Living Water

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Tim Graves — Leave a comment

Turn the tap and water comes out.
Clean, refreshing water quenches our thirst.

Stop at the market, twist open the cap.
Spring water crosses our lips and our craving is satisfied.

Step outdoors. Look up.
The clouds dampen our faces and nourish the earth.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.” (John 4:13 CEB)
After a time, we all thirst again.

“but whoever drinks from the water that I will give will never be thirsty again. The water that I give will become in those who drink it a spring of water that bubbles up into eternal life.” (John 4:14 CEB)
Please give us this water that we may never be thirsty again.

Come see the one who turns our thinking and our world upside down.Come see and experience the love that knows no bounds.
Praise be to God!

Praise be to Jesus whose life draws from the well of God’s dreams.
Praise be to Christ Jesus whose love and justice quenches our thirst with living water. Amen.

Tagged with: St. Photina, woman at the well
Posted in Call to Worship, John, John 4, John 4:1-42, Uncategorized

So It Is

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Tim Graves — Leave a comment

It had been a long day.
The heat. The crowds. The life as it is expected.

He sensed something new with this man.
A breath, a wind swirled and blew.

They met as the noise of the day faded.
A patient breath taught a perceiving heart.

“So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8 NRSV).
Open our hearts to the wind sweeping through this room. Open our whole selves to your abundant love. Amen.

Posted in Call to Worship, John, John 3, John 3:1-21, Uncategorized

Jesus Cleanses the Temple (John 2:13-25)

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Tim Graves — Leave a comment

Tagged with: angry Jesus, cleansing the temple
Posted in John, John 2, John 2:13-25, sanctuary arts, Uncategorized

Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11)

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Tim Graves — Leave a comment

Small blooms were sprinkled down the center aisle leading to this display in front of the communion table. Each seat in the sanctuary had a wrapped wedding butter mint.

Posted in John, John 2, John 2:1-11, narrative lectionary, sanctuary arts, Uncategorized

The Righteous Anger of a Prophet

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Tim Graves — Leave a comment

The world is not what we think it should be.
It fails to meet our hopes and dreams.

Some weeks we’re depressed. We ache at the hurt, the deep emotional and physical pain we inflict upon one another.
It’s hard to see you in this fractured life.

We try to be like the calm shepherd holding a lamb that we imagine Jesus to be.
We want to be the people Jesus teaches us to become.

But Jesus is more than a calm shepherd. Jesus was human.
He also felt righteous anger when religious leaders took advantage of the poor and marginalized.

Come and worship the prophet from Nazareth.
Praise be to the one we call Christ. Amen.

Posted in Call to Worship, John, John 2, John 2:13-25, Uncategorized

An Angry Savior

Posted on January 16, 2018 by Tim Graves — Leave a comment

From your lives of challenge,
of hard work, of weariness, and loneliness, come and worship.
In tough times and times of joy, it “is zeal for your house that has consumed me…” (Psalm 69:9a CEB)

From lives of righteous anger, frustration at injustice, and weeping for what could have and could yet be, come and worship.
“The insults of those who insult [God] have fallen on me.” They harm my neighbors and even themselves. (Psalm 69:9b CEB)

From your lives, gather round to hear the story of Jesus whose anger erupts when the church is a place of selfishness and greed at the expense of the meek, poor, and marginalized.
“He made a whip from ropes and chased them all out of the temple, including the cattle and the sheep.” (John 2:15 CEB)

Indeed he did. Come and worship the God of Jesus.
“But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD.” (Psalm 69:13 CEB)

Posted in Call to Worship, John, John 2, John 2:13-25, narrative lectionary, Psalm 69, Psalm 69:1-16, Psalm 69:13, Psalm 69:9, Psalms, Uncategorized

“Come & See”

Posted on January 3, 2018 by Tim Graves — Leave a comment

John points to Jesus.
And two follow.

Jesus called to Philip.
And Philip found Nathanael.

Beckoning spirit, we crave you.
We ache for connections and peace and wholeness.

All around us we see hatred, brinkmanship, and suffering neighbors.
Why? How did we get here?

How did we get here? Why do we play at war when you teach us to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly?
What prevents us from living true to your breath which gives us life?

Open our hearts and minds.
Touch your image within us, make us one with you.

Make us one with each other.
As you created us to be.

Christ beckons: “Come and See.”
Let us follow and become glimpses of you in our world.

Let us begin in this hour.
Let us worship and learn.
Open us to Christ’s transformation.
Amen.

Posted in Call to Worship, Days of the Church, Epiphany, John, John 1, John 1:35-51, narrative lectionary, New Testament, Seasons of the Church

Followers of the Baby

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Tim Graves — Leave a comment

Christ has arrived as an infant.
As one who teaches us to be vulnerable.
As one whose every need must be fulfilled by love.

As a human baby, Christ will grow and change. Learn and strive. Yearn and hope. Love and grieve.
Christ is one of us. Christ teaches us. Christ points us toward the divine.

Go out and be human, like Jesus. Go out and strive to love as the witness of the baby turned prophet and rabbi teaches.
We go out as followers of Jesus, as Christ’s people. Amen.

Posted in Benediction, Christmas, John, John 1, John 1:19-34

Imagine a Savior

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Tim Graves — 1 Comment

We waited.
And imagined a savior.

We imagined power.
One like the world but stronger and on our side.

We imagined a king on a white horse wielding a sword.
We got a baby born in a stable among the livestock.

We imagined the work done for us through the destruction of our enemies.
We receive a baby who will teach us our calling to seek reconciliation and to love expansively.

Praise be to God for the unexpected babe of Bethlehem.
Praise to the wisdom of love. Amen!

Tagged with: Christology, John the Baptist, John the Baptizer
Posted in Call to Worship, Christmas, John, John 1, John 1:19-34

God’s Word

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Tim Graves — Leave a comment

We’ve been in exile.
We’ve allowed ourselves to be tempted by the idols of things and power.

We’ve found it isn’t what we thought. Shopping therapy and yearning for a soda pop does nothing to build up our world.
They are all fizz and sugar, satiating only temporarily.

We’re left with the same emptiness.
We’re left without the spirit-words of God. We’re alone in harshness and brokenness.

Acknowledging our idolatry and mistakes, we turn back to the living water. We turn back to the love that flows forward bringing justice and hope to all of humanity.
The word that comes from God’s mouth does not return empty. God’s word does as God intends.

Always.
Always.

Amen.

Posted in Advent, Call to Worship, Confession of Sin & Assurance, Isaiah, Isaiah 55, Isaiah 55:1-11, Old Testament, Seasons of the Church