Towards Sunday

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...

November 24, 2024 – “Spiritual Disciplines…Celebration”

This Sunday we will conclude our study of the Spiritual Practices.  This Sunday we will be looking at the Spiritual Practice of Celebration.  The invitation to celebrate to remember what God has done for us modeled for us all throughout the Old...

November 17, 2024 – “Spiritual Disciplines…Guidance”

I asked a question last Sunday during our time together and we looked at the Spiritual Practice of Confession.  I asked if you believed that God really desires what is best for you.  I think that question applies again this week as we look at the Spiritual...

November 10, 2024 – “Spiritual Disciplines….Confession”

What do you think of when you hear the word… confession?  Do you get tense and uncomfortable thinking about having to communicate things you have done wrong? Do you feel guilt and shame concerned if others knew about your sin? How do you feel about the word sin?...

November 3, 2024 – “Spiritual Disciplines…Service”

This week during our time together we will take a peek at the Spiritual Practice of Service.  What comes to your mind when you think of service? As I have begun my studying this week, I came across someone who described the spiritual practice of service as…...

October 27, 2024 – “Spiritual Disciplines…Simplicity”

As we continue our series on the Spiritual Practices, this week we will be looking at the practice of Simplicity.  What do you think of when you hear the word simplicity? In Richard Foster’s book, The Celebration of Discipline, he talks about how inward...

October 20, 2024 – “Spiritual Disciplines…Submission”

This week as we continue our series on Spiritual Practices, and we will be looking at the Spiritual Practice of Submission.  It seems like submission can be one of those words that trigger some emotion in us.  Is it because we have experienced unhealthy...

October 13, 2024 – “Spiritual Disciplines….Solitude”

This week as we continue our study of the spiritual practices, we are looking at Solitude.  Solitude is often paired with Silence.  In a world filled with constant noise and distractions, finding moments of solitude and silence can feel like an impossible...

October 6, 2024 – “World Communion Sunday, Spiritual Disciplines: Worship”

This Sunday, October 6 is World Communion Sunday!  We will look at the Community Practice of Worship, but our focus will be on observing and celebrating communion with many many churches around the world. I think it is a good fit to combine the practice of...

September 29, 2024 – “Spiritual Discipline…. Study”

When I was in high school it seemed like most people were categorized into a particular group.  There were the athletic folks (jocks), the smarts ones (nerds), The kids who went to Vo-Tech (tech’ers), and the kids who were flannels and boots every day...

September 15, 2024 – “Spiritual Disciplines….Fasting”

Happy Tuesday Marion! This week we will be looking at the Spiritual Practice of Fasting.  This is our third week of looking at the Spiritual Practices.  These practices build on each other.  Meditation is closely linked to prayer, and it is hard to look...