To all my Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

A question that I often ask of myself is : what does God in Christ expect of me? That is, how am I to live my life as a follower of Jesus? How does and should my faith direct and influence my thoughts and actions?

In Matthew 10, after a period of instruction and a time of following and witnessing Jesus' actions, Jesus sends his disciples out to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near. I say to myself, I can do that- in church and out in the community. But Jesus didn't stop with that one counsel. He added, "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons." Such counsel often stops me in my tracks. Ithink: can I do this? Am I capable? How does one go about this? 

Then I reflect on my participation in the "body of Christ," the church. Certainly in my experiences, I have come to know the church as a people who believe in Jesus, who seek to follow Jesus, who in worship and learning come to proclaim God's presence in Christ. In short, bear witness that indeed the kingdom of heaven has come near. Additionally, the people who comprise the church seek to serve God in ministries of service, extending compassionate care to those in need. 

But instructed in the teaching of Jesus and empowered by his presence in our lives, do we self-limit ourselves in the ways that Jesus calls and empowers us to be deliverers of healing and restorative inclusion to all in need? I ask this of myself day-in and day-out. As followers of the risen Jesus, do we see ourselves as instruments of healing, capable of healing the bodily and mentally sick with a power to cure and a power to cast out the demonic? Are we able to see ourselves with that power which is a real extension of Jesus to promote life over against all the forces of sickness and death?

Then I find myself asking again: was this counsel of Jesus to his disciples to "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons" merely to be understood as words of encouragement in a vigorous and demanding mission, or did they convey new possibility and power, what in fact could be accomplished now in the presence of the risen Jesus? Certainly, we believe in Jesus, but do we trust the power and possibility of said belief?

I raise these questions as a testament to my own belief, how I am to understand and live out my calling as a follower of Jesus. But I also direct these questions to you: as the church, as followers of Jesus, what might we be capable of in and through the empowerment given to us in Christ Jesus? We are believers; do we also see ourselves as healers, of promoting and producing the restorative functions and effects of life against all the forces of sickness and death? 

Is the faithful and compassionate care that Jesus calls and directs us to, capable of altering those forces of sickness, bodily and mentally, that lead to death and bring about the restoration of life? is such healing related to prayer and those faithful words and presence that represent the possibility that can happen when we recognize the nearness of God, in the power of the risen Jesus, of life over death? 

Do we self-impose limits on our faith? Do we short-change the empowerment we have been given as followers of the risen Jesus? Are we able to see and actualize what we might be capable of as the "body of Christ," as we follow the way that promotes and produces life over the forces of sickness and death? Will our understanding of the salvation that we have in Christ be as inclusive and as expansive as that which in and through our faithful participation in the here-and-now will contribute to bringing healing and wholeness over against all the forces that lead to sickness and death? 

How might have those disciples of Jesus heard Jesus' counsel in Matthew 10? An impossible challenge? A life-altering new possibility? Something to be dismissed as hyperbole? Something to be pondered in one's daily walk with Jesus? More so, how do we hear this counsel from Jesus? Does it bear an imprint on our faith, our conduct, or do we reason it as something from the past that might have lost its relevance for the present?

keep the faith and keep listening to Jesus!  Pastor John

To all my Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

A question that I often ask of myself is : what does God in Christ expect of me? That is, how am I to live my life as a follower of Jesus? How does and should my faith direct and influence my thoughts and actions?

In Matthew 10, after a period of instruction and a time of following and witnessing Jesus' actions, Jesus sends his disciples out to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near. I say to myself, I can do that- in church and out in the community. But Jesus didn't stop with that one counsel. He added, "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons." Such counsel often stops me in my tracks. Ithink: can I do this? Am I capable? How does one go about this? 

Then I reflect on my participation in the "body of Christ," the church. Certainly in my experiences, I have come to know the church as a people who believe in Jesus, who seek to follow Jesus, who in worship and learning come to proclaim God's presence in Christ. In short, bear witness that indeed the kingdom of heaven has come near. Additionally, the people who comprise the church seek to serve God in ministries of service, extending compassionate care to those in need. 

