Posts by Bob Rhodes (Page 7)

We are nearing the end of our worship series “Inspired” based on the book Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans. Those who wish may purchase the book, and it’s also available in the LJUMC library. As United Methodists and Christians, I think it’s a safe assumption that the Gospel stories hold particular significance for us. This is the Gospel, the Good News! In these stories are the proclamations that we are…

We continue our new worship series “Inspired” based on the book Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans. Those who wish may purchase the book, and it’s also available in the LJUMC library. It is my hope that people of faith regularly read from our sacred texts. We have shared various approaches to regular reading as a part of this congregation, and some of the resources can be found here. For any…

This week we continue our new worship series “Inspired” based on the book Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans. Those who wish may purchase the book, and it’s also available in the LJUMC library. It is surely safe to say that we all wish for deliverance from something. For some of us we may wish for deliverance from the temptation of sweets or carb-heavy foods. Others may wish for deliverance from…

This week we conclude our Worship series on the Apostle’s Creed called “We Believe.” During this time, we have been exploring one of the most common affirmations of faith, originating from some of the earliest Christians. This week as we conclude our Worship series, we end by claiming what we believe when our life in this world comes to an end. Surely every person has moments in their lives when they wonder what happens next. Whether we are Christians who…

This week we move into the second half of our Worship series on the Apostle’s Creed called “We Believe.” During this time, we have been exploring one of the most common affirmations of faith, originating from some of the earliest Christians. The “communion of saints” uses language that may seem unfamiliar to many ears, certainly those who have not been a part of a church tradition for most of their lives. We might understand this as an expression of community,…

This week we continue our Worship series on the Apostle’s Creed called “We Believe.” During this time, we explore one of the most common affirmations of faith, originating from some of the earliest Christians. This third week we consider God’s Holy Spirit. The words in Hebrew and Greek for spirit (ruach and pneuma respectively) generally have more than one additional meaning including breath, air, and wind. Consider, then, that it is God’s Spirit that is close enough to be the…

This week we continue our Worship series on the Apostle’s Creed called “We Believe.” During this time, we explore one of the most common affirmations of faith, originating from some of the earliest Christians. Our second week jumps into the absolute core of Christianity in the exploration of the history and personhood of Jesus of Nazareth. The creed makes a litany of statements that highlight classic Christian theology. It should be noted that the portrayal of Jesus in the Gospels…

This week we begin a new sermon series on the Apostle’s Creed called “We Believe.” During this time, we will explore one of the most common affirmations of faith, originating from some of the earliest Christians. Our first week focuses appropriately on God, named in the Apostle’s Creed as The Father Almighty and as the creator of Heaven and Earth. In these few words, we encompass not just the Christian almighty, but the same God of our Jewish and Muslim…

As we journey into summer and the season after Pentecost, we follow the arrival of the Holy Spirit with a celebration of the mysterious Trinity. The idea of the Trinity has surely inspired volumes of works simply to explain its theological concept. It is difficult for us to understand how God can be both infinitely whole and also three completely separate persons (Creator, Christ, Spirit). Perhaps the phrase from John below says it well: “you can’t handle it now.” And…

Pentecost Sunday is a long-standing tradition in Christian churches because it is the moment of the arrival of God’s Holy Spirit among the faithful followers. Classical Christian theology affirms God in trinity, and this moment brings completion to the triune presence. God’s Spirit hasn’t been entirely absent. Indeed, we read throughout the Hebrew Bible about God’s spirit. We read about the Spirit descending like a dove at Jesus’ baptism. But Pentecost is different, and perhaps there is a new understanding…

We are concluding our Worship series titled “The Grace of Les Misérables,” based on the book by the same title by Rev. Matt Rawle. We have explored themes of grace, rigid justice, the plight of the underprivileged, love, and advocacy. As we conclude this week, we find parallel imagery and inspiration in Victor Hugo’s masterpiece alongside the garden’s of sacred text. The bishop who gifts Valjean with silver has a daily practice of walking in a garden. As Valjean raises…

We are nearing the end of our Worship series titled “The Grace of Les Misérables,” based on the book by the same title by Rev. Matt Rawle. We have explored themes of grace, rigid justice, the plight of the underprivileged, and love. This week we consider the young students—they might consider themselves revolutionaries—to whom Cosette becomes inextricably drawn. These idealists call themselves “Les Amis de l’ABC,” an interesting name that seems to indicate that their voices are raised on behalf…