Faith Lift

The post-resurrection scene of the Gospel of John is different from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew concludes its gospel with a glorious scene in which Jesus ascends into heaven with the declaration of the great commission to his eleven disciples (Matthew 28:16-20). John retells the post-resurrection scene in a more somber tone.

In a world filled with physical, spiritual, and other forms of hunger, we crave sustenance to not only fill our stomachs but shelter us from the troubles and anxieties of life. Living out our faith sustains us. Living out God's justice fills our hearts, our minds, our souls, and even our bodies. Here, we recognize that believing in Christ means we feed others and are ourselves fed by faith. We do so with the enduring guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

The story of Zacchaeus is unique to Luke's gospel. Set in Jericho, Jesus' final stop before reaching Jerusalem, this narrative revisits several key themes Luke has explored throughout the previous eighteen chapters: journey, wealth, encounter, salvation, and sharing.

The Lukan Jesus loves teaching with parables. Several parables are unique to the Gospel of Luke; the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son are the most well-known. Many parables in Luke enrich Jesus' messages as they metaphorically illustrate the intersections of theology and ethics. In today's passage, we encounter two parables, both centered around meals

Matthew 6:11 (“give us today [epioúsios] our daily bread”), at first glance, seems to be straightforward in its petition. However, looking closely at the English translation of this verse, there is a superscription at the end inviting us to look into the footnote section. The footnote encourages us to think about exchanging the word “daily” with “tomorrow.

We are tempted to forget who we are and whose we are; Lent is a season of remembering our true selves through reflection, reconciliation, and reconnection on the journey toward the cross and the empty tomb.

We shouldn't get hung up on whether we're hearing from God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit. We can listen to the triune God through Scripture, prayer and paying attention to our conscience. And we have a partner to help us open our ears.

Adhering to the golden rule often results in some future payback, but there's no guarantee. The real treasure in the golden rule isn't getting credit for changing the world. It is keeping faith with Jesus, who calls us to follow him.

In Luke's version of Jesus calling Simon, he asks Simon to push out into the deep and let down their nets. After a long not of not catching anything, Simon says, "At your word Lord we will." Jesus is asking us to push out into the deep out f our comfort zones and lower and nets and trust him.

It is possible that Jeremiah was suffering from scopophobia: the fear of being stared at. So, Jeremiah resists God's assignment by claiming youthful inexperience. Perhaps it was his way of saying he was afraid people would stare at him, make fun of him or belittle him. Would we respond any differently?

Time capsules are ways we sometimes choose to send messages to the future. In today's text, the Hebrews experience a "time-capsule" moment when the Scriptures are read to them. They hear the word of the Lord as though they're hearing it for the first time.

With that question, what is in our wallet defines us in many ways. But with our baptismal certificate, we are baptized children of God, and followers of Jesus Christ. Maybe we ought to copy, shrink and laminate our baptism certificates and place them in the fronton our wallet. That way every time we are reminded who we are.

Too often, we've been told that a successful life is a linear one. But in reality, our lives unfold with many unexpected twists and turns. The Magi follow a star, embarking on a long journey in a foreign land in order to honor the newborn Christ. Instead of returning to Herod as commanded, they trust their dreams and go home by another way. Their road isn't straight, but God “makes a way in the wilderness” (Isaiah 43:19) as they follow their intuition and diverge from the expected path.

Christmas Eve- Christ's birth makes the vastness of God personal. The God who made the seas and the stars is also the God who made your beautiful hair and your striking eyes. The God of creation takes on flesh, which means you are fully known. When the angels visit the shepherds in the fields, their message is global but also personal: “To you . . . a savior is born.” This birth is good news for everyone, especially those who are ignored or disenfranchised. On this night, God is born, and this God of love knows your name.

Advent 4- Hope is vulnerable and can feel like a tremendous risk, especially if you've experienced loss or trauma. But Mary shows us a resilient hope that takes risks—she risks her body to bear a son who will become the hope of her people. Similarly, Joseph makes a risky choice to stay with Mary; dismissing her quietly would have kept him safe. But instead, he chooses hope. He chooses to trust the angel, and it makes all the difference. It can feel safer and easier to be a cynic, but the world doesn't need more cynics. It needs people who say, “It can be better," and make it so.

Advent 3: As John the Baptist is teaching about bearing good fruit, the crowds, tax collectors, and soldiers ask him, “What, then, should we do?” His answer to each group is slightly different, but ultimately the same: “Do the good that is yours to do.” We can each bear good fruit through acts of justice and righteousness. We can all be what Isaiah calls “repairers of the breach” by satisfying the needs of the afflicted.

Advent 2: One of life's most essential lessons is that we are never meant to go alone. And yet, modern culture pushes us more and more into lonely silos. If Ruth had followed her culture's norms, she would have gone home to her family of origin after her husband died, but instead, she commits herself to her mother-in-law, Naomi. Together they form a new family and covenant. Ruth and Naomi travel together to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest, foreshadowing the journey Mary and Joseph will one day take to becounted in the census. Both Ruth and Naomi as well as Mary and Joseph are unconventional pairs, but if God can bring unlikely people together, God can form us into a covenant community too.

