Susanville United Methodist Church Weekly Messages
John 6:47-60 – Flesh & Blood, Power & Life
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If our sacred texts – the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament – provide the bones of our faith, and Jesus’ ministry of words and deeds provide the flesh, the Holy Spirit that ran through Jesus and runs through us today is the life-giving blood we all depend upon to live from one moment to the next. The skeleton gives structure; the flesh gives power; the blood give life.
Our Sunday worship services are a spiritual meal shared among friends, a time together meant to be savored and shared, like the steak and wine meal.
Read MoreJohn 2:1-12 – Transfiguring the Common into the Amazing
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Our lives are not just about us and what makes us happy or not, comfortable or not. God offers us opportunities to bless others, to solve other people’s problems as a continuation of how God blesses us and solves our life problems.
When God calls us into action, even if we don’t feel like it, even if we don’t understand why... we need to respond with obedience.
Wherever you are in life, no matter what you have or have not done, God can take you as you are – raw and unfiltered – and make you pure, healthy, and spectacular, NOT for your own benefit or glory, but so that you may be an abundant blessing to others.
Read MoreMark 6:30-44 – Driven by Compassion
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Jesus’ overwhelming compassion for others was a core, driving element of His entire ministry. To those who came to Him with sincere hearts, He always responded with open arms, endless mercy, and unexpected generosity. If we allow ourselves to receive God’s embrace, compassion, and generosity, our lives will be forever changed. If we in turn offer the same to others, both our lives and theirs will be changed all the more.
This is the interactive, hands-on dynamic of God’s Kingdom. And this is how we change lives.
Join Us for Dinner! – Mark 2:1-17
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As God’s children, we are ALL warmly invited and declared worthy of celebrating our loving relationship with God through the elements of bread and juice, symbolically connecting us to the table where Jesus shared a meal with Levi and his very imperfect friends.
There is space for everyone: those who have been miraculously healed, those who are skeptical of healings; those who are curious; those who have been rejected by communities of faith, and those who have never before shared in this meal.
This is what the Kingdom of God looks like, everyone equally welcomed, equally accepted, equally embraced. This is a diverse Kingdom that we can ALL call home!
Read MoreAn Open Table for All – Matthew 21:1-11 and Matthew 26:14-56
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Through His words and actions, Jesus challenges us to empathize with the hurts and angers of others so that we can find ways to share God’s blessings. Actively look for ways you can share God’s love – especially with people you may find challenging to befriend. Because the people who are the most hurt, the most angry, the most depressed, are also the people most in need of God’s love.
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