But instructed in the teaching of Jesus and empowered by his presence in our lives, do we self-limit ourselves in the ways that Jesus calls and empowers us to be deliverers of healing and restorative inclusion to all in need? I ask this of myself day-in and day-out. As followers of the risen Jesus, do we see ourselves as instruments of healing, capable of healing the bodily and mentally sick with a power to cure and a power to cast out the demonic? Are we able to see ourselves with that power which is a real extension of Jesus to promote life over against all the forces of sickness and death?

Then I find myself asking again: was this counsel of Jesus to his disciples to "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons" merely to be understood as words of encouragement in a vigorous and demanding mission, or did they convey new possibility and power, what in fact could be accomplished now in the presence of the risen Jesus? Certainly, we believe in Jesus, but do we trust the power and possibility of said belief?

I raise these questions as a testament to my own belief, how I am to understand and live out my calling as a follower of Jesus. But I also direct these questions to you: as the church, as followers of Jesus, what might we be capable of in and through the empowerment given to us in Christ Jesus? We are believers; do we also see ourselves as healers, of promoting and producing the restorative functions and effects of life against all the forces of sickness and death? 

Is the faithful and compassionate care that Jesus calls and directs us to, capable of altering those forces of sickness, bodily and mentally, that lead to death and bring about the restoration of life? is such healing related to prayer and those faithful words and presence that represent the possibility that can happen when we recognize the nearness of God, in the power of the risen Jesus, of life over death? 

Do we self-impose limits on our faith? Do we short-change the empowerment we have been given as followers of the risen Jesus? Are we able to see and actualize what we might be capable of as the "body of Christ," as we follow the way that promotes and produces life over the forces of sickness and death? Will our understanding of the salvation that we have in Christ be as inclusive and as expansive as that which in and through our faithful participation in the here-and-now will contribute to bringing healing and wholeness over against all the forces that lead to sickness and death? 

How might have those disciples of Jesus heard Jesus' counsel in Matthew 10? An impossible challenge? A life-altering new possibility? Something to be dismissed as hyperbole? Something to be pondered in one's daily walk with Jesus? More so, how do we hear this counsel from Jesus? Does it bear an imprint on our faith, our conduct, or do we reason it as something from the past that might have lost its relevance for the present?

keep the faith and keep listening to Jesus!  Pastor John

To all my Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

A question that I often ask of myself is : what does God in Christ expect of me? That is, how am I to live my life as a follower of Jesus? How does and should my faith direct and influence my thoughts and actions?

In Matthew 10, after a period of instruction and a time of following and witnessing Jesus' actions, Jesus sends his disciples out to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near. I say to myself, I can do that- in church and out in the community. But Jesus didn't stop with that one counsel. He added, "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons." Such counsel often stops me in my tracks. Ithink: can I do this? Am I capable? How does one go about this? 

Then I reflect on my participation in the "body of Christ," the church. Certainly in my experiences, I have come to know the church as a people who believe in Jesus, who seek to follow Jesus, who in worship and learning come to proclaim God's presence in Christ. In short, bear witness that indeed the kingdom of heaven has come near. Additionally, the people who comprise the church seek to serve God in ministries of service, extending compassionate care to those in need. 

But instructed in the teaching of Jesus and empowered by his presence in our lives, do we self-limit ourselves in the ways that Jesus calls and empowers us to be deliverers of healing and restorative inclusion to all in need? I ask this of myself day-in and day-out. As followers of the risen Jesus, do we see ourselves as instruments of healing, capable of healing the bodily and mentally sick with a power to cure and a power to cast out the demonic? Are we able to see ourselves with that power which is a real extension of Jesus to promote life over against all the forces of sickness and death?

Then I find myself asking again: was this counsel of Jesus to his disciples to "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons" merely to be understood as words of encouragement in a vigorous and demanding mission, or did they convey new possibility and power, what in fact could be accomplished now in the presence of the risen Jesus? Certainly, we believe in Jesus, but do we trust the power and possibility of said belief?

I raise these questions as a testament to my own belief, how I am to understand and live out my calling as a follower of Jesus. But I also direct these questions to you: as the church, as followers of Jesus, what might we be capable of in and through the empowerment given to us in Christ Jesus? We are believers; do we also see ourselves as healers, of promoting and producing the restorative functions and effects of life against all the forces of sickness and death? 

