A We Wonder: Advent Programming Note Nov 27, 2022

We aren't releasing a new season of We Wonder: Advent this year. But we wanted to let you know what we will be up to this month, and how you can connect.

You can find us on Instagram at: @WeWonderPod. And to make sure you don't miss any of the reflections, just click the little bell next to the account name to turn on notifications.

April 16: Holy Saturday - Waiting at the Cross Apr 16, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

All during this season, we have been traveling with Jesus toward Jerusalem, and now we are at the end. Today is Holy Saturday: the last day of the Triduum, and the last day of Lent. It is a day of quiet, and a day of waiting. Jesus lies helpless in the grave, and together we watch to see if God will act, if we will see him again.

So for one last day: can we make our minds quiet, and our hearts open? Can we grow in love and gratitude for all that God has done for us? Join me, as we listen to the words from Matthew’s gospel and sit in the quiet dark of Holy Saturday.

April 15: Good Friday - Walking to the Cross Apr 15, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

All during this season, we have been traveling with Jesus toward Jerusalem, and now we are here. Today is Good Friday: the central of three days that are also called the Triduum. These are the high and holy days when, in the words of one of my favorite writers, we “relive together the terrible and wonderful things that Jesus did to bring us back to God. We do not understand this story with our minds, but with our hearts; and we are deeply thankful for what Jesus did for us.”

So today and tomorrow: can we make our minds quiet, and our hearts open? Can we grow in love and gratitude for all that God has done for us? Join me, as we listen to the words from Matthew’s gospel and gather at the foot of the cross.

April 14: Maundy Thursday - Walking to the Cross Apr 14, 2022

April 13: Holy Week Wednesday - Walking to the Cross Apr 13, 2022

April 12: Holy Week Tuesday - Walking to the Cross Apr 12, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

All during this season, we have been traveling with Jesus toward Jerusalem, and now we are here. Today is Tuesday in Holy Week.

This week, many of Jesus’s followers around the world will pray using a practice called the Stations of the Cross. This is a way of walking with Jesus, step by step, through the very last hours of his life. Together, we are doing something similar. We are listening to the words that Matthew gave us about Jesus’ final day: but not just as listeners. Instead, let’s try to go inside the story. Let’s imagine ourselves there in Jerusalem, with him. And let’s try to stay close to Jesus, all the way to the end, because he went through all of this to bring us back to God.

Each day this week we will, in the words of one of my favorite writers, “relive together the terrible and wonderful things that Jesus did to bring us back to God. We do not understand this story with our minds, but with our hearts; and we are deeply thankful for what Jesus did for us.” Can we make our minds quiet, and our hearts open? And then join me, as we walk each day with Jesus to the cross.

April 11: Holy Week Monday - Walking to the Cross Apr 11, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

All during this season, we have been traveling with Jesus toward Jerusalem, and now we are here. Today is Monday in Holy Week.

This week, many of Jesus’s followers around the world will pray using a practice called the Stations of the Cross. This is a way of walking with Jesus, step by step, through the very last hours of his life. Together, we are going to do something similar. We will listen to the words that Matthew gave us about Jesus’ final day: but not just as listeners. Instead, let’s try to go inside the story. Let’s imagine ourselves there in Jerusalem, with him. And let’s try to stay close to Jesus, all the way to the end, because he went through all of this to bring us back to God.

Each day this week we will, in the words of one of my favorite writers, “relive together the terrible and wonderful things that Jesus did to bring us back to God. We do not understand this story with our minds, but with our hearts; and we are deeply thankful for what Jesus did for us.” Can we make our minds quiet, and our hearts open? And then join me, as we walk each day with Jesus to the cross.

April 10: Palm Sunday - Jesus Enters Jerusalem Apr 10, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

All during this season, we have been traveling with Jesus toward Jerusalem, and now we are here. Today is Palm Sunday, and it is the first day of Holy Week.

This week, many of Jesus’s followers around the world will pray using a practice called the Stations of the Cross. This is a way of walking with Jesus, step by step, through the very last hours of his life. Together, we are going to do something similar. We will listen to the words that Matthew gave us about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, and then his final day: but not just as listeners. Instead, let’s try to go inside the story. Let’s imagine ourselves there in Jerusalem, with him. And let’s try to stay close to Jesus, all the way to the end, because he went through all of this to bring us back to God.

Each day this week we will, in the words of one of my favorite writers, “relive together the terrible and wonderful things that Jesus did to bring us back to God. We do not understand this story with our minds, but with our hearts; and we are deeply thankful for what Jesus did for us.” Can we make our minds quiet, and our hearts open? And then join me, as we walk each day with Jesus to the cross.

April 9: The Great Ones in the Kingdom Apr 09, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

We have made it to the fifth week of Lent. It is a long season, and I wonder if we are getting tired? Still, the road to Jerusalem is stretching out in front of us, and Holy Week is coming, so we will continue to walk with Jesus, step by step, to his journey’s end.

As we do, we will trace the final stretch of that road as it was recorded by Matthew. Even if our feet are tired and our spirits have grown weary, we will keep listening to Jesus’s words and trying to imagine that we are there with him. And we will do our best to pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. Even as the season of Lent stretches on, we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope that you can find a way to keep traveling with Jesus, little by little, as we make our way to the end of Lent.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 20, verses 17 through 28. Jesus and his friends are coming close to Jerusalem: they are traveling up, from the low country around Jericho, along the road that climbs to the city. As they do, he reminds them what is waiting for him at the end of the journey. I wonder, though, if the disciples are able to really hear what he is saying, or to understand.

April 8: The Great Ones in the Kingdom Apr 08, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

We have made it to the fifth week of Lent. It is a long season, and I wonder if we are getting tired? Still, the road to Jerusalem is stretching out in front of us, and Holy Week is coming, so we will continue to walk with Jesus, step by step, to his journey’s end.

As we do, we will trace the final stretch of that road as it was recorded by Matthew. Even if our feet are tired and our spirits have grown weary, we will keep listening to Jesus’s words and trying to imagine that we are there with him. And we will do our best to pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. Even as the season of Lent stretches on, we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope that you can find a way to keep traveling with Jesus, little by little, as we make our way to the end of Lent.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 20, verses 17 through 28. Jesus and his friends are coming close to Jerusalem: they are traveling up, from the low country around Jericho, along the road that climbs to the city. As they do, he reminds them what is waiting for him at the end of the journey. I wonder, though, if the disciples are able to really hear what he is saying, or to understand.

April 7: The Great Ones in the Kingdom Apr 07, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

We have made it to the fifth week of Lent. It is a long season, and I wonder if we are getting tired? Still, the road to Jerusalem is stretching out in front of us, and Holy Week is coming, so we will continue to walk with Jesus, step by step, to his journey’s end.

As we do, we will trace the final stretch of that road as it was recorded by Matthew. Even if our feet are tired and our spirits have grown weary, we will keep listening to Jesus’s words and trying to imagine that we are there with him. And we will do our best to pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. Even as the season of Lent stretches on, we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope that you can find a way to keep traveling with Jesus, little by little, as we make our way to the end of Lent.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 20, verses 17 through 28. Jesus and his friends are coming close to Jerusalem: they are traveling up, from the low country around Jericho, along the road that climbs to the city. As they do, he reminds them what is waiting for him at the end of the journey. I wonder, though, if the disciples are able to really hear what he is saying, or to understand.

April 6: The Great Ones in the Kingdom Apr 06, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

We have made it to the fifth week of Lent. It is a long season, and I wonder if we are getting tired? Still, the road to Jerusalem is stretching out in front of us, and Holy Week is coming, so we will continue to walk with Jesus, step by step, to his journey’s end.

As we do, we will trace the final stretch of that road as it was recorded by Matthew. Even if our feet are tired and our spirits have grown weary, we will keep listening to Jesus’s words and trying to imagine that we are there with him. And we will do our best to pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. Even as the season of Lent stretches on, we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope that you can find a way to keep traveling with Jesus, little by little, as we make our way to the end of Lent.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 20, verses 17 through 28. Jesus and his friends are coming close to Jerusalem: they are traveling up, from the low country around Jericho, along the road that climbs to the city. As they do, he reminds them what is waiting for him at the end of the journey. I wonder, though, if the disciples are able to really hear what he is saying, or to understand.

April 5: The Great Ones in the Kingdom Apr 05, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

We have made it to the fifth week of Lent. It is a long season, and I wonder if we are getting tired? Still, the road to Jerusalem is stretching out in front of us, and Holy Week is coming, so we will continue to walk with Jesus, step by step, to his journey’s end.

As we do, we will trace the final stretch of that road as it was recorded by Matthew. Even if our feet are tired and our spirits have grown weary, we will keep listening to Jesus’s words and trying to imagine that we are there with him. And we will do our best to pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. Even as the season of Lent stretches on, we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope that you can find a way to keep traveling with Jesus, little by little, as we make our way to the end of Lent.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 20, verses 17 through 28. Jesus and his friends are coming close to Jerusalem: they are traveling up, from the low country around Jericho, along the road that climbs to the city. As they do, he reminds them what is waiting for him at the end of the journey. I wonder, though, if the disciples are able to really hear what he is saying, or to understand.

April 4: The Great Ones in the Kingdom Apr 04, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

We have made it to the fifth week of Lent. It is a long season, and I wonder if we are getting tired? Still, the road to Jerusalem is stretching out in front of us, and Holy Week is coming, so we will continue to walk with Jesus, step by step, to his journey’s end.

As we do, we will trace the final stretch of that road as it was recorded by Matthew. Even if our feet are tired and our spirits have grown weary, we will keep listening to Jesus’s words and trying to imagine that we are there with him. And we will do our best to pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. Even as the season of Lent stretches on, we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope that you can find a way to keep traveling with Jesus, little by little, as we make our way to the end of Lent.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 20, verses 17 through 28. Jesus and his friends are coming close to Jerusalem: they are traveling up, from the low country around Jericho, along the road that climbs to the city. As they do, he reminds them what is waiting for him at the end of the journey. I wonder, though, if the disciples are able to really hear what he is saying, or to understand.

April 3: The Great Ones in the Kingdom Apr 03, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

We have made it to the fifth week of Lent. It is a long season, and I wonder if we are getting tired? Still, the road to Jerusalem is stretching out in front of us, and Holy Week is coming, so we will continue to walk with Jesus, step by step, to his journey’s end.

As we do, we will trace the final stretch of that road as it was recorded by Matthew. Even if our feet are tired and our spirits have grown weary, we will keep listening to Jesus’s words and trying to imagine that we are there with him. And we will do our best to pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. Even as the season of Lent stretches on, we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope that you can find a way to keep traveling with Jesus, little by little, as we make our way to the end of Lent.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 20, verses 17 through 28. Jesus and his friends are coming close to Jerusalem: they are traveling up, from the low country around Jericho, along the road that climbs to the city. As they do, he reminds them what is waiting for him at the end of the journey. I wonder, though, if the disciples are able to really hear what he is saying, or to understand.

April 2: The Rich Young Man Apr 02, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

This is the fourth week of Lent: we are right at the halfway point of the season. If we turn around and look backward, we can see Jesus beginning to teach his friends about what is going to happen to him. If we look forward, down the road, we can see the city of Jerusalem rising up on its hill, and maybe, just beyond it, a cross.

For the next three weeks, we will continue to walk with Jesus, step by step, to his road’s end. We will listen to the account of that journey from Matthew’s gospel. And as we do, we will keep listening to Jesus’s words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will continue to pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. It will be our way of keeping company with Jesus.

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope that you can hear Jesus speaking to you, and coming close to you, every day, no matter what your week is like.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 19, verses 13 through 26. Jesus and his friends have traveled out of Galilee, which is their home, and across the Jordan River into Judea. As they go, crowds follow him, religious leaders test him, and people ask him questions. Everyone wants to see Jesus, and hear what he will say next. Let’s join him on the road.

April 1: The Rich Young Man Apr 01, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

This is the fourth week of Lent: we are right at the halfway point of the season. If we turn around and look backward, we can see Jesus beginning to teach his friends about what is going to happen to him. If we look forward, down the road, we can see the city of Jerusalem rising up on its hill, and maybe, just beyond it, a cross.

For the next three weeks, we will continue to walk with Jesus, step by step, to his road’s end. We will listen to the account of that journey from Matthew’s gospel. And as we do, we will keep listening to Jesus’s words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will continue to pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. It will be our way of keeping company with Jesus.

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope that you can hear Jesus speaking to you, and coming close to you, every day, no matter what your week is like.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 19, verses 13 through 26. Jesus and his friends have traveled out of Galilee, which is their home, and across the Jordan River into Judea. As they go, crowds follow him, religious leaders test him, and people ask him questions. Everyone wants to see Jesus, and hear what he will say next. Let’s join him on the road.

March 31: The Rich Young Man Mar 31, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

This is the fourth week of Lent: we are right at the halfway point of the season. If we turn around and look backward, we can see Jesus beginning to teach his friends about what is going to happen to him. If we look forward, down the road, we can see the city of Jerusalem rising up on its hill, and maybe, just beyond it, a cross.

For the next three weeks, we will continue to walk with Jesus, step by step, to his road’s end. We will listen to the account of that journey from Matthew’s gospel. And as we do, we will keep listening to Jesus’s words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will continue to pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. It will be our way of keeping company with Jesus.

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope that you can hear Jesus speaking to you, and coming close to you, every day, no matter what your week is like.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 19, verses 13 through 26. Jesus and his friends have traveled out of Galilee, which is their home, and across the Jordan River into Judea. As they go, crowds follow him, religious leaders test him, and people ask him questions. Everyone wants to see Jesus, and hear what he will say next. Let’s join him on the road.

March 30: The Rich Young Man Mar 30, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

This is the fourth week of Lent: we are right at the halfway point of the season. If we turn around and look backward, we can see Jesus beginning to teach his friends about what is going to happen to him. If we look forward, down the road, we can see the city of Jerusalem rising up on its hill, and maybe, just beyond it, a cross.

For the next three weeks, we will continue to walk with Jesus, step by step, to his road’s end. We will listen to the account of that journey from Matthew’s gospel. And as we do, we will keep listening to Jesus’s words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will continue to pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. It will be our way of keeping company with Jesus.

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope that you can hear Jesus speaking to you, and coming close to you, every day, no matter what your week is like.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 19, verses 13 through 26. Jesus and his friends have traveled out of Galilee, which is their home, and across the Jordan River into Judea. As they go, crowds follow him, religious leaders test him, and people ask him questions. Everyone wants to see Jesus, and hear what he will say next. Let’s join him on the road.

March 29: The Rich Young Man Mar 29, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

This is the fourth week of Lent: we are right at the halfway point of the season. If we turn around and look backward, we can see Jesus beginning to teach his friends about what is going to happen to him. If we look forward, down the road, we can see the city of Jerusalem rising up on its hill, and maybe, just beyond it, a cross.

For the next three weeks, we will continue to walk with Jesus, step by step, to his road’s end. We will listen to the account of that journey from Matthew’s gospel. And as we do, we will keep listening to Jesus’s words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will continue to pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. It will be our way of keeping company with Jesus.

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope that you can hear Jesus speaking to you, and coming close to you, every day, no matter what your week is like.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 19, verses 13 through 26. Jesus and his friends have traveled out of Galilee, which is their home, and across the Jordan River into Judea. As they go, crowds follow him, religious leaders test him, and people ask him questions. Everyone wants to see Jesus, and hear what he will say next. Let’s join him on the road.

March 28: The Rich Young Man Mar 28, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

This is the fourth week of Lent: we are right at the halfway point of the season. If we turn around and look backward, we can see Jesus beginning to teach his friends about what is going to happen to him. If we look forward, down the road, we can see the city of Jerusalem rising up on its hill, and maybe, just beyond it, a cross.

For the next three weeks, we will continue to walk with Jesus, step by step, to his road’s end. We will listen to the account of that journey from Matthew’s gospel. And as we do, we will keep listening to Jesus’s words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will continue to pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. It will be our way of keeping company with Jesus.

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope that you can hear Jesus speaking to you, and coming close to you, every day, no matter what your week is like.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 19, verses 13 through 26. Jesus and his friends have traveled out of Galilee, which is their home, and across the Jordan River into Judea. As they go, crowds follow him, religious leaders test him, and people ask him questions. Everyone wants to see Jesus, and hear what he will say next. Let’s join him on the road.

March 27: The Rich Young Man Mar 27, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

This is the fourth week of Lent: we are right at the halfway point of the season. If we turn around and look backward, we can see Jesus beginning to teach his friends about what is going to happen to him. If we look forward, down the road, we can see the city of Jerusalem rising up on its hill, and maybe, just beyond it, a cross.

For the next three weeks, we will continue to walk with Jesus, step by step, to his road’s end. We will listen to the account of that journey from Matthew’s gospel. And as we do, we will keep listening to Jesus’s words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will continue to pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. It will be our way of keeping company with Jesus.

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope that you can hear Jesus speaking to you, and coming close to you, every day, no matter what your week is like.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 19, verses 13 through 26. Jesus and his friends have traveled out of Galilee, which is their home, and across the Jordan River into Judea. As they go, crowds follow him, religious leaders test him, and people ask him questions. Everyone wants to see Jesus, and hear what he will say next. Let’s join him on the road.

March 26: Little Children and the Kingdom Mar 26, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

Now we are in the third week of Lent. We aren’t yet halfway through, and the season is still stretched out in front of us as we make our way with Jesus along the road to Jerusalem, and to the cross.

Still, little by little, we will keep walking with Jesus through Matthew’s gospel, as he makes his final journey with his friends. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can picture this season as a journey with Jesus, and come close to him as his time on earth grows short.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verses 1 through 5, and 10 through 14. Jesus’s friends have begun to understand who Jesus is, a little: Peter has said out loud that Jesus is the Messiah, the man sent by God to save his people. But they are still learning how Jesus will save them, and what kind of Savior and King he will be. So as they travel along the road, the disciples ask Jesus a question. I wonder what answer they hope he will give?

March 25: Little Children and the Kingdom Mar 25, 2022

March 24: Little Children and the Kingdom Mar 24, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

Now we are in the third week of Lent. We aren’t yet halfway through, and the season is still stretched out in front of us as we make our way with Jesus along the road to Jerusalem, and to the cross.

Still, little by little, we will keep walking with Jesus through Matthew’s gospel, as he makes his final journey with his friends. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can picture this season as a journey with Jesus, and come close to him as his time on earth grows short.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verses 1 through 5, and 10 through 14. Jesus’s friends have begun to understand who Jesus is, a little: Peter has said out loud that Jesus is the Messiah, the man sent by God to save his people. But they are still learning how Jesus will save them, and what kind of Savior and King he will be. So as they travel along the road, the disciples ask Jesus a question. I wonder what answer they hope he will give?

March 23: Little Children and the Kingdom Mar 23, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

Now we are in the third week of Lent. We aren’t yet halfway through, and the season is still stretched out in front of us as we make our way with Jesus along the road to Jerusalem, and to the cross.

Still, little by little, we will keep walking with Jesus through Matthew’s gospel, as he makes his final journey with his friends. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can picture this season as a journey with Jesus, and come close to him as his time on earth grows short.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verses 1 through 5, and 10 through 14. Jesus’s friends have begun to understand who Jesus is, a little: Peter has said out loud that Jesus is the Messiah, the man sent by God to save his people. But they are still learning how Jesus will save them, and what kind of Savior and King he will be. So as they travel along the road, the disciples ask Jesus a question. I wonder what answer they hope he will give?

March 22: Little Children and the Kingdom Mar 22, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

Now we are in the third week of Lent. We aren’t yet halfway through, and the season is still stretched out in front of us as we make our way with Jesus along the road to Jerusalem, and to the cross.

Still, little by little, we will keep walking with Jesus through Matthew’s gospel, as he makes his final journey with his friends. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can picture this season as a journey with Jesus, and come close to him as his time on earth grows short.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verses 1 through 5, and 10 through 14. Jesus’s friends have begun to understand who Jesus is, a little: Peter has said out loud that Jesus is the Messiah, the man sent by God to save his people. But they are still learning how Jesus will save them, and what kind of Savior and King he will be. So as they travel along the road, the disciples ask Jesus a question. I wonder what answer they hope he will give?

March 21: Little Children and the Kingdom Mar 21, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

Now we are in the third week of Lent. We aren’t yet halfway through, and the season is still stretched out in front of us as we make our way with Jesus along the road to Jerusalem, and to the cross.

Still, little by little, we will keep walking with Jesus through Matthew’s gospel, as he makes his final journey with his friends. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can picture this season as a journey with Jesus, and come close to him as his time on earth grows short.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verses 1 through 5, and 10 through 14. Jesus’s friends have begun to understand who Jesus is, a little: Peter has said out loud that Jesus is the Messiah, the man sent by God to save his people. But they are still learning how Jesus will save them, and what kind of Savior and King he will be. So as they travel along the road, the disciples ask Jesus a question. I wonder what answer they hope he will give?

March 20: Little Children and the Kingdom Mar 20, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

Now we are in the third week of Lent. We aren’t yet halfway through, and the season is still stretched out in front of us as we make our way with Jesus along the road to Jerusalem, and to the cross.

Still, little by little, we will keep walking with Jesus through Matthew’s gospel, as he makes his final journey with his friends. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can picture this season as a journey with Jesus, and come close to him as his time on earth grows short.

This week’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verses 1 through 5, and 10 through 14. Jesus’s friends have begun to understand who Jesus is, a little: Peter has said out loud that Jesus is the Messiah, the man sent by God to save his people. But they are still learning how Jesus will save them, and what kind of Savior and King he will be. So as they travel along the road, the disciples ask Jesus a question. I wonder what answer they hope he will give?

March 19: Mustard Seed Faith Mar 19, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

We’re in the second week of Lent: this week, we are going a little further down the road with Jesus in Matthew’s gospel, as he walks with his disciples to Jerusalem one last time. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can imagine yourself walking alongside Jesus on the path to Jerusalem as we make our way with him up to the cross.

This week’s reading is Matthew 17:14-21. Jesus and his three closest friends have just come down from the mountaintop. Peter, James, and John saw Jesus flooded with glory, and they heard a voice from heaven tell them, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to him!” Now they have come back down to join the other nine disciples, and a large crowd that has come to them for help.

