Luke's version of the Beatitudes - except he includes some "woes."

The first thing we notice is that this is all backwards - Jesus has things all upside-down.  What our world thinks of as blessed usually involves prosperity linked to wealth, comfort, no lack of possessions or materials to get what we want. Yeah, it's the opposite of what Jesus says.

I'll admit that I don't quite know what to do with these things. I'm tempted to edit these things. I'm tempted to see them as metaphors. Poor? Hungry? Mourning? Hated and excluded? Jesus must've been exaggerating.

But he wasn't. The crowd Jesus was talking to were the sick, the lame, the demon possessed. They were the marginalized - the outcast. And Jesus calls them "blessed" - says that God is on their side. When you've got nothing left - end of the line - you are now closer to the kingdom of God than ever before. You are blessed. God is on your side.

Of course, there is the other matter of the woes. Most of us live cozy and comfortable lives. For the most part we're not in dire need of anything. There isn't much in our circumstances that can lead us to a sense of urgency about ultimate things. We can go days without talking to God - days without thinking about God. It's not because we don't want to, yearn to, desire to, it's just that - in the words of Jesus - we've already been comforted. We're full.

So maybe what Jesus is saying is that for most of us, we have something to learn about following Jesus - about blessedness - that our life circumstances won't teach us. Maybe we have something to learn from people who don't have what most of us have. Maybe it's our turn to shut up and listen.

But humanity doesn't want to listen. We don't listen to the poor, the hungry, the immigrant, and all the others who've been marginalized by the powers that be. Humanity doesn't want to listen. Why should we? We're already full. Woe to us.

What do we do? Maybe step into that calling. Maybe we do listen and learn and stand in solidarity with those who've been pushed out. All we have to do is let go of power and privilege. All we have to do is give away all of our love. Maybe then we'll experience this thing called the kingdom of God. Maybe then we'll experience the fullness of what Jesus calls "blessed."

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: Luke 6:17-26
https://www.bible.com/events/49396230

February 23, 2025 "Blessed Are The Outcast"

This morning we are doing something a bit different once again, with a panel of therapists who are in our community. A huge thank you to Sarah Fleming, Holly Thompson, and Jason Stark for sharing their time and wisdom with us today!

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: Psalm 13:1-6
http://bible.com/events/49399816

March 2, 2025 "When We Are In Despair"

It's Lent time, baby! It always starts with an examination of this particular story in Luke.  Today we're talking about how we can approach it - from an individual perspective - how does this impact each of our lives? AND from a communal perspective - how does this impact us as a community?

Temptation one is to go after the short-cut - to take the easy way - to go after instant gratification. We're always looking for instant gratification. But the slow, hard work of building relationships, establishing trust, and invitation is the only way things go well.

Temptation two is to compromise in order to grasp after power. Yeesh, this one is tempting all the time - compromise our integrity in order to get ahead. But there's a flip side to this. We hold a different view about human sexuality and gender. It would be easy for us to be self-righteous about it - to be militant about it - to try and force others to come to the same conclusion - but that's not how God works.

Temptation three is to make fear the basis of faith. This can be used to manipulate and control. If we just have to believe the right things and believe in them hard enough then God will protect us. You can be coerced into believing some pretty crazy things if fear is the basis of faith. But the cross teaches us something different. God's beloved still get hurt and ache and bleed and die. But we have a God who suffers alongside us. This is good news - because we also have a God who resurrects.

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: Luke 4:1-13
https://www.bible.com/events/49403199

March 9, 2025 "How Does God Shape Us?"

We live in a world that is obsessed with knowledge - which is a good thing. Knowledge gets you ahead. Knowledge is power. That's what we say. And we experience that, too.

It worked for Paul. He really was THE MAN, when it came to all things God.

For a lot of us who grew up in the Church, head knowledge of the contents and principles of the Bible was something that we valued highly. Memorization, then being able to recite on the spot, or at least be able to talk about it with certainty. Paul called all of that stuff "garbage" when compared to knowing Jesus. Garbage. Rubbish. Actually, the best way to translate that word is, "shit." It's all a bunch of BS compared to knowing Jesus. Okay, poop - let's talk about poop. This is now the second sermon I've preached about poop. Yay!

All that stuff we know about Jesus is like manure - it fertilizes the heart and soul to prepare us for knowing Jesus. The head stuff is great. But it's also BS. It has to fertilize the heart so that we can actually know the divine. And knowing Jesus has a transformative effect on our lives. We become a gracious presence. We become a healing presence. We become a loving presence. We become a welcoming presence. And most importantly, we become a loving presence.

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: Philippians 3:1-14
http://bible.com/events/49406721

March 16, 2025 "When Knowledge Grows Love"

Jesus weeps over Jerusalem as a mother hen - calling her chicks back and yet, they were not willing.

We're going to spend some time thinking about this image of the mother hen. What in the world could this story be saying to us?

1) Maybe this story is inviting us to embrace a vulnerability not often embraced in this world. Jesus doesn't offer to get rid of the "fox" (Herod). What Jesus does offer is his presence, his life, his very body to give protection, shelter, and warmth - even in the face of danger - even if it would cost him his life. What would it look like to embrace that vulnerability in this world? We're talking about chicks and children - some of the most vulnerable in the world. What would it look like for us to stand in front, offering protection? How does this change how we see the body of Christ - the church? How does this change how we view politics and the policies we support?

