Text: Isaiah 58:6-9, Psalm 107:10-16 For the first 20 or so years of my life, I understood salvation as one concrete idea: that Jesus died for my sin on the cross. Substitutionary Atonement is what we call it. Jesus took our place. He was our substitute and paid the price for our sins so we…
Sing! Play! Summer! – Here I Am, Lord
Text: 1 Samuel 3: 1-11 Earlier this spring, we invited everyone at Immanuel to share with us some of your favorite hymns and songs. And this summer, we are going to highlight one of those pieces each week during our series: Sing! Play! Summer! As the pace of activities slows down just a bit, we…
This Is Love: Friends of God
Text: John 15:9-17 On the last day of school in seventh or eighth grade, six friends walked home from school together. Some of us had known each other since kindergarten. Others came into our lives along the way. But our friendship was forged in those awkward and complicated years of middle school. The drama of…
This is Love: For Future Generations
Text: Leviticus 26 and Matthew 6: 25-33 It isn’t often that we turn to the book of Leviticus for the primary reading for our reflection. And even more rare that we would turn to such a difficult passage. This section of Leviticus is known as the Blessings and Curses of the Covenant. In the verses…
Summary of 2019 General Conference Decisions – modified after Judicial Council Ruling
Decisions of the 2019 General Conference Timeline for Implementation in Central Conferences In general, when legislation before a GC is approved, it goes into effect on January 1 of the following year. Central Conferences (outside the U.S.) have additional time because they are allowed to adapt and change the Book of Discipline to fit their…
This is Love: Love that Conquers Death
Text: Song of Songs: 8:6-7, Luke 24:1-10 In the sensual poetry of the Song of Songs, we hear the tale of a young couple madly in love with one another. Their love is made every more delicious by its scandalous nature, and explodes with emotion and passion. Every time I read through its passages, my…
The Wilderness: God Provides
Text: Deuteronomy 29:2-6, Mark 1:12-14 A few years ago, I was asked to plan worship for our semi-annual clergy gathering. My team had everything arranged and ready to go. I just had to make sure to arrive early enough in the morning that I could meet with the technical engineer to set up the microphones…
The Wilderness: Gotta Serve Somebody
Text: Exodus 32:1-4, Matthew 4:8-9 Before we get started today, I want to invite you take just a minute of silent reflection. Somewhere, on your bulletin, I want you to write down the top five things that demand your time, attention, and responsibility. The top five things that you are called to focus on. Take…