March 18: Mustard Seed Faith Mar 18, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

We’re in the second week of Lent: this week, we are going a little further down the road with Jesus in Matthew’s gospel, as he walks with his disciples to Jerusalem one last time. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can imagine yourself walking alongside Jesus on the path to Jerusalem as we make our way with him up to the cross.

This week’s reading is Matthew 17:14-21. Jesus and his three closest friends have just come down from the mountaintop. Peter, James, and John saw Jesus flooded with glory, and they heard a voice from heaven tell them, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to him!” Now they have come back down to join the other nine disciples, and a large crowd that has come to them for help.

March 17: Mustard Seed Faith Mar 17, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

We’re in the second week of Lent: this week, we are going a little further down the road with Jesus in Matthew’s gospel, as he walks with his disciples to Jerusalem one last time. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can imagine yourself walking alongside Jesus on the path to Jerusalem as we make our way with him up to the cross.

This week’s reading is Matthew 17:14-21. Jesus and his three closest friends have just come down from the mountaintop. Peter, James, and John saw Jesus flooded with glory, and they heard a voice from heaven tell them, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to him!” Now they have come back down to join the other nine disciples, and a large crowd that has come to them for help.

March 16: Mustard Seed Faith Mar 16, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

We’re in the second week of Lent: this week, we are going a little further down the road with Jesus in Matthew’s gospel, as he walks with his disciples to Jerusalem one last time. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can imagine yourself walking alongside Jesus on the path to Jerusalem as we make our way with him up to the cross.

This week’s reading is Matthew 17:14-21. Jesus and his three closest friends have just come down from the mountaintop. Peter, James, and John saw Jesus flooded with glory, and they heard a voice from heaven tell them, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to him!” Now they have come back down to join the other nine disciples, and a large crowd that has come to them for help.

March 15: Mustard Seed Faith Mar 15, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

We’re in the second week of Lent: this week, we are going a little further down the road with Jesus in Matthew’s gospel, as he walks with his disciples to Jerusalem one last time. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can imagine yourself walking alongside Jesus on the path to Jerusalem as we make our way with him up to the cross.

This week’s reading is Matthew 17:14-21. Jesus and his three closest friends have just come down from the mountaintop. Peter, James, and John saw Jesus flooded with glory, and they heard a voice from heaven tell them, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to him!” Now they have come back down to join the other nine disciples, and a large crowd that has come to them for help.

March 14: Mustard Seed Faith Mar 14, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

We’re in the second week of Lent: this week, we are going a little further down the road with Jesus in Matthew’s gospel, as he walks with his disciples to Jerusalem one last time. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can imagine yourself walking alongside Jesus on the path to Jerusalem as we make our way with him up to the cross.

This week’s reading is Matthew 17:14-21. Jesus and his three closest friends have just come down from the mountaintop. Peter, James, and John saw Jesus flooded with glory, and they heard a voice from heaven tell them, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to him!” Now they have come back down to join the other nine disciples, and a large crowd that has come to them for help.

March 13: Mustard Seed Faith Mar 13, 2022

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent.

We’re in the second week of Lent: this week, we are going a little further down the road with Jesus in Matthew’s gospel, as he walks with his disciples to Jerusalem one last time. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day this week, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can imagine yourself walking alongside Jesus on the path to Jerusalem as we make our way with him up to the cross.

This week’s reading is Matthew 17:14-21. Jesus and his three closest friends have just come down from the mountaintop. Peter, James, and John saw Jesus flooded with glory, and they heard a voice from heaven tell them, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to him!” Now they have come back down to join the other nine disciples, and a large crowd that has come to them for help.

March 12: Jesus' Way of the Cross Mar 12, 2022

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent.

Lent is the season between Ash Wednesday and Easter: these are the days when we slow down, make space, and pause each day to journey with Jesus toward Jerusalem, and to the cross.

This Lent, we’re going to slow down and spend time in one story from Matthew’s gospel each week. We will join Jesus as he walks with his disciples to Jerusalem one last time. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can imagine yourself walking with Jesus and listening to him, all along the road to Jerusalem throughout this season, so that we can all join together at the end, around the foot of his cross.

This week’s reading is Matthew 16:21-26. Jesus and his disciples are outside a city called Caesarea Philippi. Jesus is teaching them, and for right now, they are all alone. Can we open our minds and hearts, and imagine ourselves there?

March 11: Jesus' Way of the Cross Mar 11, 2022

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent.

Lent is the season between Ash Wednesday and Easter: these are the days when we slow down, make space, and pause each day to journey with Jesus toward Jerusalem, and to the cross.

This Lent, we’re going to slow down and spend time in one story from Matthew’s gospel each week. We will join Jesus as he walks with his disciples to Jerusalem one last time. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can imagine yourself walking with Jesus and listening to him, all along the road to Jerusalem throughout this season, so that we can all join together at the end, around the foot of his cross.

This week’s reading is Matthew 16:21-26. Jesus and his disciples are outside a city called Caesarea Philippi. Jesus is teaching them, and for right now, they are all alone. Can we open our minds and hearts, and imagine ourselves there?

March 10: Jesus' Way of the Cross Mar 10, 2022

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent.

Lent is the season between Ash Wednesday and Easter: these are the days when we slow down, make space, and pause each day to journey with Jesus toward Jerusalem, and to the cross.

This Lent, we’re going to slow down and spend time in one story from Matthew’s gospel each week. We will join Jesus as he walks with his disciples to Jerusalem one last time. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can imagine yourself walking with Jesus and listening to him, all along the road to Jerusalem throughout this season, so that we can all join together at the end, around the foot of his cross.

This week’s reading is Matthew 16:21-26. Jesus and his disciples are outside a city called Caesarea Philippi. Jesus is teaching them, and for right now, they are all alone. Can we open our minds and hearts, and imagine ourselves there?

March 9: Jesus’ Way of the Cross Mar 09, 2022

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent.

Lent is the season between Ash Wednesday and Easter: these are the days when we slow down, make space, and pause each day to journey with Jesus toward Jerusalem, and to the cross.

This Lent, we’re going to slow down and spend time in one story from Matthew’s gospel each week. We will join Jesus as he walks with his disciples to Jerusalem one last time. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can imagine yourself walking with Jesus and listening to him, all along the road to Jerusalem throughout this season, so that we can all join together at the end, around the foot of his cross.

This week’s reading is Matthew 16:21-26. Jesus and his disciples are outside a city called Caesarea Philippi. Jesus is teaching them, and for right now, they are all alone. Can we open our minds and hearts, and imagine ourselves there?

March 8: Jesus’ Way of the Cross Mar 08, 2022

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent.

Lent is the season between Ash Wednesday and Easter: these are the days when we slow down, make space, and pause each day to journey with Jesus toward Jerusalem, and to the cross.

This Lent, we’re going to slow down and spend time in one story from Matthew’s gospel each week. We will join Jesus as he walks with his disciples to Jerusalem one last time. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can imagine yourself walking with Jesus and listening to him, all along the road to Jerusalem throughout this season, so that we can all join together at the end, around the foot of his cross.

This week’s reading is Matthew 16:21-26. Jesus and his disciples are outside a city called Caesarea Philippi. Jesus is teaching them, and for right now, they are all alone. Can we open our minds and hearts, and imagine ourselves there?

March 7: Jesus’ Way of the Cross Mar 07, 2022

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent.

Lent is the season between Ash Wednesday and Easter: these are the days when we slow down, make space, and pause each day to journey with Jesus toward Jerusalem, and to the cross.

This Lent, we’re going to slow down and spend time in one story from Matthew’s gospel each week. We will join Jesus as he walks with his disciples to Jerusalem one last time. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can imagine yourself walking with Jesus and listening to him, all along the road to Jerusalem throughout this season, so that we can all join together at the end, around the foot of his cross.

This week’s reading is Matthew 16:21-26. Jesus and his disciples are outside a city called Caesarea Philippi. Jesus is teaching them, and for right now, they are all alone. Can we open our minds and hearts, and imagine ourselves there?

March 6: Jesus’ Way of the Cross Mar 06, 2022

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent.

Lent is the season between Ash Wednesday and Easter: these are the days when we slow down, make space, and pause each day to journey with Jesus toward Jerusalem, and to the cross.

This Lent, we’re going to slow down and spend time in one story from Matthew’s gospel each week. We will join Jesus as he walks with his disciples to Jerusalem one last time. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. After all, every day is different; but we still need to meet and listen for God, in all that is happening to us. I wonder what we will notice, as we listen to the same words over and over, all week long? I wonder what we will have to say to God?

I hope that you can listen every day, and let these words take deep root in your heart. I hope you can imagine yourself walking with Jesus and listening to him, all along the road to Jerusalem throughout this season, so that we can all join together at the end, around the foot of his cross.

This week’s reading is Matthew 16:21-26. Jesus and his disciples are outside a city called Caesarea Philippi. Jesus is teaching them, and for right now, they are all alone. Can we open our minds and hearts, and imagine ourselves there?

Ash Wednesday: An Invitation to Lent Mar 02, 2022

We Wonder is back for Lent!

This year, we are going to spend time each week in one story from Matthew’s gospel. We will join Jesus as he walks with his disciples to Jerusalem one last time. Along the road, we will listen to his words and imagine that we are there with him: that he is speaking directly to us. And we will pay attention, each day, to what we see, and hear, and feel. These daily episodes will begin on Sunday, March 6, so be sure to subscribe to the podcast wherever you like to listen and they’ll be waiting for you each day.

But first, today, we are going to get ready. Lent is a long season: the road to Jerusalem is a long journey. So today, on Ash Wednesday, we’ll come to Jesus with our intentions and hopes for Lent, listen to his words, and then set our feet in his path and begin to follow him.

Today’s reading is Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21. Jesus is teaching his friends and followers on a mountainside. He wants them to see the world the way that God sees it, and to live in the way that God meant for people to live.

December 24: The Manger Dec 24, 2021

Luke 2:1-19

Today’s symbol is the manger. The Christ child is born! Alleluia!

I wonder how Mary and Joseph felt, now that their waiting for Jesus was over? I wonder if they were tired? Relieved? Happy to finally hold their child?

I wonder how I feel, now that Advent waiting is over? What has been hard? What has been good? What do I want to say to God about this waiting season?

I wonder what it was like to hear and see the angels singing the good news in the night sky? Can I imagine myself there? Can I taste a little bit of their joy?

Long ago, the prophet Isaiah promised that a new king would come out of Jesse’s family tree, and that he would be a loving king for every person in the whole world. I wonder if I can trust that Jesus is that king? I wonder if I can welcome him and his kingdom into my life?

I wonder what is different, now that God has come to live in our world? Can I ask God to help me see the world around me with his eyes?

I wonder if I can say thank you to God, who loves us so much that he was born and lived here, on earth, as one of us. What do I want to say to this God, who is with us always?

God who is with us, on this night your holy light shines bright in the darkness.Thank you for coming to live among us, to bring us into your light, and to save us from sin and death. We praise you, Jesus, and we love you.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 23: Carpenter's Tools Dec 23, 2021

Matthew 1:18-25

Today’s symbol shows a carpenter’s tools. Mary was betrothed to Joseph, who was a carpenter. Joseph became Jesus’ earthly father, and he loved and protected him as he grew. Joseph listened to God’s words and he was not afraid.

I wonder what Joseph felt like, when he began to see that Mary would have a baby? I wonder if he worried and prayed as he worked in his carpenter’s shop?

I wonder how Joseph felt in the morning, when he awoke from his dream. I wonder if he was certain and confident, or doubtful? I wonder how he came to trust the words that he heard in his dream?

I wonder what Joseph thought when he heard his son’s name? Hopeful? Excited? Confused? What do I think, when I remember that Jesus’ name means “God saves”? Can I ask God to show me more about that name?

I wonder if it was ever hard for Joseph to believe that his son was from the Holy Spirit. I wonder if it’s ever hard for me to believe that Jesus really is God with us? What do I want to say to Jesus about that?

I wonder if I can hear God saying “do not be afraid” to me right now? What do I want to say to God?

God, you are kind and you protect us. Thank you for Joseph’s kindness to and protection of your Son, Jesus. Help us to obey like Joseph, not to be afraid, and to love everyone you give us who needs our care.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 22: Mary's Heart Dec 22, 2021

Luke 1:26-38

Today’s symbol is a heart. Mary opened her heart and her life to God’s words, and she became Jesus’ loving mother. Because of Mary’s brave heart, God’s love came into the world as her son.

I wonder what Mary felt like in her stomach, in her hands, in her body, when the angel appeared and began speaking to her? I wonder if his words, “Don’t be afraid!” brought her peace?

I wonder what Mary felt when she heard her son’s name? Hopeful? Excited? Amazed? I wonder how I feel, knowing that God chose to come and live with us with the name, “God Saves”?

Mary knew that God would come to save everyone who was small, unimportant, poor, and who needed him. I wonder how I need God to save me today? What do I want to ask God for, as we wait together for Jesus?

I wonder how Mary got ready for the birth of this special baby? I wonder if there is anything I can do to get ready to welcome Jesus into my life?

I wonder if I can hear God saying “do not be afraid” to me right now? What do I want to say to God?

God of love and grace, thank you for Mary’s brave heart. Thank you for choosing to come to your people as her small son. Help us open our hearts to you, too.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 21: The Angel Dec 21, 2021

Luke 1:5-17

Today’s symbol is the angel who appeared to Zechariah. The angel told Zechariah that although he and his wife Elizabeth were old, they would have a child. This child would help God’s people get ready for the coming king.

I wonder what it was like to see Zechariah’s incense smoke going up like a prayer, and then to see God’s messenger appear? Can I imagine that moment in that holy place?

I wonder how Zechariah and Elizabeth got ready for the birth of their baby? I wonder how it felt to know their child had an important job from God?

I wonder why John was given such an important job? I wonder why we have to have someone help us get ready for Jesus?

I wonder how Advent this year has helped me get ready for Jesus’ coming? Is there anything I want to tell Jesus about my hope and waiting?

Can I say thank you to God for coming to us gently, and helping us get ready to welcome him?

God you want us to be ready, and you give us what we need to prepare for your coming. You sent John the Baptist to help Israel get ready for the coming king. Prepare us by your Holy Spirit for your coming Son. Turn our hearts back to you, give us light, and guide our feet in the ways of peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 20: The Great Fish Dec 20, 2021

Jonah 1; 3:1-5, 10

Today’s symbol is the great fish. God sent the prophet Jonah to Nineveh, but Jonah tried to run away. God was with Jonah in the storm, and in the fish, and finally when Jonah went to Nineveh. Jonah could not run away from God.

I wonder why Jonah immediately ran in the opposite direction when God asked him to go to Nineveh. I wonder what he hoped would happen?

I wonder if I have ever wanted to run away from what I knew God wanted me to do? Has there been a time when it felt too hard to be kind? Or too scary to say, “I’m sorry?” What do I want to say to God about that time?

I wonder why Jonah was so angry after the people of Nineveh listened to his words? I wonder what that anger felt like inside his body? I wonder why it was so hard for him to see God continue to protect Nineveh?

I wonder if I can believe that God wants to be like a sheltering roof for all people? I wonder if there are people I might not want to share that roof with? What do I want to say to God about that?

I wonder where God is when I can’t see his protecting love? Can I talk to God about that right now?

December 19: The Lion Dec 19, 2021

Daniel 6:6-23

I wonder how Daniel felt when he heard the king’s new law? The Bible doesn’t tell us: I wonder if he was afraid when he went up to pray? Or I wonder if he loved coming close to God so much that he couldn’t imagine changing his ways?

I wonder if I have a practice of coming close to God? Or I wonder if I find it hard, or scary, or boring to try to pray? Can I talk to God about that? Can I trust that all of my words to God are prayer, and that God loves to hear them?

I wonder what the pit with the lions looked like inside? I wonder what it smelled like? I wonder what Daniel felt as he was lowered into it?

I wonder how the messenger from God appeared to Daniel? I wonder what it was like to spend the night close to those lions, after their mouths had been shut? I wonder what Daniel said to God?

Can I believe that the God who was with Daniel is the same God who is close to me right now? Can I trust that this God is still faithful and will come to save? As we continue to wait in Advent, what do I want to say to God?

Living God, you deliver and rescue your people. Help us to tell others about the ways you have delivered and rescued us, so that they will honor and trust you too.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 18: Esther's Crown Dec 18, 2021

Esther 4:8-17

Today’s symbol is Esther’s crown. Queen Esther bravely protected God’s people when they were living far away in another land.

I wonder how Esther felt as she fasted and prepared to go in to see the king? The story doesn’t mention God’s name: I wonder if she felt confident that God was with her and her people?

I wonder what it was like to be one of God’s people living in Persia? To know that you were different, and that this was not your home? To know that powerful people might want to hurt you for being different?

I wonder if I have ever felt like an outsider, or like I was different from the people around me? I wonder if I felt like my story wasn’t their story? What do I want to say to God about that feeling?

I wonder if I have ever felt like God put me somewhere for a reason? I wonder if there are people or places in my life right now where God has good work for me to do? Can I ask God to help me trust him to do loving work through me?

In this story, God’s people are scattered. They are living in a far away land, with a foreign king. I wonder if they were hoping for God to return and save them again? As I wait in Advent, can I hope today for Jesus to come for us with his saving love?

Our providing, all-knowing God, you work in the world in ways we cannot see. You see to it that we are put in places where we can do your work. Help us to be brave when we need to, and to trust your providence because you hold our entire world in your hands.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 17: Isaiah's Scroll Dec 17, 2021

Isaiah 9:2-7

Today’s symbol is Isaiah’s scroll. Isaiah and other prophets came close to God, and wrote down God’s promises. One of these promises was a coming child, who would grow up and be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His kingdom will last forever, and he will make everything that is broken in our world right again.

I wonder how I feel when I am in the dark. Do I feel frightened? Alone? Secret? What do I want to say to God about the times I am in the dark?

I wonder how God’s people felt when they heard these promises from Isaiah? I wonder what it was like to know that God promised to shine light on them, even though they were walking in darkness?

I wonder how these words to Judah from long, long ago are also words for me, today? What do I want to say to God about these promises?

I wonder if I am getting tired of waiting for Christmas? I wonder if I am eager for Jesus to come and live among us, and for the celebration to begin? Is there anything I want to tell God about waiting?

Thank you, saving God, for the words of the prophets. Thank you that they are still words for us today. Give us faith and hope as we wait for your light to shine on us.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 16: Fire Dec 16, 2021

1 Kings 18:21-39

Today’s symbol is fire. When Israel turned away from God and worshipped other gods, Elijah the prophet called them back. God sent fire down on Elijah’s sacrifice, to show Israel that he heard Elijah’s prayers and wanted to hear their prayers, too.

I wonder if I can imagine being in the crowd, watching the priests of Baal call out to their god? I wonder how the people felt, knowing that their king was on Baal’s side? I wonder what it was like, to see Elijah alone standing against them? Can I imagine how I would have felt?

I wonder why Elijah poured water all over his sacrifice?

I wonder if I can imagine seeing the fire come down from the sky and burn up Elijah’s altar? What would I have done if I were there?

I wonder how God’s people felt when they realized that God, not Baal, was near and waiting for their prayers? I wonder if they were afraid? Sorry? Ready to turn around and follow when they remembered who God is, and what God had done?

We may forget about God, but God never forgets us. God is always near, and waits patiently for us to remember and return. I wonder how I can remember that God is close to me today?

God, you listen for the prayers of your people. You want us to call on your name and you hear us when we cry out. Hear us now, O Lord, and come quickly to save us.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 15: David's Lyre Dec 15, 2021

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Today’s symbol is a lyre, which is a kind of harp. King David played songs of praise to God on the lyre. David was Israel’s greatest king, and he showed the people how to love and trust God.

I wonder how Samuel knew which of Jesse’s sons God had chosen to be king? I wonder what it was like to come so close to God, and to have God come so close to him?

I wonder how Samuel felt as he watched each of Jesse’s tall, strong, full-grown sons pass in front of him? I wonder what it was like to wait and watch for God to say, “Yes”?

God said to Samuel, “The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outside of a person. But the LORD looks at what is in the heart.” I wonder what God saw when he looked at David’s heart? I wonder why David was the one who could lead God’s people and help them come close to God?

I wonder what God sees when he looks at my heart? Can I believe that God does not look at what people see? Can I believe that God is always looking at me with love?

Wise and holy God, people look at appearances, but you look at the heart. Give us hearts that trust you to deliver us.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 14: David's Sling Dec 14, 2021

1 Samuel 17:2-11, 32-37

Today’s symbol is David’s sling. When everyone else in Israel was afraid, David trusted God to deliver his people. David grew to be a king who showed Israel how to love and trust the LORD.

I wonder what it was like to see tall, strong, armored Goliath challenging Israel’s army every day. I wonder if they were frightened? Discouraged? I wonder if God felt small and far away in the face of such a mighty warrior?

Has there been a time when I’ve been so frightened that I have forgotten to trust in God? Has there ever been a time when God felt smaller than the things I am afraid of? What do I want to say to God about that?

I wonder what Saul and the Israelite army were thinking about when David walked out to meet Goliath. I wonder if they were trembling and scared to watch? Or I wonder if his trust in God made them feel more brave? Can I imagine myself there? How would I have felt as I watched David stand face to face with Goliath?

I wonder if there are times when it is hard to see that God is for me? Can I ask God to help me be confident that his love will always save, and will never fail?

Mighty God, if you are for us, who can be against us? Help us to trust in you. Help us not to be afraid. Help us to wait for you to save us, because you are faithful and strong.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 13: Samuel's Oil Dec 13, 2021

1 Samuel 3:1-10

Today’s symbol is Samuel’s oil. Samuel learned to listen to God. Because he listened and trusted in God’s words, Samuel knew who God would choose to be king over Israel. God gave Samuel the job of anointing, or setting apart, the king.

I wonder what God’s voice sounded like to Samuel? I wonder what he felt when he heard his name spoken in the dark?

I wonder what it was like to come so close to God that Samuel could recognize and trust his words? I wonder if I have ever been confident, like Samuel, that God’s words are true and I can trust them? Can I ask God to help me trust and follow his voice?

I wonder if it’s hard to listen sometimes. Do I have trouble making my heart and mind quiet? Can I ask God to come close to me, even when I have trouble coming close to God?

I wonder if God has ever felt far away, or hard to hear? Are there people in my life who can speak God’s words of love to me when I have trouble hearing them? What do I want to say to God about that?

