourish beyond merely surviving?...