Denver Community Church

May 25, 2008: Generous Light – Michael Hidalgo

Mother Theresa said, "When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her. It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed." Many people often hear words such as these and are racked with guilt and despair. There is a depressing feeling as people begin to think "What have I done?" It seems however, that much of our non-generosity is rooted in blindness - or in unhealthy eyes. So often each day we walk around with money to spare, time to give, and left-overs in the refrigerator. What would happen if we began to think differently about all that we have? What would happen if we stopped feeling guilty about what we have and began to think about what we are unwilling to give away? How much more could we give if we gave out of our excess? 

May 18, 2008: This Is All Connected – Michael Hidalgo

Paul says that the life he now lives in the flesh we live by faith. He seems to recognize that we do live an earthly existence. This is no small thing. We are constantly thinking about the other world - the spiritual world - as we sit here in this physical one. We cannot live as though the physical does not influence the spiritual and vice versa. The two worlds are together and were never meant to be separated - we were created to be one. We will explore the world of spiritual disciplines seeking to understand better why physical disciplines inform our spirituality. 

May 4, 2008: I Am Very Much Like You – Michael Hidalgo

In dealing with forgiveness so often we are left to handle the grief that we have been given by the person who has hurt us, and offended us. However, in the prayer of Jesus we are called to recognize the pain that we have given him as well. “Forgive us … “ This declares that we have done something wrong. We have done something to hurt or to offend. We have caused pain. “… as we forgive” reminds us that what has been done to us is what we have done to the other. In this case, to God. How would we view forgiveness differently if we began to understand it as something we give and receive? How would view hurt differently if we realized it was something we have given and received?

April 27, 2008: Bread – Michael Hidalgo

What is it that we really need? We ask for so much, yet Jesus teaches us to ask only for what we need for that day. We cannot - as he states elsewhere - add a single hour to our lives worrying about tomorrow. The ancient monks had a beggars bowl. They would begin each day by getting enough in that bowl for the day, so that they could spend the rest of the day in devotion to God. Is it possible that too much causes more worry about tomorrow?

April 20, 2008: Thy Kingdom Come – Dave Terpstra

“Your kingdom come …” Jesus request involves asking God the Father to make his Kingdom a deeper reality here on this earth. So often we think about salvation in terms of getting to heaven, but maybe it also involves bring heaven here to this earth. What does it mean to live within the “dome” of where God is King?

April 13, 2008: Breathe – Michael Hidalgo

Running, snoring, yoga. Inhale. Exhale. How often do we contemplate just what our breath is and where it comes from? How aware are we of our breath? The very wind that has been given to us by God himself? Jesus prays, “… hallowed be your Name.” So what is in a name? The name of God - the ineffable name - was for thousands of years never spoken out loud. This was (is) an attempt to protect the name of God from being defiled or misused. As such the correct pronunciation has been lost - or has it? What if the name of God is simply a breath? What if the name of God is always on the lips of humanity - would we be aware of our breath then?

April 6, 2008: Mike Tucker

March 30, 2008: Where is There – Michael Hidalgo

Heaven seems like such a distant thing. It is something that is so far away from us. So to even thing about praying to a God who is there seems impossible. But what if heaven was right here? What if the miracle of prayer is not that we ascend to God but that God comes here to us? What if heaven is all around us, and that maybe we could make sense of it if we were just still long enough to pay attention? Understanding where there is may just be the beginning of prayer - and maybe there is here and we are just unaware that God is in our midst.

March 23, 2008: The Grave is Now a Groove (8 of 8) – Michael Hidalgo

Why do we so often speak of the death of Jesus, but neglect the resurrection. Once a year we stop and speak of the empty tomb, while the rest of the year we set our sights on Good Friday. So what is the significance of the resurrection? 

March 16, 2008: The Shackles are Undone (7 of 8) – Michael Hidalgo

There is not a lot known about exactly where Jesus went when he died. Did he go back to heaven for a couple of days? Or did he storm the gates of Hades and release the dead? Exactly where did he go? What were the conceptions of heaven and hell in ancient Israel? What does it mean to better understand exactly where Jesus was on Holy Saturday? What is the “afterlife” and how can we speak about heaven and hell in our world now?