So often we externalize the issue of poverty. Today, challenged by the book of James, we try to get in touch with it very personally.

American Christians often quote “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and ignore Jesus’s other words: “Blessed are the poor.”

This is the powerful, heart-breaking prayer that was sung over us at the end of the service on Sunday.

The gospel of John talks about believing, and that’s had a huge impact on the church in America. The other three gospels talk a lot more about following… which we might want to pay attention to.

There are incidents in the gospels where Jesus did not completely heal someone on the first try. He had to try again. And so do we.

We talk about God being love, but what does that mean?

As we reflect on healing this week, our main goal will not be to get results. Our main goal will be to love well.

Today we reflect on the song Raise Up by Semler

In a world where it’s so hard to see God at work, at least we have a savior who knew what the reality of this messy world was like.

Instead of God showing up either in the fireworks of the miraculous or in the ordinariness of our day to day lives… Jesus decides to do BOTH.

Sometimes we need to break away from the over-simplified understandings of God that have been delivered to us, and we need to re-name God. We stand in a great tradition as we do so.

We often use binaries to simplify decisions. But what happens when God doesn’t like an either-or proposition?

Giving thanks implies that we needed what we’re thankful for. It’s a posture of humility.

One of our elders recently talked about her messy relationship with Jesus and how hopeful it is - because we all need “Messy Jesus.”

There’s power in story, but when we boil it down and take out all the personal elements, we’re left with law. And that’s a real problem.

Today is a day of gratitude… built around giving thanks for a teenage boy who came out at age 15 and changed the trajectory of City Church forever.

We all have stories to tell.

It’s time to pray for the resurrection of the church.

A simple practice of gratitude - not for the big stuff, but the small stuff - seems integral in Jesus’s miracles.