Back to the Garden

  Readings: 2 Chronicles 6:12-21; Matthew 5:1-10  Introduction “ Christianity has a very long history, and a lot of it is terrible. It’s tempting to deal with this history by disavowing it, by suggesting that real Christians would not do the kinds of things that actually-existing-Christians have done. ” (Marika Rose, Theology for the End of the World , 13) Have you ever played that ice-breaker game, “Two truths and a lie?” I thought that since I’m brand new as the Diocesan Discipleship Developer, I’d start off by sharing two truths and a lie about myself that you can come ask me about after the service. First, when I was a child, my family farmed ostriches for a few years. Second, I have a beautiful golden retriever named Duke. Third, my wife and I decided to sell our car back in 2020 and now enjoy the car-free life through a combination of cycling , transit, and a membership in the Peg-City Car Co-op . As I said, please come introduce yourself and let me know which of these you think