Focusing Desire in Covenant
Dan Schrock
This morning I want to talk with you about desire—not as an evil force inside of us which we must repress, but as a gift from God to use for the sake of God’s mission in the world. You heard that right: desire is not an evil to avoid, but a good gift to use […]
Outfoxing the King
Dan Schrock
With this story we have left behind what most people think of as Christmas. Gone are the cuddly sheep, the placid cows, the joyful angels, and the humble shepherds. In this story, joy and delight have given way to brutality and terror. For most North Americans, Christmas is over now except for a few lingering […]
Dreaming and Trusting with Joseph
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
Picture the conversation between Mary and Joseph. Mary says, “Joseph, we need to talk.” And Joseph might then be thinking, “Now what have I done?!” When she says, “I’m pregnant,” he knows that in fact, he hasn’t done anything, and in this case, that is the problem. Because if he isn’t the father, then who […]
Of Kings and Justice
Dan Schrock
The kings of Israel and Judah were such disappointments. Take Solomon, for example. He started out well enough early in his reign. Remember the time when as a newly crowned king he prayed to Yahweh for “an understanding mind to govern your people,” a mind “able to discern between good and evil” (1 Kings 3:3-14)? […]
Jesus’ Disaster Preparedness Plan
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
I can’t say that reading the scripture text for this week is a reassuring exercise. There appears to be nothing in it that will calm anxiety. It’s unsettling enough that Jesus says that the temple, known far and wide for its beauty, will be no more. But then he goes on to say that some […]
Prayer, Justice and Persistent Hope
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
When she learned of the death threats against her, Malala Yousafzai thought about how she would respond if a Talib came to kill her. She first thought she would hit him with her shoe, but then she thought, “If you hit a Talib, then there would be no difference between you and the Talib. You […]
A Fuller Vision
Dan Schrock
In high school I didn’t know much about trees. I was around them all the time but I didn’t understand them. We lived on a farm in those days, with maple, catalpa, an ash trees growing around our house. I saw them every day. I admired their stately trunks and glorious leaves, their ability to […]
Partner and Lord
Dan Schrock
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that […]
Worship as Spiritual Formation
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
When our children were little, my work as a chaplain did not involve Sunday morning responsibilities, so I was able to attend worship in the congregations where Allan was pastor. During those years, there were many times when I wondered why I bothered coming to church, as I spent the majority of the morning in […]
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