"Presbyopia" [Audio] [PDF]

Presbyopia: "elder eyes" - old vision; the ability to see things at a distance, but they become blurry close up. We get scared when we don't things are not as they appear, and we wind up being afraid of everything. We jump to judge before we see others clearly, and we can't. Our corrective lenses don't really help with spiritual blindness. We need new eyes. We need his vision before we get judged the way we judge.

March 20, 2011, Matthew 6:24-34

"The Cure for Worry" [No Audio] [PDF]

Worry adds an extra problem to the situations that we face, and let's be honest: most of our worries are our own choosing. It's not like we don't have food or clothes. Jesus says God will provide what we need, so maybe the cure for worry is simple: 1) Shift our viewpoint. 2) Trust God. 3) Serve God. Sounds so easy, but... maybe life would be easier if we do what we hear him command.

March 13, 2011, Matthew 6:1-20

"Fast, Pray, Give" [Audio] [PDF]

Jesus says there are three things we need to practice to get fit for a new life, things that are contradictory to the old life. Fast: We need to make a regular habit of being good to the body that we use to serve God. Pray: We need to develop the habit of listening until we are "tuned" to God's presence and speaking all the time all around us. Give: Instead of "giving" to ourselves all the time, we need to give to the people who have nothing, have too little, have real needs instead of confusing needs with wants like we do.

March 6, 2011, Matthew 5:38-48

A Communion Meditation "Going The Third Mile" [Audio] [PDF]

We live in a world that divides between friends and enemies, neighbors and strangers, locals and foreigners, “believers” and “unbelievers.” Maybe we need to come face to face with the cross of forgiveness and realize that the way God has changed the way we live with God is the only way we can change the way we live with others. The way of God with us is forgiveness, and God has walked the third mile. If we put our burden down at this table, we can walk the way with God and turn enemies into friends.