In Advent, we are waiting for Jesus. The Bible tells us that Jesus is God’s Word to us. I wonder how I can learn to listen to Jesus? Can I ask God to help me to trust that Jesus’ love and life are for me?

Patient God, we want to hear your words. We want to know you better. Help us to learn to listen for you quietly, and to follow you when you speak.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 12: A Head of Grain Dec 12, 2021

Ruth 2:1-12

Today’s symbol is a head of grain. Ruth gathered grain in Boaz’s fields, and he was kind to her. God brought Ruth into his family, and she became the great-grandmother of Israel’s greatest king.

I wonder how Ruth felt, as she stepped out into Boaz’s fields, surrounded by strange workers and strange scenery? I wonder what it was like, to be alone and so far from home?

I wonder if I have ever felt like a stranger in a new place? What did I do? How did that feel on the inside? What do I want to say to God about that time?

I wonder what Boaz’s voice sounded like as he welcomed Ruth? Have I ever been welcomed by someone? Has someone ever spoken kindly to me when I was afraid? Can I say thank you to God for that time?

Have I ever noticed someone who was new at my school? At my church? Can I ask God to help me welcome others when they may feel different or afraid?

Ruth moved from being an outsider to the very middle of God’s story. She is one of Jesus’ ancestors! I wonder what this story shows me about who God is, and what God is like?

We are halfway through Advent, and we are seeing God’s family grow. We are waiting for the time when God will keep his promise to save his people, and bring all of us into his family in Jesus. Can I say thank you to God for each of these stories? How can I wait for God to come and save today?

Kind and gracious God, thank you for bringing us into your family, even when we were outsiders like Ruth. Thank you for having a place for everyone at your table.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 11: The Shofar Dec 11, 2021

Joshua 6:1-5, 12-17

Today’s symbol is the shofar, which is a musical instrument made from a ram’s horn. God brought the people into the Promised Land, and saved them when they blew the shofar outside of Jericho.

I wonder how it felt to walk silently around those tall, strong city walls for seven days? I wonder if it would be hard to keep my body and voice quiet? I wonder what it was like to trust that God and God alone would bring the walls down?

I wonder what the sound of the seven shofars was like, as they sounded off the city walls? I wonder how it felt to finally be able to shout aloud to God, after being silent for so long?

I wonder, is it ever hard for me to believe that God is strong and will keep his promises? What can make me feel that way? What do I want to say to God about that?

I wonder if there has ever been a time when I felt confident and safe in God’s mighty love? What did that feel like inside my body? Can I say thank you to God for that time?

I wonder how this story can help us in Advent? Can I ask God to walk with me as I wait, just as the Israelites waited outside Jericho? Can I get ready to raise my voice to celebrate, when God arrives to save?

Mighty God, you fought for your people at Jericho. Help us to trust in your strength, like Joshua and like the Israelites. Thank you that we do not have to fight for ourselves or save ourselves, because you are our strength and our shield.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 10: The Two Tablets of the Law Dec 10, 2021

Deuteronomy 5:1-22

Today’s symbol is the two tablets of the law. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mt Sinai, and Moses gave them to God’s people. The Ten Commandments teach us how to love God and how to love one another.

I wonder what it was like, to be with God’s people and wandering in the wilderness? I wonder what God’s people said to God when they felt lost and afraid?

I wonder if I have ever been lost? I wonder if there is a time when I didn’t know the way I should go? What do I want to say to God about that time?

I wonder how following these ways can help me love God more? I wonder how they can help me love other people? Is there anything I want to ask God about his good ways?

I wonder what happens when people break God’s ways? I don’t always follow the ways into God’s presence. I wonder how God comes close to us, when we fail to come close to God?

In Advent, we remember that we don’t stay in God’s presence, so we are waiting for God to come and live among us. I wonder what it is like to rest safely in God’s presence? I wonder how I can practice that right now.

Holy and loving God, you have given us your ways as a gift. Forgive us when we break them. Thank you for coming to live with us, and for adopting us into your family. Teach us to walk in your ways, and to show others with all of our lives the way into your loving presence too.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 9: The Burning Bush Dec 09, 2021

Exodus 3:1-14

Today’s symbol is the burning bush. God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and promised to save his people.

I wonder what it was like to see that bush, wreathed in dancing flames but still itself? Can I see anything about God in that picture?

I wonder why Moses was afraid to look at God? I wonder what about the sight of the bush, or the words God spoke, made him turn his face away?

I wonder if God’s people felt like God had forgotten them, trapped as slaves in Egypt? I wonder if they were waiting for God to come save them, or if they had given up? Does it ever feel like God has forgotten me? What do I want to say to God about that?

I wonder if there is anything I want to ask God to see? Is there anyone I know who is hurting and needs God to come close? Are there any parts of me that I want God to see and come close to?

I wonder if I can sit quietly for a moment with God’s name. “I AM WHO I AM.” Can I ask God to teach me who he is?

God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, you are our God too. You are living, and you are the God who saves. Help us to come close to you, and to know you like Moses did.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 8: Joseph’s Colored Coat Dec 08, 2021

Genesis 37:3-4; 23-36

Today’s symbol is Joseph’s colored coat. God was with Joseph. Even though his brothers tried to hurt him, God used Joseph to save his family.

I wonder how Joseph’s brothers felt when Jacob gave him that beautiful robe? Has there ever been a time when I felt like someone else was loved more than me? How does that feel on the inside? What do I want to say to God about that feeling?

I wonder how Joseph felt, as he sat at the bottom of that dark, dank well? Or as he was led away to a strange land as a slave, by strangers? Was he afraid? Did he miss his father? Did he call for his mother?

Has there ever been a time when I have been really, really afraid? Has there ever been a time when I felt like nothing good would happen again? Can I let God come close to me and love me, as I remember that feeling?

When Joseph met his brothers, many years later, he forgave them -- not because what they did was okay, but because he knew that God had been with him at every step of the way, from the well, across the desert, and into Egypt. I wonder if there are places in my life where it’s hard to see God with me? What do I want to say to God about those places?

God, you are always with us. God, you are strong. You are always at work, and you can turn evil to good. God, you are forgiving, and you help us to forgive. We love you.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 7: Jacob's Ladder Dec 07, 2021

Genesis 27:18-35

Today’s symbol shows Jacob’s ladder. God came close to Jacob, even when Jacob ran away.

I wonder how Jacob felt, as he pretended to be his brother and stole Esau’s blessing? I wonder if he was nervous? Triumphant? Afraid of being caught?

I wonder, have I ever wanted something good that belonged to someone else? What does that feel like on the inside? Is there anything I want to say to God about that feeling?

I wonder, has someone else ever taken something good that should have been mine? How did I feel on the inside? How did I act on the outside? Is there anything I want to say to God about that time?

Esau was so angry with his brother that Jacob had to run away and hide. I wonder, have I ever felt like hiding or running away because of something I have done?

When Jacob was running away from his family, God’s blessing went with him. I wonder, can I trust that God is always close to me, even when I feel like running or hiding? Can I tell God thank you for never, ever letting me go?

I wonder if there are times when it feels like the wrong person is getting a blessing. I wonder if sometimes I think I don’t deserve God’s blessing? Can I believe that in Advent, we are waiting for Jesus to come and find everyone who has done wrong and tried to run away?

Ever-present God, you never leave us alone. You remind us, over and over again, that we are a part of your family and that your promises are for us, no matter what we do. Thank you that we belong to you.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 6: A Ram Dec 06, 2021

Genesis 22:3-14

Today’s symbol is a ram. Abraham trusted God, and God was faithful to Abraham. God gave Abraham a ram for a sacrifice, instead of his only son.

I wonder what Abraham felt like on the inside, as he hiked up the mountain with Isaac, the fire, and the wood. I wonder what he said to God?

I wonder if there has been a time when God’s words did not seem good to me? Has there been a time when I felt like God’s promises were coming untrue? What can I say to God about that?

I wonder if there has been a time when I have seen God provide? Can I rest in that moment? How can I carry that moment with me today?

The angel, or messenger, of the LORD said to Abraham, “Now I know that you would do anything for God. You have not held back from me your son, your only son.” In Advent, we wait for God’s only Son, Jesus, who came into the world to live with us and die for us. I wonder: can it be true that God would do anything for us? What can I say to God about this great gift of love?

Generous God, you are our faithful provider. You did not spare your own Son, but gave him up for all of us. Help us to trust you no matter what, like Abraham did, because you are good.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 5: A Sky Full of Stars Dec 05, 2021

Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-7

Today’s symbol is a sky full of stars. God promised to give Abraham a family larger than the number of the stars.

Can I remember a time when it was hard to wait for something? How did I feel? Can I ask God to stay close to me when I am impatient?

Right now, we are waiting for Christmas. We are also waiting for Jesus to come again, and make everything right. Can I ask Jesus to help me trust his promise to come live with us again?

God gave Abram and Sarai new names, to tell them who they would be. I wonder who God says that I am? Can I trust and believe that I am God’s beloved child?

I wonder if Abraham could imagine just how big God’s promise to him was? Can I say thank you to God that I was a part of this promise, too, long, long ago?

Faithful God, you kept your promise to Abraham and Sarah. You gave them a son. Help us as we wait this Advent for your promised Son. We give you praise because you always keep your promises!

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 4: The Ark Dec 04, 2021

Genesis 6:5-8; 7:11-24; 8:1-3

Today’s symbol is the ark and the rainbow. In the flood, God washed the earth clean. In baptism, we are washed and given new life.

I wonder what it was like to see the water rising from inside the ark? Can I imagine myself there? I wonder if all of creation looked undone?

I wonder if the wind that blew the waters dry was like the Spirit that moved over the waters in Genesis 1? As the waters dried up, was it like seeing the world being made be made again?

I wonder what new things grew, after the earth dried and the sun came out again?

I wonder what God sees when he looks down on our world today? I wonder what needs to be washed clean and made new? In my town? In my school? In my family? In me?

I wonder what new things God wants to grow in my life? Can I talk to God about that?

Gracious God, you love us too much to let us stay lost and apart. Thank you for keeping your promises, and thank you for the waters of baptism, where you wash away sin and give us new life.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 3: The Serpent and the Fruit Dec 03, 2021

Genesis 3:1-13

Today’s symbol is the serpent and the fruit. When God’s people listened to the serpent instead of God, they sinned. But God loved them so much that he did not leave them alone: God’s Son came to save the people who had turned away.

I wonder what it was like to live in the garden with God? To walk with God? To talk with God? Can I imagine being close to God, too?

I wonder what it felt like, to suddenly be afraid of God? Have I ever wanted to hide from someone who loves me? How does that feel in my body? In my heart?

Are there parts of me what I want to hide from my family? From my friends? From God? Can I believe that God always wants to come find me?

This story ended in a sad place. During Advent, we remember that our world is still broken and sad, and that God has promised to make it right. What needs to be made right in my heart? In my family? In my school? In my city? Can I ask Jesus to come and save?

Holy God, thank you for never letting us go. Thank you that even though people disobeyed, you refuse to stay apart from us. Thank you that you have promised us a Savior. Come and rescue us, and turn our steps so that we walk toward you.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 2: The World Dec 02, 2021

Genesis 1:26-31

Today’s symbol is our planet, Earth. God made the world and everything in it, and God made everything good.

I wonder what is good about the place where I live, and the creation around me? How can I say “thank you” to God?

I wonder why we forget that God gave us this earth as a good gift? How can I help take care of it?

I wonder how I show God’s image to the people around me? Can I say “thank you” to God for making me?

Are there parts inside of me that feel empty or confusing, like the waters before God spoke? I wonder how God’s Holy Spirit is hovering near and looking at those parts of me with love?

I wonder how the people in my family show me something about what God is like? Do I remember that my friends are also made in God’s image? My brothers and sisters, even when we fight? People at school I may not like? I wonder how I can see that every person I meet is special to God?

During Advent, we remember that God came to live in this world and that he will come back to us again. I wonder how I can wait for Jesus during Advent?

Loving God, you made us for yourself. We belong to you. Thank you for this beautiful world, and for the people in it. Help us to take care of it, just as you told us to do. And teach us to always look for your image in other people, and to love them because you do.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

December 1: The Jesse Tree Dec 01, 2021

Isaiah 11:1-10

Today’s symbol is a tree stump, with a little shoot growing out of the top. This tree stump is a Jesse Tree: it reminds us of Jesus’ family tree, and the family tree of all God’s people.

I wonder what needs to be made right today? In my heart? In my family? In my world?

I wonder how my heart is like a dead tree stump? What in me needs some water, some air, some love?

I wonder how Jesus can grow new things in my heart? In my family? In my friendships? In my world?

I wonder what it will be like, when Jesus’ kingdom comes. Can I imagine a world where a wolf will live with a lamb, and no one will hurt or destroy? Can I imagine a time when everyone knows and trusts God’s love for them? What can I say to God about that time?

I wonder how I can wait for Jesus during Advent? How can I make space for Jesus, and for his kingdom, in my heart? In my life? How can I invite Jesus into my world?

Faithful God, thank you for keeping your promises. Help us see the ways that you are faithful, even when your people are not. Thank you that you are bringing a world where the weak and the strong will live together in peace. Help us wait for your coming, and we pray that these stories of Jesus’ family tree will teach us to be faithful and prayerful as we wait for you to make all things new.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Welcome to We Wonder: Advent Nov 23, 2021

We Wonder: Advent will begin on December 1st. New episodes will release every day throughout Advent.

Do you know what the word Advent means? It’s an old word that means “coming,” or “arrival.” Advent is the season when we remember the first time God arrived in our world: he came to live among us as a baby boy born in Bethlehem! And Advent is also the season when wait for Jesus to come again to our world and make everything right.

Each day in Advent, we will remember a special symbol and share a story about the people who waited for Jesus long ago. Join me as we wait together for God.

For Grown Ups: Why We Pray Together Nov 18, 2021

Why do we close in prayer together?

Because we want to hear children share what they wonder about, and to lead us in giving thanks to God.

For Grown Ups: Why We Wonder Together Nov 16, 2021

Why do we wonder together?

Because we want to cultivate the practice of wonder, engagement with, and curiosity about the God who made us, and who is at work in our world.

For Grown Ups: Why We Reflect Together Nov 11, 2021

Why do we reflect on God's good words together?

Because we want to sit with the people who have been the characters in God's saving story, and the witnesses to God's work in the world.

For Grown Ups: Why We Read God's Good Word Together Nov 09, 2021

We Wonder: Advent will return on December 1st! As we get ready for the season, creator and host Sarah Dahl reflects on our podcast's approach to engaging Scripture together. Whether you're a new listener or have been with us from the beginning, join us as we prepare to listen to God's good words together!

Today: Why a Scripture podcast for children?

Because the Bible we have, in all its complexity, is the Bible God wants us to have! Sometimes it is hopeful and comforting; sometimes it's strange and scary -- so we enter its world together, with wonder.

For Grown Ups: Why We Wait Together Nov 04, 2021

We Wonder: Advent will return on December 1st! As we get ready for the season, creator and host Sarah Dahl reflects on our podcast's approach to engaging Scripture together. Whether you're a new listener or have been with us from the beginning, join us as we prepare to listen to God's good words together!

First up: Why do we wait together during Advent?

Because this season reminds us that we are a waiting people.

A New Creation Galatians 6:11-18 Nov 02, 2021

Today we are wrapping up Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 6:11-18. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you soon!

Harvesting Eternal Life Galatians 6:1-10 Oct 28, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 6:1-10. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Tuesday!

Planted in Jesus's Love Galatians 5:19-26 Oct 26, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 5:19-26. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Thursday!

God is Pleased With You Galatians 5:13-18 Oct 21, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 5:13-18. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Tuesday!

Life-giving Love Galatians 5:2-12 Oct 19, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 5:2-12. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Thursday!

Promise, Love, and Power Galatians 4:21-5:1 Oct 14, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 4:21-5:1. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Tuesday!

God Knows You Galatians 4:8-20 Oct 12, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 4:8-20. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Thursday!

Abba Galatians 4:1-7 Oct 07, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 4:1-7. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Tuesday!

The Clothing of Christ's Love Galatians 3:26-29 Oct 05, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 3:26-29. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Thursday!

Now is the Time of Faith Galatians 3:23-25 Sep 30, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 3:23-25. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Tuesday!

Why did God give Moses those laws? Galatians 3:19-22 Sep 28, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 3:19-22. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Thursday!

Through a Promise Galatians 3:15-18 Sep 23, 2021

A message from the producer: You may have noticed that today's episode sounds very similar to our previous episode, Stay Curious. That's because they are! We apologize for any confusion: we had a minor hiccup in our scheduling but are back on track now. And the audio for episode 7, The Only Badge Paul Wears, was originally missed but has been posted -- we encourage you to go back and listen to it!

Thank you for being a great community and wondering along with us this season. We'll be back on Tuesday, picking up where we left off for real this time.

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 3:15-18. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Tuesday!

Stay Curious Galatians 3:10-14 Sep 21, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 3:10-14. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Thursday!

Do You Remember the Story of Abraham? Galatians 3:1-9 Sep 16, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 3:1-9. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Tuesday!

The Only Badge Pauls Wears Galatians 2:17-21 Sep 14, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 2:17-21. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Thursday!

God's Family is One Galatians 2:11-16 Sep 09, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 2:11-16. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Tuesday!

The Good News is the Same for Everyone Galatians 2:6-10 Sep 07, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 2:6-10. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Thursday!

Belonging to Jesus is Enough Galatians 1:18 - 2:5 Sep 02, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 1:18-2:5. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Tuesday!

Paul's Story Galatians 1:10-17 Aug 31, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 1:10-17. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Thursday!

Joining God's Family Galatians 1:6-10 Aug 26, 2021

Today we're continuing in Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 1:6-10. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Tuesday!

This Is Your Story Too Galatians 1:1-5 Aug 24, 2021

Today we're beginning Paul's letter to the Galatians: we're reading and wondering about Galatians 1:1-5. Want to follow along, or revisit something again? The passage, reflection, and wonder questions are all available, all season long, at wewonderpod.com/blog — you can also comment and share your own reflections on the passage!

And don't forget to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and Instagram: just look for @wewonderpod. Thanks for listening, stay in touch, and I'll see you on Thursday!

Back to School: An Interview with Sarah Dahl Aug 23, 2021

Back to school may not be an official season of the church year, but it's still a great time to look for ways to grow, to wonder more deeply, and to learn something new. This fall on We Wonder, we'll be reading and wondering our way through Paul's letter to the Galatians, a little bit at a time.

To kick off the season, executive producer Richard Clark sits down for an interview with We Wonder host Sarah Dahl. They chat about the beginning of We Wonder; why we approach Scripture the way we do; and what to look forward to in this season!

We Wonder: Back to School! Aug 18, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: the contemplative podcast for children, and the grownups who remember that we are God's children, too. I'm your host, Sarah Dahl — and I'm so excited for our Back to School season, which begins the week of August 23! 🎒📖

This Fall, twice a week, we'll be reading our way through Paul's letter to the Galatians. This is the first time we've done something like this: we're really going to dig in. Every Tuesday and Thursday, we'll read a short section, wonder about what was happening in Galatia and why Paul wrote the letter, and how his words to his friends so long ago are good words for us, today. I have learned so much as I've prepared for this season, and I can't wait to share it with you.

Of course, sometimes reading Paul can be hard work! He has so much to say, and his words can be really rich. So of course we'll also make time to get quiet, wonder slowly, and talk with God about what we've heard. I hope you'll join us this fall.

Oh, and I'd love for you to stay connected with me and other listeners on Instagram and Twitter as well. You can follow me in both places @wewonderpod. Thanks so much for joining me, and I'll see you on August 23 for a special episode before we begin wondering together!

Introducing: Feel For the Game, Season 2 Jul 07, 2021

We Wonder is coming back very soon, but first, welcome back to the Area Code neighborhood: Feel For the Game.

Nick and Noah return with a series of (mainly basketball) conversations about nostalgic moments in NBA history, current issues plaguing the league, how coping and mental health play a role in sports, and more.

Tune-in as they unprofessionally, but sincerely explore why sports are bigger than just the score of the game. Subscribe now, and follow along to find out how many times Noah makes an unwarranted Kansas Jayhawks basketball reference.

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feelforthegamepod/

✌️

Introducing: Wildwood Flower Jun 04, 2021

Welcome the newest resident to the Area Code neighborhood:Wildwood Flower: Stories of Women who Built Country Music.

Season 1 premiering on June 4th! Available on all platforms.

To find out more about the podcast, listen to the introductory episode here.

Subscribe and follow on Instagram at wildwoodflowerpod to stay updated on new episodes and special announcements.

The Tomb is Empty - Holy Saturday, Mark 15:42 - 16:8 Apr 03, 2021

Today is Holy Saturday, and we will finish the gospel of Mark. Yesterday, we left Jesus hanging silently on the cross; it felt like everything had come to an end. But with the Roman centurion, we looked on and confessed, "This really is the Son of God." Today we will go together to his tomb, and see that those words are true. The tomb is empty, and God's resurrection power is beginning to move through the world.

📖 READ

Mark 15:42 - 16:8

❔ WONDER

Mark tells us that Joseph of Arimathea has been waiting for God's kingdom. I wonder how he felt now, burying the man who had promised that he was bringing that kingdom? I wonder why he goes to the trouble and the expense?

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome have been following Jesus all the way from Galilee. They have listened to his teaching and seen his miracles; they have made food for him and his friends and helped to care for them on the road. After all this time, I wonder what it was like to stand in front of that tomb and see the stone seal Jesus' dead body inside?

Now can I imagine the three women walking in the early morning light to the tomb? It is springtime, and the air is fresh and probably still a little chilly. Maybe their fingers are cold, and they are wondering how they will move the large stone so they can get inside and care for Jesus's body. I wonder if they have slept much in the past few days, and if they have been crying. I wonder how they feel as they go to care for Jesus one last time?

I wonder how the women felt in their bodies when they stepped into the tomb? Did they feel a jolt of shock and fear shoot through them? Did they cry, because they couldn't see or touch the one that they loved one last time? Maybe there was a tiny, unbelievable bud of hope starting to open up in their hearts that Jesus really could be alive after all?

