The words we use to talk about food, or how we eat, are very important. Popular food terms include: carryout, fast-food or grab and go. Each of these terms or phrases offer a sense of “quickness” related to either way the food is prepared or how it will be consumed. But what happens when we slow down and return to the table to eat together?
Read MoreThe challenge is not to be complacent. Just because we are served and have our food does mean we get to sit back and enjoy it all to ourselves. We need to be reminded the food is not just for us. The calling therefore is to be motivated distributors of this divine food as often as possible. To be the ones who take down the walls that prevent others from getting enough to eat or the care they deserve.
Read MoreRest seems like a luxury that only a few can afford and it can even sometimes be seen as a shameful transgression in our go-go-go society where busyness and exhaustion are worn as badges of honor. But we’re told that rest is what Jesus instructs the disciples (and us) to do. Be Still and Know that I am God. This is our invitation and command from God…To stop and listen to the God we are called to serve to see what that God actually wants us to do and be in this place and time, to stop and trust in God instead of our own wisdom and guidance.
Read MoreMay we as a church joyfully keep walkin’ with Jesus, letting Jesus challenge and transform us to be reconciled people of faith, hope and love that shine forth in this world like a rainbow in the midst of the storm, assuring all that they are loved and that God’s Kingdom will come, and earth will be as heaven.
Read MoreEach Sabbath prepares us for eternity with God. Just as on the seventh day, God gave the world a soul, Sunday serves as a reminder that our souls belong to him forevermore. A passage from “The Sabbath” explains this metaphor.
Read MoreIt’s a human thing to struggle with love for those we do not know or like. In scripture, we often lose sight of the fact that Jesus is not only fully divine, he is also fully human. And as fully human, He would have had the human proclivity to see the world in terms of insiders and outsiders, friends and enemies. But Jesus didn’t just teach this love of neighbor, he lived it, concretely, healing and breaking bread with those he met, even those considered outsiders and enemies.
Read MoreJesus, in his attempt to bring love into the world, sat down with people who the world hated – the roman soldier, the tax collector, the prostitute, the leaper and the daemon possessed. Jesus broke down the walls of hate by bringing others with him so they too could help uproot and kill the plants of hatred from within. We can break down the roots of hatred, too. It starts with hearing the story of those whom we hate.
Read MoreWhat if Jesus was Philando Castile or George Floyd? What if Jesus was Breonna Taylor or Ahmaud Aubery? Jesus tells us in Matthew that ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ Jesus tells us that we are to see His face in the face of others, especially those who are suffering. It’s our responsibility as a society to help remove masks of inequality.
Read MoreTransfiguration Sunday was also Valentine’s Day and served as a reminder of love in all its forms, including love for yourself. It starts with an assessment of your inner voice. This inner voice is the coach that will be with you for your entire life. Your coach speaks to you about everything, and the more you hear it the more it shapes you. What do you want your coach to say?
Read MoreOne of the most wonderful aspects of scripture is its ability to speak meaningfully to our lives today, no matter what is happening around us. It could be a single word that triggers a reaction like never before. The word from this week’s reading has to be “fever.” The fact that we can’t go to appointments, some stores, or other venues without getting our temperature taken makes us pause and consider how being sick changes life’s daily activities and what effect it had on communities in scripture as well as today.
Read MoreIn the life of Jesus, we saw how God enters into our world and meets those who are marginalized, suffering, oppressed, and rejected. He doesn’t disregard them as impure or unworthy, even though that is what his culture says about those who have diseases, are possessed by evil, or who are Gentiles. In story after story, we see Jesus breaking boundaries, confronting evil, and showing God’s love is stronger than anything sin and death can muster in our world.
Read MoreIn English, we use the word “time” to mean several aspects of time. In the original Greek of the New Testament, there are two different words. The first word for time is “Chronos” as in chronological time. This is the word used for linear time, like today, tomorrow, next month, or next year. Think of the days and weeks on a calendar, moving in one direction. The other word used for time is “Kairos.” The word Kairos is reserved for very special moments in time. This is one of those moments.
Read MoreThe evidence of our sacred stories and God’s presence in relationship is already being made manifest in our community. Just this past Tuesday during our weekly check-ins and conversation there were stories of how this pandemic, and the need to be in our homes with the same people for an extended period of time, has changed our relationships for the better. Just like Jesus said, where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there. The examples of rival siblings becoming friends, spouses finding renewed depths of their relationships and love, and parents finding new bonds with children show that time together grows love and trust. Our prophetic call, as Christians coming into a very different world is to be on the front lines of relationship building, especially with those who are different from us.
Read MoreAs we look forward into a new year with hope and excitement, we are blessed to welcome a new interim pastor for children, youth, and family ministry. Many of you met Pastor Heidi during our weekly meetings. For those who didn’t, she will make her debut as presiding minister this Sunday, January 10th. She will go forward with our children’s messages in 2021 and look for ways to expand our virtual opportunities for children, youth, and family fellowship.
Read MoreThroughout the past several weeks, posts about Advent and Christmas planning have begun to appear on social media forums for worship leaders. Like conversations about Holy Week and Easter during the pandemic’s onset, these prompts and discussions ask important questions like: What will these seasons look or sound like this year? Chad Fothergill, author of Sing with All the People of God: A Handbook for Church Musicians, discusses.
Read MorePastor Daniel Rinehart relates his favorite Bible verse from Isaiah to his recent struggles and rehabilitation from alcoholism. He reflects on how we should delight in the rich foods of God rather than those that do not truly nourish nor satisfy. But even when we have consumed other worldly foods, God continues to speak love into our lives, that we who are dead in sin might rise again to new life.
Read MoreHoly Trinity was recently recognized in an article in Falls Church News Press as part of the Falls Church Community Service Council (FCS). FCS, built on the vision of Holy Trinity members 50 years ago, is one of the pillars of the Falls Church community through programs like Meals on Wheels and the emergency food assistance food pantry at Knox Presbyterian Church.
Read MoreAs we approach the six month threshold of the coronavirus, there seems to be some optimism about a vaccine in our relatively near future. With that said there is also some conversation about who the pandemic has changed our lives and our behavior. This may be a moment for us to consider what we want to keep in terms of healthy practices and what are the elements of life worth leaving in the past. One element of life definitely worth holding on to is our improved skill of listening.
Read MoreHow much is actually sustainable in all of this — COVID-19, hurricanes, wildfires, racial injustice, shootings, school starting, work, home responsibilities, caring for family members and then living out our calling to love God and love our neighbors? What do we do? We look to scripture and the example of Peter for our answer.
Read MoreThere is a general perception about forgiveness that suggests when one is wronged to forgive also means to forget what happened and move on. This type of forgiveness is not what Paul describes in his letter to the Corinthians. Paul is the one who was hurt and pained and he does not simply forget it happened. For Paul, forgiveness requires a bringing to light of what happened. In order for true forgiveness to take place, there needs to be an element of confession of what has happened so all parties can move forward together.
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