•19:04 Message: The more aware we are of being loved, the more able we are to love. Will we root ourselves in the love of God enveloping us at all times so we can keep soft, generative hearts even in the midst of our hearts sometimes being paralyzed, calloused or condescending? Jesus is inviting us on this journey. Scripture: John 13:3-4, Hebrews 13:12-14, Ephesians 3:17-19

•10:40 Ministry Moment with Libby of Mosaic Kids

•35:55 Message | In a world of war and nation-states seeking self-protection, riches, and dominance over others, we are reminded that to follow Jesus is to embrace an existence of vulnerability centered on blessing others.

Scripture: Hebrews:1-3

•21:40 - 32:57 Ybor/Bill moment

•32:58 This week's teaching explores the free opportunity God has given each of us to go to our truest selves as we entrust ourselves to God's care for us in Jesus Christ. Our frail, human journeys have a Story to call home as we receive our lives as a sheer gift by entrusting ourselves to God's care. Scripture: Genesis 12 and Romans 4

Scriptures: Revelation 17, 18; Genesis 6, 10, 11

Scriptures: 1 John 3:8, Genesis 1:21, Genesis 3

Scripture: Acts 1:8, Acts 9:36-42

But where has all the goodness gone in our world?

On Good Friday, God in Christ entered fully into human suffering and sin while extending mercy and forgiveness. Then, on Easter Sunday, the sustaining goodness of God broke through—proving it will prevail over every gravestone and every injustice.

As the people of God, we are invited to live in this promise and to share this goodness with our neighbors, both near and far.

Scriptures: Genesis 1–3, 1 Corinthians 15
Concluding Story: The Coming of the King by Laura E. Richards, read by Jan Bretz

Scriptures: Philippians 3:4b-14

Scriptures: Psalm 32:1-7, Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 

to sympathize with our weaknesses...

Let us therefore approach the throne of grace

with boldness, so that we may receive mercy

and find grace to help in time of need.

~Hebrews 4:15-16

and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 1:7

and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you

and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble

in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure in a field.

When a man found it, he hid it again, and then

in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."

~Romans 11:18

to all who call on him.

For, "Everyone who calls on the name

of the Lord shall be saved."

~Romans 10:12-13

for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

~Romans 13:8

and individually we are members of one another.

~Romans 12:5

~Romans 12:1-2

At night I'm immersed in the light!"

It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you;

night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you."

Psalm 139:11-12

and for mutual upbuilding.

Romans 14:19

and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33

all radiant from the shining of your face.

Ever since you took my hand,

I'm on the right way.

~Psalm 16:11 (The Message)

Out on the edge of reason

And Love burns bright and clear

Out where I cannot seize Him

~Audrey Assad, Irrational Season

We are in the unknown of the wilderness—

       Grieving and wondering, praying and hoping.

We are in the unknown of the wilderness—

       Longing and walking, creating and waiting.

We are in the unknown of the wilderness, but we have not been alone; for God walks with us, every step of the way. So we will worship our God who walks with us in our darkest nights and our brightest days.

---------

May God’s love sustain you,

And may you love those who surround you.

May God’s Spirit empower you,

And may you empower all those you meet.

May God’s joy fill your hearts,

And may this joy overflow

To the ends of the earth to bring God’s restoration to all things,

Now and forever, Amen.

For our world bombarded by illness and disease.
Lord, have mercy. Bring healing and protection.
For our neighbors on this planet suffering under the weight of chaotic weather systems.
Lord, have mercy. Bring healing community and restoration.

God, we give you our tears.
We give you our hearts.
They are brimming with doubt and are saturated with fear,
but we give them to you anyway, 
for you promise to love us as we are.

You promise to walk with us to the ends of the earth, so in this moment,
we promise to tell the truth. 
God, you ask us to be brave and bold,
but we cower in fear.

You ask us to love our neighbors as ourselves,
but we hold tight to privilege and the status quo.
And you ask us to risk it all to follow you,
but we are content with the injustices at hand. 

Forgive us for our sin and lift our eyes to you.
In our valley, lead us to your green pasture.
Restore our lives beside the still waters.
Gratefully we pray, Amen. 

