The Progressive Christian Voice

Ezek 37:1-14; Ps 130; Jn 11;1-45. God has placed us here in this church today as a stop along our journey of faith to receive the breath of the Holy Spirit, to hear the bellowing cry of Christ, to engage the creative passions of God and emerge fully alive like Lazarus, Martha and Mary and all of the exiled of Israel in Ezekiel’s day, attentive to the needs around us – maybe even those of the person sitting beside you in the pew – as God’s work of creation continues through each one of us.

Ex 17: 1-17, Jn 4: 5-42. Just like Jesus had a gushing stream of hope for the woman at the well that day, Jesus is standing ready with an outpouring of salvation for all of the world’s oppressed. Scripture tells us that Jesus saves men and women and children who are in any way hurting, or feeling devalued or outside the bounds of justice, bringing healing to those who ask and those who don’t even know what to do next.

John 4: 5-42. Just like Jesus had a gushing stream of hope for the woman at the well that day, Jesus stands ready with an outpouring of healing and salvation for all the world's oppressed.

Amy DeLouise, violin: Arioso(JSBach), Andante from Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Minor (Handel), Largo from Violin Sonata No. 1 (Corelli). Priscilla Little, soprano: Pie Jesu (Faure) Tom Beveridge, organ and piano accompaniest, and O Sacred Head (JS Bach) A Blessing of the Dust by Jan Richardson, as read by JC Cadwallader

2 Peter 1: 16-21 and Mt 17: 1-9. We live in a culture that tends to police extraordinary experiences – we have moments of feeling truly awestruck, moments of amazement, and yet our culture tells us that we shouldn’t share those moments unless we can academically and logically explain what happened. But, our text today speaks to the opposite and gives us permission not only to have those extraordinary moments but to share them. It acknowledges that a wild thing happened and amazement is not the enemy of knowledge - Amazement should accompany it – because this is how hope shines through. Therefore, might it be that we, aware of Christ’s ability to break through to amazement, seek to serve in love in hope of being amazed by God’s presence in the world over and over again?

Lev 19: 1-2, 11-19 and Mt 5: 38-48. A right and perfect relationship with God and others is one that fulfills the law of love and forgiveness; when we forgive one another in love, we are working to maintain the bonds of humanity between us.

Kathy Hankins, soprano, and the Choir of Western Presbyterian Church provide an especially outstanding offering of the Spiritual, Standin in the Need of Prayer.

Mt 5: 14-16. Let your light shine is such a well known text it may've lost its punch. But it should be a punch in the gut to wake up and start acting the way God wants us to. God wants you to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and let the oppressed go free.

Mt. 5: 1-12. We, as Reformed Christians, function in the ‘not yet and already’ space. We are aware of the darkness and evil in our midst, and we strain to see God’s blessing in our world. We desire to see the fruits of God’s blessing – because the work is hard and unfairness can become defeating and we seek some motivation to continue on. And, today, we hear this word from Jesus, and we ponder what this blessing might mean for us individually and as a community of believers.

Mt 4: 12-23. It is incumbent upon the church of Jesus Christ to hear new of gross economic inequalities in the world as a cry for each member to leave his net like the first disciples and, in unquestioning compliance to Christ's claim on our lives to take action and lend voice to close the gap of economic inequality worldwide.

John 1: 29-42. In response to God’s love for us, we are compelled to go and see and we are mere participants in the work of Christ – and, what is amazing is that in that space, when we’re working for justice and healthy change, we discover the peace of God. We discover that we don’t need to be fearful of not doing enough. We don’t need to fear failure. We do not do this work to prove anything because, the fact is, that as people heeding Christ’s invitation to come and see, we are not the primary actors in this work – we are invited to come and see – we are invited to participate in God’s transforming work in the world and in doing so, we point to the One on whom the dove rests, the source of our love, the source of un-ending peace.

Mt 3: 13-17. Baptism of our Lord Sunday. May a sprinkling of good not be enough for your life so that you are compelled to immerse yourself in the chaotic waters with Christ, for the sake of all of the suffering souls of the world.

Lk 2: 1-20. Many are intent upon writing books that debunk the mystery of Christ because they fear the story is not for them. Somewhere beneath life's crushing load, there's a whole population yearning for a savior. Let us ascertain for ourselves where Christ is for us today and accept this wonderful gift from God in the pure and perfect way that God intends, singing O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Merry Christmas!

Ps 122, Is 2:1-5, Mt 24:36-44. As we move into this Season of Advent, we wait with eager anticipation on the coming of our Lord to descend again upon the earth and usher in a world of peace. A world of peace will be realized when all of the world's resources are piled up in a great heap and redistributed rightly. All steps each one of us makes to bring us closer to this world of peace brings us ultimately closer to God with us - Immanuel.

Lk 23: 33-43. You don’t have to look long or hard within the Gospel of Luke to pick up on the fact that the Kingdom of God is not your run-of-the-mill, empire-type kingdom. It is a kingdom that is characterized by new life, hope and grace and, above all, love – the kind of love that never wearies, even through practicing forgiveness.