U-turns Permitted

At the moment of this sermon series, Russia is waging a fierce, aggressive war in Ukraine. In the USA, the "culture wars" are waging. Group is pitted against group, each considering the other the "enemy". Does Deuteronomy offer us a way to respond to these and all wars? We will look at Deuteronomy 20 and ask ourselves that question.

Deuteronomy 15 presents an economy unlike ours. Redistribution of wealth and reparations are imperatives for Israel. What can we learn from that, without saying that we must emulate the Deuteronomic system? Are there echoes of this approach in the New Testament? And where does our final hope lie for our broken world?

Today we look at the blessings and curses that were to be spoken from the mountains Ebal and Gerizim. This ritual was to be done when Israel entered Canaan (and was done - read Joshua 8). The blessings and cursing were a direct result of whether Israel obeyed God or not. Which raises the question: is our relationship with God transactional? If so, doesn't that lead to all kinds of problems? Today we try to present another approach to this text.

In light of the attack on Ukraine by Vladimir Putin and his army, we are using our service time today (Feb. 27, 2022) as a time of prayer and reflection for Ukraine, Russia, Europe and our world. Please join us and dpray along with us.

Deuteronomy contains a number of passages that state that God wanted Israel to engage in "holy war", which some have called genocide of the Canaanite people. What are we to make of that? And how can we deal with the hostility between people in our own time?

Today we read Deuteronomy 6. This chapter includes the command to love God only and to teach our children to love and obey Him. One way to understand this chapter is with the image of being at home - home with God and home with each other. Join us!

Today we read the Ten Commandments from Deuteronomy 5. How can we read them in a way that doesn't strike fear into us or load a burden on us that we cannot bear to carry?

We continue our series on Deuteronomy, looking at Chapter 4: historical recollections give way to urgent exhortation. Moses reflects on God's presence with and care for Israel, and assures the people that his mercy will never fail. And then he asks this question: Has such a great thing as this ever happened with anyone else? 

Today Dan Kim speaks from Luke 7:11-17, the story of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain from the dead. Jesus says a startling thing to the widow as her son is being brought to the graveyard. He says the same thing to us.

Today we look (quickly!) at the first 3 chapters of Deuteronomy. Moses looks back on the last 40 years of history, and relates both the good and the bad of Israel's past. "The more honest we are in telling the stories of our ancestors in the web, the more we will be able to understand ourselves and the possibilities carried in our emotional DNA for our future.” (Diana Butler Bass, Grounded, pg 157). Moving forward into crisis means understanding that we are a part of a "web of belonging", not just individuals, and being willing to be honest about our past.