Welcome back to our series on prayer. Today we continue our exploration of the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples by dwelling with the phrase, “Hallowed be thy name.” Devotion is time set apart (the meaning of “sacred”) to honor something or someone we love. When Jesus called God’s name “hallowed,” he was drawing us to the sacred nature of the holy. When we pray, we set apart our time and atte...

Welcome back to our series on prayer. Today we begin to unpack the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples by looking closely at the significance of the first line. Abba is the Aramaic name for God that Jesus used. This was a very intimate term — referring to God as family — and was a radical idea in Jesus’ day. Relationship was central to Jesus’ teaching and what he passed on to us is th...

Jesus had a rich prayer life. Whether it was public prayers and blessings or private prayers on the mountain or in the garden, praying was a deeply connecting practice for him. Sometimes prayer can be a bit abstract for us. We may not be sure about incorporating it into our lives. We know it is part of our Christian tradition and we practice it here in our sanctuary. But we may not be as sure abou...

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but...

Jesus asks his disciples who people say he is, and Peter confesses him as the Messiah. Every age must answer the Jesus question anew, not only in doctrine but in lived allegiance. Which Jesus are we confessing with our words, our politics, and our way of life?...