Oaks Parish

Scripture Text: Zechariah 9:9-12 and Matthew 21:1-11Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionC.S. Lewis, A Word About PraisingThe world rings with praise — lovers praising their mistresses [Romeo praising Juliet and vice versa], readers their favourite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favourite game — praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars. . . . Except where intolerably adverse circumstances interfere, praise almost seems to be inner health made audible. . . . I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: “Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that magnificent?” The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about.R.T. France, MatthewWhen Jesus chose this oracle to enact as he approached the city, he was thus claiming to be the Messiah, but not the sort of Messiah much popular patriotism might have hoped for. Zechariah’s vision prepares the reader well for a kingship which will be established without violence and indeed through submitting to the will of his enemies, so that his ultimate triumph will come only when he is “vindicated and saved” from death by the power of God.Tim Keller, Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with GodGod will either give us what we ask or give us what we would have asked if we knew everything he knows.Application Questions1. What is something you’ve recently praised? What do you notice about the general dynamics of praise that could change your relationship with God?2. How might your personal agenda be keeping you from seeing the goodness of God? As we begin Holy Week, confess this to him and ask him to set you free.3. How has the praise of God put your soul at rest? What’s one aspect of worship where you’ve found this to be true, and how can that shape your formation moving forward?

The Oaks Parish PodcastBryan Buck and Martha Van HoutenWeek 5 in our Lenten series, "Ashes to Glory"Exodus 29:1-9Matthew 25:31-46Questions or comments about this podcast episode? Click here to email us!

Scripture Text: Exodus 29:1-9 and Matthew 25:31-46Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionMartin Luther, Church Postil We receive Christ not only as a gift by faith, but also as an example of love toward our neighbor, whom we are to serve as Christ serves us. Faith brings and gives Christ to you with all his possessions. Love gives you to your neighbor with all your possessions. These two things constitute a true and complete Christian life.C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity This is the terrible fix we are in. If the universe is not governed by an absolute goodness, then all our efforts are in the long run hopeless. But if it is, then we are making ourselves enemies to that goodness every day, and are not in the least likely to do any better tomorrow, and so our case is hopeless again. We cannot do without it, and we cannot do with it. God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. He is our only possible ally, and we have made ourselves His enemies. Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with religion. Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger—according to the way you react to it. And we have reacted the wrong way.Ross Doughout, Believe Life is short and death is certain, and what account will you give of yourself if the believers turn out to have been right all along? That you took pointlessness for granted in a world shot through with signs of meaning and design? That you defaulted to unbelief because that seemed like the price of being intellectually serious or culturally respectable? That you were too busy to be curious, too consumed with things you knew to be passing to cast a prayer up to whatever eternity awaits?Application Questions1. Why does the idea of final judgement often feel uncomfortable? How have you grown to appreciate this approaching reality in your journey of faith?2. Jesus seems to indicate that love for the least of these begins in the community of the church. Why is this the starting point? How have you seen love that begins in the church minister to the broader world?3. How can seeing Jesus in the face of another change how you love someone this week?

Note: The views expressed by our guest regarding Mary’s intercessory role are their own and do not reflect the beliefs or doctrinal positions of our community or the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). At the same time, we value the opportunity to hear and engage with differing perspectives, recognizing that thoughtful dialogue can enrich our understanding and foster meaningful conversation. We remain committed to presenting these discussions while upholding the theological convictions that shape our faith and practice.With Special Guest Clementine SchroederClick here to download liturgy and celebration ideas for the Annunciation.Sources and Further Reading on the Feast of the AnnunciationThe Annunciation: A Rookie Anglican GuideThe Liturgical Home: The Feast of the Annunciation (web) and The Liturgical Home: LentSacred Seasons: A Family Guide to Center Your Year Around Jesus (by Danielle Hitchen)The Annunciation (Little Way Chapel)In this podcast series, we have a chance to explore how the historic Christian church has marked time for centuries through special seasons, feasts, and other noteworthy days - and how we can embrace the value and beauty of these liturgical celebrations in our own community.Music: “The Size of Grace” © Courtland UrbanoUpcoming Episodes of The Liturgical Feasts Podcast Series:May 12: The Feast of the Ascension (5/17)May 19: The Feast of Pentecost (5/24)May 26: The Feast of the Holy Trinity (5/31)July 28: The Feast of the Transfiguration (8/6)

