The Gospel of Luke introduces us to two new characters at nearly the end of the story, which is an odd choice, to be sure. Weirder still is the lengthy encounter they have with a stranger on their road back home, and how this stranger changes the course of their journey and ours. We might think we know how the story ends, but resurrection might just surprise us once again ..read more

After the crucifixion and burial of Jesus, many of the disciples got back to their old lives, which for some meant fishing. The disciples in John are shown fishing and pulling up empty nets, until they encounter a “stranger” and… well, the story changes. Let’s talk about what it feels like to “fish with empty nets,” and how resurrection can invite us into a posture of abundance ..read more

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The word for “bless” in Hebrew is closely related to the word for “kneel.” The idea is that to praise someone and to receive a blessing is the same body posture… kneeling. We will look at the passage from Psalm 103 that underscores this linguistic lesson, as well as the story of Jesus washing the disciples feet as a practical example of how kneeling invites praise and blessing for all involved. This will lead us into a theology of servant leadership and humility at the core of the Christian message, that to bless and be blessed is to adopt a posture of kneeling–before God and before others ..read more

The “man with the withered hand” is one of the stories in the Gospels used to illustrate Jesus’ conflict with strict religious adherence (and adherents). He uses his hands not only to heal the hurting around him, he also uses his hands to wrestle with and overcome the leaders who would treat faith as a punishing list of rules. As we reflect on the faithful use of “hands,” we’ll look to Jesus, the pharisees, and the man in need of healing as examples of how our hands can work for liberation or captivity, and how God responds in kind ..read more

“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 ..read more

Easter Sunday Worship Service 2023 at Arapaho UMC in Richardson, Texas ..read more

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All Saints Sunday is a day in the life of the Church when we remember those we have lost in the last year. It’s also a natural time of reflection for our own lives, and how we hope to live with purpose and to find meaning in our day-to-day. This week, we’ll take a look at a passage in Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus tells his people “not to worry.” What sounds at first like a somewhat naive instruction could actually help us reframe our lives as we listen closer ..read more