The ax is at the root of the tree; the winnowing fork is separating the wheat from the chaff. Tithing a full 10% is good for our souls because it reduces our choices, makes us happier, and simplifies our lives. Tithing is the ax and winnowing fork that gets rid of what is not needed so that we may receive what is being gifted to us - Jesus.…

Advent, 1st Sunday. Life without Advent leads to exhaustion, as we follow the gods of capitalism, consumerism, hedonism, and media overload. Besides, what about our soul? That is why God gave us Advent. Stay awake! Keep alert! God is already working in the world! Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!…

Christ the King 2013. We have been rescued and transferred to the kingdom of light by Christ, the king of all creation. There is nothing that can happen to us now.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

When we are rich toward ourselves, we may be rich, but we are also fools. Let's talk about money, so we may be rich toward God, and be freed from the tyranny of being possessed by our possessions.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Caregiver Sunday 2013. As U2 sang in "One" we get to carry each other. Caregivers do this important and exhausting work. We ask God's blessing on them today.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Saints are not perfect. Saints sing songs to us, and we join in to sing the Song together. All Saints 2013 (Recognition)Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

God told the people (in Ezekiel) I will "give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you." Paul says (in Romans) that the same Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead has been given to us. There are plenty of reasons to "rejoice in the power of the Holy Spirit." We have been called to join the dance with the Lord of the Dance.…

We are good at serving God because we so freely serve our neighbors. But what about loving God--pure devotion for the One who first loved us?Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

To honor is to "fix the value" on someone or something. But what if our first impressions are wrong? The phrase "honor all persons" is a challenge to move beyond "single stories" which limit our relationships. We honor as we value persons as individuals for whom Jesus died.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

The problem with platitudes is that they are an attempt to explain or fix what cannot be explained or fixed. It's best just to bypass phrases like "It's God's will" and go straight to real help by saying, "I'm sad for your loss. I care about you." And always pray. That is perhaps the best way to help the suffering.…

A significant teaching within our Judeo-Christian heritage is God's command to care for the widow, the orphan and the foreigner living within our society. The weak and the vulnerable were under the LORD's protection in the Old Testament and Jesus came preaching good news to the poor. This emphasis continued in the early church, leading to great inc…

Being faint of heart is not a character flaw--it is part of the human condition. The Bible calls it being wrapped in darkness. Today we call it despair, for being hopeless and helpless. Let us be of good courage and encourage the despairing around us.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

The example of the martyrs teaches us that "returning to no one evil for evil" is not a sign of weakness. Nor is it "doing nothing." It is a powerful witness of love. It takes great courage. It prevents us from bearing the guilt of neighborhood bullies.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

We suffer when we encounter something we don't like, cannot fix, cannot make go away, cannot explain. When we let our finite stories rest in God's transfinite story, then we can suffer in peace.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

We have all been affected by words that have hurt, but each one of us also has the gift of the Holy Spirit that allows us to use speech as blessing.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Jesus was a person of character because his thoughts, words and deeds lined up. For us to be people of Christian character our actions must also be grounded in biblical and spiritual wisdom. God calls us to be Thinkers AND Doers.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Information can be debated and argued. It ultimately leads to violence: "I'm right, therefore you are wrong." Wisdom is the only way forward. According to the Hebrew Scriptures, wisdom is the culmination and direction of human consciousness. Torah to Prophets to WisdomOleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Struggling with the impulse to be "Spiritual But Not Religious:" the wisdom of the Bible shows that we need people in our lives who will challenge us and correct us so that we may stay on the the path of righteousness. David received the gift of correction from Nathan. Who is your Nathan?Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Struggling with the impulse to be "Spiritual But Not Religious:" We ask the questions: what is church? Is God limited to the wall of a church building? Do you view church as a museum, an institution or a promise?Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Struggling with the impulse to be "Spiritual But Not Religious:" we ask the question, what is worship? Biblical story of David dancing before the altar of the Lord, bringing the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem, provides some wisdom for us to consider.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Struggling with the impulse to be "Spiritual But Not Religious:" we ask the question: where is your Zion? All throughout history people have gathered as a group in particular places to give praise to God. Where is your holy place? Where is the place that connects you not only to God but to others?Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

David was ready for the challenge of Goliath? How did he get ready? What resources did he rely upon? One of the church's key tasks is to prepare the next generation. Just as David had 5 smooth stones, so do we. I outline our 5 key ministries and what our mission is: by God's grace, to impact lives for the next generation.…

One of the greatest impulses for humans is to become set in our ways. One of the greatest impulses for the Scriptures is to move us from congealed to fluidity. We think we know the story of Samuel annointing David as king, but what if we heard it again for the first time? Would you allow the Spirit to move you into a new way of hearing? a new way o…

How do we live faithfuly at the intersection of God and government? Do we identify ourselves first as voters in a political party or as Christians? Can we accept God as our only right and true "King" regardless of government?Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

