Denver Community Church

February 24, 2013: Buck Naked and Loving It – Scott Oppliger

“The man and the woman were naked and felt no shame …” What would life be like if we lived without shame? What would it be like if someone could actually see us, know us … everything about us … without us fearing that someone would find something out about us that would lead to rejection? This is the world that was created. No wonder God called it good. 

 

It seems impossible. But what we must remember is this. The connection of the man and the woman was first to God – then to each other. That’s how this whole thing worked. Which raises the question, how are we informed about who we are by God? How do we live out of the reality of being beloved sons and daughters and what would that do for our ever attending shame?

February 17, 2013: God Like Us – Scott Oppliger

God said, “Let us make ...” Us? God is not alone? In fact, God lives in an eternal relationship of divine, mutual, self-giving love. Yes – God is not alone his existence is in community between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. As those who are made in his image, we are created for community and meant to live in community.

Why then would we so often go at life alone and not together? More than this, if the example we see in God himself is one of mutual, self-giving love then why do we so often enter relationships only to see what we can get? What we have to remember is the love, community and relationships is a risk for everyone who is involved.

This then explains why a communal God would say, “It’s not good for the man to be alone …” This only came about after the man had named the animals and “no suitable partner was found …” There was no way for him to be in relationship. He could not in fact be like God if he was alone … to be his image we must live in community.

February 10, 2013: The Past is Preferable to the Future – Michael Hidalgo

How many times do we hear people speak about the “good ol’ days” in a way that suggests they’d love things to return to the way they once were. There is nothing wrong with memories, but when those memories are the things we long for, we may be a bad place. 

 

It’s a dangerous thing to be defined by your past – good or bad. This is the beauty of the arc of the biblical narrative is we are pulled into the hope of the future. This is what the prophet Isaiah said to the people of Israel: “See I am doing a new thing …” So how do we remember rightly so that we can live with an eye toward the future?

February 3, 2013: Out of Control – Dave Meserve

God will do what God will do … which raises the question, does it matter what I do?

January 27, 2013: This Is Killing Me – Michael Hidalgo

There is one thing that most people do not like to speak about. It will happen to everyone and there is no way we can know when. More than this – no one really knows what happens when we die. We can speculate, but we can never, ever really know for sure until … we die. There is a looming hopelessness with this; so we ignore it. For those who dwell on it they are thought to be macabre and dark. So how should we as the people of God consider death? Sure we know that God has defeated sin and death, but it is still here and still persistent … all the time.

January 13, 2013: There's Only One Place to Go at the Top - Down – Michael Hidalgo

We strive, we toil, we achieve and we can end up on top. Which is not always good, because there is only one place to go from there … down. No matter how much we see this and experience this it is always the same, but we never stop the pursuit of success. We somehow believe we are the exception to the rule. 

Perhaps the best thing we can understand is why we are so driven to succeed. Who are we trying to impress? Who are we trying to win over? Why do we care so much about what people think? What if we did not have to succeed, but could spend our time pursuing an understanding of the fact that we are loved?

January 6, 2013: Together Apart – Michael Hidalgo

Relationships in general have fallen on hard time … more people than ever live splintered and disconnected. However, the desire for connection has remained the same since the dawn of time. The greatest desire of every person who has ever lived is to be desired. This is what we want, but too often it seems impossible to get there. 

So the question becomes, can we find this again? The good news is yes. The bad new is it means that it starts with you. What are you willing to do so that you can reach out to others? If two are better than one, then is it possible our greatest weakness is that we are alone?

December 30, 2012: The Adventure of You – Scott Oppliger

December 23, 2012: What Can We Know About the Future – Michael Hidalgo

There was a moment in time when things started. A moment when everything that was not suddenly was. The writer of Genesis explains this time as “the beginning.” Even scientists agree that there was a time when everything was like this. They can’t explain why, but there was a time when everything was in order. 

Then everything fell apart and it keeps falling apart. It is called Entropy. Things are spiraling out of control, and in a mysterious way this unraveling is pulling time forward with it. Order is giving way to chaos. Then, once again, there was a moment. John called it “the beginning.” Even though that time happened then – it is still happening now. We call it the incarnation. The moment when God became one of us. This is what we celebrate – all the time.

December 16, 2012: Hurry Up and Wait – Dave Neuhausel

When it comes to most Christmas songs there is a sense in which they speak in sentimental fashion about Jesus, the baby, the shepherds, the angels and of course the manger. That has its place … but what was Christmas really about?

Perhaps we can hear it in the song of Mary. Her longing for liberation. She understood the present state of Israel and the need for liberation. Her heart longed for God to save his people. When the birth of Jesus was announced that future hope became a present reality. This is where we are now. Still waiting. Advent reminds us of where we are and where we are going. This is why it’s all about hope.