Words of Welcome

  Hebrews 10:11-14, 19-25 Why do we gather together each Sunday morning? Is it because we all agree about our theology, politics, or music styles? Probably not. Sometimes being together isn’t easy, and it never has been. Just read Paul’s letters to the Corinthians and the Galatians and you’ll discover that the church has always struggled to fully embody Jesus’ vision for the church. So, if sameness isn’t the reason we gather, what is the glue that holds us together? According to Hebrews 10, that glue is our common confession that Jesus is the high priest who offered himself once for all as the perfect sacrifice on our behalf. The Book of Hebrews speaks to a community trying to navigate a hostile cultural context. Discouragement led some folks in the congregation to wonder if being church, was worth the time and energy put into it? The author of Hebrews responds to these concerns by telling the readers to hold fast to their confession of faith in Jesus and not neglect to gather ...

Living Stones by Hilda  1 Peter 2:2-10 What does it mean to be chosen?  Does it matter who does the choosing and when you get chosen? Some of us know the feeling of being the last one chosen for a team.  Perhaps you watched or at least paid attention to the recent NFL draft. In the NFL draft, the team with the league’s worst record goes first. So, the Cincinnati Bengals chose quarterback Joe Burrough to be the savior of their franchise. That’s a big load to put on the shoulders of a young quarterback, but it’s an honor to go first. For their part, the Lions got to pick third. Then there’s the last player chosen in the draft, who takes home the title of “Mr. Irrelevant.” The word “chosen” figures prominently in 1 Peter 2. Peter invites us to come to Jesus, the “living stone” that was rejected by humanity but is  “chosen and precious in God’s sight.” Later in the reading, Peter informs us that we are part of a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, ...