Scripture Text: Exodus 22:1-15 and Matthew 21:23-46Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionDante, The Divine Comedy, Paradisio Rather it is inherent in this state Of blessedness, to keep ourselves within The divine will, by which our wills with his Are one. So that as we from step to step Are plac’d throughout this kingdom, pleases all, E’en as our King, who in us plants his will; And in his will is our tranquillity; It is the mighty ocean, whither tends Whatever it creates and nature makes.C.S. Lewis, Talking About BicylcesI meant this. Whether there is, or whether there is not, in this world or in any other, the kind of happiness which one’s first experiences of cycling seemed to promise, still on any view, it is something to have had the idea of it. The value of the things promised remains even if that particular promise was false-even if all possible promises of it are false. J.I. Packer, Concise TheologyIt is his glory, given him by the Father, to be in this way the all-sufficient Savior. We who believe are called to understand this and to show ourselves his people by obeying him as our king, trusting him as our priest, and learning from him as our prophet and teacher. To center on Jesus Christ in this way is the hallmark of authentic Christianity.Application Questions1. How would you describe our culture’s view of authority? What are some strengths of this view, and what are some of its weaknesses? In what ways might this cultural posture make it difficult for us to receive the authority of Christ in our lives and in the church?2. According to this passage, how does authority become corrupted? What attitudes or fears led the religious leaders to resist Jesus? Can you think of a time in your own leadership—at home, work, church, or elsewhere—when authority in your life became distorted or self-protective? What do you think God was teaching you through that experience?3. Read again Matthew 21:42–46. The leaders recognized Jesus was speaking about them, yet they still resisted him. Where might the authority of Jesus be challenging or confronting you right now? What would it look like to respond with repentance and trust this week?

The Oaks Parish PodcastBryan Buck and Martha Van HoutenWeek 3 in our Lenten series, "Ashes to Glory"Exodus 15:22-27Matthew 17:1-23Questions or comments about this podcast episode? Click here to email us!

Scripture Text: Exodus 15:22-27 and Matthew 17:1-23Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionRoss Douthout, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be ReligiousIf mind might well precede matter, and the laws of the universe indicate that some intelligence created and sustains existence, and human reason seems to have the privileged ability to unlock existence’s mysterious underlying order, and the seemingly supernatural intrudes upon the natural as often in the modern world as in the past-well, then, you, as a man or a woman trying to chart the best course through a finite lifespan, with difficult moral choices at every turn and death awaiting sooner rather than later, have every reason to take a pretty strong interest in the story you’ve found yourself inside, what part you might be asked to play in it, and how, for you and everyone, it might ultimately end. N.T. Wright, Matthew for EveryoneThe secret, of course, is that the size of the faith isn’t important; what’s important is the God in whom you believe. If you want to see the moon, the size of the window you’re looking through isn’t important; what matters is that it’s facing in the right direction. A tiny slit in the wall will do if the moon is that side of the house. A huge window facing in the wrong direction will be no good at all. That’s what true faith is like.John Calvin, The Institutes (III.2.7) Now we shall possess a right definition of faith if we call it a firm and certain knowledge of God’s benevolence toward us, founded upon the truth of the freely given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the Holy Spirit.Charles Spurgeon, Sermon No. 979 “Strong Faith” Little faith will take your soul to heaven; great faith will bring heaven to your soul.Application Questions1. Reflect on a time when you experienced the nearness or power of God in a way that strengthened your faith. How did that moment sustain you in the season that followed?2. In Matthew 17, the disciples—who had previously ministered with authority—suddenly falter. What tends to contribute to your own “malfunctions of faith”? Fatigue? Self-reliance? Fear? Distraction? Unconfessed sin?3. What might God be calling you to in this season that requires deeper trust and obedience? Share this with a few others, and spend time praying together for the faith to follow where he leads.

