1 Peter 2.5 (CEB)

You yourselves are being built like living stones into a spiritual temple. You are being made into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Taking faith seriously is a risky task.  We are asked to integrate the life-altering experiences of God into our daily living.  We know that racism, sexism, and natural disasters are realities in our world, and they affect our sense of security.  We also realize that joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self-control are a challenge to incorporate when our culture values time and money above all else.  But even in the tough places, we have help.

Psalms help give us words to say when our words fail us.  Psalms show us the power of words and the power of faithful tradition.  Psalms become an instrument for us to live faithfully, even when we don't fully comprehend God’s movement and presence.
  
Sunday we will reflect on Psalm 30 which is praising God for what God has done.  In it, the Psalmist names places of moments of heartache and juxtaposes each with moments of transcendence.  By doing so, he transforms each moment, making it sacred and special.
 
Grace and peace,

​
Rev. Brian

Article:
Ephesians 4.29 (CEB)
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
 
We begin a series this week moving through the book of Psalms.  This book offers us a snapshot of life, filled with highs and lows and, of course, everything in between.  The Psalms helps give voice and language to our faith.  The three most common forms of Psalms are the 1) hymn:  offering praise to God and acknowledging all that God has done 2) lament:  expressing regret, annoyance, or disappoint in what we feel when God doesn’t live up to our expectations, and 3) thanksgiving:  giving God
appreciation for goodness and kindness, expressed and accepted.
 
Giving language to faith is a life-long endeavor.  Thankfully we have some guidance in how we might do that authentically.  Please join us this Sunday through the end of July, as we find ways to express our faith. Being sincere is both the joy and the
heartache.   
 
Grace and peace,
 
 
Rev. Brian
 

Article:

John 1.5 (RSV)
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Our first night of Vacation Bible School is over, and it was an amazing time!  La Porte Community Church “does” VBS like no other, and I thank God that we do!  This year’s theme is “Cave Quest: Following Jesus, the Light of the World.”  Each night during our journey through the scriptures, crafts, snacks, games, and gathering time, we are faithfully witnessing what God is doing and what God will do in our lives.

We call this hope.  Hope is looking forward to God’s future working while in the present to ensure its realization.  And God’s people know what it means to hope.  From our earliest scriptural accounts, we know that people have been expecting a Savior. 

In the meantime we live faithfully seeking to serve one another in love.  We give our best because in doing so we are living out our faith.  Jesus is the light of the world for you and for me.  Please join us every night this week as the light of Jesus becomes brighter and brighter!
 
Grace and peace,

​
Rev. Brian

Mark 1.15 (NRSV)
 
"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
 
Jesus teaches us that the kingdom of God is at hand.  We live our lives in the kingdom.  We, at the same time, seek expression of the kingdom in its fullest manifestation knowing that it is yet to be fully realized.  We do this by faithfully following Jesus wholeheartedly, believing that God is moving in our hearts and lives.  In essence we are never fully done with our work.
 
If we claim our name as Christians, we are professing Jesus as LORD and Savior. He will then shape what we say and what we do.  We do this thoughtfully with a heart knowing that we are who we are supposed to be right now.  With an open heart we accept who we are; acknowledging who we are becoming is yet to be entirely known.  Our faith then is not rigid or as set as we would hope.  The beauty is that we each have a part to play, and we are called to be part of the kingdom. 
 
Sunday, Elijah will once again show us what commitment to faith means as he puts everything on the line.  Elijah’s confrontation with King Ahab will challenge us to think about power and our use of it.  See you Sunday!
 
Grace and peace,
 
 
Rev. Brian