Life of Jesus: God with Us

The same story comes around year after year. While it is well-loved, it can also being to feel a bit monotonous. Yet we can’t dismiss the importance of the Christmas story or the reminders we find therein. Today, we return to the opening lines of the Christmas story as both Mary and Joseph are invited […]

Continue reading

Life of Jesus: The Story of Silence

For us, Christmas tends to be a busy, semi-chaotic time of the year. However, as we look toward the earliest moments of the Christmas story, we find something much different. Rather than loud, boisterous celebration, we find many moments of silence and silent reflection.

Continue reading

Life of Jesus: The Beginning…

Today we begin a new series on the life of Jesus with the starting questions of “where does the life of Jesus begin?” Unlike the rest of us, Jesus’ story doesn’t start on His birthday or the months immediately precenting that day. Rather His story starts much, much earlier… and that difference changes everything!

Continue reading

Incurvatus: Looking Upward in Gratitude

Today, on Thanksgiving weekend, we explore our final “cure” in our Incurvatus exploration – gratitude! And while this past week has been full of reflection on what we are thankful for, you might be surprised to realize that even in our times of giving thanks, our curvature might be looking inward rather than upward. What […]

Continue reading

Incurvatus: Looking Up in Worship

Today we explore worship. It is a great means to helping us un-curve and look toward God. In fact, worship could broadly be defined as any action that moves us from ourselves toward God. Yet despite the wonderful anti-curvature of worship, there is a danger side to our worship. If we aren’t careful and thoughtful, […]

Continue reading

Incurvatus: Looking to the Next Generation

As we continue in our series looking at our curvature, we turn our attention to a very specific call to look to the next generation and impress faith upon them. While this command naturally applies to parents, it nevertheless is a universal call for the full faith community.

Continue reading

Incurvatus: Looking Out to Others

Today, Pastor Tim Diehl from Water Street Mission shares with us both about the happenings at Water Street as well as how our attention toward others helps us to straighten up and un-curve. Our love of others is the primary way we are called to love God!

Continue reading

Incurvatus: Looking In

No one wants to go to the doctor’s office. And no one wants to hear a bad diagnosis. Yet when we look into scripture with open eyes, we discover that we all have a spiritual diagnosis that is killing each one of us. Is there a treatment? Is there a cure? Today, we begin a […]

Continue reading

Opening the Door for God to Step In

In our final installment of “When God Steps In,” we explore how our emotions and doubts and sometimes cause us to turn and run from God’s presence… and yet, when we push past the tensions and our natural inclinations, when we turn toward God and open the door, God is ready and waiting to step […]

Continue reading