Week 2 in our Lenten series, "Ashes to Glory"Exodus 8Matthew 13:1-23Questions or comments about this podcast episode? Click here to email us!

Scripture Text: Exodus 8 and Matthew 13:1-23Andy TobinQuotes for ReflectionDan DorianiThe parable of the sower continues to declare that many hear the Word and fail to respond to it. Surely most Israelites considered themselves faithful, but most were not. So too, the vast majority of Matthew’s readers believe, often erroneously, that God numbers them among his people. Yet if they hear the Word, disobey, and bear no fruit, they are not redeemed.Jay SklarIn sum the signs make clear that Israel—and the entire world—is to obey Yahweh reverently because of his power, confidently because of his faithfulness, and joyfully because of his love. . . . In light of this we do well to ask questions such as these: How might obedience show my belief in Jesus’ power? Are there commands of his I consider too hard to obey or steps of faith I am too afraid to take? What might obedience look like instead? And how might obedience show my belief in Jesus’ faithfulness and love? How can his faithfulness encourage me to obey boldly and to quiet my heart’s fears? How can his love serve as a bedrock of assurance out of which I am free to live with wild abandon to him, knowing he will never let me go? To know the Lord is the most grounding and freeing way to live, because we have been created to do these very things.Augustine of HippoGreat are You, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is Your power, and of Your wisdom there is no end. And man, being a part of Your creation, desires to praise You — man, who bears about with him his mortality, the witness of his sin, even the witness that You “resist the proud,” — yet man, this part of Your creation, desires to praise You. You move us to delight in praising You; for You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.Application Questions1. Think of a time when you were hard-hearted. How did God lead you to repentance?2. How have you seen the gospel bear fruit in your life recently? Thank God for his grace in your life.3. In what area of your life is God calling you to experience the freedom of repentance? What does the fruit of the Gospel look like in that area.

The Oaks Parish PodcastBryan Buck & Martha Van HoutenWeek 1 in our Lenten series, "Ashes to Glory"Exodus 2Matthew 9:1-17

Scripture Text: Exodus 2 and Matthew 9:1-17Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionC.S. Lewis, The Slip of the Tongue I say my prayers, I read a book of devotion, I prepare for, or receive, the Sacrament. But while I do these things, there is, so to speak, a voice inside me that urges caution. It tells me to be careful, to keep my head, not to go too far, not to burn my boats. I come into the presence of God with a great fear lest anything should happen to me within that presence which will prove too intolerably inconvenient when I have come out again into my “ordinary” life. I don’t want to be carried away into any resolution which I shall afterwards regret. For I know I shall be feeling quite different after breakfast; I don’t want anything to happen to me at the altar which will run up too big a bill to pay then.N.T. Wright, Matthew for Everyone So how could Jesus and his friends not celebrate? They were in the middle of God’s new work, an outpouring of mercy which was already upstaging the Temple itself. As the prophet Hosea (6.6) had seen long ago, what God really wants is mercy, not sacrifice. The times were indeed changing. God’s new world was being born, and from now on everything would be different. The question for us is whether we are living in that new world ourselves, or whether we keep sneaking back to the old one where we feel more at home.Thornton Wilder, The Angel that Troubles the Waters Without your wound where would your power be? It is your very remorse that makes your low voice tremble into the hearts of men. The very angels themselves cannot persuade the wretched and blundering children on earth as can one human being broken on the wheels of living. In love’s service only the wounded soldiers can serve.Application Questions1. Where do you see self-righteousness shaping the way people relate to one another today? What fruit does it produce—in our communities, our churches, even in ourselves?2. Can you identify a moment when God exposed self-righteousness in your own heart? How did He humble you and what grace did He give you in its place?3. If you were living more fully from mercy rather than self-righteousness, who might you move toward this week and what would that love look like?