Full of wisdom, Creator of grace,
you humbled yourself that we might learn
to love those who have been swept aside
by a world caught up in its own selfish affairs.
Witnesses to God’s mercy, we are called to act in
ways of love and of peace to all we meet in this life.

Thank you for giving us your Son, Jesus, and for his life.

Continue to be the dwelling place of our bodies,
our minds, our hearts and our souls.
Oh God, you have made us to be free,
But we crave the cheap comforts of our chains.
You have made us to serve others,
But we have eyes only for ourselves.
You have made us to love,
But we are inflamed with lust.
You provide that we may be generous,
But we greedily hoard as if your well will run dry.
You forgive time and again,
But we hold fast to the sins of others.
You offer light for our path,
But we insist on making our own way.
You are the God who saves.

Lord, save us from ourselves.
In your great mercy, restore and heal us,
and grant us your pace.
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

That we should love our King
with all our hearts, with all our souls,
with all our minds and with all our strength.

And how would we show this love?
By remembering him at all times.
By cultivating thankfulness for his many blessings,
and trusting his good providence
for the meeting of our needs.

And by loving all whose lives intersect our own.
By choosing to serve rather
than to be served, to be wounded
rather than to wound.
And by bearing patiently
with the failings of others,
extending the same kindness,
mercy, and compassion that God in Christ
has so graciously offered us. 

We bring to you Lord, our irritations we carry in this day,
that you might reveal the buried seed of it - not
in the words or actions of another person, but
in the withered and hypocritical expectations
of our own weary hearts.

Uproot from this impoverished soil
all arrogance and insecurity that
would prompt us to dismiss or disdain others,
judging them with a less generous measure than
we reckon when judging ourselves.

Prune away the tangled growth
Of our own unjustified irritations, Jesus,
And graft to our hearts instead your humility,
your compassion, your patience, your kindness,
that we might bear fruit in keeping with your grace.

O God our Rock,
hold us in our chaos.

O Christ our King,
calm us in our storms.

O Holy Spirit,
Intercede for us.
Be merciful, most merciful God. Amen.

where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

God of kings and shepherds,

God of teenage mothers and step-parents,

God of angel choruses and starlight—

We confess to waiting.

We have waited to extend grace.

We have waited to say, “I love you.”

We have waited to apologize.

We have waited to be just,

Choosing comfort and convenience over the needs of our neighbors. We have waited—

Waited for someone else to make a move,

Waited for a sign,

Waited until it was our issue.

You ask us to be the body of Christ, but in many ways, we have waited. 

Forgive us.

Change us.

Remind us of your love for each of us and this world. Your love can’t wait.

In your name we pray, Amen.

https://vimeo.com/381086629

And when chaos and violence echo on the screen?
“My soul magnifies the Lord.”

For our God is a God of justice and peace.
“My soul magnifies the Lord.”

So when all is wrong, or all is right,
“My soul magnifies the Lord.”

Yes, when all is wrong, or all is right,
We will sing with joy and delight,
Of the God of justice and love and peace.
“My soul magnifies the Lord.”

 In front of God and this church, I confess—
I am quick to complain, quick to criticize and conform. I am quick to forget, quick to doubt and deny.
Instead of singing praise, I often stay silent.

May the God of shepherds and kings,
The God of starlight and new life,
Offer you grace and show you the way home.
Amen.

Not a day goes by when we are not asked to be a friend to a stranger
And a neighbor to those in need.

Not a day goes by when we are not asked to be the people you call us to be, And yet, day after day, we lose sight of your hope for this world.

Forgive us for walking a different path,
And grant us the strength to prepare a new way— Your way—here.
Gratefully we pray, Amen.

Just look at it—we are called children of God!

That’s who we really are.

But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously,

because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to.

But friends, that’s exactly who we are: loved children of God.

Dear loved children of God—

I hope you let go.

I hope you let go of holding yourself to impossible standards. Lower the bar. Receive grace.

God delights in who you are.

And while you’re at it, I hope you let go of ignoring your beauty and strength.

The mirror is tired of your harsh words, for you are made of star stuff and music.