Mark leaves us all here, standing in front of an empty tomb. We have followed Jesus throughout the season of Lent, and this is where he has led. I wonder if Mark wants us to trust that now it is time to follow Jesus again, out of the tomb and into the brightness of new and unending life?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story that I want to carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Thank you for going into death for us, and rising to live and share your eternal life with us. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

The Son of God! - Good Friday, Mark 15:1-41 Apr 02, 2021

Today is Good Friday, and our reading is most of Mark chapter 15. It is a long reading, and it is very sad. We will do our best to follow Jesus with our attention, with our imaginations, and with our hearts as he loves us to the very end.

📖 READ

Mark 15:1-41

❔ WONDER

No one in this story can see what is really happening. The soldiers make fun of Jesus by bowing down to him, but he really is God's king. People mock him for saying he can raise a ruined temple in three days when they are destroying the body that God will raise. And they say he cannot save himself by coming down from the cross, when he is saving us all by dying there. Right now, can I ask Jesus to help me truly see his love and his power in this story?

One person does see. When Jesus dies, the Roman commander can truly see that he is the Son of God. I wonder what this soldier sees, in the sad and broken person on the cross? Can I ask Jesus to help me, as I look up at his cross, to see and believe that he is God's Son, the one who has come to save our world?

Jesus is silent in this story until the very end. Right before he dies, he cries out the words of Psalm 22: "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?" And then he falls silent again, and the temple curtain is torn apart. Jesus, the Son of God, loses his connection with his Father so that I can enter into God's presence forever. Can I quietly thank Jesus for his deep love and gift to me right now?

The story ends with women who followed Jesus all the way from Galilee. The disciples ran away, but these women stayed with Jesus to the end. Can I ask Jesus right now to help me always follow him, wherever his road will lead?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to ask God about right now, or carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you for going to the cross for us. Thank you for a love that even death cannot break. Help us to trust in that love and follow where you lead, all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Peter Broke Down And Cried - Maundy Thursday, Mark 14:66-72 Apr 01, 2021

Today is Maundy Thursday, and we are finishing Mark chapter 14. Jesus has been arrested, tried, and convicted. The temple leaders say that he is a false prophet. But as we keep reading, we will see that his hard words to Peter were really true.

📖 READ

Mark 14:66-72

❔ WONDER

I wonder if Peter could hear what was happening inside the house, as he stood outside warming himself by the fire? Could he hear the group inside yelling, spitting at, and hitting Jesus? I wonder how that would make him feel, sitting outside and surrounded by the temple guards?

I wonder what feeling went through Peter's body when the servant girl stopped, looked at him, and said out loud, "You were also with Jesus!"?

Have I ever told a baldfaced lie, like Peter does here? How does it feel to know one thing is true, and to say that it is not?

When the rooster crows, Peter remembers Jesus's words. I wonder what it was for like for Peter to see that Jesus knew him even better than he knew himself? How would it feel to suddenly see that Jesus knew, all along, I would desert him?

When the rooster crows, it also proves that Jesus's words are true. He is not a false prophet; the accusations against him are lies. I wonder what it was like for Peter to realize this, right after turning his back on Jesus?

Has there ever been a time when I did not want someone to know that I, too, have followed and walked with Jesus? What do I want to say to Jesus about that?

When Peter realizes that Jesus's words about him were true, he breaks down and weeps. Jesus has to go to the cross alone; we are not strong enough to do what only God can do. Can I sit with Peter in his sadness and his tears, as we watch Jesus go down into death alone for all of us?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Jesus Is Taken To The Sanhedrin - Wednesday, Mark 14:53-65 Mar 31, 2021

Today is Wednesday in Holy Week, and we are still continuing in Mark chapter 14. Jesus has been arrested, and his friends have all run away. Now his enemies can put him on trial, tell lies about him, and get ready to hand him over to the Roman soldiers to be killed.

📖 READ

Mark 14:53-65

❔ WONDER

Can I take a moment and put myself into this story? Can I look around and see the courtyard at the high priest's houses? Can I hear the crackle of the fire and feel its warmth in the cold, dark air? Who is with me in the courtyard? How do their faces look? What are people saying, as they rub their hands over the flames and wait outside the house?

I wonder what was happening in Peter's heart, as he sat outside the house where Jesus was being held? Was he looking toward the bright windows, or shrinking into the dark? I wonder what he hoped for, as he sat outside, listened, and watched?

Have I ever been so angry with someone that I wanted everyone else to see how bad they are? Have I ever told a lie to convince people that someone else is wrong and guilty? Have I ever wanted to believe bad things about someone, so I can condemn them in my heart? If so, maybe I know a little bit about how the priests and the rulers on the Sanhedrin felt about Jesus that night. Can I talk with Jesus about that right now?

Can I quietly picture Jesus, standing in the middle of the room while people told lies about him? I wonder why he remained silent? I wonder why he didn't fight or argue back?

Finally, Jesus says very clearly who he is. And he says that God will prove that he is right and these leaders are wrong: he will be seated, one day, at God's right hand. How do I respond to Jesus, when he tells me who he is?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

The Scriptures Must Come True - Tuesday, Mark 14:43-52 Mar 30, 2021

Today is Tuesday in Holy Week, and we are continuing in Mark chapter 14. Yesterday, Jesus told his friends they would all abandon him, and he prayed to God asking for the cup of suffering to be taken away. But the answer was no. Now the hour has come, and he will be taken away.

📖 READ

Mark 14:43-52

❔ WONDER

I wonder how Jesus's friends felt, when they saw Judas appear out of the darkness leading the crowd? What thoughts might have gone through their head when they realized what he was doing there, and they knew that he had betrayed Jesus?

I wonder how Judas felt as he approached Jesus? I wonder if he looked into Jesus's eyes, or if he looked at any of his other 11 friends?

All through Mark's gospel, crowds have followed Jesus everywhere he has gone. What feels different to me about this crowd, on this night? What has changed in the story?

I wonder how it felt to the disciples to be surrounded by this crowd, in the dark of night outside the city, armed with swords and clubs? Can I imagine being there with them? What feelings might be running through my body? What thoughts might be going through my mind?

I wonder how it felt to see Jesus grabbed, hard, by the crowd and arrested? I wonder why this was the moment when the disciples stopped following him?

One of Jesus's followers was so frightened that when the crowd grabbed his clothes, he let them rip them away and ran away naked. Can I remember any other times in the Bible when someone was hiding, naked, in a garden? I wonder why Mark includes this part of the story?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

“Abba, Father” - Monday, Mark 14:27-42 Mar 29, 2021

Today is Monday in Holy Week, and we are continuing in Mark chapter 14. Jesus and his friends have shared the Passover meal, and he has told them that his body and blood are going to bring them a new kind of Passover. Now they are going out into the quiet night, up on to the Mount of Olives to pray.

📖 READ

Mark 14:27-42

❔ WONDER

Jesus has shepherded his little group of friends all through the gospel of Mark: he calls them together, he teaches them, and he leads them throughout the countryside and down into Jerusalem. I wonder why they will all run away like frightened sheep when he is arrested?

I wonder how Jesus's voice sounded when he looked at his friends and said, "You will all turn away?"

Jesus tells Peter that on this very night, before the rooster crows to announce the morning, he will say three times that he doesn't even know Jesus, his teacher and dear friend. Can I imagine how Peter might have felt when he heard those words?

I wonder why Peter was so sure he would never, ever deny Jesus?

Throughout Mark's gospel, Jesus has been in charge: teaching, leading, feeding people, arguing with the temple leaders. I wonder what it was like for his friends to see him so upset and troubled tonight?

In Jesus' time, people usually stood up to pray, and they lifted their hands toward the sky. I wonder why Jesus falls on the ground as he begs God to take away the cup of suffering that is coming to him?

Jesus's friends are sleepy after a long day and a big meal. I wonder why it is so hard for them to keep watch and stay awake with Jesus, when they can see that he is clearly sad and afraid?

Jesus tells Peter to stay awake; to watch and pray — but Peter, and the other disciples, cannot. Right now, can I sit quietly and watch with Jesus? Can I try to stay close with him as I remember the sadness and fear that he went through on that night? What do I want to say to Jesus about what he has done for me?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

The Last Supper - Palm Sunday, Mark 14:12-26 Mar 28, 2021

Today is Palm Sunday, the very first day in Holy Week, and we are continuing in Mark chapter 14. It is time to eat the Passover meal, and remember the day when God brought the people out of Egypt and safely through the waters of the Red Sea. Jesus is going to eat with his friends. He is trying to prepare them because soon he is going to pass through the waters of death.

📖 READ

Mark 14:12-26

❔ WONDER

Passover is a feast that tells a story. Each of the foods reminds people of how God rescued them from Egypt and brought them safely through the waters of the Red Sea. People eat lamb, to remember the lambs that were killed and the blood that they put on the doorposts, as the Angel of Death passed through Egypt. They eat bread without any leaven, or yeast, because it had to be baked quickly for the escape. I wonder what Jesus' friends were thinking about as they prepared these special foods to share with him? I wonder if they were hoping he would do new and mighty miracles on this Passover, like Moses did long ago?

Jesus and his friends met in an upstairs room, out of sight and hidden away, to share this Passover meal. They knew that Jesus had enemies in the city who were looking for him. I wonder what the atmosphere in that room, during that meal was like?

Jesus and these twelve friends have been together for a long time now. They have traveled together, talked and prayed together; they have watched Jesus heal the sick, preach to crowds, and cast out evil spirits . Now they are tucked away together in a dangerous city. Can I imagine sitting at the table with Jesus, after all this time, and hearing him say that one of us is going to hand him over to his enemies? How does that make me feel?

In this time, people didn't use forks and knives. They used their bread like a utensil, and dipped it into a bowl. As the dish was passed around the table, each disciple was using some bread to scoop out food. Can I imagine how each of them looked and felt when Jesus said, "It is the one who dips bread into the bowl with me?"

Jesus uses this Passover meal to tell a new story. His body is going to be broken like the bread, and his blood will be poured out like the wine. I wonder how his death is a new kind of Passover?

Long ago, Moses gave God's people the Passover meal, and then he parted the Red Sea waters and led them through into freedom. I wonder how Jesus is like Moses? What is Jesus going to pass through, like the Red Sea, later this week? And will he be able to lead us safely through, too?

We still celebrate this meal today, and say the words that Jesus said. Can I look forward, right now, to the day when we will eat bread and drink wine with Jesus in his kingdom?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

A Beautiful Gift - Saturday, Mark 14:1-11 Mar 27, 2021

Today we are at the very end of the fifth week in Lent, and we are beginning Mark chapter 14. The chief priests and the teachers of the law are angry with Jesus, and are looking for a way to have him killed. But a woman gives him a beautiful gift, and Jesus welcomes her gesture. He is preparing to die, and she is one of the only people who seems to understand what is happening.

📖 READ

Mark 14:1-11

❔ WONDER

This story happens right before Passover. Passover is the festival that remembers and celebrates the time when God led the people out of slavery in Egypt, and safely across the Red Sea into freedom. I wonder why the chief priests and the teachers are afraid there will be a riot if they arrest Jesus during the Passover festival?

In Jesus's time, men and women did not usually sit together at the main table for feasts. They weren't even in the same rooms. I wonder what it was like for this woman to step into a room full of men, with everyone looking at her, and walk straight up to Jesus with her jar of perfume?

Mark doesn't tell us what this woman was thinking, or any words that she spoke. Can I put myself into her place? I wonder what she was thinking about, or feeling, as she broke open her jar and poured the perfume over Jesus's head?

The perfume the woman brought to Simon's house was very expensive. It was made from a plant grown far away in India, and it cost a whole year's worth of wages. I wonder what moved her to pour this costly gift out, all at once, all over Jesus?

Jesus says that this woman poured perfume on his body to get him ready for when he is buried. What a strange thing to say at the dinner table! I wonder if this woman understood the way that Jesus would die, and that there might not be time to care for his body well when it happened?

Jesus says that "what she has been done will be told anywhere the goods news is preached all over the world; it will be told in memory of her." What this woman did for Jesus was that important. So I wonder why we do not even know her name?

Jerusalem is a city with many twisting alleys, courtyards, and dark corners. It would be hard for the chief priests and their guards to find Jesus without help. I wonder what happened in Judas's mind and heart as he followed Jesus? I wonder why he agreed to help the chief priests find and arrest Jesus?

Today is the last day before Holy Week. Each day, Jesus is getting closer and closer to the cross. As I watch him, is there anything I want to pour out to him, to give him, or to say to him?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

He May Come Suddenly - Friday, Mark 13:24-37 Mar 26, 2021

Today is the fifth Friday in Lent, and we are reading the rest of Mark chapter 13. Jesus is warning his friends that the time is coming when the temple will be destroyed. A change is coming in how people will gather to come close to God. And so Jesus's followers need to stay awake and pay attention, so that they are not surprised by the new ways that God will call them to worship and to live.

📖 READ

Mark 13:24-37

❔ WONDER

In yesterday's reading, the disciples admired the beautiful temple; but Jesus told them that it would soon be completely destroyed. Today he remembers a passage from the prophet Isaiah about a time when God destroyed the mighty city of Babylon. When Babylon is destroyed, Isaiah says, God's anger will blaze out; it will be like the sun and the moon going dark. I wonder why it will be like this when the temple is torn down too?

In the Hebrew Bible, we can read passages about people from all four directions coming up to the temple to worship. But now Jesus gives us a picture of a new kind of worship: the Son of Man will gather people to himself, instead. I wonder what he wants us to see about how people will come close to God in this new time?

Jesus tells his friends that these things will happen while they are still alive. And they do! The temple is destroyed just forty years later. His words are true, and they do not pass away. Can I believe that the words Jesus speaks to me are trustworthy and true, and that they will hold no matter what?

But Jesus does not tell his friends exactly when this will happen. He does not give them a date on the calendar. He insists on leaving the right time up to God. I wonder if that was hard for them to hear?

Jesus tells his friends to stay awake, and to watch. I wonder why it is so important for them to be ready? I wonder if God is coming to them in a new way, just like the owner of the house? I wonder how they can be ready to welcome God, and the work he will give them to do?

This part of Mark is about the temple: Jesus is answering his friends' questions about the time when the temple will be torn down. But it is also a word for us today. After Jesus was raised from the dead, he went back to be with God, and we know that he will come to be with us again. I wonder how I can be ready to welcome him, and to long for the day when he will come home and make this world new?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Keep Watch! - Thursday, Mark 13:1-23 Mar 25, 2021

Today is the fifth Thursday in Lent, and we are beginning Mark chapter 13. Jesus has come into Jerusalem, and he has shown authority over the Temple and over God's people. What will happen to the temple? What will happen to Jesus? And is God at work breaking in to bring a new age?

📖 READ

Mark 13:1-23

❔ WONDER

In Jesus's time, the temple that Herod built was one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. It was the largest and most impressive building in all of Jerusalem. To help me understand, I think of the most impressive buildings I've ever seen: maybe the US Capitol, or Westminster Abbey, or maybe a giant skyscraper in a great city. I wonder what it was like to hear Jesus say that it would be completely torn down and undone?

Jesus's friends want to know when this will happen. When will the building that is the most important place to come close to God be torn down and torn apart? Who will do it? How can they be ready? I wonder how it felt to hear Jesus speak these hard and scary words?

Jesus says that terrible things will happen before Jerusalem is invaded and the temple is torn down. He says that these things — wars, earthquakes, famine — are like birth pangs. They the painful things, like strong contractions in a mother's body, that will happen before a new age is born. I wonder what new thing is born when the temple is torn down, and people need a new place to come close to God?

Jesus also tells his friends that as this new age comes close, they will also suffer. But he promises that in their suffering, they will tell good news about him to all the nations. I wonder why all the Gentile nations need to hear about Jesus as the one who brings us close to God before the temple is destroyed?

Roman armies marched into Jerusalem about 40 years after Jesus spoke these words. Roman soldiers walked into the Holy of Holies, and they carried off the beautiful things inside. To the Jewish people who worshiped there, it must have felt like the end of the world. I wonder why Jesus says that when that happens, people should run away instead of staying to fight and protect the temple?

I wonder why Jesus tells his friends all about this ahead of time? I wonder why it is important for them to be ready?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

The Most Important Commandment - Wednesday, Mark 12:28-44 Mar 24, 2021

Today is Wednesday in the fifth week in Lent, and we are reading the rest of Mark chapter 12. Jesus is teaching in Jerusalem, and he continues to show us what God's kingdom is like, and how to follow him as he leads us into God's ways.

📖 READ

Mark 12:28-44

❔ WONDER

Yesterday we heard the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees all come and ask Jesus questions. They tried to trap him and to trick him. I wonder how this the man who comes to ask Jesus about the commandments is different? I wonder what he hoped for when he came to speak with Jesus?

Jesus repeats Moses's words. The first and most important commandment is to love God with all of my heart, my soul, my mind, and my strength. I wonder what my life would look like if I obeyed that commandment fully? Would my life change at all or look different?

I wonder if it is possible for me to love God with all of myself perfectly all the time? Does that sometimes feel impossible? Can I talk with the God who loves me and will make me new about that right now?

The other most important commandment is to love my neighbor as I love myself. Can I ask God, right now, to show me a way I can do this today?

The prophet Jeremiah tells us that a time is coming when God will write his commandments on our hearts. They will be a part of us. Can I ask God to work in me, write these words on my heart, and teach me to love and follow these good ways?

After Jesus gave this answer about, I wonder why no one else dared to ask him any more questions?

Jesus says that the Messiah, God's chosen king, is the Lord who is even more important than King David. But when this king comes, he does not put himself in an important place; instead, he gives up his life to save people. I wonder how that is different from religious leaders who like to have people listen to them, and to notice and respect them?

Can I imagine sitting with Jesus, and watching people put their offerings into a money box? Can I picture the rich people, stuffing the box full of their offerings? And then can I hear the sad clink of the two small coins put in by the poor widow? Whose offering seems like it is the most important, or will do the most good?

Can I ask Jesus, right now, to help me see the way that he does? Can I believe that the poor widow's gift is more valuable and important than all of the rich people's money?

I wonder if that poor widow can show me something about God? When God comes to us in Jesus, does he hold anything back? Or does he give us all that he has?

I wonder how the poor widow can show me something about following God's greatest commandments?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to talk with God about right now, or carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

God Of The Living - Tuesday, Mark 12:13-27 Mar 23, 2021

Today is the fifth Tuesday in Lent, and we are continuing to read Mark chapter 12. Religious leaders — both Pharisees and Sadducees — come to challenge Jesus with questions. They want to trick him, and to get him into trouble. But Jesus speaks to them with the wisdom of God.

📖 READ

Mark 12:13-27

❔ WONDER

These leaders are asking Jesus a tricky question that can get him in trouble no matter how he answers. If he says you should pay taxes to Rome, then the crowd following Jesus will be angry. They hate the Romans and want them to leave their land. But if he says you should not pay, then he will be in trouble with the Roman leaders. Can I imagine being one of Jesus's friends, listening to the leaders asking him this trick question? How do I feel, as they go to hunt up a coin and I wait for Jesus to respond? Am I nervous to see what he will say?

How do I feel when I hear the answer that Jesus finally gives?

Mark tells us that when Jesus answers them, the religious leaders are amazed: they marvel and wonder at him. I wonder why that wonder doesn't turn in to love and worship?

A picture of Caesar's face is stamped onto his coin. And God's image is stamped on every single person. I wonder what Jesus is teaching us to do, when he says to give back to God what belongs to God?

Can I believe, right now, that I belong to God? Can I trust that I bear God's image in a special way in this world? Can I talk with God right now about how I can give myself back to the one who has made me, and who loves me very much?

Now the Sadducees come to Jesus with a very different question. If I am one of Jesus's followers walking with him through Jerusalem, I wonder how I feel about all of these different groups coming to test Jesus, one after another? I wonder if I might begin to feel like he was under attack from all sides?

The Sadducees are trying to make the idea of resurrection — of God bringing new life out of death — sound silly. If a woman is married to seven men, whose wife is she when they are all raised? They seem to think resurrection is just bringing people back to the life they had before they died. But Jesus says they do not understand resurrection at all. I wonder how their idea of being raised to a new life is too small, or too limited?

Resurrection is God's power to re-make all things: our Creator God can even raise people out of death into a new and completely transformed life. I wonder if that is why Jesus tells the Sadducees that they do not understand the power of God?

Can I trust and believe right now that God loves me, and loves my world, so much that he will re-make me and re-make the world? Can I hope that just as Jesus is raised from death to a new and transformed life, I will be too?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to talk with God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

The Story Of The Renters - Monday, Mark 12:1-12 Mar 22, 2021

Today is the fifth Monday in Lent, and we are beginning Mark chapter 12. Jesus has come into Jerusalem like a king, has acted with authority in the temple, and has been challenged by the temple leaders. Now he will tell us a story to help us understand what is going to happen to him.

📖 READ

Mark 12:1-12

❔ WONDER

In this story that Jesus has told, I wonder why the people renting the farm refuse to share any of the fruit with the owner? I wonder why they think they can just keep it all for themselves?

I wonder why the renters keep treating each of the messengers so badly? They refuse to give the farm owner some of his own fruit, and they also beat up and even kill the servants that he sends. I wonder why they are so violent against people who serve their farm's owner?

I wonder what the farm owner expects will happen when he sends his son?

The renters know that the farm they are living on will someday be given to the owner's son, as his inheritance. I wonder what they think will happen when they kill the son?

Mark tells us that the chief priests and the teachers of the law know that this story is about them. I wonder how they are like the renters in this story? How are the prophets in the Old Testament like the servants who come to collect the fruit? And where is God in this story?

At his baptism, God's Holy Spirit came down on Jesus and everyone heard these words: "You are my Son, and I love you." Jesus has come into Jerusalem like a king, and acted like he has authority there: almost like the place belongs to him! I wonder why they chief priests and the teachers of the law are so unwilling to follow him?

The Son in this story is killed. I wonder how Jesus's friends felt, as they heard him tell it? I wonder if they really believed Jesus would be killed too, or if they still hoped he could become King of Israel without suffering or rejection?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to talk with God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

God's Chosen King - Sunday, Mark 11:27-33 Mar 21, 2021

Today is the fifth Sunday in Lent, we are continuing in Mark chapter 11. Yesterday, Jesus turned over the tables in the Temple and announced God's judgment on it. Now the chief priests and teachers of the law are angry, and they will begin to challenge him in public.

📖 READ

Mark 11:27-33

❔ WONDER

Can I put myself, for just a moment, in the place of the chief priests and the teachers of the law? It is their job to oversee and run the temple — and now this man from far away Nazareth has come into town and is acting as though *he* has the authority there. How would watching Jesus's entry into Jerusalem and his actions at the temple make me feel, if I was one of them?