Is the faithful and compassionate care that Jesus calls and directs us to, capable of altering those forces of sickness, bodily and mentally, that lead to death and bring about the restoration of life? is such healing related to prayer and those faithful words and presence that represent the possibility that can happen when we recognize the nearness of God, in the power of the risen Jesus, of life over death? 

Do we self-impose limits on our faith? Do we short-change the empowerment we have been given as followers of the risen Jesus? Are we able to see and actualize what we might be capable of as the "body of Christ," as we follow the way that promotes and produces life over the forces of sickness and death? Will our understanding of the salvation that we have in Christ be as inclusive and as expansive as that which in and through our faithful participation in the here-and-now will contribute to bringing healing and wholeness over against all the forces that lead to sickness and death? 

How might have those disciples of Jesus heard Jesus' counsel in Matthew 10? An impossible challenge? A life-altering new possibility? Something to be dismissed as hyperbole? Something to be pondered in one's daily walk with Jesus? More so, how do we hear this counsel from Jesus? Does it bear an imprint on our faith, our conduct, or do we reason it as something from the past that might have lost its relevance for the present?

keep the faith and keep listening to Jesus!  Pastor John

To all my Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

A question that I often ask of myself is : what does God in Christ expect of me? That is, how am I to live my life as a follower of Jesus? How does and should my faith direct and influence my thoughts and actions?

In Matthew 10, after a period of instruction and a time of following and witnessing Jesus' actions, Jesus sends his disciples out to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near. I say to myself, I can do that- in church and out in the community. But Jesus didn't stop with that one counsel. He added, "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons." Such counsel often stops me in my tracks. Ithink: can I do this? Am I capable? How does one go about this? 

Then I reflect on my participation in the "body of Christ," the church. Certainly in my experiences, I have come to know the church as a people who believe in Jesus, who seek to follow Jesus, who in worship and learning come to proclaim God's presence in Christ. In short, bear witness that indeed the kingdom of heaven has come near. Additionally, the people who comprise the church seek to serve God in ministries of service, extending compassionate care to those in need. 

But instructed in the teaching of Jesus and empowered by his presence in our lives, do we self-limit ourselves in the ways that Jesus calls and empowers us to be deliverers of healing and restorative inclusion to all in need? I ask this of myself day-in and day-out. As followers of the risen Jesus, do we see ourselves as instruments of healing, capable of healing the bodily and mentally sick with a power to cure and a power to cast out the demonic? Are we able to see ourselves with that power which is a real extension of Jesus to promote life over against all the forces of sickness and death?

Then I find myself asking again: was this counsel of Jesus to his disciples to "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons" merely to be understood as words of encouragement in a vigorous and demanding mission, or did they convey new possibility and power, what in fact could be accomplished now in the presence of the risen Jesus? Certainly, we believe in Jesus, but do we trust the power and possibility of said belief?

I raise these questions as a testament to my own belief, how I am to understand and live out my calling as a follower of Jesus. But I also direct these questions to you: as the church, as followers of Jesus, what might we be capable of in and through the empowerment given to us in Christ Jesus? We are believers; do we also see ourselves as healers, of promoting and producing the restorative functions and effects of life against all the forces of sickness and death? 

Is the faithful and compassionate care that Jesus calls and directs us to, capable of altering those forces of sickness, bodily and mentally, that lead to death and bring about the restoration of life? is such healing related to prayer and those faithful words and presence that represent the possibility that can happen when we recognize the nearness of God, in the power of the risen Jesus, of life over death? 

Do we self-impose limits on our faith? Do we short-change the empowerment we have been given as followers of the risen Jesus? Are we able to see and actualize what we might be capable of as the "body of Christ," as we follow the way that promotes and produces life over the forces of sickness and death? Will our understanding of the salvation that we have in Christ be as inclusive and as expansive as that which in and through our faithful participation in the here-and-now will contribute to bringing healing and wholeness over against all the forces that lead to sickness and death? 

How might have those disciples of Jesus heard Jesus' counsel in Matthew 10? An impossible challenge? A life-altering new possibility? Something to be dismissed as hyperbole? Something to be pondered in one's daily walk with Jesus? More so, how do we hear this counsel from Jesus? Does it bear an imprint on our faith, our conduct, or do we reason it as something from the past that might have lost its relevance for the present?

keep the faith and keep listening to Jesus!  Pastor John

To all my Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

A question that I often ask of myself is : what does God in Christ expect of me? That is, how am I to live my life as a follower of Jesus? How does and should my faith direct and influence my thoughts and actions?