Advent 1: The Advent journey unfolds like a well-worn quilt, each patchwork piece lovingly threaded across time and space. In each thread, we find blessed assurance that with every sacred stitch, God has been moving toward us all along. This season reminds us that, what some may see as discarded scraps, the Maker of heaven and earth calls beautiful and blessed. Mary, an ordinary girl from the obscure corners of Nazareth, was not cloaked in power or prestige—but was blanketed in belovedness.

Every parent knows that their kids are going to ask questions. They just pray that the questions are ones they can answer. Jesus was asked a question that he didn't answer. But he had already challenged his interrogator as to whether he “belonged to the truth.” What did he mean?

In football they measure the forward progress of a team by using the "sticks" that measures 10 yards for a first down. How do we measure our progress in our faith?

All around the world every day there are earthquakes. Some we feel some we don't. But it is the faith quakes of life that cause us to have little faith in the midst of struggle and stress. How do we handle those times the shaking of our faith.

To being fully Wesleyan in terms of our financial stweradship , we need to earn all we can, save all we can and give all we can.

With so much data on our smartphones, or available via our smartphones, it's no wonder that we're constantly checking the phone. But the techy programs to which we're attached and which provide so much information and knowledge, cannot be more important than the visible world around us that provides so much data and knowledge about the Creator who made everything possible. Think about it: We are in touch with the One who made all … this … happen!

What can we do when we're not happy with God? Navigating darkness can be difficult, whether it's driving down a country road in the middle of the night or getting through a dark night of the soul. Job might have jumped at the chance to try a pair of modern night vision goggles to help him find God, but what we all need is faith when God cannot be seen.

New NCAA rules are turning kids into instant millionaires. College-level and professional athletes are receiving enormous compensation for their NIL: name, image and likeness. Using this same rubric, how might we assess the work of Jesus Christ?

James tells us, “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective,” but how do we measure that effectiveness? We need to understand that the act of prayer can strengthen our spiritual relationships, and God can provide healing in a form that may differ from the solution we prayed for.

Our lives as we reach adulthood and onward are filled with aspirations and challenges, experiences and pain that drags us downward and discourages us from believing in beauty, love, kindness, and forgiveness. Before you know it, we can become bitter and cautious about others and guarded about ourselves. We need to re-remind ourselves what it feels like to be child-like –to trust, to believe, to love unconditionally, to cast aside our need for management and control, and to put our lives into Jesus' hands. And allow him to resurrect our hearts, our bodies, and our spirits. For the world weighs down, but hope rises.

The Goldfish Mobile, Mr. Peanut's Nut Mobile, the Peeps Car and the Kissmobile have at one time or another have hot the roads creating good will and good advertising. These odd autos raise the question of how one best advertises our faith.

This text contains a remarkable exchange between Jesus and a woman. It's remarkable because Jesus' "sparring partner" is: a) a woman, b) a Gentile and c) a person whom Jesus appears to insult. What's happening here?

The apostle James uses a a mirror as a metaphor in Chapter 1. What type of mirror did he have in mind? We know that mirrors come in all shapes and sizes and have many uses. Natural mirrors exist, too, like the incredible Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. Yet, James makes a strong case for a different mirror, perhaps more powerful than any other. He calls it a “perfect” mirror, and for good reason.

Senior citizens are taking martial arts classes where they learn how to use their everyday walking canes as self-defense weapons. Paul teaches a similar class in Ephesians 6, reminding us that it's the simple things that Christians carry with them every day that can be our best defense against spiritual attack.

Artists who create sculptures in the sand don't have long to appreciate their work. The tide washes it away within hours. They've discovered the meaning of living in the moment — of redeeming the time.In the brief time we have on earth, how are you letting God scultp you to show his glory?

In his best-selling book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell, the author of The Tipping Point and Blink, and staff writer for The New Yorker, says that people who are fabulously successful have almost always put in more than 10,000 hours of practice time in activities related to their success. What if we applied this rule to the practice of living faithfully as Christians?

Are you looking to shed a few pounds but don't like feeling hungry? Keto, caveman and intermittent fasting diets aren't working for you? Jesus has a bread-of-life diet that offers complete satisfaction, purpose and eternal life — and you'll never feel hungry or thirsty again.

We're all familiar with the feeding of the 5,000, five loaves and two fish. But there's more to the story. When the disciples are terrified on a stormy sea, Jesus offers them the miracles of provision and peace by telling them that he is everything they'll ever need.