Scripture Text: Deuteronomy 16:1-17 and Ecclesiastes 3:1-11Bryan Buck Quotes for ReflectionWendell Berry, “Damage” Novelty is a new kind of loneliness. Joan D. Chittister, The Liturgical YearLike a great waterwheel, the liturgical year goes on relentlessly irrigating our souls, softening the ground of our hearts, nourishing the soil of our lives until the seed of the Word of God itself begins to grow in us, comes to fruit in us, ripens in us the spiritual journey of a lifetime. So goes the liturgical year through all the days of our lives.The meaning and message of the liturgical year is the bedrock on which we strike our own life's direction. Rooted in the Resurrection promise of the liturgical year, whatever the weight of our own pressures, we maintain the course. We trust in the future we cannot see and do only know because we have celebrated the death and resurrection of Jesus year after year. In His life we rest our own.James K.A. Smith, How to Inhabit TimeTime’s relativity and the now’s porosity is lived out liturgically in the church’s worship. To be constituted as such a peculiar people requires a strange sort of synchronization of time. Like operatives launching a mission in a spy thriller, coordinating their watches so they’re all on the same time, the people of God synchronize their soul clocks in relation to the story that cycles and repeats in the liturgical calendar. In the liturgical calendar, we are indexed to the solar time of the Son who is the light of the city of God (Rev 21:23) Application Questions1. What is your favorite time of the year? Is there a core memory that marked this time in an embodied way? What does this say about the connection between practice and time? 2. Why is kairos-time so important for chronos-time? Think of an example of how this would play out in your life this week. 3. The season of Lent is marked by prayer, fasting, confession, reconciliation, and generosity. How can this mindset change your outlook on daily life over the next 40 days? How can God’s time cause you to flourish in a particular way in this season?

Mentioned in this episode:A Million Little Ways by Emily P. FreemanQuestions or comments about this podcast episode? Click here to email us!

Scripture Text: Exodus 25:1-9, 31-40 and 1 Kings 6:11-13Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionPeter Marshall Mason, A Biblical Theology of Architecture? The church is not at all like a garage; it is more like a richly furnished home into which we may gladly invite our friends and neighbors.C.S. Lewis, Miracles The archaic type of thought which could not clearly distinguish spiritual ‘Heaven’ from the sky, is from our point of view a confused type of thought. But it also resembles and anticipates a type of thought which will one day be true. That archaic sort of thinking will become simply the correct sort when Nature and Spirit are fully harmonized. Phillip Graham Ryken, Exodus God is a great lover of beauty, as we can see from the collection of his work that hangs in the gallery of the universe. Form is as important to him as function. Thus it was not enough for the tabernacle to be laid out in the right way; it also had to be beautiful. There was beauty in the color of its fabrics, the sparkle of its gems, the shape of its objects, and the symmetry of its proportions. The tabernacle was a thing of beauty. God made sure of this by taking the unprecedented step of endowing its artists with the gift of his Spirit.Application Questions1. Have you ever worshiped in a space whose architecture deepened your sense of God’s presence? What stood out to you?2. Why do beauty and utility often feel in tension in church spaces? How might Oaks faithfully hold both together?3. What elements of our sanctuary help draw your attention toward God in worship?

The Oaks Parish PodcastBryan Buck and Martha Van HoutenQuestions or comments about this podcast episode? Click here to email us!

Scripture Text: Titus 3:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 10:14-22Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionMother Maria Skobtsova, The Second Gospel Commandment Does he not see in our ugliness, in our impoverished lives, in our festering sores, in our crippled souls-does He not see there His own divine image and a reflection of his eternal glory and eternal beauty? And so He will return to the churches and bring all those whom He has summoned to the wedding feast. The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 27 “Of the Sacraments” Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace, immediately instituted by God, to represent Christ, and his benefits; and to confirm our interest in him: as also, to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the church, and the rest of the world; and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ, according to the Word. C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory In speaking of this desire for our own far-off country, which we find in ourselves even now, I feel a certain shyness. I am almost committing an indecency. I am trying to rip open the inconsolable secret in each one of you-the secret which hurts so much that you take your revenge on it by calling it names like Nostalgia and Romanticism and Adolescence; the secret also which pierces with such sweetness that when, in very intimate conversation, the mention of it becomes imminent, we grow awkward and affect to laugh at ourselves; the secret we cannot hide and cannot tell, though we desire to do both....The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them;.... they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited. Do you think I am trying to weave a spell? Perhaps I am; but remember your fairy tales. Spells are used for breaking enchantments as well as for inducing them. And you and I have need of the strongest spell that can be found to wake us from the evil enchantment of worldliness which has been laid upon us.Application Questions1. When have you dedicated yourself to a course of action that, at first didn't seem to have an impact, but imperceptibly changed you over time? What was that experience like and what was the result? Share with others or journal the details. 2. What questions arise for you regarding baptism and the Lord’s Supper? What clarity comes from the Scriptures? Discuss this with people in your Parish Community to gain further insight. 3. How have you experienced God's presence with you during baptism and the Lord's Supper? Share how that has impacted you in small or even large ways in your faith journey.