I wonder how their voices sounded when they asked Jesus, "Who gave you the authority to do this?" I wonder if it sounded something like, "Just who, exactly, do you think you are?"

The very first Temple was planned by King David, and built by King Solomon. True authority over the temple belongs to God's anointed king. I wonder if Jesus is coming into Jerusalem like a king who has been anointed — that is, blessed and chosen by God — but is not yet seated on his throne?

I wonder what Jesus's throne in Jerusalem is going to look like?

Instead of answering their question, Jesus asks a question right back at the chief priests and the teachers. He asks if they believe that John's work and words really were sent by God. I wonder why this was such a hard question for them to answer?

Do you remember when Jesus was baptized by John, all the way back in Mark chapter 1? Heaven was split open, and God's Holy Spirit came down on Jesus, like the oil that is poured over a king's head. I wonder if Jesus is asking the chief priests and the teachers if they can see that he has authority because he is God's chosen king?

When I look at Jesus, and all that he has said and done throughout Mark's book, can I trust that he is God's chosen king? Can I believe that he is the one who has come to bring God's good rule to our world?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to talk with God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Have Faith In God - Saturday, Mark 11:12-26 Mar 20, 2021

Today is Saturday in the fourth week of Lent, and we are continuing in Mark chapter 11. Jesus has entered Jerusalem, and now he is going to go up to the Temple. I wonder if everyone is watching him closely to see what he will do next?

📖 READ

Mark 11:12-26

❔ WONDER

Yesterday, Jesus came into Jerusalem for the first time. People welcomed him like Israel's king. They sang, "Hosanna: come save us!" and "we welcome God's kingdom"! Now he is coming back into the city, and walking straight up to the Temple. I wonder what people were hoping he would say and do there?

Can I put myself in the crowds that might have followed him in to the Temple courtyard? Maybe I am hoping he will teach us, or announce that God's kingdom is here and together we will take our city back from the Romans. But suddenly he begins knocking over tables, and chasing people away. Coins are scattering across the ground; birds are flapping everywhere; there is shouting and animal noises and confusion. How would it feel to see Jesus coming into this holy place and begin to turn everything upside down?

Jesus says that the Temple was first built to be a place where people from all nations could come to learn to worship God, but now it is more like a den for bandits. I wonder how the Temple and the practices that were happening there kept people out, instead of letting them in to come close to God?

In Jesus's time, "robber's dens" were places where people would gather and plot about how they would rob and fight back against the Roman soldiers in their country. They planned how they would kill the strong outsiders who had taken over their land. These robbers, or bandits, wanted the Temple — and all of Jerusalem — to belong to Israel and Israel alone. Then it would truly be God's kingdom. I wonder why Jesus is so angry about this picture of the kingdom of God?

I wonder why Mark tells us the story of the fig tree alongside the story of the Temple? I wonder how the dried up fig tree, that will not provide healthy fruit to people ever again, is like the Temple?

Jesus also teaches his disciples to be bold and confident when they pray for God's good kingdom to come. I wonder, when Jesus points to a mountain and says they can pray for it to be thrown into the sea, if he is pointing to the Temple mount? I wonder if his disciples believed then that God really would make a new way for them to come close?

I wonder if we can be bold and confident when we pray because Jesus has already accomplished everything we need to come close to God?

It can be hard to pray with that kind of confidence. I don't always believe that what I need from God has already been done for me, or that I have already received it. Can I talk with God about that right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to talk with God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

God, Save Us! - Friday, Mark 11:1-11 Mar 19, 2021

We are near the end of the fourth week in Lent, and today we are beginning Mark chapter 11. Jesus has been traveling to Jerusalem with his friends, and when he arrives he is greeted like a king.

📖 READ

Mark 11:1-11

❔ WONDER

Jesus and his followers are coming from Jericho to Jerusalem. Jericho is the lowest city on earth: it is about 800 feet below sea level. And Jerusalem is high, high up on a hill! They were walking from a low, dry, dusty and hot place up to the Mount of Olives, and then on to Jerusalem — David's city, and the place where you could come close to God in the temple. I wonder if, as they climbed that hard, hot road, their hearts grew lighter and more excited until they could finally glimpse the walls of the

Jesus and his followers are coming to Jerusalem for Passover. This is the time when all of God's people celebrate how God saved them and carried them out of slavery and into freedom. Jesus has been talking all along the road about God's kingdom coming close. I wonder what the people following Jesus were hoping he would do for them as he came into the city for the festival?

Can I imagine myself in the crowd, as we lay down our coats to make a smooth path for a coming king? How does Jesus look to me, as I see him slowly ride by on the back of a donkey's colt?

The words the people shouted were from Psalm 118. It is a song that celebrates God saving his people, and everyone goes up to Jerusalem to celebrate and sing to him. "Hosanna!" means, "God, save us!" and "Blessed is he who comes" means, "welcome!" Can I cry out both of those things to Jesus right now? "Save us, Son of God! Welcome: let your kingdom come in my life!"

The people lay down their coats to make a royal road for Jesus — and their coats will be ruined by the dust, the stones, and the donkey's hooves. They wave branches to welcome him in a special way, to come and rule over them and their city. Is there anything I can lay down before Jesus to honor him today? Am I ready to welcome him as the king I will follow?

After all of this excitement, Jesus comes into the city...and then he looks around a little, and leaves to stay overnight in Bethany. I wonder how his disciples felt at the end of that day?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to talk with God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Have Mercy On Me! - Thursday, Mark 10:46-52 Mar 18, 2021

Today is Thursday in the fourth week of Lent, and we are reading the end of Mark chapter 10. A man who wants Jesus to help him keeps crying out, even after other people tell him to quiet down. But Jesus hears him, brings him close, and heals him.

📖 READ

Mark 10:46-52

❔ WONDER

Can I put myself in this story right now? Can I feel the hot, dusty air on my face and in my lungs as I make my way along the road out of Jericho? Can I feel myself jostled along by the crowd as we follow Jesus towards Jerusalem? How do I feel as we make our way towards the great city? What am I hoping will happen when we get there?

Now imagine that I hear the voice of a man, calling out from the side of the road, trying to get this big crowd and all of our excited movement to stop. I look over and see that he is a blind beggar, a man who sits by the side of the road asking for people to toss him a coin. How do I feel about his demand for Jesus — and the rest of us — to stop and help him?

I wonder how Bartimaeus felt when he heard that it was Jesus who was passing by? I wonder what he hoped for? I wonder how he was able to believe that Jesus would help him?

Bartimaeus yells out loudly to Jesus, and calls him "Son of David." That's like crying out, "Jesus, King of Israel!" But Israel already had a king, and a Roman governor too. I wonder if that was a dangerous name to call Jesus? I wonder if that is why people wanted him to be quiet?

Can I imagine being Bartimaeus, with all of the people around me saying "be quiet! hush! stop crying out!"? What would I do, as Jesus and the crowd came close and began to pass me by?

How did it sound to Bartimaeus, I wonder, to hear those words: "Cheer up! Get on your feet! Jesus is calling for you"?

Can I imagine Jesus looking straight at me and asking, "What do you want me to do for you?" What would I say to Jesus, if he asked me that right now?

Jesus gives Bartimaeus his sight. Now he no longer has to sit and beg: he can have a new life; he can see his friends and family; he can be back in the world in a new way. I wonder why he chooses, right then, to join the crowd and follow Jesus on the way he will go?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to talk with God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

He Came To Serve Others - Wednesday, Mark 10:32-45 Mar 17, 2021

We are in the middle of the fourth week of Lent and today we are continuing in Mark chapter 10. Jesus has set his face toward Jerusalem, and he tells his friends a third time what is waiting for him there. But they still don't understand: James and John think that he will become a king in Jerusalem, and will have special places of honor for the friends who have been following him.

📖 READ

Mark 10:32-45

❔ WONDER

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, and the people who are following him there are amazed and afraid. I wonder what they hoped would happen when they got there? I wonder what they feared?

Jerusalem was the city where the Roman soldiers had their headquarters; it was also the city where King Herod ruled. I wonder if Jesus's followers were hoping he would overthrow them all and become the king?

I wonder what it was like to hear Jesus say, "No. When I go to Jerusalem, the Roman soldiers will arrest me, and I will be killed?"

It sounds like the disciples had trouble believing Jesus was really serious. I wonder why this picture of God's chosen king was so hard for them to understand?

Jesus tells James and John they do not know what they are asking for, when they ask to sit next to him in glory. When Jesus does finally sit in glory, up on the cross, there are thieves at his right and left. What do I want to say to God about this picture of a king on a throne, and this picture of glory?

Jesus seems to have a very different idea about how to be important in God's kingdom. His ideas are not like our ideas of kings, rulers and important people. Can I talk with God about how I can follow Jesus and his ways today?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to talk with God about right now, or carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

All Things Are Possible With God - Tuesday, Mark 10:17-31 Mar 16, 2021

Today is the fourth Tuesday in Lent and we are continuing in Mark chapter 10. A man comes to speak with Jesus: he wants to know how he can inherit a place in God's kingdom. Jesus's answer makes him sad, and he turns away. Even the disciples are perplexed.

📖 READ

Mark 10:17-31

❔ WONDER

Can I picture the man running up to Jesus, and falling on his knees? He wants so badly to know how to enter into God's kingdom. I wonder what he expected Jesus to say? I wonder what he hoped to hear?

When Jesus first answers him, he mentions the last 6 of the 10 commandments. The man knows that he has followed these all of his life. I wonder why following these good rules was not enough to enter into God's kingdom?

Jesus looks at him and loves him. Can I imagine Jesus's face as he gazes down at the man? Can I hear the love in his voice as he gives his answer?

The first four commandments are: Put God first. Do not build idols or bow down to them. Do not misuse God's name. And keep the Sabbath day holy. I wonder how all of the man's riches were stopping him from keeping these commandments?

How does this man look to me as he hears Jesus's words? What do I see, as his face falls and he turns and walks away?

I wonder what I would do if Jesus spoke these words to me. Can I walk with Jesus about that right now?

I wonder why being rich makes it so hard to enter into God's kingdom, God's good rule, over the world?

The disciples are amazed and surprised. Sometimes, we think that people who are rich or successful must be blessed especially by God. I wonder what they were expecting as a reward for following Jesus?

These are hard words, especially for those of us who have more than we need. They may feel impossible. Can I hear Jesus's words to me right now: "With people, this is impossible. But not with God. All things are possible with God."

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to talk with God about right now, or carry with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

God’s Kingdom Belongs To People Like Them - Monday, Mark 10:1-16 Mar 15, 2021

Today is the fourth Monday in Lent, and we are beginning Mark chapter 10. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, and as he comes back near the Jordan River, some Pharisees ask him a question as a kind of trap. They know that John the Baptist got in trouble for criticizing Herod's marriage, and so they try to get Jesus in trouble as well.

📖 READ

Mark 10:1-16

❔ WONDER

King Herod was married to Herodias, a woman who had been his brother's wife. She had divorced his brother Philip so that she could marry Herod. John the Baptist said that was wrong, and Herodias was so angry that she had John killed. I wonder if this question about divorce was a dangerous question for Jesus to answer in public, too?

I wonder why the Pharisees wanted to test Jesus with this question, in this place near the Jordan River where John used to preach and baptize people?

Jesus says that God joins two people in marriage. Marriage isn't just an earthly agreement between two people; it is a promise in which God brings two people together to make something new. In another place, St Paul says that marriage is a picture of how Jesus is united with God's people, the church. I wonder if this is why marriage promises are so important to Jesus?

Jesus tells the Pharisees about God's good design for marriage between people, but he also says that people don't always live out this design. Sometimes we break our marriage promises, or someone breaks the promises they made to us. Can I remember that Jesus cares about marriage promises because they picture his promises to us, and trust that no matter what he will never break those promises or leave me?

I wonder why the disciples told people to stop bringing children to Jesus? Can I picture them standing between the children and Jesus, blocking the way?

Mark tells us that this made Jesus angry. Not frustrated or impatient, but actually angry. Can that be true? Can I believe that Jesus loves me so much that he is angry at anything or anyone that tries to keep me away from him?

Jesus says that children are the ones who know how to receive God's kingdom. That kingdom belongs to them, not powerful, busy, important grownups. Can I ask Jesus to show me how to receive God's good rule today?

How does Jesus's voice sound to me as he says, "Let the little children come to me. Don't keep them away"? Can I believe right now that he is talking about me, too? Can I make my way towards him, knowing that I am welcome?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to take with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Be At Peace With Each Other - Sunday, Mark 9:38-50 Mar 14, 2021

We have come to the fourth Sunday in Lent, and today we are reading the rest of Mark chapter 9. Jesus is serious about the work he has come to do: to bring God's kingdom to earth. And so he has some stern words for his friends, to help them focus on what is important and turn their backs on anything that will lead them away from him.

📖 READ

Mark 9:38-50

❔ WONDER

I wonder why John was so upset that someone else who was not a disciple was driving out demons in Jesus's name? I wonder why he couldn't be happy that people were being rescued from evil powers, and why he told him to stop?

Jesus tells John not to stop him, because the man is doing the work of God's kingdom. This unknown person is fighting against evil powers in Jesus's name. I wonder if Christians today sometimes worry more about who is one of us, instead of celebrating everyone who is doing the work of God's kingdom?

Jesus has strong, hard words for anyone who leads people who are weak or small into sin, or who hurts them. Can I hear in his voice how much he wants to love and protect people who are little, people who are weak, people who aren't important?

Gehenna was a valley outside of Jerusalem. It was the place where people threw trash, dead animals, and even dead bodies sometimes. Fires were always burning there so that the bodies and the trash would not rot in the sun. I wonder why Jesus says that the place where sin will lead us is like Gehenna?

Jesus speaks these hard words right after his disciples had an argument about who was the most important. He knows that he is on the road to Jerusalem, where he will confront people who are against him, and he will be killed. I wonder why it is so important for his disciples to decide now to follow him at all costs, and to put away anything that would make them stumble on the way?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to take with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

The First Must Be The Very Last - Saturday, Mark 9:30-37 Mar 13, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. One of the first things Jesus said to his friends was "Follow me." Today is Saturday in the third week of Lent, and we have been following Jesus through the gospel of Mark. We are watching as he shows us with his words and actions that God's kingdom is coming close; it is almost here.

Today we are reading a little more from Mark chapter 9. Jesus's friends have confessed that he is the Messiah, God's chosen king. But they still don't understand what kind of king he will be, or how he will inherit his kingdom.

📖 READ:

Mark 9:30-37

❔ WONDER:

We already know how Jesus's story will end. But the disciples did not: they were living it, right alongside him. Can I join then for a minute, and try to imagine why this teaching — that Jesus would die, and rise again after three days — was so hard to understand?

I wonder what the disciples were saying to one another as they argued on the road to Capernaum? I wonder if they thought, because Jesus was the king, that they would get important positions in his kingdom too?

Do I ever argue — out loud, with a sibling or loved one; or maybe just in my head — about why I am more important than other people around me, or why I should get what I want first? What do I want to to say to Jesus about that right now?

Can I hear Jesus saying to me, "Anyone who wants to be the first must be the very last. They must be the servant of everyone"? How do those words make me feel? Can I give Jesus those feelings right now?

And now, can I imagine being the child that Jesus calls into the room? Can I imagine being taken into his arms and welcomed? Just for a moment, I rest and let myself be held and loved by Jesus.

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to ask God about right now, or take with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

I Do Believe! Help Me Overcome My unbelief! - Friday, Mark 9:14-29 Mar 12, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. One of the first things Jesus said to his friends was "Follow me." We are near the end of the third week of Lent, and we have been following Jesus through the gospel of Mark. Yesterday, Jesus and his friends were on a mountaintop and heard God's voice speaking; today, they are back on the road, and what they find is a big mess. I wonder what is beginning to change?

📖 READ:

Mark 9:14-29

❔ WONDER:

In yesterday's story, Jesus and his three friends are on a mountaintop, and Jesus is shining brightly as he speaks with Moses and Elijah. We heard God's voice telling us Jesus is his Son. Now he has come down the mountain, but what is waiting at the bottom is a mess: a boy is being hurt by an evil spirit; the disciples can't heal him, and the crowd is getting angry. How does this change in the story make me feel?

Earlier in Mark's story, people found it easy to believe in Jesus: they trusted that if they just touched his clothes, they would be healed. In this story, after the disciples fail to heal his son, the father isn't sure if Jesus can help. I wonder what has changed?

I wonder why the disciples couldn't help this boy? I wonder if following Jesus is getting harder as the story goes on?

What is happening to this boy is scary. Can I remember, as I hear this story, that Jesus has defeated the evil powers that want to hurt people, and that they cannot stand against him?

The boy's father is honest. He wants to believe Jesus can help his son, and he also knows he needs Jesus to help him hold on to that trust. Do I ever want to say those words to God, too: "I do believe: help my unbelief"?

Jesus does help the man and his son. Can I believe that Jesus welcomes me when I want to trust him — even if I don't trust him perfectly, or all the way all the time?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to ask God about right now, or take with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Jesus’ Appearance Is Changed - Thursday, Mark 9:2-13 Mar 11, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. One of the first things Jesus said to his friends was "Follow me." On this Thursday in the third week of Lent we are still following Jesus through the gospel of Mark. Today we are reading from Mark chapter 9. Jesus's friends are beginning to see who Jesus really is: God's chosen king. Today they — and we — will get to see him in a new and special way.

📖 READ:

Mark 9:2-13

❔ WONDER:

Something very special is happening in this story. The disciples have been walking with Jesus, following him, and eating and talking and living with him every day. But now they get to see him in a new and different way. When I picture this scene, what do I see?

I wonder how it felt to be Peter, James, or John up on the mountain with Jesus? How might I have felt on the inside when Jesus is suddenly changed?

Moses led God's people out of Israel and gave them God's laws. Elijah called God's people back to God over and over again. I wonder why these two men came to speak with Jesus on the mountainside? I wonder what they talked about?

How does the voice speaking out of the cloud sound to me? Is it loud or is it soft? Is it stern? Is it kind? Is it high, or deep? Can I imagine those words being spoken directly to me, right now: "This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to him!"

I wonder what it was like to walk back down the mountain with Jesus, now his ordinary self again? I wonder if anything was different for the disciples when they began traveling and following him again?

Elijah was a prophet who told the people of Israel to stop bowing down to idols, to turn around, and to worship God alone. I wonder how John the Baptist was like Elijah?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments in this story I want to ask God about right now, or take with me into the rest of my day?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Who Do You Say I Am? - Wednesday, Mark 8:27 - 9:1 Mar 10, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. One of the first things Jesus said to his friends was "Follow me." Throughout this season, we have been following Jesus through the gospel of Mark. Today we are in the very middle of Lent, and we are right in the middle of Mark's gospel. It is a very important moment in the book: will the disciples finally understand who Jesus is? And what will happen when he tells them what he has come to do?

📖 READ:

Mark 8:27 - 9:1

❔ WONDER:

Now Jesus has taken his friends away from the seaside and away from the crowds, far up north on the side of a mountain near Caesarea Philippi. I wonder why he wanted to go away to a quieter place to have this conversation?

Can I imagine the scene, as they walk along? Jesus asks his friends what people are saying about him, and they share some of the things we've been hearing. Now he stops, and turns directly to them. I wonder how it felt, when Jesus looked right at his friends and asked them, "Who do *you* say that I am"?

The word "Messiah" means God's anointed, or chosen, king. I wonder what has helped Peter and the disciples to finally be able to see who Jesus really is? Can I believe, with them, that Jesus is the king God has sent into the world?

Israel already had a king: King Herod. And in Caesarea Philippi, there was a brand-new temple to the Roman Emperor, who ruled over Herod. I wonder if it was dangerous for Jesus to announce that he was the true king of Israel?

The Jews in Jesus's time believed that when Messiah came, he would finally rule over Israel and make everything right. The Messiah would fight God's enemies and win! I wonder what it was like for the disciples to hear Jesus say that instead, he would lose: he would be rejected and killed?

I wonder why Peter felt like he needed to scold Jesus? Did he think Jesus was wrong about God's kingdom and God's ways? I wonder what he said to Jesus?

When the Romans arrested criminals and sentenced them to death, they made the criminals carry the bar of the cross to the place where they would be nailed to it and die. I wonder what it was like for Jesus's friends to hear him say that following him means following along to the place where he will die? What is it like for me to hear that today?

Jesus tells his friends that the only way to save their lives is to lose them. I wonder what Jesus wants us to see about who God is, and how God works to save people? Can I ask Jesus to help me understand?

Jesus also says to his friends that some of them will live to see God's kingdom coming in all its power. It sounds like this kingdom might be different from what they're expecting, just like Jesus is a different kind of king. I wonder what they will see?

These are hard words today. Jesus's disciples have finally seen that he is God's king, but he is not doing or saying the kinds of things we expect a king to do. Is there anything I want to say to Jesus about the words I have heard today?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Be Careful - Tuesday, Mark 8:14-26 Mar 09, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. One of the first things Jesus said to his friends was "Follow me." On this Tuesday in the third week of Lent we are still following Jesus through the gospel of Mark. Yesterday, Jesus fed 4,000 hungry people; now he and his disciples have gotten back into their boat on the Sea of Galilee. And it seems like the disciples still don't really understand who Jesus is.

📖 READ:

Mark 8:14-26

❔ WONDER:

Do you know how yeast works? When I bake bread, I put a little bit of yeast into my dough. That small amount works its way through and causes the whole loaf to bubble up and rise. I wonder why Jesus warns his friends about the yeast of the Pharisees, and of Herod? Is he talking about actual bread? Or is he talking about something else?

The Pharisees were a group of religious Jews who were waiting and hoping for God to send a Messiah to save Israel. I wonder what ideas, or hopes, or dreams the Pharisees had? I wonder why Jesus warns his friends about them?

Jesus has been telling his disciples that God's kingdom is coming close, and he has been showing them what that kingdom is like with his miracles. I wonder why it is so hard for them to see and understand?

I wonder if I am ever like the disciples? Are there ever times when I see God's work, or hear God's words, but don't really understand? What do I want to say to Jesus about that?

