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Songs and Stories for Eastertide

Sabbath Day Thoughts (and songs) — “Songs and Stories for Eastertide” John 20:19-29 This message includes hotlinks for each of the hymns. Click and sing along, if you wish! Our first hymn features words originally written in Latin in the fifth century. These lyrics have been sung by Christians to celebrate the resurrection for more…

Roll Back the Stone

Sabbath Day Thoughts — “Roll Back the Stone” Matthew 28:1-10 We all carry stones. Almaza a-Sultan shoulders the stone of injustice in her life in a Gaza refugee camp. Although her family has no connection to Hamas, their home was destroyed by bombs early in the Israel-Hamas War. Life in the camp is tough. Almaza…

What the Lord Needs

Sabbath Day Thoughts — “What the Lord Needs” Matthew 21:1-11 Disciples have been seeking to discern what the Lord needs for centuries. It started with those four fishermen—Peter, Andrew, James, and John. There they were, tending their nets on the shore of Galilee when Jesus came along with his invitation, “Follow me.” According to Matthew’s…

The Kingdom of Mercy and Grace

Sabbath Day Thoughts — “The Kingdom of Mercy and Grace” Luke 23:39-43 Jubilee is a Christian community and working farm set in the beautiful, rolling countryside of Comer, Georgia. For many years, until recent changes in our national immigration policy, the Jubilee partners welcomed refugees to their farm, offering a safe place to land for…

The New Commandment

Sabbath Day Thoughts — “The New Commandment” John 13:1-9, 31-35 Andrew Rice’s best friend when growing up was his brother David. Although the two shared a rebellious spirit as kids, with age they settled down to careers in journalism and finance. On September 11, 2001, Andrew was covering the Toronto Film Festival when their mother…

In the Midst of Chaos

Sabbath Day Thoughts — “In the Midst of Chaos” Matthew 24:1-14 Our world is feeling especially chaotic these days. It’s been a week since the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran. The images have been alarming: Tehran’s Mehrabad airport on fire, plumes of black smoke rising from the city, rescuers digging through…

Truth to Power

Sabbath Day Thoughts — “Truth to Power” Mark 12:1-12 Rachel spoke truth to power. For her senior year at Evergreen State College, Rachel proposed a special independent study. She would travel to Gaza with the International Solidarity Movement. There, she would live in community with Palestinian families, initiate a “sister city” project between Olympia and…

A Hopeful Beginning

Sabbath Day Thoughts — “A Hopeful Beginning” Luke 19:28-40 On Ash Wednesday, more than 300 prominent Christian leaders, including Presbyterians, released “A Call to Christians in a Crisis of Faith and Democracy.” It’s a boldly worded statement that characterizes this moment in history as a time of spiritual crisis in which we must affirm what…

Hidden Glory

Sabbath Day Thoughts — “Hidden Glory” Matthew 17:1-9 Have you seen the glory of Jesus lately? In August 2012, visitors to Belfast City Cemetery were surprised to see an image resembling the face of Jesus on a tree stump. City Council workers had been out earlier in the year to trim trees in the western…

Repair and Restore

Sabbath Day Thoughts — “Repair and Restore” Isaiah 58:1-12 On December 4, 1967, Martin Luther King was in Atlanta for a press conference. Dr. King had come to Georgia to announce his newest initiative in the pursuit of American social justice, The Poor People’s Campaign. In recent years, his activism had taken him north to…

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