2) Maybe this story is inviting us to create space for lament. Jesus laments that his children will not come home. So we're going to create space for lament. 

3) Maybe this story is an invitation to return. The image of the chicks with their mother hen is an image of gathering, community, intentional oneness. What is it in our lives preventing us from coming home?

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: Luke 13:31-35
http://bible.com/events/49410046

March 23, 2025 "Creating Space For Lament"

The story of Jesus and Nicodemus. In order to understand this, we have to know a little bit about Nicodemus. John gives us some clues. He's a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council. Smart. Well respected. His whole life was dedicated to understanding and living up to Torah - becoming as holy and righteous as can be in order to honor God. He comes to Jesus under cover of darkness. Perhaps he didn't want to be seen by his fellow Pharisees. Maybe his faith had become stale - like it wasn't giving him life. But he notices that Jesus lives differently - he wants what Jesus has. A vibrant life. A vibrant faith.

Jesus tells him he must be born again. And like a good fundamentalist, Nico reads him literally. Doesn't understand the metaphor. So Jesus talks about the Spirit - the wind. He still doesn't get it. So Jesus pulls an obscure story out of Numbers about biting snakes, dying people, and salvation by way of a bronze snake up on a stick. Weird, I know. If you look up at the snake after being bitten - you live. Look up and live.

Why don't we look up and live? Well, sometimes we don't look up and live because we're afraid - sometimes we're filled with shame because of the image of God we've been given. But sometimes we don't because we think we can take care of our own problems all on our own. Jesus tells Nico this story so he'll understand that a relationship with the Divine is founded on love and grace. That's how transformation takes place.

That might have been difficult for Nico to hear. Maybe he felt like his whole belief system had been a sham. But this wasn't condemnation - this was an invitation to start again - to be born again.

Maybe "born again" is an openness to this Spirit - maybe it's an openness to change and growth. Maybe it's to see the world with wonder and curiosity. Maybe "born again" is a willingness to trust God with your life - your future - like a newborn trusts mommy and daddy.

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: John 3:1-21
https://www.bible.com/events/49413343

March 30, 2025 "Look Up And Live"

Speaker: Tony Vis
Scripture: Philippians 2:12-18
http://bible.com/events/49416767

April 6, 2025 "A Life Of Joy And Laughter"

A note: there are some audio issues in this one that are unfixable in editing. Our apologies!

Palm Sunday! There's a connection between Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent, and Palm Sunday, as the season of Lent draws to a close. Both will lead us into contemplating our own mortality - the fact that all of us will one day die. THAT always leads us to the realization that we live in a complex, uncertain, and sometimes unfair world.

That's what makes Palm Sunday so odd. It starts with a celebration - a parade - then ends in the unjust death of Jesus. And the entire parade - the entire celebration, Jesus knows what's ahead, knows he's going to die.

So we're going to notice how Jesus carries himself as he makes his way in a complex, uncertain, and unfair world. We'll notice that he comes to bring peace and reconciliation. Jesus rides into the city on a donkey, not a horse, indicating a nonviolent intention. He didn't come looking for a physical fight, so does he force the issue? Yes, but the world didn't have to kill him - and yet it did.

This leads us to notice that Jesus was going to fulfill the Father's call on his life no matter the consequences.

What does that mean for us? If we're following Jesus and living as passionately and as fully as he did when he walked on this planet - it'll look like we don't quite fit in - like we're fish out of water. We live in a world where violence and aggression rule the day - if we're living like Jesus we're living on a different plane of existence, where peace and reconciliation rule the day.

How do we do that? We pay attention to our cultural moment. That's what Jesus was doing. He was protesting Roman occupation - he was protesting empire - he was protesting might makes right. What does that look like in our day?

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: Luke 19:28-40
https://www.bible.com/events/49420259

April 13, 2025 "Rejecting Empire"

It's Easter Sunday! We're getting started here with a brief retelling of the story. Then we get to the part where the angel says, "Do not be afraid." I have trouble with this. Maybe we all have trouble with this. There's so much in the world that causes us fear. So what makes this angel think he can come into our place of worship, look us straight in the eye and say with all seriousness, "Do not be afraid?"

After he tells us not to be afraid he makes an announcement and then a promise.  

An announcement that, if true, changes everything. He is risen. What if that's true? If it's true, it changes everything and all things are possible.

Then he makes a promise: Jesus is ahead of you. Most of what causes us fear is in the future. It's an uncertain tomorrow. Jesus is ahead of us. Jesus promises to be with us in whatever we face in our uncertain future. And that gives us hope.

Of course, hope isn't something we can just sit back and enjoy. Welp, I hope everything turns out okay tomorrow! Welp, I hope God shows up tomorrow. That's wishful thinking. Hope, real hope, is to throw ourselves into the struggle for the realization of that hope.

And that's how Matthew's story about Jesus ends. It ends with an invitation to live into resurrection - to live into hope - an invitation to let it define our lives.

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10
https://www.bible.com/events/49422813

April 20, 2025 Easter Sunday "Let Resurrection Define Our Lives"

ReNew Community: Following Jesus to renew lives that renew the world.
UP with God, IN with one another, OUT in service.

April 20, 2025 Easter Sunday "Let Resurrection Define Our Lives"

ReNew Ames

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