In Matthew 10, after a period of instruction and a time of following and witnessing Jesus' actions, Jesus sends his disciples out to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near. I say to myself, I can do that- in church and out in the community. But Jesus didn't stop with that one counsel. He added, "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons." Such counsel often stops me in my tracks. Ithink: can I do this? Am I capable? How does one go about this? 

Then I reflect on my participation in the "body of Christ," the church. Certainly in my experiences, I have come to know the church as a people who believe in Jesus, who seek to follow Jesus, who in worship and learning come to proclaim God's presence in Christ. In short, bear witness that indeed the kingdom of heaven has come near. Additionally, the people who comprise the church seek to serve God in ministries of service, extending compassionate care to those in need. 

But instructed in the teaching of Jesus and empowered by his presence in our lives, do we self-limit ourselves in the ways that Jesus calls and empowers us to be deliverers of healing and restorative inclusion to all in need? I ask this of myself day-in and day-out. As followers of the risen Jesus, do we see ourselves as instruments of healing, capable of healing the bodily and mentally sick with a power to cure and a power to cast out the demonic? Are we able to see ourselves with that power which is a real extension of Jesus to promote life over against all the forces of sickness and death?

Then I find myself asking again: was this counsel of Jesus to his disciples to "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons" merely to be understood as words of encouragement in a vigorous and demanding mission, or did they convey new possibility and power, what in fact could be accomplished now in the presence of the risen Jesus? Certainly, we believe in Jesus, but do we trust the power and possibility of said belief?

I raise these questions as a testament to my own belief, how I am to understand and live out my calling as a follower of Jesus. But I also direct these questions to you: as the church, as followers of Jesus, what might we be capable of in and through the empowerment given to us in Christ Jesus? We are believers; do we also see ourselves as healers, of promoting and producing the restorative functions and effects of life against all the forces of sickness and death? 

Is the faithful and compassionate care that Jesus calls and directs us to, capable of altering those forces of sickness, bodily and mentally, that lead to death and bring about the restoration of life? is such healing related to prayer and those faithful words and presence that represent the possibility that can happen when we recognize the nearness of God, in the power of the risen Jesus, of life over death? 

Do we self-impose limits on our faith? Do we short-change the empowerment we have been given as followers of the risen Jesus? Are we able to see and actualize what we might be capable of as the "body of Christ," as we follow the way that promotes and produces life over the forces of sickness and death? Will our understanding of the salvation that we have in Christ be as inclusive and as expansive as that which in and through our faithful participation in the here-and-now will contribute to bringing healing and wholeness over against all the forces that lead to sickness and death? 

How might have those disciples of Jesus heard Jesus' counsel in Matthew 10? An impossible challenge? A life-altering new possibility? Something to be dismissed as hyperbole? Something to be pondered in one's daily walk with Jesus? More so, how do we hear this counsel from Jesus? Does it bear an imprint on our faith, our conduct, or do we reason it as something from the past that might have lost its relevance for the present?

keep the faith and keep listening to Jesus!  Pastor John

To all my Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

A question that I often ask of myself is : what does God in Christ expect of me? That is, how am I to live my life as a follower of Jesus? How does and should my faith direct and influence my thoughts and actions?

In Matthew 10, after a period of instruction and a time of following and witnessing Jesus' actions, Jesus sends his disciples out to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near. I say to myself, I can do that- in church and out in the community. But Jesus didn't stop with that one counsel. He added, "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons." Such counsel often stops me in my tracks. Ithink: can I do this? Am I capable? How does one go about this? 

Then I reflect on my participation in the "body of Christ," the church. Certainly in my experiences, I have come to know the church as a people who believe in Jesus, who seek to follow Jesus, who in worship and learning come to proclaim God's presence in Christ. In short, bear witness that indeed the kingdom of heaven has come near. Additionally, the people who comprise the church seek to serve God in ministries of service, extending compassionate care to those in need. 

