In the Great French Wine Blight of the mid-1800s (a real thing), grafting French vines into American rootstock saved the wine industry and made vines around the world healthier and hardier. Jesus tells a story where he is the vine, we are the branches, and God is the vinegrower, but what Jesus forgets to mention […]
Good Shepherd Sunday often conjures up peaceful images of fluffy white sheep frolicking in green pastures without a care in the world, as their kind and loving shepherd keeps watch. Real life is not so idyllic. There are thieves and wolves who seek to do harm and hired hands who are only in it for […]
In the middle of grief and trauma, it’s the little things that we remember. When Jesus appeared to his disciples later on the day of his resurrection, they were still in shock from his death and struggling to believe he was alive. While he does explain everything to them, first he greets them in small, […]
Alleluia! Christ is risen! We celebrate Easter after a year when we need to hear about resurrection more than ever. We don’t like to admit that it’s been a fearful time. But the women were also filled with fear when they went to anoint Jesus’ body and found that he was missing—and terrified when they […]
In this worship service we hear the entirety of the Passion of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to the gospel of John, beginning with 18:1 and concluding with 19:42. We travel to a variety of locations in the Oneida-Rome area, chosen to resonate with the different human elements of the story, and respond […]
On the night before Jesus’ crucifixion and death, he ate a final meal with his disciples, washed their feet, and gave them a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you. That love is much more than human affection; it is both the overarching principle and the deep foundation that guides and defines […]
Are you feeling a bit undone these days? Hopeful in one breath and cautious in the next, unsure of where to land right now? You are in good company. On Palm Sunday, we hear that Jesus comes for people that are conflicted, people shouting “Hosanna!” in one breath and “Crucify him!” in the next. He […]
When you need a little extra Jesus in your life…what do you do? Go to church? Say a prayer? Call a friend? Head outside? In our gospel reading, the Greeks come and ask to see Jesus. He responds by pointing to plants growing from seeds, and all the places he shows love for his friends, […]
Well before modern vaccines, ancient people knew that sometimes, the cure is found within the illness. Snakebite antidotes are derived from poison, phobias are cured by facing fears, and spiritually, God’s treatment for sin is the cross of Jesus Christ. Through God’s strong, gracious and eternal love, the cross is transformed from a method of […]
Our world doesn’t know what to do with anger. Do we express it? Stifle it? Hide it away? Let it destroy us? Or use it for good? Even Jesus got angry, because he cared deeply for those who were left out. His example can help us come to terms with the anger we see everywhere. […]