With Special Guest Marie EmmettSources and Further Reading on Candlemas:The Liturgical Home: The Feast of the Presentation (Candlemas)The Presentation of Our Lord: The Message of CandlemasWhat is Candlemas and how to observe it (University of Notre Dame / McGrath Institute for Church Life)Sacred Seasons: A Family Guide to Center Your Year Around Jesus (by Danielle Hitchen)In this podcast series, we have a chance to explore how the historic Christian church has marked time for centuries through special seasons, feasts, and other noteworthy days - and how we can embrace the value and beauty of these liturgical celebrations in our own community.Music: “The Size of Grace” © Courtland UrbanoUpcoming Episodes of The Liturgical Feasts Podcast Series:March 17: The Feast of the Annunciation (3/25)May 12: The Feast of the Ascension (5/17)May 19: The Feast of Pentecost (5/24)May 26: The Feast of the Holy Trinity (5/31)

Scripture Text: 1 Peter 2:4-10 and Hebrews 10:19-25Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionTish Harrison Warren, Liturgy of the OrdinaryI need rituals that encourage me to embrace what is repetitive, ancient, and quiet. But what I crave is novelty and stimulation.James K.A. Smith, Desiring the KingdomBeing a disciple of Jesus is not primarily a matter of getting the right ideas and doctrines and beliefs into your head in order to guarantee proper behavior; rather, it's a matter of being the kind of person who loves rightly--who loves God and neighbor and is oriented to the world by the primacy of that love. We are made to be such people by our immersion in the material practices of Christian worship--through affective impact, over time, of sights and smell in water and wineN.T. Wright, Hebrews for EveryoneFaith isn’t something you can just drum up like that by your own efforts. It’s what comes when you are looking hard at the object of faith, namely Jesus – or, if you like, God seen in the light of, and in the face of, Jesus. The whole letter has been about Jesus, and about who we are as a result of who he is and what he’s done. Thinking that through, and holding firmly on to it, produces the complete assurance Hebrews is talking about.Application Questions1. What do you notice about the difference between cognitive and embodied learning? 2. Liturgy is defined as “the work of the people.” How do you paradoxically experience God’s grace while doing this “work.” 3. Why would Peter say that we are chosen to proclaim the excellencies of God? How does this aim change your relationship to God this week?

The Oaks Parish PodcastBryan Buck and Martha Van HoutenQuestions or comments about this podcast episode? Click here to email us!

Scripture Text: Psalm 115 and Romans 12:1-2Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionJames K.A. Smith, You Are What You Love The heart is the existential chamber of our love, and it is our loves that orient us toward some ultimate end or telos. It’s not just that I “know” some end or “believe” in some telos. More than that, I long for some end. I want something, and want it ultimately. It is my desires that define me. In short, you are what you love. William James, Psychology: The Briefer Course All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits - practical, emotional, and intellectual - systematically organized for our weal or woe, and bearing us irresistibly toward our destiny, whatever the latter may be.Martin Lloyd Jones, Authentic Christianity A man's god is that for which he lives, for which he is prepared to give his time, his energy, his money, that which stimulates him and rouses him, excites, and enthuses him.The Songs of Jesus, Timothy & Kathy Keller Idols are usually good things turned into ultimate things because we look to them to give us the significance and security that can come only from God. How can we “put away” our idols? Whenever you see your heart in the grip of some kind of temptation, anxiety, or fit of anger, ask: How are my feelings being caused by an inordinate hope for something to give me what only Jesus can? How does Christ give me so much more fully and graciously and suitably the very things I am looking for elsewhere?Application Questions1. Reflect on a personal passion in your life. How has this affection practically shaped your life for good or ill and what does this dynamic reveal? 2. Identify a love at work in your heart that rivals God. When you deconstruct the habit that supports this love what insight to you gain for its transformation? 3. Why is liturgy so good for keeping us in an abiding relationship with God?