We carry lots of stories around with us all day, some of them are little deaths that kill us. Yet there is one story that saves us. It is a real story that changes people's lives and it can happen to you to. Resurrection is unlike anything you can imagine or expect. Listen for Jesus calling you by name!…

We may not be the congregation that we used to be, or that we want to be, but the Spirit of Christ is working in and among us, conquering our demons so that we may be a healthy, vital congregation that changes people's lives. A vision setting sermon before our annual meeting "State of the Church."Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Spiritual Discernment liberates us from the tyranny of having to make our own decisions. It allows us to participate with God in what God is already doing in the world. Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Jesus was given the name Jesus which means salvation. So we who carry his name are blessed, not by anything we have done, but through the gift of this child.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

The birth of Jesus means that we are at home with God. So our primary identity is that we are children of God and this is, thank God, not dependent upon us or our actions. God has made us to be at home through the incarnation, God-with-us.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Generous giving is the miracle that saves us from the tyranny of having to spend all of our money on ourselves. Generous giving is where the Lord chooses to build the Holy Temple.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Christ is the Lord of all creation, and that includes your pocketbook. But don't give because you feel guilty, give as a joyful response to the good news that Jesus, and no earthly power, is ruler of all.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

You are signficant, but not in the way you normally think of yourself.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

We know the greatest commandment that Jesus gives, but we actually live our own great commandments. Jesus tells us that our own rules are fine, but we need to move beyond them to love so that our lives may be properly ordered, or hung on the right two hinges: love of God and love of others.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

What if you threw a party and no one showed up? Or what if people came to the party, what do you expect them to do once they do arrive? Faith is more than showing up, it is about falling in love with the groom and being changed. So wear the wedding robe!Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

We are often told "Be Grateful," but this is hard to do unless we understand that everything is a gift. When we do, gratitude becomes the key ingredient to a well-lived life. Gratitude enables us to be faithful and fruitful.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Lord knows there are always those who will be the "first murmurers," but God is looking for "first followers". First followers are those who help others connect to God. They make God's crazy ideas like drinking water from a rock seem a lot less crazy. Are you with me?Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

The Lord leads people out of slavery in Egypt but they soon find themselves hungry. God teaches them to depend upon their daily bread in the wilderness, rather than the memory of how well they ate as slaves. The result is that the people begin to learn to trust God alone. What daily bread is nourishing you to grow more faithful?…

How best to show love and care for those who are suffering? Preached in the framework of the concept of "future stories," the teaching by Dr. Andrew Lester in his book Hope and Pastoral Care.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

The story of Abram separating from Lot sets us down the path of self-giving, which we see most in Jesus. In a world that is so divided in politics and religion, the Better Way of Jesus gives us challenge and hope.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Our current political and religoius dialogue has diminished to shouting, standoffs and shootings. But the Word teaches us The Better Way, the command to love our enemies, turn the other cheek and sit and eat with our rivals.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

There is a continunity in the Bible. From Leviticus, to Romans to Jesus we get the message that we are called to be holy, to be Christ-like, to be transformed. Love for God has implications in the real world starting with loving our neighbor as ourselves. So it's not trying to be perfect. Rather, faith is participation in the holiness of God. NOTE:…

We didn't create church, church was given as a gift to us by the Holy Spirit. So it is not essential that we all agree on the issues of the day. We can disagree and still be church together because we were called to drink of the one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12).Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

The church has a lot to celebrate because of what God does week after week in our midst. Celebrating helps us in our community formation, so we know more fully who we are: that we have been blessed and that we are a blessing. We are a living stones being built into a spiritual house for God.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

We can know all the right facts, but see none of the meaning. An encounter with the Risen Lord, no matter how brief, shows us to see that the end may may be a new beginning.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Jesus came so that we may have life, and have it abundantly. We have to practice this type of LIFE, because it is very different than our normal and initial human responses. Resurrection often puts us at odds with the headlines.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

Our tendency to seek security can protect us from life, but the resurrection teaches us that we wil find life in unexpected places. Earthquakes connect us to the ever-present Realm of God.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

We don't have to be scared of the dark. God is with us in the shadow of the valley of death. Even the rod and staff are good news, because without limits and guidance, we wouldn't know where to go.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

The birth of Jesus opens up a portal so that we can experience the Kingdom of God all around us. It means that God is creating a home for us here on earth, showing us how to do radical hospitality.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor

In the middle of some crazy driving during the busy Christmas shopping season, I've learned that God is asking us to slow down so that we may pay attention to what God is already doing in the world. Slow down, perhaps even say no to something, so that we can be free to sing with Mary songs of praise.…

Zacchaeus stopped living the lies of "there is not enough" and "more is better" and gave away half of his possessions. Stewardship is the joyous response of giving out of gratitude. It allows us to become the people (and church) that God created us to be.Oleh Rev. David Ivie, Pastor