This week, we begin a special sermon series for our Stewardship Season (October 1-October 22) called “Where Our Treasure Is”:

Jesus said “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. What matters most to us: in our lives and in a community of others following Jesus? How do we use our resources of money, time, and energy in service of those things that matter most? This series will focus on what COA’s Session leaders have discerned are its core values in these times. Each week, we will think about what matters most to us and how we live out what makes us who we are as a church. We hope you will be a part of it! 

This week, we think together about one of our values: WE TREASURE….GATHERING AS AN ECLECTIC, IMPERFECT PEOPLE. Christ Our Anchor heard over and over again that part of what makes us a strong community is the space we make for differences. We still have a lot of work to do, but we are enriched by multiple ages, multiple backgrounds and multiple points of view. Sometimes that means community is messy and imperfect, but it is worth it. We will consider how we might continue to live up to this value, and how it might translate into other areas of our lives.

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In this final week of this short series called “No Offense”, we consider what we do when Jesus is the one who offends us. Are there times when the Gospel shocks us or challenges us in such a way that we feel angry or defensive? Where we want to push Jesus away rather than draw closer? The Good News of God’s Grace is one which offended many people throughout the Biblical story. Sadly, more people today seem to be offended by Christians than by Christ. They are offended at the judgment and exclusivism they witness in our faith, when really, what offended people most about Jesus was how expansive and inclusive His Good News really was.

Let’s consider together where maybe we have been offended by the Gospel, but where it may invite us to more open, generous and grace-filled lives.

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This week in this brief Fall sermon series, we will turn our attention to when other people bother, annoy or offend us. Last week, we considered how to hold each other accountable when something that is done is genuinely wrong. But now we consider those people who we just plain struggle with: they are difficult for us. They get on our nerves. They push all our buttons. They bring out the worst in us. What do we do with that? Those people are always going to exist, and somehow, through it all, we are called to unity. (Excluding situations of abuse or harm), Christians especially are called to show love, even to those people who are difficult for us. How can our faith help us with this? What about when we just don’t get it right? Is there grace for us? How does God put up with all of us, and what clues does that give us as to how we can bear with each other? Let’s keep the conversation going…

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This week, we kick off our Fall. It is Rally Sunday! All our programs are restarting now, we have a great big picnic after church thanks to our Deacons. We even have a baptism. It is a joyful day.

We also begin a short Fall sermon series based on the Revised Common Lectionary Texts. The series is called NO OFFENSE.

In our polarized world today, it takes almost nothing to light a spark of outrage that turns into a fire of division and hatred. It seems harder than ever to get past places where we disagree and misunderstand and find our way to genuine community with those who are different than us. Yet, Jesus operates differently too. Jesus was considered a stumbling block because His message was so counter to everything we have been taught. How can we meet offense head-on in our world with the grace that Jesus calls us to as His followers?

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This week, we come to our final question of this series: WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR HAND?

This question echoes (or foreshadows) one that Pastor Dottie preached on a couple weeks ago with the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000+ people with just a few loaves and fishes. While His disciples were panicking, Jesus urged them to share what they had and trust God for the rest. Similarly, in this story, God has called Moses out of his simple, quiet life to do something unbelievable–to confront the most powerful ruler in the land and demand freedom for his people. Naturally, Moses has many objections and excuses to this intimidating calling, and God amazingly accommodates those, but also asks Moses a question. What is that in your hand? What is in his hand is an ordinary, everyday tool; an unremarkable shepherd’s staff. But what can God do with our small and ordinary things? We ask God many questions, but God also has questions like this for us. How will we respond? Will we let God work through us?

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