Given by Rev. Madison Shockley April 17, 2022 Happy Easter! Resurrection is a difficult concept. Unlike Jesus's birth, his resurrection was not an observable event. In order to reverse the death of Jesus, the writers talk about an empty tomb. The early writers were not talking about a bodily resurrection. They sought a moral and [...]
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley April 10, 2022 We have an unfortunate habit of domesticating and sanitizing Jesus and his message. We being the main stream, middle class state sanctioned religion. People forget what events took place during Holy Week in Jesus's time as we celebrate. There is a disconnect with the word crucifixion and [...]
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley March 13, 2022 We begin this Lenten season with the story of Jesus's baptism and journey into the wilderness. It is there that Jesus confronts the "devil". The devil represents the power that always opposes humanity's desire to please the Divine. Humans have been dealing with the devil since the [...]
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley February 27, 2022 This is a time to stand up and raise our heads. Redemption is a popular theme in both the Hebrew and Christian faiths. In ancient times, the first of everything was given to God - crops, animals, and first-born child. People gave the crops and animals to [...]
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley February 20, 2022 Jesus told us to love our enemies. This is at the core of his teachings yet this is the hardest ask of all. Let us look at Jesus's goal with this lesson. The Roman Empire was known for its harsh punishment of its enemies. Jesus taught the [...]
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley February 13, 2022 After Luke's description of a Christian, are you sure you want to be a Christian? He tells us that some will hate you, curse you, exclude you, mistreat you, and abuse you. You will weep. This makes it hard to want to be blessed. The Beatitudes make [...]
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley January 23, 2022 The life of Jesus was bracketed by danger. Luke tells the story of Jesus visiting Nazareth during his ministry. At first, the people welcome him. They liked his powerful message and teachings. After his baptism and spiritual journey into the wilderness, Jesus gained the power of the [...]
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley January 9, 2022 at Pilgrim UCC in Carlsbad CA The Bible was not written all at once but evolved over thousands of years. Luke used the Gospel of Mark as a starting point and then used other sources to fill out his gospel. After adding the birth narrative, Luke has [...]
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley December 26, 2021 Our reading today tells the story of the time Jesus was left behind at the temple. His parents spent three days looking for him before finding him still at the temple. We often focus on Jesus's or the temple scholars' perspective but today, we focus on this [...]
Lead by Adrienne Armes December 24, 2021 As we gather for our second COVID Christmas Service, we celebrate the birth of Jesus with the help of our children. Video:
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley December 24, 2021 We gather together to celebrate the birth of Jesus. There is no greater hope than that embodied in a newborn baby. There is something sacred as we look into their eyes. They embody all our family's hopes and dreams for a better future. In the Bible, the [...]
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley December 19, 2021 Today we hear one of the birth narratives. Luke's version differs from Matthew's. These are not historical accounts. The purpose for Luke's narrative is so the readers understand the meaning of Jesus from birth until death. The birth of Jesus accomplishes the task of letting the poor [...]
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley December 5, 2021 Today's passage by Luke quotes Isaiah in order to discomfort the Israelites living in the promised land. They needed to be shaken out of their comfort zone. The world was not ready to receive God's presence. There was more work to be done spiritually. Today we also [...]
Given by Rev. David Q Hall October 10, 2021 Luke viewed himself as a historian, recounting the events surrounding Jesus. Today's reading is taken from the Gospel of Luke. It tells the story of the Good Samaritan. We were treated to a live reenactment of this story. Jesus instructed us to love our neighbor. Our [...]
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley September 26, 2021 War is devastating for those involved. The U.S. is fortunate to have had only one major war on its soil, the Civil War. On January 6th, a different kind of war impacted us, the Culture War. Dr. Donald Schneider wrote An Ethic for Enemies where he talks about forgiveness [...]
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley December 20, 2020 Our passage tells the story of the visit by an angel to Mary. The angel reminds her that nothing is impossible with God. For Luke, the theological assertion that Jesus was special to God and the evidence was shown throughout Jesus's life was the most important point. [...]
