by Erica Palmisano | May 13, 2018
A message from the series “When Words Are Not Enough.” Worship can and should be expressed in every aspect of our lives. While songs are certainly not the most important expression of worship, they have been a feature of individual and collective worship for thousands of years. Humans seem to be hardwired to sing—allowing our hearts to express so much more than our heads alone are able to do; drawing us closer to God and to one another. This week we will look at songs of worship recorded in the Christian scriptures, and explore what they can teach us about how to worship through song in our own cultural context.
The writer of the gospel of Luke includes three songs by people directly associated with the birth of Jesus: Mary, Zechariah and Simeon. Their songs celebrate God’s faithfulness in fulfilling the promises made to their ancestors, and express hope for justice for the oppressed and blessing to all nations through the arrival of the Messiah. Letters written to early church communities contain passages that appear to be quotations from hymns or poems, particularly focused on the beauty and mystery of Christ. “Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:18) express our gratitude to God, and are also used to teach and encourage followers of Jesus to live as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. Finally, we will consider the declarations of God’s holiness, power, and justice found in the book of Revelation, and consider how the imagery used in apocalyptic literature can expand our imaginations, but may also be at times unhelpful.
by Erica Palmisano | May 7, 2018
A message from the series “Getting Beneath the Surface.” The High School youth look at the significance and implications of three parables: the lost sheep, lost coin, and mustard seed.
by Erica Palmisano | Apr 29, 2018
A message from the series “Getting Beneath the Surface.” This week’s message focuses on two tweet-sized parables that speak metaphorically about looking beneath the surface, weighing our priorities, and discovering the joy of Jesus and his kingdom. This kingdom is compared to a person who finds something of great value and then goes “all in” in order to obtain it. In one case, it seems that the treasure finder accidently stumbles upon a hidden treasure, while the second story features a long-time seeker. In both cases, the finders act decisively to sell everything they own to gain that prize, and their decision changes everything.
Through these parables, Jesus invites us to go “all in” and embrace his kingdom, daring to dream of heaven on earth. While literally selling all our possessions is rarely a prerequisite, we may find we need to let go of certain beliefs, behaviors, uncertainties, fears, securities, reputations, and distractions in order to fully enjoy the life God intends for us. All around us, we can see examples of people who are pursuing this kingdom out of love for Jesus, no matter what the cost, by showing self-giving love, forgiving those who hurt them, speaking truth to power, sacrificing financially, and so on. This week, we will try to allow these parables to get beneath the surface of our lives, exploring what might be holding us back from going “all in,” and encouraging each other to see what is hidden and put our confidence in Jesus.
by Erica Palmisano | Apr 15, 2018
A message from the series “Getting Beneath the Surface.” Vineyards held great social, cultural and religious importance in ancient Israel, and were used metaphorically in poetry and song. The prophet Isaiah, writing at the end of the 8thcentury BCE, describes Israel as a vine carefully planted and tended by God; but instead of producing good fruit (righteousness and justice), the nation produced bad fruit (violence and oppression). This vineyard became a “wasteland” when the Assyrian and Babylonian armies defeated Israel and took many of its inhabitants into exile.
When the religious leaders of the day ask Jesus what authority he has to teach in the temple courts, he retells this parable to show that the prophets, poets, songwriters, and even history itself all point to him. Jesus will allow himself to be killed by the religious leaders, and yet will ultimately be vindicated as the Son of God. This week, we will explore how through this parable Jesus contrasts the persistent, vulnerable love of God with the religious leaders’ hardness of heart. We will also consider how he reiterates the prophets’ call to forget empty religion and live lives of righteousness and justice. In addition, we will ponder the picture that runs throughout scripture of a hopeful, inclusive future—a budding, blossoming, fruit-bearing vineyard that fills the whole world.
by Erica Palmisano | Apr 8, 2018
A message from the series “Getting Beneath the Surface.” This is one of Jesus’ most famous parables and has often been seen as a template for his parables in general because it is one that Jesus also explains to his disciples. As readers, we are given privileged status as “insiders” who get to hear the interpretation and meaning. On one level this is helpful because we get an explanation of what is beneath the surface of the parable. But here there is another twist: the explanation is pretty obvious and not particularly cryptic. So rather than focusing on Jesus’ explanation of this particular story, perhaps we should focus on what he is saying about his teachings in general. This is a parable about parables; it is a teaching about teaching. The irony is that he is talking about the nature of understanding, but his disciples don’t understand it!
This week we explore that conundrum a little further and seek a deeper meaning in the parable. Our goal is to become both better hearers and better doers, so we will look at the various obstacles we face (comparisons to the soil types in the story) and especially focus on how we can cultivate a heart condition and receptivity more like the good soil. Specifically, we will follow the paradoxical spiral of Jesus’ teaching that “whoever has, will be given more” and look at humility, innocence, weakness and the sense of having nothing to lose as fertile soil for the Kingdom of God to bear fruit. We will also consider the generous, indiscriminate and inclusive way in which the Kingdom of God is shared—whether it is received or not—and the vulnerability of God’s love that does not force its way, but can be as readily rejected as accepted.
