This Sunday at 11am, we’ll gather for week 4 of our conversation about restoring God’s image.

Here’s the journey we’ve been on so far:

1.) Too often powerful & influential people use the word “God” to justify their control and cruelty. This is how “God” becomes a problem.

2.) But God is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.”

3.) God does not demand a transaction involving an innocent death. The ritual sacrifices were a sign and seal of a rededicated life.

4.) The prophets proved the point by teaching that the sacrifices of God’s people didn’t matter and weren’t even welcomed if they didn’t lead to a more just way of life.

All of this is to say, that Jesus’ death was not a transaction that appeased a cruel and controlling God with an innocent death. So, if that’s true. Why did God send Jesus? Read The Devil Made Me Do It for an answer.

You can also read The Devil Made Me Do It in Part 1 and Part 2 on Medium.

Join the conversation on Sunday at 11am.

The question from this last Sunday was “how do we see people the way that God sees them?” Listen to “Images, Idols, & Icons” for an answer.

Prophets stand in the gap. What that means is, prophets stand in between two people or groups of people and help them hear and see one another. They form a sort of bridge. In the Bible, prophets stand in between God and God’s people. They speak on behalf of God to the people and sometimes they speak on behalf of the people to God. There are also times when prophets stand in the gap between people of privilege and people who are oppressed. They can speak words of challenge just as easily as they can comfort. Because prophets often stand in the gap, they often stand apart and they often stand alone. They can be pesky.

We’ll be reading about the prophets for week 3 of our discussion on Restoring God’s Image. Download it here.

You can also read online read Part 1 and Part 2 of this chapter online at Medium.

Some Scripture. Some spirituality. Some science. Some practical steps that we can take to follow Jesus together.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-B1nd908wlvT16_oV8k6uuLp3qe58Wgt

The question to answer in this chapter is: if Jesus’ death is not about justice and punishment and death, then why does it get described that way? If it’s so obvious that the God behind it all is forgiving and generous and patient and lovingly loyal, why haven’t those ideas caught on? There must be some reason that generations have accepted the harsh teaching of debt and penalty in their worship and promoted them in the world.

You can download a copy of “Blood is Life.”

You can also read Part 1 and Part 2 online at Medium.

We’ll be discussing this reading on July 14 and 17.

If you missed Week 1’s conversation on Sunday, we’ll gather this Wednesday at 6pm.

Both hubris (excessive pride) and humiliation (deep shame) cause us to hide from God and one another. In between those two experiences is humility. We know that we’re walking in humility when we’re willing to wrestle.

The story of Jacob reminds us that God is not scared away by our struggles. Listen to “The Struggle.”

On Sunday, July 7, we’ll begin gathering for a 9-week conversation about God. Who is God? What is God like? What does it mean to be made in the image of God? The first reading is called “God Is Not the Problem.”

Each week we’ll share a link to a reading and you’ll be asked to consider four question:

1.) How does the reading comfort you?

2.) How does the reading challenge you?

3.) In what ways are you left confused?

4.) About what are you now curious?

We’ll meet on Sunday mornings around 11am, Wednesday evenings at 6pm, and Friday mornings at 9am.

“God Is Not the Problem” can be downloaded after you click on the link.

You can also read online through Medium. “God Is Not the Problem” is divided into Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Sunday’s Sermon was entitled “The Confidence That We Have” and it includes some thoughts on the old and the new and the commitment that God has made to all of us (over and over and over again!).

The people of SCRC have come up with some great questions for sermons this summer. Pastor Peter will begin answering them (well, attempting to) when he gets back from summer vacation. Here’s what we’ve got planned:

June 30 – Why is there an Old & New Testament?

July 7 – What do we make of the story of Jacob?

July 14 – How do we walk by faith/live like Jesus today (practical tips)?

July 21 – How do we see people the way God does?

July 28 – Why do people use the Bible as a weapon (i.e. picks and chooses verses to hurt others)?

August 4 – What does it mean that Jesus is the only way?

August 11 – Who was Melchizedek and why is he important for us to know?

August 18 – How do we know God’s will? What is it? (see Proverbs 3:5-6)

August 25 – What does “he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” mean? (see Genesis 3:15)

September 1 – How do we begin again after making mistakes?

September 8 – How do we live when you don’t understand the why of what’s happening in your life?

September 15 – KICK-OFF/HOMECOMING SUNDAY, Blessing of the Backpacks

Pastor Peter and his family will be taking and extended vacation in June. Starting June 3, Pastor Peter will be spending about 10 days at Eastern Mennonite University attending their Summer Peacebuilding Institute. Then they will be in MI and WI visiting family. Pastor Peter returns on June 27.

While they are away, we will be grateful to have Rev. Chad Tanaka Pack filling in for him. He is an ordained minister of the RCA, by the Classis of New York in 2017, having graduated with a Masters of Divinity from Yale Divinity School in 2010.  He currently serves as President on the Board of Directors of Room for All. (roomforall.com/ ). Room for All is  “a community of Christ-followers in the Reformed Church in America… with a commitment to the welcome and affirmation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people and their allies, while pursuing grace-filled dialogue with those who believe differently.”  Prior to his ministry studies, Chad worked as a certified public accountant in the financial services industry. He graduated with a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1994. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Chad is a fourth-generation Japanese and Korean American. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his spouse, the Rev. Michael Foley, an Episcopal priest.

Please plan to attend our Grill On the Hill June 8 @ 5:30pm to welcome him in person.

P.S. We will be keeping attendance in worship while Pastor Peter is away. 😉