Jesus tells his friends that they are like blind people: they have eyes, but they can't really see who he is or what he is doing. And then he heals a blind man, and helps him see clearly again. I wonder if Mark wants us to see that we need Jesus to help *us* to clearly see who he is?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Jesus Feeds Another Large Crowd. - Monday, Mark 8:1-13 Mar 08, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. One of the first things Jesus said to his friends was "Follow me." As we move into the third week of Lent, we will continue following Jesus through the gospel of Mark. Today we see that a large crowd has been following Jesus for three days, and they don't have anything to eat. If he sends them away, they might faint from hunger. But Jesus is moved deep inside to care for them.

📖 READ:

Mark 8:1-13

❔ WONDER

I wonder why this large crowd has stayed with Jesus out in the countryside for three whole days, even though they didn't have anything to eat? What kept them there?

Can I imagine myself as one of the disciples in this story? We are out in the countryside, far away from a town or any place to buy food. The huge crowd is still with us, and they are all very hungry. — too hungry now to begin the long walk back to their homes. How would I feel if I were there? I wonder what I would say to Jesus?

Jesus looks at the crowd and he is moved deep inside with care for them. Can I imagine being in that crowd? Can I imagine Jesus feeling that deep care and love for me?

Just a few chapters back, the disciples saw Jesus feed 5000 people with five loaves and two fish. But Mark tells us that "they didn't understand about the loaves." And now they can't imagine how they can feed this large crowd. The disciples still don't understand who Jesus is: I wonder why Mark keeps pointing that out?

I wonder why Jesus makes sure to have his disciples help pass out the food?

I wonder what it was like, to be a disciple and to be absolutely sure that I do not have enough bread to care for all these people? And then to see Jesus take what I have and make it grow so that everyone is fed?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Be Opened! - Sunday, Mark 7:24-37 Mar 07, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me." Today is Sunday in the third week of Lent, and we are following Jesus as he shows us with his words and actions that God's kingdom is coming close; it is almost here. Today we are in Mark chapter 7. After having a very public argument with the Pharisees and teachers of the law, Jesus leaves Galilee and goes north to be quiet for awhile. He is going to a place where the people are not Jewish, and maybe the crowds will not follow.

📖 READ:

Mark 7:24-37

❔ WONDER:

Jesus has been drawing a lot of attention with his miracles, his teaching, and his arguments with the Pharisees. Now Jesus has come north, to an area where non-Jewish, or Gentile, people lived, and he is staying indoors and out of sight. I wonder why he did not want people to know where he was?

In those days, in that land, Jews and Gentiles called each other "dogs," and other names that weren't very nice. I wonder why this Gentile woman came to a Jewish teacher for help? I wonder why she believed Jesus could — and would — help her?

At first, when this woman asks for help, Jesus says no. He says that his work right now is with Israel — with Abraham's children — and not with Gentiles. How do I imagine his face and his voice when she answers him back, saying even dogs get the crumbs from the children's table?

Even though the little girl and her mother are Gentiles, they still get to taste Jesus's healing power. I wonder if the time is coming when everyone who comes to Jesus will be able to be a child at his table?

Can I imagine, for a moment, what it was like to be the man who could not hear or speak? He did not have hearing aids or sign language to help him connect with other people. He couldn't hear what his friends said to him, or share his thoughts and feelings with them. I wonder what it would feel be like to be cut off from everyone around me?

Can I imagine the feeling of Jesus's fingers in my ears? I wonder what it was like to have them suddenly opened, and to have all the sounds of the world around me come rushing in? I wonder what were the first words that rolled off this man's tongue? What would I have said?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

It Is What Comes Out - Saturday, Mark 7:1-23 Mar 06, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me." Now that we are at the end of the second week of Lent, we are following him into Mark chapter 7. There is a little pause in the action, and we get to see Jesus have a conversation with some people who are challenging him.

📖 READ:

Mark 7:1-23

Our reading today is Mark chapter 7, verses 1 through 23.

❔ WONDER:

Jesus was Jewish, and the Jewish law in Moses's books gave very important rules about keeping clean and staying away from foods and other things that were unclean. These were the things that people had to do to come close to the Holy God. I wonder why Jesus does not seem very worried about these ways?

Jesus notices that the Pharisees sometimes use religious rules to break God's ways. For instance, some people said "all of my money is actually set aside for God," even when their parents needed their help — even though God says to honor our parents! Those people felt like they were serving God, but they ignored the people God called them to help. I wonder if there are ways that people today use religious rules to serve ourselves and avoid doing what God actually wants us to do?

The Pharisees believed that if you washed your hands in the right away, and ate the right foods, then you would be able to come close to the Holy God. But what if the things that come out of us — the things in our deepest hearts — are what need to be washed? I wonder how we could ever come close to God with unwashed hearts?

Do you remember when Jesus was baptized? He went under the water, and when he came up a loud voice from heaven said, "You are my child, and I love you." Can I trust, right now, that everyone who trusts Jesus is also joined in his baptism, washed from the inside out, and is God's beloved child?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Don’t Be Afraid - Friday, Mark 6:45-56 Mar 05, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me." Now that we near the end of the second week of Lent, we are following Jesus through the end of Mark 6. Jesus and his friends have been working without resting: traveling, teaching, and feeding 5000 hungry people. Now it is night again, and they are heading back out onto the water.

📖 READ:

Mark 6:45-56

❔ WONDER:

I wonder how Jesus was feeling after he saw the disciples back onto the boat, and sent the crowd he had fed away? I wonder what he said to God when he went up on the mountainside to pray?

Can I imagine being one of the disciples, pulling hard at the oars and fighting with the wind and the water out in the boat? I wonder if their bodies and minds were tired and worn out in the dark as they tried to steer their boat?

Now can I imagine looking up, resting my aching arms, and suddenly seeing Jesus making his way towards me across the water? Can I imagine what that would have felt like?

How does Jesus's voice sound to me as he comes close and says, "Be brave. It is I. Don't be afraid"?

As we've read through Mark, we've seen Jesus use his power to make nature safe and good for people: he calms dangerous wind and waves; he heals people from their sicknesses; and he makes food multiply so that everyone has enough to eat. I wonder why Mark included this story for us to read? I wonder what he wants us to see, and to believe, about Jesus?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand - Thursday, Mark 6:30-44 Mar 04, 2021

**A quick note for parents & grownups:** Yesterday, we read Mark chapter 6, verses 1 through 13; today we are skipping ahead just a little bit to Mark 6, chapter 30. We're going to pass over the story of John the Baptist's death. It's an important part of Jesus's story, but it can also be scary for some of our younger listeners — especially when read aloud on its own. As your children's primary spiritual caregivers, I wanted to give you the freedom to discern how much your children are ready to hear. The important thing for readers of all ages to know is that King Herod puts John the Baptist in prison and has him killed, and Jesus must know that things are going to get dangerous for him, too. So we will watch him and see what he does: does he go home and stop preaching, or does he move into the danger, and keep doing God's work?

And for those of you with older children, I'll put the reading and some wondering questions up on Instagram so you can read and talk about it together!

📖 READ:

Mark 6:30-44

❔ WONDER:

I wonder how the disciples felt, as they gathered back with Jesus and told him about all they had done: the sick people they had healed, the words they had preached, and the evil spirits who had been driven away. Were they excited? Proud? Maybe tired and ready for a rest?

How does Jesus's face look to me, as I imagine him listening to his friends tell about all they have done in his name?

I wonder why Jesus wanted to take them to a quiet place where they could rest, instead of sending them right back out again?

Can I imagine the crowds making their way around the shores of the lake, chasing in the direction of the boat carrying Jesus and his disciples?

I wonder how the disciples felt, when their boat landed and instead of a quiet resting place they found a large crowd?

Can I imagine Jesus's face, as he looked at the large crowd that wanted so badly to see him?

I wonder why Jesus began to teach them right then, even though it was almost dinnertime, and his disciples were tired and hungry?

Jesus took the bread and fish his disciples had, gave thanks, broke it, and then passed it around. There was more than enough for everyone. Can I think of another time bread is broken, and passed around? I wonder how Jesus has enough, and is enough, to feed every person who comes to him?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Isn’t This The Carpenter? - Wednesday, Mark 6:1-13 Mar 03, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me." Now that we are in the second full week of Lent, we are beginning Mark chapter 6. Today we are beginning Mark chapter 6. Jesus has gone home, to the town of Nazareth. I wonder what the people who have known Jesus since he was a little boy think about him now?

📖 READ:

Mark 6:1-13

❔ WONDER:

Nazareth was Jesus's home town. It was where he grew up, and the synagogue he goes to is the same one he has been worshiping in since he was a small boy. He's talking to the same people he has known all his life. I wonder what it was like to stand up in that comfortable, familiar place and announce that the kingdom of God was coming close, was here in Nazareth right now?

Can I imagine being one of the people who was listening to Jesus in the synagogue? Maybe I remember seeing him there with his parents, or playing with him outside when we were smaller. I wonder what it is like to hear stories about him traveling around the countryside, attracting crowds, and doing miracles?

I wonder why the people in Nazareth were not happy with Jesus? I wonder why the people who had known him his whole life did not honor him? How might I have reacted to him, if I lived there?

I wonder why Jesus could not do many miracles there in Nazareth, where people did not trust that he was from God?

Jesus gave his disciples very clear instructions when he sent them out. Looking at those instructions, it sounds like he was sending them in a hurry, to do a big and important job: don't pack a big suitcase! Find what you need to eat as you go! Go from town to town, and drive out evil powers that want to hurt people; make space for God's kingdom to come in! I wonder why this work was so important that they had to go out, right away, without packing or planning for their trip?

I wonder what it was like to be one of the twelve disciples, traveling around bringing the power of God's good news and healing to people who were sick and sad? How would I feel, if I could be a part of that work?

I wonder why some towns and places would not welcome Jesus's disciples?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Go In Peace, You Are Free - Tuesday, Mark 5:21-43 Mar 02, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me." Now that we are in the second full week of Lent, we will keep following Jesus all the way through the gospel of Mark. Today we are reading the rest of Mark chapter 5. A young girl and an older woman both need healing, and we see that Jesus has the power to help them both.

📖 READ:

Mark 5:21-43 (NIRV)

❔WONDER:

As soon as Jesus's boat lands on the side of the Sea of Galilee, a crowd gathers. I wonder why so many people were ready and waiting for Jesus? I wonder what they hoped to see, or to hear, when he came and walked among them?

Can I imagine myself in the crowd, gathering around as the synagogue leader is pushing his way through? How do I imagine Jairus' face, as he throws himself down in front of Jesus? What does his voice sound like to me when he begs Jesus to come and heal his daughter?

I wonder how Jairus felt, as the large crowd continued to push around Jesus while they walked to his house? Was he angry or impatient with all of these people who were slowing Jesus down? Was his heart beating fast with fear that they were not going quickly enough while his daughter was dying at home?

Now can I imagine being the woman who had been sick for twelve long years? How do I feel as I edge my way through the crowd, trying to get close to Jesus? Can I imagine reaching out my hand, just trying to catch a small corner of his clothes as he goes past?

I wonder why the woman was so afraid when Jesus stopped and began asking who had touched his clothes? I wonder what Jesus's face looked like, as he listened to her story? How does his voice sound to me when he says, "Dear woman, go in peace. You are free"?

During the time that Jesus was stopped, Jairus's daughter died. Can I imagine myself in Jairus's place? How do I respond when Jesus turns and says to me, "Don't be afraid. Just believe"?

Can I picture Jesus gently taking the dead girl by the hand, and kindly telling her to wake up? I wonder what her mother and father did as she opened her eyes and stood up?

We have heard Jesus tell stories about seeds that are buried in the ground waking up and blossoming into life. Now we have seen Jesus wake a young girl up into life out of death. I wonder what Jesus wants us to see about God's kingdom in these stories?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Jesus Has Defeated These Strong Powers - Monday, Mark 5:1-20 Mar 01, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me." Now that we are in the second full week of Lent, we will keep following Jesus all the way through the gospel of Mark. Today we are beginning Mark chapter 5. Jesus and his friends have crossed the Sea of Galilee, and they have come to a place where the people are not Jewish. As they get out of the boat, they are met by someone who badly needs Jesus to help.

📖 READ:

Mark 5:1-20 (NIRV)

❔WONDER:

If I'm honest, this story can be kind of scary. I feel so sad for the man who is being controlled by strong powers that want to hurt him, and also a little frightened when I imagine him living in the tombs, breaking off chains, and crying out by himself. Can I remember, as we wonder about it, that Jesus came to help this man, and everyone like him? Can I ask God to remind me that on the cross, Jesus has defeated these strong powers that want to hurt people?

I wonder if I can imagine myself with Jesus's friends, on the boat as we pull it up to the shore. Last night, we were caught in a storm and Jesus spoke strong words to calm it. I wonder how I would feel this morning, watching this strange man come down from the tombs to meet Jesus?

Can I pay attention to the way this man, and the evil powers that are controlling him, speak to Jesus? These powers are strong enough to break chains and make this man hurt himself: I wonder why, when they meet Jesus, they beg, and plead, and seem afraid?

Can I imagine being someone who lived nearby? Maybe I have been afraid of the strange man who lives in the tombs. I wonder what it was like to come down to the seashore and see him: calm, dressed, his hair combed, sitting quietly and talking with Jesus? I wonder what I would have said when I saw him?

The area where this story happens is a place where non-Jewish people, or Gentiles, lived. We can tell because they were raising pigs. I wonder why Jesus left his home area to come and announce God's good news here? And I wonder why the people asked him to leave?

The man who Jesus healed wants to come with him, but do you remember what Jesus said? "Go to your own people, and tell them what God has done for you." I wonder if this man was the very first person to go and tell Gentiles about Jesus? And I wonder what his friends and family said when he came home to them with his good news?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Jesus Calms The Storm - Sunday, Mark 4:35-41 Feb 28, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me." As we begin the second full week of Lent, we will keep following Jesus all the way through the gospel of Mark. Today, we are reading the very end of Mark 4, where Jesus surprises his friends again by showing God's power.

📖 READ:

Mark 4:35-41 (NIRV)

❔WONDER:

Let's take a moment and imagine together the Sea of Galilee. We call it a sea, but it is really a very, very big lake. It is down low in a valley, and wind that blows in over the mountains can make big storms come up on the lake almost without warning. I wonder what the weather was like when Jesus and his disciples set out in the boat? I wonder if the water was calm and the evening was quiet when they pushed away from the shore?

In Jesus's time, many people were afraid of deep, dark waters. They couldn't see the bottom, and they didn't know what evil things might be swimming down deep. Can I imagine how the disciples must have felt when the wind picked up, the water got wild, and waves started crashing down on their boat?

Things seem to be happening very quickly in Mark's gospel: evil spirits suddenly recognize Jesus and must be cast out; religious leaders get angry and are already plotting to kill Jesus; a wild storm comes up out of nowhere on the sea. I wonder if Jesus's disciples are beginning to feel attacked by strong powers at this part of the story? I wonder if that is part of why they are so afraid?

I wonder why Jesus was able to sleep so peacefully during the storm?

When Jesus does wake up, he speaks to the storm like a frustrated parent sometimes speaks to a child: "Quiet down! Be still!" How does his voice sound to me, as he orders the wind and waves to stop?

Can I imagine standing on that wildly rocking boat, being splashed by heavy waves, and watching Jesus get up and speak to the storm? What feelings rush through my body when all at once the wind stops, and the water around us becomes calm?

After Jesus calms the storm down, he asks his disciples, "Why were you so afraid? Don't you have any faith?" I wonder what he means? After all, they had enough faith to wake him up! I wonder what kind of trust still needs to grow in them?

Only God can control deep water, wind, and storms, because God is the one who created them. What it is like for me to see the power of the Creator of the universe coming out of the mouth of this carpenter from Galilee? Is there anything I want to say to Jesus after hearing this story?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

It Is Like A Mustard Seed - Saturday, Mark 4:21-34 Feb 27, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me." During this season, we are following Jesus every day as we read all the way through the gospel of Mark. Today we are right in the middle of Mark 4, and Jesus has some word-pictures to help us imagine what God's kingdom is like.

📖 READ:

Mark 4:21-34 (NIRV)

❔WONDER:

What happens to the dark corners and fuzzy shapes in your room at night when you turn on a lamp? Do things become more clear and easy to see? I wonder how Jesus's words and his actions are like a lamp lighting up a dark place?

I wonder why Jesus told his friends to pay attention and think carefully about his words? I wonder if his words are also like seeds that can put down deep roots in our hearts and grow?

Have I ever seen what a seed is doing when it is still hidden in the ground? Can I imagine a farmer's seeds slowly cracking open, pushing out little shoots, and then breaking through in a burst of green through the ground?

I wonder how God's work in the world is like that seed, hidden and quiet in the ground, growing and taking shape before we can see what it will look like in the sunshine?

When we bury seeds in the ground, sometimes it can seem like they are dry and dead. It can be hard to imagine a living plant, full of fruit; or a tall bush, full of branches and shade, coming from this small, dried up little shell. I wonder if Jesus wants us to imagine that God's good rule over our world will come in ways we sometimes can't see, or imagine, or expect?

When Jesus told these stories, he was still up in Galilee. He was far away from Jerusalem, and he was still an unimportant son of a carpenter. I wonder why simple Jesus, son of Mary and Joseph, told these stories about hidden lamps, and buried and tiny seeds?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 PRAY:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Finding Space, Sunlight, and Room For God's Words To Grow - Friday, Mark 4:13-20 Feb 26, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me," and during Lent we are following Jesus all the way through the gospel of Mark. Today we are reading from Mark 4, and Jesus will explain the story of the careless farmer and his seeds.

📖 Read:

Mark 4:13-20 (NIRV)

❔Wonder:

I wonder how Jesus' disciples felt after he told this story? I wonder if they guessed what it was about, or if they were confused?

The farmer in the story was a little bit wild when he scattered his seed: he flung it in all kinds of places where it would be hard for it to grow. I wonder why Jesus said that the seed is like the word, or message, about God?

I wonder who the farmer is like? I wonder who spreads and plants good words about God in all kinds of places?

I wonder if there are times when my heart is like the hard, smooth path that the seeds can't sink into? What could soften it, or break it up so God's message can take root?

I wonder if there are times when my heart is like rocky, shallow soil? A place where roots can't grow deep? I wonder if I can ask God to clear the hard and sharp places so that his message can grow in me?

What kinds of things crowd out God's message in me, like thorns and brambles crowding out a young plant? How can I find space, and sunlight, and room for God's words to grow?

A field of wheat or grain grows up and feeds many people. I wonder how the seeds of God's message are like wheat?

How does this story make me feel? Is there anything I want to say to Jesus about his story, or to ask him to show me?

🙏🏾 Pray:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deed. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Whoever Has Ears Should Listen - Thursday, Mark 4:1-12 Feb 25, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me," and during Lent we are following Jesus all the way through the gospel of Mark. Today we are beginning Mark chapter 4: Jesus tells a story about a very careless farmer.

📖 Read:

Mark 4:1-12 (NIRV)

❔Wonder:

Can I picture myself hearing this story along with the rest of the crowd at the Sea of Galilee? Where am I? Am I sitting on some sand, warm beneath me? Or maybe I am trying to get comfortable on a rocky patch as I strain to hear Jesus? Does the breeze help me hear his voice, as he is speaking from the boat? Can I feel it on my face? Can I see Jesus, the boat softly rocking on the waves?

In Jesus' time, farmers scattered their seeds in their fields by hand. They took handfuls of seed, and sprinkled them in the the soil they had plowed. I wonder why this farmer isn't being careful about where he scatters his seed?

Can I imagine the seeds landing on the smooth path? How could they ever get covered up and grow?

Can I see the seeds that land in the rocky places? How could their roots ever grow deep and strong in such broken and hard soil?

Have I ever seen a plant that is trying to grow up surrounded by thorny bushes or vines? How could it ever get enough sunlight and space to grow?

Now, can I picture a field full of wheat, grown up from tiny seeds but now big enough to feed hundreds of people?

I wonder why Jesus said, "whoever has ears should listen"? I have ears, but do I always really listen with them?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 Pray:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deed. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Here Is My Mother! Here Are My Brothers! - Wednesday, Mark 3:22-35 Feb 24, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me," and during Lent we are following Jesus all the way through the gospel of Mark. Today we are still in the 3rd chapter of Mark's book: is Jesus filled with an evil spirit, or the Holy Spirit of God? And who are his mother and brothers, anyway?

📖 Read:

Mark 3:22-35 (NIRV)

❔Wonder:

Big crowds keep following Jesus wherever he goes. They want to come close to him. But some people don't seem to understand why. Yesterday, we heard about Jesus's family saying that Jesus was out of his mind. And today, the teachers of the law are saying that he must be filled with an evil spirit. I wonder why people saw such different things when they looked at Jesus?

I wonder why the teachers of the law thought Jesus was filled with an evil spirit instead of God's Holy Spirit? I wonder why they thought the work he was doing was the work an evil spirit would do?

I wonder why Jesus tells them they are speaking wrong words against God's Holy Spirit?

I wonder why Jesus' mother and brothers came to get him? How would I feel if my brother or my son was doing and saying the things that Jesus was? What would I do, if Jesus was my brother, or my son?

Can I imagine sitting in the crowd that is circled with Jesus? What does Jesus's face look like to me, as he looks around at all of us? How do I feel when he calls me his mother, or sister, or brother?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 Pray:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deed. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Many Came To Him - Tuesday, Mark 3:7-21 Feb 23, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me," and during Lent we are following Jesus all the way through the gospel of Mark. Today, we are right in the middle of Mark 3: Jesus is surrounded by crowds; he calls his disciples; and...is he out of his mind?

📖 Read:

Mark 3:7-21 (NIRV)

❔Wonder:

I wonder how so many people, from so many different places, had heard about Jesus? I wonder what they hoped to see, or to hear, as they traveled to the Sea of Galilee to find him?

I wonder, if I had heard the stories about the things Jesus was doing, if I would have left my home to go and see or hear him for myself? How would I feel about joining these crowds full of sick people, or people with evil spirits? Would I have been eager to see Jesus? Or would I have been curious, but more comfortable staying at home?

Can I imagine being in the crowd on the shores of the Sea of Galilee as it pushed towards Jesus? How do I feel, as I am being jostled along? What do I see around me? What sounds do I hear? I wonder why each person who is bumping up against me wants to come close to Jesus?

I wonder how each of the twelve followers felt when Jesus chose them to stay with him? Excited? Nervous about the job he would give them? Worried about their families at home? How would I feel, if I were joining Jesus up on that mountainside and he said, "Follow me?"

