February 2026

A primer on love? In February? Could it get more tropey and cliché? Yes, but only if we limit our view of love to romance.

One of the biggest (and in my humble opinion) most credible critiques of Scripture is that it is, in fact, a translation. Much of the original intent and meaning of the words is lost in translation at times. As a case in point… the word love. In English we use love to describe our favorite snacks, our mothers, and our shoes. Others lists include a sports team, a movie star, or a song. There is lots of love to go around. I’m not anti-love, but it is a vast and expansive word that does not fit neatly into a box insofar as connotation and denotation go. Yes, dictionary.com will give you a definition… but with 14 commonly used meanings I’ll stick with the validity of my point: in Scripture love used to have more clearly defined meanings. Maybe.

In Greek philosophy, which would have heavily influenced the language of the Gospels, there were at least six different, distinct types of love. They are agápē, érōs, philía, philautía, storgē, and xenia. And in good Christian fashion, we even further defined these within the church. Agape is not translated as self-less love to the Greeks, but in the church we talk about it as love of God for humanity and when human love for another reflects God’s love for humanity.

In this month of love (or maybe just one holiday that encourages the consumerism side of romance), I hope that God’s love is evident in your life. And that no matter what you call it, you’re doing your best to share it with others.

January 2026

In a recent sermon I talked about God’s plans for us. There is a definite connection in my understanding of what God’s plan is for our lives and Jeremiah 29:11. Although these words were written in a different time for a different people, I firmly believe that they reflect what we see throughout Scripture about how God loves us, cares for us, guides us, and wants the best for us.

Which is also why I find myself feeling a little bit convicted by the Holy Spirit. I can preach healthy, happy, and holy, but am I truly living it? I’d like to think so, but there’s some concrete evidence to the contrary- namely two bouts of illness last year that put me out of commission. Two out of three ain’t bad, but I want to do better still. It’s hard to serve a congregation when a doctor’s orders include “avoid contact with other people” and “quarantine”. And yes, I’ve been reminded by many loving people, Scripture, and beyond that I should give myself a little bit more grace about these things. The guilts been lifted, but I still find myself asking the question of what can I do differently next time so this doesn’t happen again. If I want to be healthy, what habits in my life need to change?

As we enter into this new year, before we get to the season of Lent, which is a season of self-reflection and change, what in your life can we pray will be transformed by the love of Christ? How can we help you on your journey to be happy, healthy, and holy? May God be with you, grant you strength, and help guide you in paths that lead to life.

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 NRSVUE

November 2025

And last, but not least, the final B. Becoming. What does it mean to become something or someone? How do we understand this with a Christian point of view? What are we supposed to do to become followers of Christ?

Okay, I’ll admit. Some of those questions are easier to answer than others. You can look up a definition for what it means to become- a connotation, but for the denotation, the Christian lens, you may not want to limit yourself. It makes it feel like being a “good” Christian requires a checklist. That would make it seem like there’s a recipe for a perfect Christian life.

As someone who bakes, occasionally, and has baked a great deal before, I feel like there’s a good analogy here. At what point in the creation process does a pie become a pie? Or does bread become bread? Can dough be bread? What if you make substitutions? What if we are always meant to be more like Christ, day by day? The process would never end. After all, we are not bread. We are God’s beloved children. Precious creations made in the image of God.

And maybe that’s the idea. That as we continue to strive to be like Christ, we know it is possible to be perfected in love in this lifetime, but we also know that it requires a continuous renewal, reconnection, and reorientation towards God. That although we name ourselves as Christians we also know that as disciples we are always, with the help and power of the holy Spirit, with Christ’s righteousness, and God’s grace becoming who God would have us to be. Let us not be stagnant in our faith.

October 2025

Last month I touched on belonging to the body of Christ. To continue with the next B, we must discuss believing.

Unfortunately, every time I start a sentence with “do you believe” my brain starts singing the song by Cher. Neither helpful nor very theological. Especially as someone who believes so deeply in the steadfast and unending love of God. There is no life after love because God’s love never ends.

But asking what it means to believe is another story. You can feel it deep in your gut, you can logic your way to it, you can be overwhelmed by the emotions related to it… but to believe in something? What does that take?

Good question. Not sure if I have a single, good, clear answer. It does seem to me as if believing is tied to faith. And to have faith can be understood as living as if God’s promises have, are, and will come true. It means trusting in God’s promises as real.

An example of this might be in regard to the promises about the Holy Spirit. The incarnate Christ promised the disciples that someone was coming to be with them. To guide, to lead, to show them how to continue on in the way. Do you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit? Do you have to see or feel that presence to know it is real? We’re supposed to believe without proof. Huh. Tricky stuff. Trusting in God does come with prior knowledge and evidence that God’s love, presence, and salvation are real. So does believing ask us to continue to trust in God no matter what happens? For now at least, I think so.

September 2025

What does it mean to you to belong to the body of Christ? There’s at least one Scripture that lists out several different body parts and seems to give them a hierarchy. Feet are lower than hands (both literally and figuratively) while ears are lower than eyes. Though perhaps most importantly, it is the ears and feet that deem themselves less important, not the body.

Belonging to a group can be complicated. We often want to feel useful and purposeful. To contribute in some meaningful way to what is happening. There’s been a trend online recently of literary and film analysis that asks the question of “is the story the same if this character does not exist?” In short, does removing this person from the story create an irreparable plot hole or are they so pivotal that even suggesting to remove them completely destroys the story?

The incarnate Christ is the central figure in the gospel. Our lives, our faith, our belief is not the same without Christ. But you also need Judas, Mary, the gentile woman, and others for the gospel to be a complete telling of what it means to be in the body of Christ. Each of us has a call in our lives from God. Responding to that call helps us fulfill our vital and pivotal role in the grand scheme of what God imagines for our world. If we want to be a part of the kingdom, to live as the body of Christ, each of us will have some different things to do. What is God calling you to do? Where are you being led? It doesn’t have to be grandiose or immense to be meaningful and important.

-Rev. Beate

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

August 2025

Do you have a favorite animal? Not everyone has a favorite animal, but mine is penguins. Penguins are not mentioned by name or general description in Scripture and cannot be included in birds of the air. Thankfully, penguins aren’t the only animal that I like and collect. I also collect bees in various forms almost exclusively because of my name. This month I found myself asking the question… are there bees in the Bible? Did apiary arts exist in Jesus’ world? Would there have been beehives dotting the landscape of first century Judea?

Then I kicked myself for asking. You can’t have a land flowing with milk and honey if there are no bees! Bees are found throughout Scripture, but especially in the Old Testament. Honey is more frequent than bees and usually represents God’s abundant blessings. It’s mentioned all throughout the book of Proverbs and in several psalms as being sweet. But as Scripture goes on, the metaphor seems to disappear. During the incarnation, honey gets a few minor mentions in relation to John the Baptist’s wild ways and eating habits. Honeycomb is mentioned, once. It’s like the people stop seeing the abundant blessings of God in the world around them and only focus on the gifts associated with the incarnate Christ. I get the feeling we do the same thing as life gets and stays busy.

Are you spiritually in the wilderness, wandering, feeling lost and alone? Or are you in the promised land, a place flowing with milk and honey? What are some of God’s blessings in your life?

-Rev. Beate