You are the only you there is, and you. are. simply. stunning.

The tape in your head is tired of your harsh words.

You are a gift to this world.

May you have respect for your individuality and difference.

And I hope you’ll consider letting go of certainty.

For the sun will always rise and set, and you will always be loved.

What more do we really need to know than that?

So let go of your fear.

Let go of perfection.

Let go of busyness as a sign of your self worth, And the notion that creativity is a luxury.

Be wild and free.

Plant roots like a redwood,

And a spine like a sunflower;

For the days are short, and you are beautiful.

I love nothing more than to see you happy.

So don’t be afraid to let go.

The only thing you cannot lose is my love…God’s evergreen love.

What wondrous love is this? 
Love that ate with sinners. Love that welcomed children. 

What wondrous love is this? 
Love that healed the lame.
Love that listened to the silenced. 

What wondrous love is this? 
Love that died for us.
Love that rose for us.
Love that still forgives and knows us. 

Family of God, we are in the presence of such wondrous love. Let us worship God together. 

To hold us in the palm of God’s hand, to tell us of love,

And to invite us into a new journey. Amen. 

For a place to belong—for this place to belong—
And for grace that is always bigger than we deserve,
We give you thanks.

For the promise of justice that will roll down like a mighty stream
And light that shines in the darkness,
We give you thanks.

We have so much to thank you for, gracious God, so in gratitude, we offer you these gifts. May they help cultivate your promised day here.
May we help cultivate your promised day here

In this world some walk with arrogance. Some walk proud. Some walk angry. Some walk defeated. Some walk alone.

Teach us to walk in Jesus, rooted and built up in his love.

So as we come to you today in prayer, we ask once more for your help.
Cultivate in us a persistent energy for justice.

Cultivate in us a resilient determination to show grace.
Cultivate in us the heart to claim one another—even when we come from different places, people, religions, political opinions, or beliefs.  Cultivate in us the sunrise.

And when we fall short, when we keep your light to ourselves, when we find ourselves caught in the monsoon of our own doubt, when we choose ourselves over belonging to others, forgive us. 

Find us in the rain. Find us in the dark. Find us in the seas of our hurt and suffering and speak poetry to us. We are convinced that with just one taste of your love, we will be artists and dreamers, believers and optimists, once again. 

God of grace, you deserve our very best.

Thank you so much for accepting our best, worst, and everything in between. 

In deep gratitude we pray, Amen. 

--

Help us to let go of to-do lists and anxiety,
So that we can hold onto you.

God of the seasons, as we enter this space,
We strive to let go of everything that keeps us from being with you.

With honest hearts and open minds, we pray—
Let us worship, You, Holy God.  Create in us a curiosity for your ways.

God, you invite us to cultivate compassion, 
But too often we hold grudges and keep score. 

You invite us to cultivate justice, 
But too quickly we forget that we belong to one another. 

You invite us to let go of judgment, 
But we find stones are too easy to throw. 

You invite us to let go of what others think, 
But so easily we hold our worth in another’s eyes. 

Guide our feet, our hearts, and our minds to a better world. 
Forgive us when we lose our way. 

We ask for the grace we need to be people who cultivate life in a world of sin and death.
Thank you for the abundant grace you give as we ask to receive.

Thank you for the gentle invitation of Jesus to come and see his way of life.
Keep our eyes open to Jesus, the One who gives life abundantly.

Thank you for a Story of good news in which we find our home.
Create us to be people of your good news Story.

God of grace, you deserve our very best.
Thank you for accepting our best, worst, and everything in between. 

In deep gratitude we pray, Amen. 

You are God for us, and that is the Gospel

Jesus, clothed in human flesh to experience Union with us, we assent that You have brought us into Union with the Godhead.

You are God with us, and that is the Gospel

Winsome Spirit, we submit to Your mantle of love that covers our hearts and minds.

You are God in us, and that is the Gospel

God of freedom, we proclaim that Your message of deliverance has been misunderstood and misrepresented, and we are each somewhere on the journey towards a healing of our understanding of You. 

You are the God of truly good news, and that is the Gospel.

