Song of Solomon 2:8-13; James 1:16-27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Jennifer Hosler Not every book in the Bible says, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!” (Song of Sol. 1:2) or “Look! Here [comes my beloved], leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills” (2:8). Start reading Song of Solomon and you…
Tag: Jennifer Hosler
LOVE AND ARROGANCE
1 Samuel 2:1-10; Romans 12:9-16 Jennifer Hosler If you’ve been coming to this church for a while, you probably know that, at Washington City, we take the whole Bible as our scriptures but we try to emphasize the words that Jesus taught during his ministry on earth. When asked what the greatest commandments were, Jesus…
BEAUTIFUL THINGS
Gen 1; Rom 8:18-25; Col 1:15-20 Jennifer Hosler Daffodils, tulips, cherry blossoms, and magnolia trees. Hyacinths and dandelions, sprouting leaves and singing birds. Friends, spring is here and it is beautiful. Last Sunday was one of my favorite days in DC, when I had the joy of taking my annual visit down to the cherry…
DUST AND ASHES
Psalm 90, Psalm 51, 2 Cor. 5:20-6:10 Jennifer Hosler Create in me a clean heart: we’ve been singing this song for several weeks now. I love it because it’s a beautiful, simple, Spirit-filled prayer—more than an ordinary praise song. The words of this song are actually taken from an ancient prayer of King David, from…
FISH AND BITTERNESS
Jonah 3-4; Mark 1:14-20 Jennifer Hosler Jonah and the whale. It’s a story that you might have learned in Sunday School. Jonah’s story is fairly well known to Christians—and it’s probably one of the most familiar scripture passages to people who do not go to church. It’s memorable because some parts are pretty dramatic. If…
NOT SURPRISED
Luke 2:22-40 Jennifer Hosler I really like surprises, especially surprise parties. I like being a part of them and helping to orchestrate a celebratory scheme. The anticipation of seeing a person’s face or expression is really delightful. I like helping with surprise parties and I also like throwing them, though I’m not very good at…
KEEP AWAKE
Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37 Jennifer Hosler This past week was tumultuous for our nation. Our thanksgiving celebrations were held amidst a background of pain, suffering, anger, and even violence. Protests and vigils occurred all over the country this week: DC, Chicago, New York City, and even at my campus…
With Them in Their Suffering
Romans 12:9-21; Galatians 3:26-29; Matthew 6:5-18 Jennifer Hosler If you’ve been looking at the news lately, you’ve seen that our world is full of sorrow and suffering and violence. We look around the planet and see war in Gaza and rockets in Israel, we see festering problems in eastern Ukraine, violence against Christians and Yazidis…
Bread that Nourishes and Stars that Shine
Bread that Nourishes and Stars that Shine – Isaiah 55:1-13; Psalm 65:1-13; Philippians 2:12-18 Jennifer Hosler I’ve spent a lot of time traveling lately and, like many people, traveling brings challenges to my nutrition. As I rode along the highway to Columbus, OH, for Annual Conference, I regretted leaving in a flurry and forgetting the…
Right Hands, Chairs, and Footstools
Right Hands, Chairs, and Footstools – Jennifer Hosler Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53 This Sunday marks the Ascension of Christ. The Ascension is sort of like the stereotypical middle child in this part of the church calendar. As a middle child, the Ascension doesn’t quite get the same amount of attention as its older…
Washington City Church of the Brethren 