But instructed in the teaching of Jesus and empowered by his presence in our lives, do we self-limit ourselves in the ways that Jesus calls and empowers us to be deliverers of healing and restorative inclusion to all in need? I ask this of myself day-in and day-out. As followers of the risen Jesus, do we see ourselves as instruments of healing, capable of healing the bodily and mentally sick with a power to cure and a power to cast out the demonic? Are we able to see ourselves with that power which is a real extension of Jesus to promote life over against all the forces of sickness and death?

Then I find myself asking again: was this counsel of Jesus to his disciples to "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons" merely to be understood as words of encouragement in a vigorous and demanding mission, or did they convey new possibility and power, what in fact could be accomplished now in the presence of the risen Jesus? Certainly, we believe in Jesus, but do we trust the power and possibility of said belief?

I raise these questions as a testament to my own belief, how I am to understand and live out my calling as a follower of Jesus. But I also direct these questions to you: as the church, as followers of Jesus, what might we be capable of in and through the empowerment given to us in Christ Jesus? We are believers; do we also see ourselves as healers, of promoting and producing the restorative functions and effects of life against all the forces of sickness and death? 

Is the faithful and compassionate care that Jesus calls and directs us to, capable of altering those forces of sickness, bodily and mentally, that lead to death and bring about the restoration of life? is such healing related to prayer and those faithful words and presence that represent the possibility that can happen when we recognize the nearness of God, in the power of the risen Jesus, of life over death? 

Do we self-impose limits on our faith? Do we short-change the empowerment we have been given as followers of the risen Jesus? Are we able to see and actualize what we might be capable of as the "body of Christ," as we follow the way that promotes and produces life over the forces of sickness and death? Will our understanding of the salvation that we have in Christ be as inclusive and as expansive as that which in and through our faithful participation in the here-and-now will contribute to bringing healing and wholeness over against all the forces that lead to sickness and death? 

How might have those disciples of Jesus heard Jesus' counsel in Matthew 10? An impossible challenge? A life-altering new possibility? Something to be dismissed as hyperbole? Something to be pondered in one's daily walk with Jesus? More so, how do we hear this counsel from Jesus? Does it bear an imprint on our faith, our conduct, or do we reason it as something from the past that might have lost its relevance for the present?

keep the faith and keep listening to Jesus!  Pastor John

To all my Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

A question that I often ask of myself is : what does God in Christ expect of me? That is, how am I to live my life as a follower of Jesus? How does and should my faith direct and influence my thoughts and actions?

In Matthew 10, after a period of instruction and a time of following and witnessing Jesus' actions, Jesus sends his disciples out to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near. I say to myself, I can do that- in church and out in the community. But Jesus didn't stop with that one counsel. He added, "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons." Such counsel often stops me in my tracks. Ithink: can I do this? Am I capable? How does one go about this? 

Then I reflect on my participation in the "body of Christ," the church. Certainly in my experiences, I have come to know the church as a people who believe in Jesus, who seek to follow Jesus, who in worship and learning come to proclaim God's presence in Christ. In short, bear witness that indeed the kingdom of heaven has come near. Additionally, the people who comprise the church seek to serve God in ministries of service, extending compassionate care to those in need. 

But instructed in the teaching of Jesus and empowered by his presence in our lives, do we self-limit ourselves in the ways that Jesus calls and empowers us to be deliverers of healing and restorative inclusion to all in need? I ask this of myself day-in and day-out. As followers of the risen Jesus, do we see ourselves as instruments of healing, capable of healing the bodily and mentally sick with a power to cure and a power to cast out the demonic? Are we able to see ourselves with that power which is a real extension of Jesus to promote life over against all the forces of sickness and death?

Then I find myself asking again: was this counsel of Jesus to his disciples to "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons" merely to be understood as words of encouragement in a vigorous and demanding mission, or did they convey new possibility and power, what in fact could be accomplished now in the presence of the risen Jesus? Certainly, we believe in Jesus, but do we trust the power and possibility of said belief?

I raise these questions as a testament to my own belief, how I am to understand and live out my calling as a follower of Jesus. But I also direct these questions to you: as the church, as followers of Jesus, what might we be capable of in and through the empowerment given to us in Christ Jesus? We are believers; do we also see ourselves as healers, of promoting and producing the restorative functions and effects of life against all the forces of sickness and death? 