God of restoration, we confess that we have each to some degree misrepresented You to others, and we ask Your forgiveness for that and Your healing of any wounds that may have caused.

You are the God of restoration, and that is the Gospel.

As we prepare our hearts for this time of active openness to You, we ask that You remove any barriers in or around us that are blocking us from truly drinking deeply of Your gift of Life.

You continually offer us Life to the Full, and that is the Gospel. Amen.

Whatever place we’ve inhabited this week, we recognize the power of Your story at work in our lives. We gather here to partake in this one enduring story and to take up Your good news for ourselves and our neighbors.

God, give us Your good news - fresh - this morning. 

In the hustle and bustle of our daily routines, in our too-often- stagnant mindsets, we have the tendency to overlook the power of Your story in our lives.

We seek life where life cannot be found. We stumble. We blunder. We fail. By all definitions, we are imperfect. In our brokenness, we turn to You. 

God, You make beauty of our messes. 

At the core of our lives, Your story is at play. In our comings and goings, You are present. We thank You for inviting us to live our humanity purposefully. It is not always easy, yet in Your goodness alone, we find true life.

God, You are good. 

You have been writing Your story forever. To the people of Israel, You announced peace through Jesus. In Judea, You spread the news of Jesus’ baptism and Your miraculous workings in His life.

You fulfilled Your story in Christ’s death and resurrection. Even in this present age, Your good news spreads. Your story is the best story ever told. Your gospel is the best news the world has known. 

God, may we know the power and beauty of Your story at work in our lives. Amen.

Lord, we welcome You here.

Spirit, give us eyes to see You and the paths You’ve called each of us to uniquely follow.

Lord, we welcome You here.

As we stumble, as we compare, as we doubt, Lord clarify our vision. It’s so easy to lose sight of Your quiet presence in our lives when we seek something special and glimmering. In the ordinary moments of Your living resurrection...

Lord, we welcome You here.

God, remove the scales from our eyes. Remove the dust and specks. Help us to see You clearly. Stir in us a patience and a mindfulness for all You have in store for us now and in the moments to come.

Lord, we welcome You here and we invite You to stay here, now and forever. Amen.

God, Creator of our world, artist of our hearts, author of our stories, we come to you with tired bones and white knuckles, as we attempt to hold on so tightly to what isn’t ours.  

We acknowledge your presence as it fills this room through the breath from our lungs.  

You are the beginning and the end, we come to You. 

You feel our anxieties and you see our struggle. You know the weight of what we carry, let us let You lighten this load. 
Lord, relieve us. 

Help us to see You in every space of our hearts, stories, and individual worlds. In the spaces that may be seen but also in the unseen. 
Lord, reveal to us. 

Let us be in awe of the immensity of your Spirit. Let the vastness of your love, overwhelm us.
Lord, inspire us. 

Meet us in the darkness where our questions cast shadows, may the light of your love draw us in close.
Lord, lead us. 

As we come together with others in community, reveal to us your beauty through the hearts you gave them. 
Lord, pursue us.

 Let us pay attention to your meticulous detail and care as the robust colors of Spring reveal themselves.
Lord, show us.

May we never take for granted your intimate nearness. May we see, hear, and feel you all around us.  Unite us together through the shared struggles and joys of our lives. As we seek, we find our identities in You, everlasting strength and infinite love.  Amen

Father of us all
We bring our hearts, minds and bodies before You this morning.
Anything that is anxious and scattered within us, we still.

We center ourselves in this place, in our chairs, in our bodies.
And we open ourselves to You.

Holy Father, You created our hearts and You know our hungers.

Sweet Spirit, You dwell within us and You see our thirst.

Strong Brother, You walked among us and You know our pain.

We invite You into the broken places in our hearts;
Dear Lord, bring healing.

We invite You into the anxious places in our minds;
Dear Lord, bring calm.

We invite You to bless anything unloved in our bodies;
Dear Lord, bring affirmation.

We invite You to touch any strife in our relationships;
Dear Lord, bring grace.

We invite You to hold any pain in our lives;
Dear Lord, bring peace.