Crowds keep following Jesus wherever he goes. I wonder what his family at home thought about this? I wonder why they said, "He is out of his mind"?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 Pray:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deed. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

The Sabbath Day Was Made For Man - Monday, Mark 2:18 - 3:6 Feb 22, 2021

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me," and during Lent we are following Jesus all the way through the gospel of Mark. Today, in Mark chapters 2 and 3, Jesus says and does some surprising things on the Sabbath, which is a special day to rest.

📖 Read:

Mark 2:18 - 3:6 (NIRV)

❔Wonder:

I wonder why the time was not right for Jesus's disciples to fast from food while they were all together, following him? I wonder how Jesus with his disciples was like a groom with his friends at a wedding?

In those days, God's people followed the laws Moses gave about resting on the Sabbath. People prepared their food ahead of time, so they would not have to do any kind of work on the Sabbath day. I wonder what it was like to see the disciples walking through a field, plucking grain like farmers at work, while everyone else was resting as a way to obey God?

I wonder why Jesus told the story of David and his men eating the holy bread that was supposed to belong to God? I wonder how the Pharisees felt, hearing Jesus compare himself to King David from long ago?

Can I imagine being in the synagogue, where the man with the twisted and hurting hand had come on the Sabbath? Can I picture everyone looking at Jesus, wondering what will happen next? How does Jesus's face look to me, as he looks at the man and then turns towards the Pharisees? How does his voice sound?

Do you know where the Sabbath laws came from? God told Moses that the people should rest on the seventh day, just like God rested after six days of creating the world. People could stop working and remember that all that we have comes from God, our creator, and not from our own efforts. The Sabbath day was so important because it reminded people to rest and depend on God. I wonder why Jesus made a point of breaking these Sabbath rules?

I wonder what made the Pharisees so angry that they wanted to kill Jesus?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 Pray:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deed. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

All The People Were Amazed - Sunday, Mark 2:1-17 Feb 21, 2021

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me," and during Lent we are following Jesus all the way through the gospel of Mark. Today we are at the beginning of Mark chapter 2, and Jesus is pretty clear about who he has come to find: sinners, sick people, and everyone in need of forgiveness.

📖 Read:

Mark 2:1-17 (NIRV)

❔Wonder:

I wonder what it was like to be in that crowded house in Capernaum? So many people were gathered that you couldn't even squeeze through the door! Can I picture myself in that crowd? What do I smell? What do I hear? Is someone pushed up against me? Can I see Jesus?

I picture Jesus looking at the man lying on the mat, and at his friends who have lowered the man before him. I wonder what expression Jesus had on his face? I wonder how his voice sounded when he said, "Son, your sins are forgiven"?

Can I imagine seeing the man who was lying in front of of Jesus stand up, take his mat, and walk away? How does watching this story play out make me feel?

Levi was a tax collector. In those days, a tax collector was like a traitor: they helped the Roman soldiers who had taken over the land of Israel. People feared and disliked them, and they weren't allowed to come into the temple or come close to God. I wonder how Levi, the tax collector, felt when Jesus looked right at him and said, "Follow me"?

I wonder how Jesus's friends felt, when Levi the tax collector came to join them as they followed Jesus?

Now I picture Jesus at Levi's house, having dinner with all sorts of people you aren't supposed to come close to. How do I respond when I see Jesus sharing his meal with a crowd of people who broke God's ways?

I wonder why Jesus says that he came not for good people, but for sinners?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 Pray:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deed. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Jesus Healed Many Of Them - Saturday, Mark 1:29-45 Feb 20, 2021

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me," and during Lent we will follow him all the way through the gospel of Mark. Today we are finishing the first chapter of Mark's book, and already all sorts of people who are sick, hurting, or being hurt by evil spirits are coming to find Jesus for help.

📖 Read:

Mark 1:29-45 (NIRV)

❔Wonder:

Do any of Jesus's words or actions that I heard today comfort me, or make me feel good? Can I hold those words as a gift from God?

Do any of Jesus's words or actions that I heard today upset me, or confuse me? Can I talk to God about that right now?

I wonder how Peter's mother-in-law felt when the fever left her body?

I wonder why people brought others who were sick, or who were being hurt by evil spirits, to the place where Jesus was staying? I wonder how they knew Jesus could help them?

I wonder why Jesus got up early, and went to find a place where he could be alone and pray?

When the man with the skin disease came to Jesus, Jesus was moved deep inside: he felt sad and sorry for the man all the way down in his belly. I wonder what his face looked like, as he gazed down at the man on his knees?

I wonder why Jesus told the man not to tell anyone after he healed him?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 Pray:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deed. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Come And Follow Me - Friday, Mark 1:16-28 Feb 19, 2021

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me," and during Lent we are following Jesus all the way through the gospel of Mark. We're only 16 verses in, but things are happening quickly: Jesus calls his first followers, teaches in the synagogue, and is already showing a power no one expected.

📖 Read:

Mark 1:16-28 (NIRV)

❔Wonder:

Can I imagine myself on the shore of the sea of Galilee, watching Jesus make his way down to the water? I wonder what Jesus looked like when he walked up to Andrew and Peter? I wonder what his voice sounded like when he said, "Follow me"?

I wonder why Peter, Andrew, James and John were so ready to leave their boats and follow Jesus? I wonder what they saw in his face? I wonder what they hoped he would do?

The synagogue was the place you would go to hear someone read out loud from Moses's laws, or from the writings of the prophets. Then someone would teach you about them, to help you understand. Can I imagine Jesus, standing up the front with the scroll? I wonder if I would have felt amazed, too?

I wonder why the man with the evil spirit cried out when he came close to Jesus? I wonder how the evil spirit knew who Jesus was?

Can I picture Jesus firmly sending this evil spirit away? How does this part of the story make me feel?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏🏾 Pray:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

The Kingdom Of God Has Come Near - Thursday, Mark 1:1-15 Feb 18, 2021

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent. Long ago, Jesus said to his friends, "Come: follow me," and during Lent, we are following Jesus all the way through the gospel of Mark. Today we are at the very beginning of Mark's book: he wants to introduce us to the good news about Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Messiah.

📖 Read:

Mark 1:1-15 (NIRV)

❔Wonder:

I wonder if I can imagine myself on the shore, watching John baptize Jesus? What does it feel like to be in that crowd? I wonder why we have all come out to see John?

I wonder what I would have seen when Jesus came up, dripping, from under the river water? What is happening in the sky? How does it make me feel?

Can I imagine Jesus's face in any part of the story I heard today? How does he look to me?

I wonder what Jesus's voice sounds like when he says, "The time has come; the kingdom of God has come near"? How would I feel if I were there, and he was speaking to me?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to ask God about right now?

Are there any words, or pictures, or moments from this story that I want to take with me and hold close?

🙏 Pray:

Jesus of Nazareth, son of God: thank you that we have a book filled with your words and deeds. Give us the wisdom and understanding that comes from your Holy Spirit, so that we can know you better and follow you all the days of our lives. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at sarah@wewonderpod.com Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Ash Wednesday, Psalm 51 Feb 17, 2021

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent. Today is Ash Wednesday, and it is the beginning of the season that helps us get ready for Easter. Just as Israel wandered in the desert for forty years, and Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days, we will spend the next forty days following Jesus toward the cross.

Today, though, we begin by remembering that apart from Jesus, we are like fires that have gone out. Some of us will mark our foreheads with ashes as a reminder. Ash Wednesday gives us a time for sitting still, making ourselves quiet, and waiting on God to come and help us. And then we get ready to walk with Jesus all the way to the cross, because we hope to share in the new life he will bring on the other side. Join me, as we prepare to follow him this season.

📖 READ:

Psalm 51

❔WONDER:

*I wonder if I have ever felt like a blown-out candle, or like cold ashes that can’t spark to life? What do I want to say to God about that?*

*I wonder if God is still close to me when I feel far away? I wonder if I can trust that faithful love is always waiting for me?*

*David says to God, “you will gladly accept a heart that is broken because of sadness over sin.” I wonder: what things do I see in myself and in the world that break my heart? Can I trust God to be kind to my sad heart?*

*Lent happens in springtime: the earth that was frozen and dead blossoms into life again. Dry, helpless seeds are planted in the ground, and plants push up out of the ground. Jesus goes into the grave, and is raised to new life. It is a time of sadness for all that is wrong in us and in the world, and also of hope that it can all be made new. Can I ask God to come close to me in the sadness? Can I ask God’s Spirit to whisper words of hope to me in the dark?*

💌 Keep in touch!

You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod for updates throughout the season, or you can shoot me an email at [sarah@wewonderpod.com](mailto:sarah@wewonderpod.com) Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent 2021 Feb 10, 2021

For Grownups: No Chill Enneagram: Watch Party Jan 26, 2021

Check out another show on the Area Code Network, No Chill Enneagram: Watch Party:

We can't stop talking about the enneagram, so we started a podcast to get it all out of our system. No Chill Enneagram: Watch Party is a safe space for ennegram and pop culture fanatics. Each week, pop culture expert, Richard Clark, and enneagram expert, Bethany Perkins watch a movie or tv show and talk about it through the lens of the enneagram.

Happy Feast of the Epiphany: A Star In The Sky Jan 06, 2021

Happy Feast of the Epiphany!

Our reading today is Matthew 2:1-12.

I wonder why the Wise Men wanted to travel to find the king of the Jews? I wonder what they said to their friends and family when they left home? And I wonder what they hoped to find?

I wonder why the Wise Men were full of joy when they came to the house where Jesus and his family were staying? I wonder what they saw, and what they heard, that showed them this was the king they were looking for?

I wonder how Mary felt when these strange visitors came inside to worship her son? I wonder what she thought as they unpacked their treasures and gave them to her child?

The word “epiphany” means “to reveal” or “to bring forth.” An epiphany is when something that was hidden comes out for everyone to see. I wonder why Jesus’s birth was hidden and unnoticed by the people in Jerusalem? I wonder why the Wise Men, from another country and far away, were the ones who saw his star, and who found him so they could worship?

I wonder if today, still, Jesus can feel hidden or hard to see? I wonder if he is sometimes in people or places I don’t expect? What do I want to say to God about that?

Can I ask God right now to give me a searching heart, like the Wise Men, ready to see Jesus's glory and rejoice in his presence wherever it is revealed, even in people and places where I don’t expect to find him?

O God, you hung a star in the sky. By that star, you revealed your only Son to people who were far off, and led them to his mother’s house so they could worship him. Lead us now into your presence throughout this season, and open our eyes to encounter your glory in all the places where it is hidden among us. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by me, Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. To keep in touch with us and hear about future episodes and seasons, you can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod; you can read more about the podcast at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening: happy Epiphany to you all!

Final Day in Advent: He Made His Home With Us Dec 24, 2020

Today is the last day of our season: it is Christmas Eve. Today, we celebrate that the light of the world was born, and came to live with us. And we celebrate that his light will never go out, and he will come to us and shine on us again.

Our readings today are John 1:1-4, 9-14 and Revelation 21:1-5

I wonder if I can imagine Jesus, the light of the world, as an ordinary human baby swaddled up and sleeping in the place where animals eat? How does this picture make me feel?

Another way to read John’s words is, “The Word became a human being, and he pitched his tent -- his tabernacle -- among us.” The first tabernacle was a tent of cloth, with the Holy of Holies hidden behind a curtain inside. I wonder how Jesus is like the tabernacle?

God loves us so much. The whole story of the Bible, from the beginning to the end, is about God creating, and saving, our world so that it will be a place where he can dwell with us. Can I believe, just for a moment, that this love is for me? That God wants, so much, to be close to me?

I wonder: can I hear the love in the voice that John heard from the throne? Can I believe that no matter what, Jesus has come to live among us so that he can make all things new?

Almighty God, on this holy night we thank you and praise you with joy. In Christ, you have become one with us so that we might become one with you; you made your home with us so that we might dwell in your kingdom forever. You have brought us out of darkness and into your glorious light. Help us to welcome you and celebrate with full hearts. And as we do, help us to look with your eyes of love and kindness on all people, so that your light will shine through us and our lives.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by me, Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. Today’s episode also includes music from the album O Night Divine by City Church Music, featuring Karl Digerness and Brandi Thompson. You can purchase the album -- which you can enjoy through all 12 days of Christmas! -- at https://music.citychurchsf.org/album/o-night-divine.

Thanks so much for listening along during this season. We’ll be back with a special Epiphany episode on January 6; in the meantime, you can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Merry Christmas, everyone, and I wish you joy.

O Emmanuel: Wednesday, Matthew 1:18-25 Dec 23, 2020

O Emmanuel, our king and lawgiver,

the hope of the nations and their savior:

Come and save us, O Lord our God!

Today’s reading is Matthew 1:18-25

I wonder how Joseph felt when he woke up from his dream. I wonder how he came to trust the words that he heard in his dream?

I wonder if it was ever hard for Joseph to believe that his son was from the Holy Spirit. I wonder if it’s ever hard for me to believe that Jesus really is God with us? What do I want to say to Jesus about that?

Can I ask God to help me believe that Jesus really is fully human, just like me? That he knows what it is like to be a person: all the good and beautiful parts, and all the sad, scary, and hard parts too?

Can I ask God to help me believe that Jesus is also fully God? That he is strong and able to save, because he is the fullness of God’s love and life and light?

This is a great mystery. I wonder if it is too hard for me to understand. I wonder if that’s okay?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Emmanuel: Tuesday, Jeremiah 31:31-34 Dec 22, 2020

O Emmanuel, our king and lawgiver,

the hope of the nations and their savior:

Come and save us, O Lord our God!

Today’s reading is Jeremiah 31:31-34

God comes to make new promises to people, even when they turn their back on him. I wonder what that shows me about what God is like?

I wonder what it is like to have God’s ways written in our hearts? I wonder if that means we love God’s ways with all our hearts, and love the people that God loves?

Are there times when it is hard for me to know or remember God’s ways? Can I ask God to shape my heart to understand and love his ways?

I wonder: are there times when I know God’s ways perfectly well, but I do not want to follow them? Can I talk to God about that right now?

In Advent, we hope for the day when our lawgiver will be Emmanuel, God with us, again. On that day, we will all see and know Jesus, and will not need to teach one another about him. I wonder: can I imagine and hope for the day when all people -- from the least to the most important -- will know God?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Emmanuel: Monday, Psalm 10 Dec 21, 2020

O Emmanuel, our king and lawgiver,

the hope of the nations and their savior:

Come and save us, O Lord our God!

Today’s reading is Psalm 10

I wonder: are there places in my world that it seems like God doesn’t see, or care about? Can I be like the psalmist, and tell God about those things right now, and ask him to make them right?

Does God ever feel far away from me? I wonder: are there things in my heart, or in my life, that feel dark like night and far from God’s light? Can I talk to God about that right now?

Am I ever like the wicked person who thinks, “God will never notice what I do. God doesn’t care!” Can I believe that God sees me, and wants me to turn around, because he is always looking at me with love?

In Advent, we pray, “O come, Emmanuel,” because when God comes to be with us, he comes to make things right. I wonder: can I trust that our world belongs to God, and he will make his home with us again?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Fourth Sunday in Advent: Here's the Groom! Come Out to Meet Him Dec 20, 2020

Today is the third Sunday in Advent, and our reading is from Matthew 25:1-13.

I wonder why five of the bridesmaids brought oil, and five did not? I wonder what they were thinking about as they got ready for the wedding?

I wonder how the bridesmaids felt as the evening stretched into night? I wonder what sorts of thoughts they had when the groom was delayed and did not come?

I wonder why it was so important to five of the bridesmaids to have extra oil, even when they had no idea the groom would be so late?

I wonder how the things I do now can help me to rejoice and take part in the celebration when Jesus comes to be with us again? How can I help my heart get ready?

Loving God, we trust that the day will come when you will keep all of your promises and dwell with us again. Still, the delay stretches on and we get sleepy. Send your Spirit to fill us with the oil of your love and mercy. And as we receive it, help us to give it away freely, in the hope that your love never fails and your mercies are new every morning. Come soon, and be with us again.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O King of Nations: Saturday, Micah 4:1-4 Dec 19, 2020

O King of Nations, who is their desire.

O Cornerstone, who holds us together as one:

Come and save the human race, who you fashioned from dust!

Today’s reading is Micah 4:1-4

Can I picture people of all sorts: people from every nation, of every age and shape and color and size; people who are like me; people who are so different from me I can’t imagine being friends? Can I imagine all of these people making their way up the mountain of God, and seeking God’s ways together?

I wonder how this picture makes me feel?

I wonder if there is anyone I don’t want to be in that group. I wonder if there is anyone that I think God doesn’t want to come close to, or to teach. Can I ask God to teach me, and make my heart like his?

Can I imagine all of the weapons in the world being melted down and changed from instruments that kill into tools that grow things and give life? I wonder what would have to change in people’s hearts for that to happen?

Christmas is in six days. As we get ready, I wonder if I can believe that the baby in the manger is also the king who will make all of these promises come true?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O King of Nations: Friday, Psalm 103:8-19 Dec 18, 2020

O King of Nations, who is their desire.

O Cornerstone, who holds us together as one:

Come and save the human race, who you fashioned from dust!

Today’s reading is Psalm 103:8-19

I take just a moment to feel what it is like to be in my body. I feel myself solid, and taking up space. As my lungs are filled with air, can I say thank you to God for giving me and holding me in life?

I wonder: are there any weak places in my body right now? Are there places that are hurt or sick? Can I trust that God made me, and remembers me, and loves me?

David’s psalm describes God as tender and kind. I wonder: can I hold those words with the truth that God is also the mighty creator who made everything I can see? Can I ask God to teach me to know him better?

Listen to these good words: “He has removed our sins from us. He has removed them as far as the east is from the west.” I wonder: are there any sins or wrong ways that still feel very close to me? Are there things that are wrong that keep coming back into my heart or my life? Can I talk to God about right now? Can I ask God to come and save?

We are made of dust, but Jesus came and was born as a human being just like us. At Christmas we see God’s glory come to live in a small, helpless baby. I wonder: what kind of God becomes one of the people that he made? Can I let myself feel how much God must love us?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O King of Nations: Thursday, Ephesians 2:14, 19-22 Dec 17, 2020

O King of Nations, who is their desire.

O Cornerstone, who holds us together as one:

Come and save the human race, who you fashioned from dust!

Today’s reading is Ephesians 2:14, 19-22

I wonder what walls I come up against in my life. Are there places where I feel like an outsider, or where I want to come close but am blocked? Can I talk to God about that right now?

I wonder if there are people that I block or want to keep out of my heart, out of my friend group, or out of my community? Can I ask Jesus to break down any ways that I try to keep out people he has welcomed in?

Can I imagine, for just a moment, Jesus as a strong cornerstone, holding together people coming from all different directions and places in the world, and making them into one beautiful building? What do I see when I imagine this picture?

As people who are brought together in Jesus, we are not perfect. We don’t always fit together smoothly. Some of us are rough, or chipped, or cracked right through. I wonder: can I believe that the Holy Spirit is strong enough to hold us together? Can it be true that I am part of where God wants to make a home in the world?

In Advent, we know that God’s building work in us is not complete. We know that it will not be done until Jesus comes among us again, and fills all of our cracks and broken places with his light and presence. Can I ask God, right now, to help me look forward to that day?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Morning Star: Wednesday, Luke 1:67-79 Dec 16, 2020

O Morning Star, splendor of light eternal and sun of righteousness,

Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

Today’s reading is Luke 1:67-79

Can I imagine, for just a moment, what it was like to be Zechariah? To know such good news, but unable to speak it or share it? I wonder what it was like to hold the angel Gabriel’s words inside his heart for nine months?

As soon as Zechariah’s voice came back, he began to sing praise to God. He had to tell everyone there how good and faithful God has always been. I wonder: are there any words of praise I want to say to God right now?

Zechariah sang, “His kindness will bring the rising sun to us from heaven. It will shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death.” I wonder: where do I need God’s kindness to shine for me right now? What dark places inside of me, or in my life, need warmth and light and truth?

Zechariah also sang that God’s light will guide our feet into paths of peace. I wonder why it is so hard for us to find those paths on our own? Where do I need to make peace right now? Can I ask God to guide me into the ways of peace?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Morning Star: Tuesday, Isaiah 60:1-5, 19-20 Dec 15, 2020

O Morning Star, splendor of light eternal and sun of righteousness,

Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

Today’s reading is Isaiah 60:1-5, 19-20

How did I feel when I woke up this morning? Was I glad to face the day, or was it hard to rise from my bed? Can I tell my loving God about how I felt this morning?

Sometimes, someone says the words “rise and shine!” to us as a command. Or maybe we hear, “Get up! Get moving! Get ready!” I wonder: can I take a moment right now to pause, and to wait for God to come to me instead of trying to make myself ready to come to God?

I wonder: can I hear these words as a promise of what God will do for me? “Get up. Shine, because your light has come. I will rise and shine on you.”

In these words from the prophet Isaiah, God makes very big promises to people. A new morning will come, when God’s presence will shine brightly for all people to see. There will be no more sadness, no more evil, no more dark and scary places in our hearts. I wonder: can I ask God to help me hope for that time, when we will be safe and warm in God’s light?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Morning Star: Monday, Psalm 130 Dec 14, 2020

O Morning Star, splendor of light eternal and sun of righteousness,

Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

Today’s reading is Psalm 130

The psalm begins, “Lord, I cry out to you because I’m suffering so deeply.” I wonder why things sometimes feel worse at night? I wonder what was keeping the psalmist awake?

I wonder what it is like, to sit and wait and watch all night, knowing there is nothing you can do to make the morning come?

The person who wrote this psalm was sad and suffering, but they also put all of their hope in God to help them. I wonder if I can trust, just for a moment, that the Lord’s love never fails?

I wonder how Advent is like the nighttime, when we wait and watch for the morning to come? I wonder how Jesus is like the sun, the bright and glorious morning star?

As we wait and watch this season, is there anything I need to give to God? Is there anywhere in my life or my world crying out for the Lord to help me?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Third Sunday in Advent: The Light of the World Dec 13, 2020

Today is the third Sunday in Advent, and our reading is from Luke 7:18-28.

John’s parents knew that he would grow up to be an important prophet. The Bible tells us that God was with him in a special way, even when he was very little, and that people all over Israel were talking about him. I wonder what it was like for John to grow up, knowing that he would have the job of preparing people for God to come close? I wonder how he came close to God himself, to get ready for his work?

