This Sunday, August 13, 2023, our Gospel Lesson is Matthew 14:22-33. It may be a familiar story to you - Jesus walking on the water. The story is this. Jesus has just fed the 5,000 - last week's Gospel Lesson. He has told his disciples to take their boat back across the lake while he dismisses the crowd - and then Jesus goes back up into the ...
The Kingdom of Heaven is like invasive blackberry bushes in your backyard. They are really tenacious and aggravating, but you like blackberry pie and enjoy watching the little bunnies run in and out of them for protection. The Kingdom of Heaven is alike a computer virus . . . The Kingdom of Heaven is like the city fixing sewer lines in your ne...
Last Sunday, June 18, we looked together at Jesus' assessment that the people around him were "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." I suggested that this was "political commentary" in the spirit of the prophet Ezekiel who lambasted the political and religious leaders of his day for failing to care for those most in ...
I'm sure there must have been a time in pre-human history or whatever when sheep did just fine without shepherds. I mean, they must have been wild at some point, wandering around feeding themselves, living in little flocks or 'family' groups or whatever. I have no idea, I'm just pretty sure they didn't evolve as a domestic food source. But ent...
This coming Sunday, June 4, is the Sunday of the Holy Trinity. Join us for worship as your favorite 'church self' and we'll talk about the masks we wear and the various ways (count 'em - three) that God shows up for us. Fun, fun, fun. This Sunday is also graduate Sunday so at Hazel Dell we'll have some of this year's graduates joinin...