Books and podcasts mentioned in this episode:Soul-Deep Beauty: Fighting for Our True Worth in a World Demanding Flawless by Melissa L. JohnsonImpossible Beauty podcastThe Seven-Storrey Mountain by Thomas MertonQuestions or comments about this podcast episode? Click here to email us!

Scripture Text: Genesis 1:1 - 2:3Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionMakoto Fujimura, Art and Faith: A Theology of Making God the Artist communicates to us first, before God the lecturer. Gordon J. Wenham, Sanctuary Symbolism in the Garden of Eden StoryThe garden of Eden is not viewed by the author of Genesis simply as a piece of Mesopotamian farmland, but as an archetypal sanctuary, that is a place where God dwells and where man should worship him. Many of the features of the garden may also be found in later sanctuaries particularly the tabernacle or Jerusalem temple. These parallels suggest that the garden itself is understood as a sort of sanctuary.Elisa Yukiko Weichbrodt, Redeeming Vision: A Christian Guide to Looking At and Learning from ArtThe Bible begins with God making a place, the garden of Eden, and it ends with a description of him restoring creation as the new heavens and the new earth. The creation mandate, God’s command to humankind in Genesis 1:28, is to “be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.” The fall, however, breaks Adam and Eve’s relationship not just with God but with their own selves, each other, and the created world. The rest of the Old Testament is the story of a people looking for a “place.” They are displaced as slaves in Egypt and then wander in the wilderness. They gain and then lose their place in the promised land.Jesus, though, shows us that God’s good news is neither a single plot of land nor disembodied salvation for individual souls. In the incarnation, Christ affirms the importance of the particular.Application Questions1. What sort of beauty strikes and transforms you? Why does this particular type of beauty have this effect? 2. Fujimura writes, “God the Artist communicates to us first, before God the lecturer.” How does that influence your view of faith? 3. If the sanctuary is designed for beholding, how does that change your view of worship in the church?

Scripture Text: Matthew 11:25-30Bryan Buck

With Special Guests Sean and Lori JacksonClick here to download liturgy and celebration ideas for The Feast of Epiphany!Sources and Further Reading on the Feast of Epiphany:Epiphany and Epiphanytide: A Rookie Anglican GuideEpiphany: What it Means and Why it MattersEpiphany (Brittanica)In this podcast series, we have a chance to explore how the historic Christian church has marked time for centuries through special seasons, feasts, and other noteworthy days - and how we can embrace the value and beauty of these liturgical celebrations in our own community.Music: “The Size of Grace” © Courtland UrbanoUpcoming Episodes of The Liturgical Feasts Podcast Series:January 27: Candlemas (or the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord) (2/1)March 17: The Feast of the Annunciation (3/25)May 12: The Feast of the Ascension (5/17)May 19: The Feast of Pentecost (5/24)May 26: The Feast of the Holy Trinity (5/31)

Scripture Text: Psalm 119:25-32 and Hebrews 4:12-13Pat Roach

Scripture Text: Ezekiel 37:24-28 and Matthew 1:22-23Bryan Buck

The Oaks Parish PodcastBryan Buck and Martha Van HoutenQuestions or comments about this podcast episode? Click here to email us!

Scripture Text: Micah 5:2-5 and Matthew 2:13–23Bryan BuckApplication Questions1. From his early days, Jesus was subject to the harsh and cruel powers of the world. How does that change the way you go to him in prayer?2. Matthew is careful to note how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament Scriptures. How does that emphasis lead you to adore Jesus?3. How can the sovereignty of God make a difference in how you view uncertainty in your life?

The Oaks Parish PodcastBryan Buck and Martha Van HoutenQuestions or comments about this podcast episode? Click here to email us!

