The Lord speaks from Zion in perfection of beauty - which is itself a beautiful way to describe the way God comes to us in experience and truth that is often "fuzzy" and "soft" and seemingly subjective, yet we know the experience when it comes to us.
Does Not Keep Silent - Devotion on Psalm 50:3-6
Despite our desire to explain away the things we experience in life, the voice of God breaks through from time to time, and we can, in those moments, hear the voice of the one who "comes and does not keep silent."
No Sacrifices - Devotion on Psalm 50:7-15
We must struggle against the temptation to make religion transactional, or about anything other than being gracious and faithful to God.
The Cloud of Unknowing - Bible Study - Jan 14
To find God, sometimes you have to enter into the darkness, where you see nothing and rely only on God. While feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed, it is also when we are close to God. By Pastor Lars Hammar.
Holy Ground - Bible Study - Jan 13
Third in the Spiritual Gifts study by Pastor Lars Hammar, we look at how God takes an ordinary mountain and makes it holy, demanding that the place around his presence be kept special. For our own spiritual lives, keeping sacred places makes it easier to experience
The Name of God - Bible Study - Jan 12
Bible study on spiritual gifts and the encounter with God, focusing more on Moses and how God describes himself to him, and what it means about the mystery that is God. By Pastor Lars Hammar
The Burning Bush - Bible Study - Jan 11
First in a Bible study series on spiritual gifts. We go back to Moses and his encounter with God at the burning bush and what it tells us about the encounter with the divine and finding God. By Pastor Lars Hammar.
Meditation on Psalm 3
Each day we take a look at a different Psalm, exploring what it means for us today. We begin with Psalm 3.
By Pastor Lars Hammar
The Jubilee Year and Forgiving Debts
God commands that every seventh day we rest, every seventh year we let the land rest, and every 50th year we forgive all debts. Why does God mandate so much rest, and why, in particular, get involved in banking and credit issues? Debt can be a tool of control - even enslavement - and the forgiveness of debts a good social “reset” to restore society and prevent abuse.
God In Nature - Reflections by Pastor Lars Hammar
After spending many years both growing up in the woods, working in forest camps, and meditating on faith there, I have found my faith in Christ strengthened through learning about both the beautiful and cruel sides of nature.
Reflections on All Saints Day - sermon Nov. 1, 2020
I thought for the upcoming All Saints Day celebration that we’ll be having at church I would share some thoughts on the day.
You can follow the video, or read out the (approximate) text below.
We’ll be doing two services outside (masks, distance etc.) on our patio that day, and will include a chance for you to bring up a cardstock cross that you decorate yourself and post on a large board. We like to give people a chance to remember their loved ones and celebrate the saints who’ve gone before us.
For the 9:30am service we’ll also have Delta Blues music with special musicians.
Pastor Lars
Stepping Back and Starting Over – Podcast 4 – May 5, 2020
The fourth of my weekly reflections I did after we had to shut down services because of coronavirus. Here I discuss a little about the history of mission work, how the initial missionary would often spend a long time planting seeds of the faith, only to have to step back at some point and leave the indigenous people to take over.
How Long? - Podcast 3 - April 28, 2020
The third of my little weekly reflections I started during the shutdown for coronavirus, this one deals with the topic we all have had one our minds this whole time – “how long will it last?” The truth is, a lot longer than we thought. I thought we’d be throwing a welcome back party in June. I was really, really wrong on that one. But the idea of lamenting and asking God for a timeline is not new; it’s very Biblical.
Being in the Moment - Podcast 1 - April 14, 2020
The first of a few weekly reflections I started once the services here at Lord of Grace closed for coronavirus. This one was my first go, talking about living in the moment.