Brent Ness

On this last Sunday of the Christian year, right before the beginning of Advent, we celebrate “The Reign of Christ”, also known as Christ the King Sunday. It has an interesting history. In 1920s Italy, Pope Pius XI was concerned about the rise of a narrow nationalism and fascism at home and abroad, and he wanted to mark a day for the church to emphasize that, as Christians, our primary loyalty is not to a political party, or any leader, or even our nation, but to Jesus Christ.

The gospel story of the woman giving her last two coins to the temple treasury leaves me with some questions. Jesus notices the woman’s generosity, but does he actually approve of her contributing so sacrificially? And why does this widow, offered so little protection by religious or secular law, want to support a system that ignores her and her needs?

Jesus is clear. These are the greatest commandments, and they work together. You can’t love God without loving your neighbor, and that requires loving yourself as well. But how many of us are good at all three?

“Whoever wishes to become great among you must be a servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be servant of all.” Mark 10:43

Why are we here? That’s a question I ask myself every now and then. Maybe more now than then, given the strange and troubling political climate of this moment.

God said to Noah, “This rainbow is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all the animals that are on the earth.” Genesis 9:17

This Sunday, in honor of the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, we will celebrate a Blessing of the Animals during our 11am service. It’s a rare Sunday when we are not joined by a furry friend or two, but we hope this week to have many!

We have reached the fifth and last part of our sermon series on the Joy of James, and find, in this final chapter of James, that the answer to everything is – wait for it – prayer!! Are you sick or suffering? Pray! Are you happy, full of joy? Pray!

How much peace have you made this week? What does it even mean to ‘make peace’? In the literal sense of the phrase, James is telling us that peace can be manufactured, constructed. But how?