Words of Welcome

  Matthew 14:22-33 According to the Gospel of Matthew Jesus went about Galilee proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. He revealed this heavenly realm in parables like the parable of the sower and the parable of the mustard seed. He also revealed God’s realm through his miracles. Last week we heard the story of the feeding of the 5000. We may not know how Jesus fed so many people with such little food, but we can develop suitable theories. However, when it comes to walking on water, that’s a different story. You might call this an “impossible possibility” of the miracle stories, stories that require that we use our spiritual imaginations. Then this story, as Brian McLaren suggests, can “play a catalytic role in co-creating new possibilities for the world of tomorrow” [ We Make the Road by Walking, p. 97]. Today’s reading from Matthew 14 picks up the story right after Jesus fed the 5000. Matthew tells us that Jesus sent the disciples back across the lake and dismissed ...

Matthew 14:13-21 When we gather at the Lord’s Table each week, we pause to remember the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples, and continues to share with us through the Spirit. Although this meal stands at the center of our faith tradition, the Gospels are filled with stories about Jesus sharing meals with others.  One of these stories involves a meal with more than five thousand guests, who dined on five loaves of bread and two fish, and still everyone ate their fill.  The “Feeding of the 5000" is the only miracle story that appears in all four Gospels. It’s easy to get caught up in the mechanics of the miracle. Enquiring minds want to know how Jesus did it. Was it a magic trick? Was it a spontaneous potluck? Is it a myth? Despite our inquisitiveness, Matthew doesn’t give any details. Could that mean that the details are irrelevant? Miracle stories, like parables point beyond themselves to the kingdom of God. So, what Matthew wants us to hear is a message about ...

Luke 3:7-18 The key to success in life is to lower expectations. If you set the bar low enough, then it won’t take much energy or effort to succeed. Let me give you an example. If, back in August, you expected the Lions to make the playoffs this year– not to mention the Super Bowl -- you were probably setting yourself up for a big disappointment. After all, it’s been a while since the Lions last had a winning season, and they’ve been to a Super Bowl, not even when Barry Sanders was roaming the backfield. But, if all you expected was an improvement upon last year’s results, well then, this year has been a roaring success. Just think, last year the Lions lost every game, making them the first NFL team ever to do so. But this year, the Lions have not only won one game, they’ve already won two games. I’m not a mathematician, but that’s a 200% improvement. What more can we ask of them? Quite often what would seem to be bad news can be portrayed as good news – if we set a low bar...