Towards Sunday

May 18, 2025 – “Dudes with Bad Attitudes….King Saul”

This week, I would like to start with a question.  A riddle of sorts… What do the following people have in common… Richard Nixon Lance Armstrong Bill Cosby John Wilkes Booth O. J. Simpson King Saul … Any guesses? … I’ll wait… These guys all experienced a “fall...

May 11, 2025 – “Dudes with Bad Attitudes…. Samson”

This week as we continue our look at dudes with bad attitudes, we find ourselves in the book of Judges.  The book’s name comes from the types of leaders Israel had in this period. Before they had any kings, the tribes of Israel were ruled by judges. Don’t think...

May 4, 2025 – “Dudes with Bad Attitudes….Pharaoh

Exodus chapters one through eighteen is a super intense part of the biblical story, which raises some heavy theological questions. The epic showdown between God and Pharaoh over the fate of the enslaved Israelites is a page-turner. Pharaoh is a really bad dude; he may...

April 27, 2025 – “Dudes with Bad Attitudes….Cain”

Lent is over, we actively observed Holy week, and we celebrated Easter.  Did you find some Sabbath in the midst of everything last week? This week we are starting a new series.  This five-week series came to mind as we spent last summer looking at the women...

April 20, 2025 – “Christ Collides with Death”

Are you anticipating Easter?  We are so close, but in some ways, we are so far away.  To quote English theologian and historian, Thomas Fuller… “It’s always darkest before the dawn”. That sort of sums up this week for me.  I appreciated Monica’s lent...

April 13, 2025 – “Christ Collides with our Expectations”

Are we done colliding yet?!! By Carl Kniss How has our Lenten theme of “Christ Collides” felt to you? Are you excited each week to see which new aspect of our lives Christ collides with, anxious for another growth opportunity? Or has it felt tiring… and...

April 6, 2025 – Lent 5 – “Christ Collides with Our Blinders”

This Sunday, as we continue in our Lent Series; Christ Collides, we will be looking at how Christ collides with our blinders.  We have a variety of stories that are all connected by not seeing. Luke 18:31- 19:10  I invite you to dwell in this passage this...

March 30, 2025 – Lent 4 – “Christ Collides with our Selfishness”

Our Lent theme this year is Christ Collides… have you felt it yet?  Has it been the parables? Maybe it has been the Lenton Breath Prayers or the Lent Reflections. Is it a song that has stuck with you? Whatever is colliding into you this Lent season, don’t quickly...

March 23, 2025 – Lent 3 – “Christ Collides with Our Priorities”

Happy Tuesday Church Family, As we continue with our Lenton theme of Christ Collides, this week we are looking at how Christ collides with our priorities.  Our scripture is on the longer side this week with 3 very familiar parables… Luke 15:1-32 Go ahead and take...

March 16, 2025 – Lent 2 – “Christ Collides with Our Condemnation”

This Lent season, we are looking at the teachings of Jesus, specifically parables.  We talked on Sunday about how parables are meant to collide with our lives and our faith.   That is apparent in our scripture for this week.  Luke...

March 9, 2025 – Lent 1 – “Christ Collides with Our Bias”

What do you call today… Fat Tuesday? Shrove Tuesday? Fasnacht Day? Mardi Gras? Fasching is the term used in Germany Carnival is the term in some South American countries.  Just another Tuesday Regardless of what you call it is the last day before Lent...

March 2, 2025 – “Why Lent?”

Good day Marion church family, the season of Lent is almost upon us.  Wednesday, March 5 is the beginning of Lent this year.  It seems like Lent can sneak up on us if we are not watching the calendar.  Often, I will hear people say, oh I forgot about...

February 23, 2025 – “I Am the True Vine”

Do you like to watch movies?  Do you have favorite movie scenes that you like to watch over and over?  When I planned this series on the “I Am” statements of Jesus, I have been looking at this “I Am” statement in John 15 with eager anticipation.  If you...

February 16, 2025 – “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”

This week we find ourselves in John chapter 14 in search of our sixth “I Am” statement of Jesus… John...

February 9, 2025 – “I Am the Resurrection and the Life”

Greetings Marion Church Family! We are in week five of the “I am” statement of Jesus.  Do you remember the previous four?  I Am the _____ of ____. I Am the _____ of the _____. I Am the ____. I Am the ____ ________. It feels like as we have looked at the...

February 2, 2025 – “I Am the Good Shepherd”

This week’s “I am” statement is… I am the good shepherd.  This is found in John 10:11-18… “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 When the hired hand sees the wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away. That’s...

December 22, 2024 – Advent IV – “Embodying God’s Spirit, Who Lends a Hand?

This week as we continue our journey through Advent, we find ourselves in Mary’s story.  First a visit from an angel and then she makes a visit of her own.  To read all about it, you can find the story in Luke 1:26-49ish.  As we continue together...

December 15, 2024 – Advent III – “Anointing for Justice, Who Belongs?”

As we approach the third week of Advent, it has been an unconventional Advent season so far.  The scriptures we have been looking at this Advent season are not your typical Advent passages and this Sunday we will be celebrating Christmas at Marion a full ten days...

December 8, 2024 – Advent II, “Opening Hearts, What Do We Ask For?”

Our Advent journey brings us to the little book of Joel, where we read that things are very bad for this group of people who lived in Israel; bad, because they had turned away from God. The scripture for this week is Joel 2:12-13; 28-29....the key phrase: “Return to...

December 1, 2024 – Advent I – “Between a Rock and a Hard Place, How Do We Continue On?”

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent.  For some, Advent is something that has been practiced for as long as they can remember, for others this is something new, so let’s chat a little about Advent.  I like the way the Bible Project explains...