Looking Toward Sunday

"Casting Out Demons"

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

February 1, 2015

The scripture reading for this Sunday is one of the exorcism stories from the Gospel of Mark. (You can read it here.) Jesus is teaching in the synagogue when he is confronted by a man possessed by a demon. Jesus rebukes the demon and casts it out of the man, much to the amazement of those in the synagogue.

For Mark's 1st century audience, such a story wouldn't be considered out of the ordinary. However, It can be difficult for those of us living in the 21st century to wrap our head around the idea of demons and evil spirits inhabiting and controlling human beings. Yet we don't necessarily have to adopt the pre-scientific worldview of Jesus’ day in order to understand that we sometimes find ourselves controlled by powers that are larger than ourselves – powers that can possess us and damage our lives, both individually and collectively. Perhaps demons are every bit as real to us as they were to the ancient world. We just have a very different understanding of what they are. 

Join us this week as we think about our "demons" and the power of Jesus to liberate us from them.

See you on Sunday!

Looking Toward Sunday

"God's Little Bunnies"

Second Sunday after Epiphany

January 18, 2015

This Sunday we'll be taking a look at the beautiful poetry of Psalm 139 (you can read it here). The words speak of God's intimate knowledge of the psalmist and about God's constant presence, which abides in both times of joy and times of darkness. The poem paints a picture of the God whose love hems us in, who will not let us go, who will pursue us to the ends of the earth.

If you're familiar with the children's book, "The Runaway Bunny", this description of God sounds a lot like the mother rabbit who reminds her little bunny that no matter where he goes, she will follow and care for him. 

Is that the way we think about God - as a nurturing Presence, as close as our own heartbeat? Or do we picture God as a distant being, far removed from the everyday stuff of our lives? And what difference does it make which way see God? Join us as we explore those questions and consider what it might mean to imagine ourselves as "God's little bunnies".

See you on Sunday!