Matthew 5: 13 – 16 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” We’ve witnessed many shining stars these past two weeks in the Olympics.  One Olympian, however, taught us about an inner light that shines beyond the Gold. When we are true to ourselves, the whole world wins! Be brave. Be bright. Be…

Mark 5: 24b – 34 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – Society creates boxes that limit us, constrict us, control us, and disempower us. For example, how much of who you’ve become is inherent and how much was inherited? Which of your beliefs are of your own creation and which were programmed into you? The moment we have the courage to…

Mark 4: 35 – 41 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – After returning from a stormy adventure on a houseboat on Lake Mohave, I find myself in awe of this Sunday’s scripture passage. The disciples are terrified. On the Sea of Galilee, the waves are crashing, the wind is whipping, and the disciples are bailing water out of their little fishing boat. The…

2 Timothy 4:7 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – On the Fourth of July, we generally celebrate our Founding Fathers: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, to name a few. This Fourth of July, however, I invite us to honor those from the margins who are not generally associated with this holiday, but who played major roles in helping…

Acts 2: 5 – 18 Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – It is still the season of Pentecost. Pentecost affirms diversity and multiplicity. Over and over again, our scripture passage from Acts uses the conjunction “and.” Our God is an And God. God functions with the conjunction “and.” On this Pride Sunday, we will specifically celebrate the ways in which the Pentecost And is made manifest…

John 13: 34 – 35 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you.” The Hebrew scriptures, however, gave us the commandment “to love one another” one thousand years before Jesus commanded us to do so. So, what is new about Jesus’ commandment “to love one another?” How…

Ezekiel 37: 1 – 14 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – What an extraordinary celebration we shared in last Sunday! What a joy to behold your presence in our sacred space, especially after being apart 440 days! A huge thank you to all who helped to create an unforgettable reunion. Tears of gratitude flowed throughout the service as glorious music blessed…

Luke 6: 27 – 42 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – Last Sunday, Pastor Jill spoke about the importance of listening to one another with undivided attention, without judgment, and with a tender heart. This is much easier to do when we are listening to someone with whom we agree, enjoy and appreciate. How do we listen to our opponent, however?…

Luke 24: 17 – 24 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN As some of you may be aware, I am in a Spiritual Direction program. Yes, I am in the process of becoming a Spiritual Director. Many of you may be wondering, “What is a Spiritual Director?” A Spiritual Director is like a Spiritual Companion who listens deeply to the life of…