Is the faithful and compassionate care that Jesus calls and directs us to, capable of altering those forces of sickness, bodily and mentally, that lead to death and bring about the restoration of life? is such healing related to prayer and those faithful words and presence that represent the possibility that can happen when we recognize the nearness of God, in the power of the risen Jesus, of life over death? 

Do we self-impose limits on our faith? Do we short-change the empowerment we have been given as followers of the risen Jesus? Are we able to see and actualize what we might be capable of as the "body of Christ," as we follow the way that promotes and produces life over the forces of sickness and death? Will our understanding of the salvation that we have in Christ be as inclusive and as expansive as that which in and through our faithful participation in the here-and-now will contribute to bringing healing and wholeness over against all the forces that lead to sickness and death? 

How might have those disciples of Jesus heard Jesus' counsel in Matthew 10? An impossible challenge? A life-altering new possibility? Something to be dismissed as hyperbole? Something to be pondered in one's daily walk with Jesus? More so, how do we hear this counsel from Jesus? Does it bear an imprint on our faith, our conduct, or do we reason it as something from the past that might have lost its relevance for the present?

keep the faith and keep listening to Jesus!  Pastor John

To all my Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

A question that I often ask of myself is : what does God in Christ expect of me? That is, how am I to live my life as a follower of Jesus? How does and should my faith direct and influence my thoughts and actions?

In Matthew 10, after a period of instruction and a time of following and witnessing Jesus' actions, Jesus sends his disciples out to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near. I say to myself, I can do that- in church and out in the community. But Jesus didn't stop with that one counsel. He added, "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons." Such counsel often stops me in my tracks. Ithink: can I do this? Am I capable? How does one go about this? 

Then I reflect on my participation in the "body of Christ," the church. Certainly in my experiences, I have come to know the church as a people who believe in Jesus, who seek to follow Jesus, who in worship and learning come to proclaim God's presence in Christ. In short, bear witness that indeed the kingdom of heaven has come near. Additionally, the people who comprise the church seek to serve God in ministries of service, extending compassionate care to those in need. 

But instructed in the teaching of Jesus and empowered by his presence in our lives, do we self-limit ourselves in the ways that Jesus calls and empowers us to be deliverers of healing and restorative inclusion to all in need? I ask this of myself day-in and day-out. As followers of the risen Jesus, do we see ourselves as instruments of healing, capable of healing the bodily and mentally sick with a power to cure and a power to cast out the demonic? Are we able to see ourselves with that power which is a real extension of Jesus to promote life over against all the forces of sickness and death?

Then I find myself asking again: was this counsel of Jesus to his disciples to "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leprous, cast out demons" merely to be understood as words of encouragement in a vigorous and demanding mission, or did they convey new possibility and power, what in fact could be accomplished now in the presence of the risen Jesus? Certainly, we believe in Jesus, but do we trust the power and possibility of said belief?

I raise these questions as a testament to my own belief, how I am to understand and live out my calling as a follower of Jesus. But I also direct these questions to you: as the church, as followers of Jesus, what might we be capable of in and through the empowerment given to us in Christ Jesus? We are believers; do we also see ourselves as healers, of promoting and producing the restorative functions and effects of life against all the forces of sickness and death? 

Is the faithful and compassionate care that Jesus calls and directs us to, capable of altering those forces of sickness, bodily and mentally, that lead to death and bring about the restoration of life? is such healing related to prayer and those faithful words and presence that represent the possibility that can happen when we recognize the nearness of God, in the power of the risen Jesus, of life over death? 

Do we self-impose limits on our faith? Do we short-change the empowerment we have been given as followers of the risen Jesus? Are we able to see and actualize what we might be capable of as the "body of Christ," as we follow the way that promotes and produces life over the forces of sickness and death? Will our understanding of the salvation that we have in Christ be as inclusive and as expansive as that which in and through our faithful participation in the here-and-now will contribute to bringing healing and wholeness over against all the forces that lead to sickness and death? 

How might have those disciples of Jesus heard Jesus' counsel in Matthew 10? An impossible challenge? A life-altering new possibility? Something to be dismissed as hyperbole? Something to be pondered in one's daily walk with Jesus? More so, how do we hear this counsel from Jesus? Does it bear an imprint on our faith, our conduct, or do we reason it as something from the past that might have lost its relevance for the present?

keep the faith and keep listening to Jesus!  Pastor John