Scripture Text: Isaiah 35:1-10 and Luke 2:1-20Bryan BuckApplication Questions1. As we see with the shepherds, God is concerned for the “least of these” in society. How does God’s heart change your own heart? 2. Reflect on a time when you felt poor in spirit and God entered in. How did you grow in Christ through this experience? 3. How does the gospel sustain joy no matter the circumstance?

The Oaks Parish PodcastBryan Buck & Martha Van HoutenQuestions or comments about this podcast episode? Click here to email us!

Scripture Text: Philippians 1:3-11 and Matthew 2:1-12Bryan BuckApplication Questions1. Dignitaries from afar traveled to worship Jesus while those who were near failed to acknowledge him as King. What do you take away from this paradox?2. Jesus is King for all peoples. How does this shape your life with him?3. How can the story of the Magi give you perspective where you feel weary?

The Oaks Parish PodcastBryan Buck & Martha Van HoutenQuestions or comments about this podcast episode? Click here to email us!

Scripture Text: Jeremiah 33:14-16 and Matthew 1:18–25Bryan Buck

The Oaks Parish PodcastMartha Van Houten and Special Guest Marie EmmettOur visual art reflections will begin on the first Sunday of Advent, November 30th. Sign up for our weekly email here to receive all the details about using the art in reflection throughout the week.

Scripture Text: Galatians 6:1-10Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionOaks Parish Vision Oaks Parish pursues gospel-centered renewal through parish ministry, walking alongside our city, region, and world. This renewal is embodied in the beauty of liturgical worship, mission rooted in people and place among the least and lost, and relational discipleship that forms us into the image of Christ.C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves To love at all is to be vulnerable. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together The Christian, however, must bear the burden of a brother. He must suffer and endure the brother. It is only when he is a burden that another person is really a brother and not merely an object to be manipulated. The burden of men was so heavy for God himself that he had to endure the Cross. God verily bore the burden of men in the body of Jesus Christ. But he bore them as a mother carries her child, as a shepherd enfolds a lost lamb that has been found. God took men upon himself and they weighted him to the ground, but God remained with them and they with God. In bearing with men God maintained fellowship with them. It is the law of Christ that was fulfilled in the Cross. And Christians must share in this law. They must suffer their brethren, but, what is more important, now that the law of Christ has been fulfilled, they can bear with their brethren.Phillip Graham Ryken, The Reformed Expository Commentary The Holy Spirit does not produce this fruit for our private enjoyment. True spirituality is not an individualistic quest for self-fulfillment—the kind of thing one has to climb to the top of a pillar to discover. The life of the Spirit flourishes for the sake of others. It is not experienced in private, primarily, but exercised in public. Therefore, it does not grow in isolation, but within the community of faith. Spiritual life is meant to be shared. It is less like a fruit tree hidden away somewhere in a secret garden, and more like one that grows in a public park.Application Questions1. Recall the central issue facing the Christians in Galatia. What can we learn from this letter for our own time?2. What part of this text feels most challenging to a self-centered faith? 3. How can Paul’s admonition to bear both “one another’s burdens” and “one’s own load” help you navigate a current situation?

With Special Guest: Jane OlsonClick here to download liturgy and celebration ideas for The Feast of Christ the King!Sources and Further Reading on the Feast of Christ the King!The Liturgical Home: The Feast of Christ the KingThe Liturgical Home: Ordinary Time (Ashley Tumlin Wallace)In this podcast series, we have a chance to explore how the historic Christian church has marked time for centuries through special seasons, feasts, and other noteworthy days - and how we can embrace the value and beauty of these liturgical celebrations in our own community.Music: “The Size of Grace” © Courtland UrbanoUpcoming Episodes of The Liturgical Feasts Podcast Series:December 30: The Feast of Epiphany (1/6)January 27: Candlemas (or the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord) (2/1)May 12: The Feast of the Ascension (5/17)May 19: The Feast of Pentecost (5/24)May 26: The Feast of the Holy Trinity (5/31)

Sermon Text: Romans 15:1-7Dr Alan CarterClick here to download the 35 references for "one another-ing" in Scripture that Dr Carter mentions in his sermon.