Fourth Sunday of Advent 2018 What part of God’s world do you love? Last weekend we investigated a two-way relationship with God, “Because He loves to give the gift of making Himself known to you, He also loves it when you give Him the gift of making yourself known to Him.” In the same …
The Maker Has Made Himself Known: Make Him Known Read More »
Sound a trumpet in Alaska! It’s the MCA Christmas Pastor Appreciation Weekend! Each year, as Chairman of the MCA Board of Directors, I am blessed to give honor to the MCA Alaska Pastoral Team. Honoring our Pastors in Australia, Burkina Faso, and other undisclosed locations happens at another time and in other ways. This weekend …
The Third Sunday of Advent 2018 Have you ever had a secret admirer? Who is your secret admirer? It can be hard to tell who’s been secretly sending you gifts or romantic messages, especially when he or she doesn’t want you to find out. You will need to use all the clues you can find. …
The Maker has Made Himself Known: Make yourself known to Him Read More »
Before we get to the subject matter of the day, I find words, their history and meanings, interesting. For example, I recently learned that the word “Prom” is short for promenade. Promenade is defined as, “a paved public walk, typically one along a waterfront at a resort.” We are thinking through elements of unexpected joy …
In “Surprise: Embrace the Unpredictable and Engineer the Unexpected,” Tania Luna and Leeann Renninger expound upon the science of surprise. Surprise: our reaction to unexpected and misexpected (Is it an emotion? A cognitive state? No one knows for sure. Surprise is mysterious like that.) Schema (plural: schemata): a mental framework for understanding something. Surprise sequence: …
Unexpected Joy: The Birth of Jesus and Poverty of Spirit Read More »
For most people, Jesus the Messiah was unexpected. The Messiah would be revealed, but not now, not here, not like this, not from there. The unexpected Jesus produced resistance and fear. A gift you receive for Christmas is wrapped beautifully and delicately. Upon opening this exquisite package, you discover a completely unexpected gift. You had …
Unexpected Joy: The Beatitudes are an Autobiography of Jesus Read More »
Jesus is the New and Living Way to interact with God. The first covenant opens with God: Bringing order out of chaos, turning what is formless and void into form and fullness. Genesis 1:2 Blessing the excellence of His creation. Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31 The second covenant (New and Living Way) …
In my message today I am seeking to bring our attention back to the Person, Jesus. Christianity has it’s propositions, but is not initially “Propositional Truth.” The core essence of being a follower of Jesus is “Transactional Truth.” Because Jesus is a Person, He must be known transactionally (two living beings transacting – or two …
Back in the day I heard Amy Grant singing, “I’ve finally found the reason that I’m happy sad.” This lyric deserves a hearty laugh, I thought at that time. “Happy sad.” Impossible! thought my unseasoned heart. One is either happy or one is sad. Forty or so orbits around the sun later I am starting …
The first Christmas was all about a young and small family. Make this Christmas about family too. MCA Church celebrates the family with two family style events this joyous Christmas season. Wednesday evening, December 18, from 5:00- 7:00, we gather as a church family to eat and celebrate loving relationships both in our personal families …