Paul came to speak plainly about Christ. So as I begin this new appointment with this new church and its people, I will look to keep it simple: Jesus and who he was and Jesus and what he did 1 Corinthians 2:1-9

Isn't it amazing how great your voice sounds in the shower? There are three different realities involved in hearing the sound of our own voice. 1. There's what we THINK we sound like. 2. There's what we ACTUALLY sound like. 3. There's what OTHERS think we sound like. Pentecost is the day on which the disciples finally found their voice. And yet it wasn't their own voice they found. It was God speaking to them through the Holy Spirit. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rev-craig-gommer/message

Jesus' last words were a promise of power from on high. But he spoke again through the apostles on the day of Pentecost, and he continues to speak today in those inspired moments when the church reaches beyond its human nature and reflects the Divine. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rev-craig-gommer/message

The pitch clock was a game changer for Major League Baseball. Does God have a pitch clock to speed up our understanding of love? People lived by complex religious regulations for centuries. But then, people of faith discovered that love is the heart of God's will, and the focus of our faith should be to love one another as God has loved us. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rev-craig-gommer/message

Like breathing in and out, inhaling and exhaling, this extension of divine love to others is not something we need to advertise. Reaching out with compassion and concern to our brothers and sisters is to be part of our daily “sacrifice of praise,” our daily life. It is not a meritorious moment. It is a minute-by-minute lifestyle. Giving hands and feet to God's love is what God's children are to do. It is what we do when no one is looking. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rev-craig-gommer/message

Just as children develop a healthy imagination, children of God are called to imagine themselves being formed in the image of Christ, having power over sin and love for God and neighbor. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rev-craig-gommer/message

This week's text could be read alongside our first text for the series (Luke 5:1-11). The parallels and connections between the two are palpable and powerful. Once again, Jesus offers Peter abundance. His journey—like ours—is not linear, but God's grace continues to circle back to him again and again like a familiar chorus played on repeat. In this text, we primarily want to focus on Peter's threefold redemption granted to him by Jesus' question: “Do you love me?” We might imagine Jesus asking us the same question. As we move forward in our faith journeys, how can we let love lead the way? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rev-craig-gommer/message

We might expect that, after denying Christ, Peter would cower in shame—or perhaps even run away in an attempt to leave his past behind him. Instead, when he hears the news from the women, he doesn't dismiss them like the other disciples. He gets up and runs to the tomb. When he peers into the empty tomb and sees the linen cloth, he is filled with awe. Even after the biggest failures, even after the worst case scenario has happened, can we run toward hope? Like Peter, will we keep going? Will we keep looking for God in our midst? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rev-craig-gommer/message

Easter Sunday: We might expect that, after denying Christ, Peter would cower in shame—or perhaps even run away in an attempt to leave his past behind him. Instead, when he hears the news from the women, he doesn't dismiss them like the other disciples. He gets up and runs to the tomb. When he peers into the empty tomb and sees the linen cloth, he is filled with awe. Even after the biggest failures, even after the worst case scenario has happened, can we run toward hope? Like Peter, will we keep going? Will we keep looking for God in our midst? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rev-craig-gommer/message

On this Fifth Sunday in Lent, Peter is often all or nothing—either resisting Jesus or drawing closer to him in earnest. In this scripture, we see a version of Peter who is hungry to learn. His posture is humble and open—he wants to absorb Jesus' teachings like a sponge. He asks a question and expects a straightforward answer: “How many times should I forgive?” Instead, Jesus' math is not predictable—it's infinite. Forgiveness is abundant; grace is not earned. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rev-craig-gommer/message

Fourth Sunday in Lent: When your world unravels and your beliefs are tested, you may cling to what you know. As Jesus foretells his death and resurrection, Peter protests. Peter is fixed upon the way he thinks things should go; he resists the pain of what will come. But Jesus is fixed upon his calling and calls Peter out. We may want to cling to easy or simplistic answers. Can you stay fixed upon your convictions while also expanding your perspective? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rev-craig-gommer/message

Third Sunday in Lent Matthew 16:13-20 “Praise the mount of God's unchanging love. . . ” This lyric represents Peter's mountaintop faith moment. It speaks to spiritual euphoria and feeling the closeness of God. In this story, Peter proclaims who Jesus is. He speaks with conviction. Peter claims his faith. If you had to speak your faith in one sentence or phrase, what would you say? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rev-craig-gommer/message

Matthew 14:22-33 As a new disciple, perhaps Peter wants to prove himself. Boldly, in the middle of a storm, Peter steps out of the boat to join Jesus who is walking on top of the waves. He, too, walks on water until the wind shakes his trust and he begins to sink.Many of us know what it feels like to be thrown off balance,to feel as if we're sinking. In this story, we empathize with the desperation Peter feels as he cries out, and we pray for God to save us when we sink. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rev-craig-gommer/message

Jesus doesn't seek out trained rabbis and priests to be his disciples; instead, he calls a few Galilean fishermen to follow him and join his ministry. And yet, Peter and his partners drop their nets and follow Jesus. What is the beginning of your faith story? When has God sought you out? Have you ever felt like your calling was pursuing—or chasing—you? Did you resist? Did you follow? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rev-craig-gommer/message

Since the pandemic the constant reporting bad news has left many of us with “news fatigue” or anxiety regarding circumstances and events about which we can do nothing. We, the people of God, are “good news” people, however, and through the prophet Isaiah, God reminds us that no matter how bad the news seems to be, God is still at work. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rev-craig-gommer/message

Mark 1:14-20 Simon, Andrew, James and John show us how to change direction and follow Jesus as disciples. The values of God's kingdom are important guideposts along the way. When we share our love and knowledge of the kingdom of God with others, we move a little closer to the destination.   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rev-craig-gommer/message