We invite You into our homes, our neighborhoods, our city, our country;
Dear Lord, bring restoration.

We invite you into our world;
Dear Lord, bring love.

Together, we affirm the reality of the abundant life You offer.
Together, we pray for an ever-increasing experience of this abundance.

We lay our doubts and our frustrations in Your hands.
And receive from You, 
Joy.

In a cultural landscape that is part patriotism, part consumerism, part violence, part affluence and part vanity fair we believe Jesus is calling us to cultivate something very different.

Join us for our Sunday gatherings as we explore and seek to live this vision of Jesus together in our lives and neighborhoods.

In a cultural landscape that is part patriotism, part consumerism, part violence, part affluence and part vanity fair we believe Jesus is calling us to cultivate something very different.

Join us for our Sunday gatherings as we explore and seek to live this vision of Jesus together in our lives and neighborhoods.

In a cultural landscape that is part patriotism, part consumerism, part violence, part affluence and part vanity fair we believe Jesus is calling us to cultivate something very different.

Join us for our Sunday gatherings as we explore and seek to live this vision of Jesus together in our lives and neighborhoods.

Some are ashamed of their doubts. Some are proud of their doubts. We’d rather be faithful with them.

Thankfully Jesus never asks us to give up our uncertainties to join the journey of discovery in following Him. Instead, the Divine welcomes our doubts and uncertainties because it makes us more human and honest. Ultimately, faith has little to do with certainty and more to do with a willingness to act faithfully despite uncertainty.

As we begin 2019, we invite you to join us at our Sunday gatherings by throwing our hands up in equal parts awe, bliss and surrender. This is where the journey of faith begins.

Some are ashamed of their doubts. Some are proud of their doubts. We’d rather be faithful with them.

Thankfully Jesus never asks us to give up our uncertainties to join the journey of discovery in following Him. Instead, the Divine welcomes our doubts and uncertainties because it makes us more human and honest. Ultimately, faith has little to do with certainty and more to do with a willingness to act faithfully despite uncertainty.

As we begin 2019, we invite you to join us at our Sunday gatherings by throwing our hands up in equal parts awe, bliss and surrender. This is where the journey of faith begins.

Some are ashamed of their doubts. Some are proud of their doubts. We’d rather be faithful with them.

Thankfully Jesus never asks us to give up our uncertainties to join the journey of discovery in following Him. Instead, the Divine welcomes our doubts and uncertainties because it makes us more human and honest. Ultimately, faith has little to do with certainty and more to do with a willingness to act faithfully despite uncertainty.

As we begin 2019, we invite you to join us by throwing our hands up in equal parts awe, bliss and surrender. This is where the journey of faith begins.

Some are ashamed of their doubts. Some are proud of their doubts. We’d rather be faithful with them.

Thankfully Jesus never asks us to give up our uncertainties to join the journey of discovery in following Him. Instead, the Divine welcomes our doubts and uncertainties because it makes us more human and honest. Ultimately, faith has little to do with certainty and more to do with a willingness to act faithfully despite uncertainty.

As we begin 2019, we invite you to join us by throwing our hands up in equal parts awe, bliss and surrender. This is where the journey of faith begins.

Some are ashamed of their doubts. Some are proud of their doubts. We’d rather be faithful with them.

Thankfully Jesus never asks us to give up our uncertainties to join the journey of discovery in following Him. Instead, the Divine welcomes our doubts and uncertainties because it makes us more human and honest. Ultimately, faith has little to do with certainty and more to do with a willingness to act faithfully despite uncertainty.

As we begin 2019, we invite you to join us by throwing our hands up in equal parts awe, bliss and surrender. This is where the journey of faith begins.

Some are ashamed of their doubts. Some are proud of their doubts. We’d rather be faithful with them.

Thankfully Jesus never asks us to give up our uncertainties to join the journey of discovery in following Him. Instead, the Divine welcomes our doubts and uncertainties because it makes us more human and honest. Ultimately, faith has little to do with certainty and more to do with a willingness to act faithfully despite uncertainty.

As we begin 2019, we invite you to join us by throwing our hands up in equal parts awe, bliss and surrender. This is where the journey of faith begins.