Drew Downs

Make a New Normal

discipleship

  • Today

    When Jesus comes home, he isn’t treated like a hero. But really, why would they? He challenges them. We just take a different path to reject the plan. With Jesus it is not about when it happened but when it happens Epiphany 3C  |  Luke 4:14-21 I just want to make sure we’re all on…

  • Seeking Saving

    The wise men represent the eternal human condition – looking at power for mercy rather to one another in redemptive grace. Looking for God in all the wrong places Epiphany  |  Matthew 2:1-12 Last night we took down our trees, our greens, clove oranges, and decorations. We celebrated with Christmas music and festive cheer one…

  • When we talk about repentance, do we also rejoice? Why do we so struggle with being changed by God, turned and shaped, being loved? The focus is not on what needs to change, but to let yourself be changed Advent 3C  |  Luke 3:7-18 John is not holding back! Whew! I don’t want to be…

  • Love Rising

    In Mark 10:46-52, Jesus is interrupted on his journey to Jerusalem. But this final moment embodies the discipleship journey itself. In Bartimaeus, we have the true disciple and a vision of hope Proper 25B | Mark 10:46-52 If we just cracked open our Bibles to this passage in Mark, I think we’d be excused if…

  • After Jesus makes his third passion prediction, his followers still don’t understand what it means to follow Jesus. And most of us don’t either. For Jesus, it isn’t just confronting power — it’s rejecting glory. Proper 24B | Mark 10:35-45 A few weeks ago, when we hosted our neighbors for our annual big blow-out communion…

  • In Mark 7, Jesus responds to a challenge over rule-breaking by exposing their hypocrisy. Is this just a takedown, or is he saying something else? The challenge of following Jesus isn’t doing or believing. It’s both. Proper 17B  | Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 We have to go back nearly two months. Back in June, we…