This painting by Rembrandt is titled the “Sacrifice of Isaac.” It shows a key moment in a terrible story, when the angel of the Lord intervenes to tell Abraham to NOT sacrifice his son Isaac.
This is one of those stories that makes people want to toss the whole of the First Testament into the round file. It’s dark, it’s strange, and it has a really important message for us today, especially when placed in the context of Jesus’ “sacrifice.” Yes, I put that in quotes because that’s a whole story unto itself. Join us this Sunday for part 3 of “I Look to the Mountains” online and in person at 10 a.m.
Everything Changes
In our sermon series we are exploring how our brains were designed to be suspicious of change, and for good reason–homeostasis in good measure helps us thrive, protecting us from danger. But if we look closely at what the Creator set in motion, we find that change is the most constant part of life and necessary for animating our spirits as we find renewed purpose throughout life. Jesus advocated for changes that would keep us moving toward greater goodness! “Everything Changes” John 12:20-26 In our scripture this week Jesus asks us to let go of life “as it is” in order to create and multiply the love that is eternal. What feels like the chaos, or recklessness, of change is the breaking-open of possibility and the sprouting of new life. This is what it means to follow the change-maker Jesus and serve his purpose of more love in the world. -Pastor Courtney