I wonder why Jesus said to the people who were following him that no one more important than John had been born?

I wonder why Jesus also said that the littlest and least person in God’s kingdom is more important than John? Can I believe that I am that important to God?

In a different gospel book, John says, “Jesus must become more important. I must become less important.” John was Jesus’s cousin: I wonder what he saw in Jesus, or felt when he was around Jesus, that helped him say that?

In Advent, we are like John. We know that God has promised to be with us again, and we know that God always keeps promises: but we don’t know when those promises will come true. I wonder, can I ask God to help me look around and see, right now, the places where Jesus’s Spirit is at work? Where are people being healed, or getting new chances, or hearing good news?

And I wonder: what am I still waiting for Jesus to make right? Can I practice waiting and hoping for Jesus’s promise to return and make all things new?

Will you pray with me?

Loving God, you sent John the Baptist to announce that you are coming to us. You gave him your Spirit, so that he could call out to us to turn around, get ready, and see your coming light. And then you showed him the kind of work you came to do: giving sight to the blind; life to the dead; good news to the poor. Help us hear your words today and rejoice in your coming. Make us ready to welcome you, Lord Jesus; come and be with us again.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Key of David: Saturday, Isaiah 9:1-3, 6-7 Dec 12, 2020

O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel,

you open and no one can shut; you shut and no one can open:

come and lead the prisoners from the prison house,

those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

Today’s reading is Isaiah 9:1-3, 6-7

I wonder: are there times when I feel like I am stuck in the dark? When it feels dark in my heart, or in the world around me? Can I talk to God about that feeling?

Can I be honest: do I sometimes get used to the dark inside of me? Does it sometimes feel like I will always be angry, or sad, or lost?

This is the good news: God does not wait for us to find our way back, or to turn on the lights ourselves. God comes to us in our darkness, because God loves us -- not because we love God. Can I let that good news soak into my heart right now?

This passage from Isaiah tells us that God’s good kingdom is coming to us because of his great love. I wonder: can I see that great love in the face of the child Jesus, as we wait to celebrate his birth this Advent?

I wonder: what dark places in my heart need God’s light to shine? What dark places in my world need God’s goodness and healing love? Can I believe that God wants to make all of these things new?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Key of David: Friday, Hebrews 10:11-12, 19-23 Dec 11, 2020

O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel,

you open and no one can shut; you shut and no one can open:

come and lead the prisoners from the prison house,

those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

Today’s reading is Hebrews 10:11-12, 19-23

What do I see, when I picture the curtain hanging in the temple, closing the way to God’s presence? Can I imagine myself in the temple, waiting outside while the priest enters the Holy of Holies?

I wonder why God’s presence was separated and behind a curtain? I wonder why only the priest could come close?

Jesus is the one who opens the way into God’s holy presence. Jesus died and the curtain was torn apart so that I can come through; now Jesus is alive and sits at God’s right hand. A human being dwells in God’s presence, and will bring us all safely there. What do I want to say to Jesus about what he has done for me?

We can come close to God now, but sometimes it still feels like God is far away or behind a curtain. Advent is the time when we wait and hope for Jesus to be with us again, and for God’s presence to fill all of creation. I wonder: can I ask God to help me hope and long for that time?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Key of David: Thursday, Isaiah 49:6-10 Dec 10, 2020

O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel,

you open and no one can shut; you shut and no one can open:

come and lead the prisoners from the prison house,

those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

Today’s reading is Isaiah 49:6-10

I wonder: what picture do I imagine when I hear the name “Key of David”? Can I ask Jesus to show me something good about himself, as I hold this picture in my mind?

Isaiah says, “The LORD sets his people free.” Are there places in my life where I feel trapped? Does my heart sometimes feel closed and hard, and I can’t make it open? Can I talk to Jesus, the Key of David, about that right now?

Or, have I ever wanted to be close to God, but wondered if God wanted to be close to me? Can I believe, right now, that Jesus opens up any closed doors or barriers between me and God, no matter what? That there is no door too strong to keep God’s love out?

Is there anyone or anything in my world that I worry about? Is there anyone I know who needs Jesus to come to them and lead them into light and love? Can I talk to God about that right now?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Root of Jesse: Wednesday, Luke 1:26-33 Dec 09, 2020

O Root of Jesse, standing as sign among the peoples,

before you kings will shut their mouths,

to you the nations will make their prayer:

Come and deliver us, and delay no longer!

Today’s reading: Luke 1:26-33

I wonder how Mary felt, in her body and in her heart, when God’s messenger appeared? I wonder how his words sounded in her ears?

Have I ever heard very good news? How did my heart feel inside?

I wonder: can I sit with Mary, right now, and hear how good Gabriel’s words to her are? What do I want to say to God about this good news?

Jesus’ name means “God saves.” In Advent, we look inside and notice all of the ways we need God to save us. We look at our world and feel sad for all that is broken, and for all of the things we need God to come and deliver. I wonder: can I ask, and hope, for Jesus to come and do his saving work in me, and in my world?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Root of Jesse: Tuesday, Psalm 72:1-14 Dec 08, 2020

O Root of Jesse, standing as sign among the peoples,

before you kings will shut their mouths,

to you the nations will make their prayer:

Come and deliver us, and delay no longer!

Today’s reading: Psalm 72:1-14

I wonder what Solomon hoped for, when he wrote this song and sang it to God? What was his dream for his kingdom?

God’s king will save needy people who cry out to him; he will save those who are hurting and have no one else to help. I wonder: how am I hurting or needy today? What do I want to say to God?

I wonder: who do I know, or who do I see in my city or town, who is needy or hurting? Can I cry out to God for them right now?

Solomon prayed that all nations and leaders would bow down to God’s king. I wonder: can I imagine a day when the whole human family is joined in singing praise to Jesus? I wonder what that will sound like? Can I rest in that very good hope right now?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Root of Jesse: Monday, Isaiah 11:1-2, 6-10 Dec 07, 2020

O Root of Jesse, standing as sign among the peoples,

before you kings will shut their mouths,

to you the nations will make their prayer:

Come and deliver us, and delay no longer!

Today’s reading: Isaiah 11:1-2, 6-10

I wonder: can I hold in my mind the picture of a tree that has been broken and battered by a storm? How does that image make me feel?

I wonder how God’s people felt, when they heard these words from Isaiah? I wonder if it was hard to believe that there was still life and promise in the roots of the broken tree?

Are there any ways that my heart is like this broken stump? What in me needs to be nourished by God’s love? Can I talk to God about that right now?

I wonder what it will be like, when Jesus, the Root of Jesse, comes to be with us again. Can I imagine a world where a wolf will live with a lamb, and no one will hurt or destroy? Can I imagine a time when everyone knows and trusts God’s love for them? What can I say to God about that time?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Second Sunday in Advent: Get Ready! Dec 06, 2020

Today is the second Sunday in Advent, and our reading is Luke 3:1-6, 15-18. Today is the second Sunday in Advent, and it is a day for spending some time with John the Baptist.

I wonder what it was like to hear John calling out “Get ready!” by the side of the Jordan River. What do I see when I picture him? Can I imagine myself there in the crowd? How do I respond to John’s words?

Sometimes God can feel like a far-away king. Sometimes our world can feel like that forgotten corner of the kingdom. How does it feel to hear the announcement that God is on his way, and is coming close?

Advent is a season for getting ready. It is a time when we hear John’s words to “prepare the way for the Lord.” I wonder: is there anything I can do to get ready to welcome Jesus?

God is love. The king who is coming loves me. Jesus comes close to us, even when we are not ready, because God does not want us to be far away. Can I rest in that good news right now?

Loving God, you sent John the Baptist to announce that you are coming to us. You gave him your Spirit, so that he could call out to us to turn around, get ready, and see your coming light. Help us hear his words today and rejoice in your coming. Make us ready to welcome you, Lord Jesus; come and be with us again.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Adonai: Saturday, Isaiah 52:7-10 Dec 05, 2020

O Adonai, and leader of the house of Israel,

who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush,

and gave him the law on Sinai:

come and redeem us with an outstretched arm!

Today’s reading: Isaiah 52:7-10

Can I imagine sitting on the ruined walls of the city of Jerusalem, waiting for news about what will come next? What do I see? How do I feel as I wait?

I wonder how it feels to see someone come, and to realize that they are bringing good news? I wonder how it feels to know that God will come close again, after feeling so far away?

Can I imagine the ruins of the city around me being rebuilt? Can I imagine the broken stones singing for joy? Are there things in my life or my world right now that need to be rebuilt or made new? What do I want to say to God about that?

In Advent, we look around and see the ways that God feels far away or absent. What inside of me, or in my world, needs God to come close now? What needs to be saved and brought back to God? Can I ask Jesus to come and be near us again?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Adonai: Friday, Isaiah 51:1-6 Dec 04, 2020

O Adonai, and leader of the house of Israel,

who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush,

and gave him the law on Sinai:

come and redeem us with an outstretched arm!

Today’s reading: Isaiah 51:1-6

I wonder: can I remember a time when I needed to be rescued? How did I get into that place? What did that feel like in my body?

Thinking back to that time: what did it feel like when I was safe again? How did my heart feel? How did my body respond?

In Advent, we look at ourselves and our world with clear eyes, and we notice all of the ways that we are trapped and cannot save ourselves. What do I see today? Where do I need God’s saving help?

I wonder: can it be true that the God who saw and saved Israel so long ago is looking at me with love right now? Can I believe that God promises rescue and comfort to me, too?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Adonai: Thursday, Exodus 3:1-8, 13-14 Dec 03, 2020

O Adonai, and leader of the house of Israel,

who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush,

and gave him the law on Sinai:

come and redeem us with an outstretched arm!

Today’s reading: Exodus 3:1-8, 13-14

I wonder what it was like to see that bush, wreathed in dancing flames but still itself? Can I see anything about God in that picture?

I wonder if God’s people felt like God had forgotten them while they were trapped as slaves in Egypt? I wonder if they were waiting for God to come save them, or if they had given up? Does it ever feel like God has forgotten me? What do I want to say to God about that?

Can I imagine myself, safe and warmed within the fire of God’s love that will never go out?

In Advent, we remember that we are like God’s people in Egypt: we need our God to come and save. What do I want to ask God to see and to rescue, right now?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Wisdom: Wednesday, Colossians 1:15-20 Dec 02, 2020

O Wisdom, you come forth from the mouth of the Most High.

You fill the universe and hold all things together in a strong yet gentle manner.

O come to teach us the way of truth.

Today’s reading: Colossians 1:15-20

I wonder if I can imagine Jesus’ face. What do his eyes look like, as he looks at me with love? What is the expression on his face?

I wonder if it is hard to believe sometimes that all of God -- all of God’s wisdom, and all of God’s love, and all of God’s power -- was present in a human being named Jesus, who really walked and lived on our earth? I wonder if that stretches my imagination? What do I want to say to God about that?

Here are words we heard today: “God was pleased to have his whole nature living in Christ. God was pleased to bring all things back to himself.” Coming to live with us in Jesus makes God happy. Having Jesus bring all of us close makes God happy. How does it feel to hear that God is pleased to be near me?

In Advent, we look around and see the ways that God feels far away or absent. What inside of me, or in my world, needs God to come close now? What needs to be saved and brought back to God? Can I ask Jesus to come and be near us again?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Wisdom: Tuesday, Job 28:1-4, 9-15, 20-28 Dec 01, 2020

O Wisdom, you come forth from the mouth of the Most High.

You fill the universe and hold all things together in a strong yet gentle manner.

O come to teach us the way of truth.

Today’s reading: Job 28:1-4, 9-15, 20-28

I wonder: who do I think of, when I hear the word “wisdom”? Are there any wise people in my life who show me God’s good ways?

Can I think of a time when I did not know how to make a wise choice, or how to speak wise words? What did that feel like?

I wonder: can it be true that the Wisdom that created and holds the whole universe together also wants to come and dwell with me? What do I want to say to God about that?

Can I ask God, right now, to shine light into my mind and heart today so that I can do good, love mercy, and speak truth?

Advent is a time for remembering that we, and our world, need God’s wisdom, not our own. Where do I need God to come rescue and teach me today?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

O Wisdom: Monday, Isaiah 29:13-16 Nov 30, 2020

O Wisdom, you come forth from the mouth of the Most High.

You fill the universe and hold all things together in a strong yet gentle manner.

O come to teach us the way of truth.

Today’s reading: Isaiah 29:13-16

Isaiah says, “How silly they are to think that potters are like the clay they work with!” I wonder: are these words of judgment for me? Do I sometimes act more like a potter than like clay? Do I sometimes think I know what is best for myself, or for the people around me, without stopping to ask God?

God said to Isaiah, “I will destroy the wisdom of those who think they are so wise. I will do away with the cleverness of those who think they are so smart.” I wonder if there are things or people I admire who are out of line with God’s wisdom? Can I ask God to help me see myself and the world with his eyes?

If God is like a potter, and we are like clay, I wonder: what has God made me for? How has he shaped me specially, for a good and wise purpose?

Advent is a time for remembering that we, and our world, need God to come and save. Is there anything in me, or in the world around me, that I want to call out for Jesus to come and make new?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

First Sunday in Advent: Watching For His Light Nov 29, 2020

Today is the first Sunday in Advent, and our reading is Mark 13:32-37.

I wonder if there are places in my life where I have gotten sleepy? Where I don’t pay attention or notice how God could be at work? Where I forget that I -- and my world -- belong to God?

What is it like to hear Jesus say, “keep watch! Stay awake!”? How do I feel in my body, and in my heart, when I hear him say those words to me?

I wonder if I have ever felt like God has gone away, and left me alone. What do I want to say to God about that?

I wonder how I can hope for God to rescue me, even when I feel alone? What can I do to practice waiting and watching this Advent season?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl; produced by Richard Clark; and engineered by Nick Thompson and Noah Kirby. You can keep in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @wewonderpod, or read more at wewonderpod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

We Wonder: Advent - Join Us This Sunday Nov 27, 2020

Join us this Sunday as we begin our Advent journey.

Do you know what the word ‘Advent’ means? It’s an old word, and it means “coming,” or “arrival.” Advent is the season when we look around at our world and see how badly we need God to arrive on the scene. We remember that God came to live among us once, and throughout this season we long for God to arrive again and make all things new.

Here in the northern hemisphere, Advent begins in the dark. The days are short; it is getting colder outside; trees are bare and the earth is settling down into the quiet of winter. We remember the time, long ago, when God’s people were in the dark: there were no more prophets speaking God’s words to them, and they were ruled over by a cruel empire that worshiped its own emperor as a god. They sat in the dark, where it was hard to see how God’s promises to them would ever come true.

During this season, we notice the ways that we are still in the dark. We know that Jesus has come to us once to save; we do not know when he will come back to us and make everything right. We live in an in-between time, waiting and hoping and calling out to God: O come, Emmanuel, God who is with us, and be with us again. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Welcome to We Wonder: Advent 2020 Nov 11, 2020

Welcome to We Wonder: Advent. Do you know what the word ‘Advent’ means? It’s an old word, and it means “coming,” or “arrival.” Advent is the season when we look around at our world and see how badly we need God to arrive on the scene. We remember that God came to live among us once, and throughout this season we long for God to arrive again and make all things new.

Here in the northern hemisphere, Advent begins in the dark. The days are short; it is getting colder outside; trees are bare and the earth is settling down into the quiet of winter. We remember the time, long ago, when God’s people were in the dark: there were no more prophets speaking God’s words to them, and they were ruled over by a cruel empire that worshiped its own emperor as a god. They sat in the dark, where it was hard to see how God’s promises to them would ever come true.

During this season, we notice the ways that we are still in the dark. We know that Jesus has come to us once to save; we do not know when he will come back to us and make everything right. We live in an in-between time, waiting and hoping and calling out to God: O come, Emmanuel, God who is with us, and be with us again. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Christina Im: Philippians 4:6-7 Nov 04, 2020

Our guest hosted series wraps up today with Christina Im. Christina and her husband Daniel co-host the wonderful podcast Im Between, covering all things parenting, marriage, and building a home culture of welcome and hospitality. Their episodes are both inspiring and practical, and make you feel like they’ve cleared a seat at the table just for you. You should definitely give it a listen: https://imbetween.org/

Christina is coming to us today from Alberta, Canada, where in addition to podcasting and raising a family, she is also a social worker, a counselor, and an Enneagram enthusiast.

Today's passage is Philippians 4:6-7,

6 Don’t worry about anything. No matter what happens, tell God about everything. Ask and pray, and give thanks to him. 7 Then God’s peace will watch over your hearts and your minds. He will do this because you belong to Christ Jesus. God’s peace can never be completely understood.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening!

Jeff Chu: John 21:3-17 Oct 28, 2020

Our guest hosted series continues today with Jeff Chu. Jeff is a prolific writer, an editor, and the co-host of the Evolving Faith Conference. He attended Princeton Theological Seminary, where he worked as a farmhand at the Farminary, which is a kind of amazing mashup of learning about God and God’s ways while tending God’s earth -- and then getting to eat the results.

These days, Jeff is the teacher-in-residence at Central Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he and his husband are getting ready to experience their very first Midwestern winter.

Jeff is also, a mutual friend tells me, an amazing cook who loves to gather people around his table. He loves, as you’ll hear, fried rice, but he hates beets. And I think he’s a pretty great preacher. I’m so glad he has chosen to come and wonder with us today.

Today's passage is from John's gospel, chapter 21 verses 3 through 17:

3 Simon Peter told them, “I’m going fishing.”

They said, “We’ll go with you.” They set out in a boat, but throughout the night they caught nothing. 4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples didn’t realize it was Jesus.

5 Jesus called to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”

They answered him, “No.”

6 He said, “Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.”

So they did, and there were so many fish that they couldn’t haul in the net. 7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself (for he was naked) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they weren’t far from shore, only about one hundred yards.

9 When they landed, they saw a fire there, with fish on it, and some bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you’ve just caught.” 11 Simon Peter got up and pulled the net to shore. It was full of large fish, one hundred fifty-three of them. Yet the net hadn’t torn, even with so many fish. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples could bring themselves to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus and Peter

15 When they finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”

Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”

Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 He asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was sad that Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” He replied, “Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.”

Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening!

Laura Fabrycky: Luke 5:1-11 Oct 21, 2020

Our guest host this week is a writer, a poet, and a thinker whose way with words is an absolute gift to our world, especially this year. She is also a longtime We Wonder listener, who has been with us since day one, and I’m so honored that she has invited this podcast into her home and her family’s life.

Laura Fabrycky’s work has appeared in Books and Culture, Christianity Today, Comment, Plough, and a host of other publications. She is the author most recently of Keys to Bonhoeffer’s Haus: Exploring the World and Wisdom of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, which is an absolutely beautiful meditation on her time spent as a guide at the Bonhoeffer Haus while her family was on a diplomatic posting to Berlin. Her writing on civic housekeeping, and the virtues that each of us can cultivate in order to care well for one another in our shared public life has been a gift to me this year, and I can’t recommend Laura’s book highly enough. (Please consider ordering it from your local independent bookshop or from Byron and Beth Borger at Hearts and Minds books!)

Laura and her family are currently posted in Brussels, and I am so delighted that she has been able to carve out the time to share her voice, her wonder, and her words with us.

Trinity Forum: “At Home with Bonhoeffer, an online conversation with Laura Fabrycky”

Today's passage is Luke 5:1-11:

1 Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret,[a] teaching the people as they crowded around him to hear God’s message. 2 Near the shore he saw two boats left there by some fishermen who had gone to wash their nets. 3 Jesus got into the boat that belonged to Simon and asked him to row it out a little way from the shore. Then Jesus sat down[b] in the boat to teach the crowd.

4 When Jesus had finished speaking, he told Simon, “Row the boat out into the deep water and let your nets down to catch some fish.”

5 “Master,” Simon answered, “we have worked hard all night long and have not caught a thing. But if you tell me to, I will let the nets down.” 6 They did it and caught so many fish that their nets began ripping apart. 7 Then they signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. The men came, and together they filled the two boats so full that they both began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this happen, he knelt down in front of Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t come near me! I am a sinner.” 9 Peter and everyone with him were completely surprised at all the fish they had caught. 10 His partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were surprised too.

Jesus told Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you will bring in people instead of fish.” 11 The men pulled their boats up on the shore. Then they left everything and went with Jesus.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening!

Joshua Jalandoon: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 Oct 13, 2020

Our guest host this week is Joshua Jalandoon. Joshua is a pastor and youth director at City Church San Francisco. He loves working with young people, and lives for moments when he gets to see them take steps of faith. Joshua just recently moved out to San Francisco from Chicago, and he would trade snow for fog any day. Happily, we’ve got plenty of fog here in SF to go around! When he’s not pastoring, he’s getting lost biking around Golden Gate Park with his partner Melody, or digging into a good book while sipping on a pour over coffee. I’m grateful for Joshua’s vision and leadership with my own children, and I’m honored to be able to share his voice with you!

Today's passage is 1 Samuel 3:1-10:

1 The boy Samuel served the Lord under the direction of Eli. In those days the Lord didn’t give many messages to his people. He didn’t give them many visions.

2 One night Eli was lying down in his usual place. His eyes were becoming so weak he couldn’t see very well. 3 Samuel was lying down in the Lord’s house. That’s where the ark of God was kept. The lamp of God was still burning. 4 The Lord called out to Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 He ran over to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called out to me.”

But Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

6 Again the Lord called out, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli. He said, “Here I am. You called out to me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.”

7 Samuel didn’t know the Lord yet. That’s because the Lord still hadn’t given him a message.

8 The Lord called out for the third time. He said, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli. He said, “Here I am. You called out to me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If someone calls out to you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord. I’m listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 The Lord came and stood there. He called out, just as he had done the other times. He said, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel replied, “Speak. I’m listening.”

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening!

Kendra Adachi: Psalm 29:3-9 Oct 07, 2020

Our guest host this week is a real treat! If you don’t already know Kendra Adachi, also known as the Lazy Genius, please make sure to check out her podcast (also called the Lazy Genius), pop over to her Instagram stories (@thelazygenius), or order her brand new book: The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn’t, and Get Stuff Done.

Kendra has such a gracious way of inviting us all into a life that is reflective and intentional: with humor and kindness, she encourages her listeners and readers to let go of the things that don’t ultimately matter so we can make space for the real business of the life God has called each of us into. And of course, she has a mean chicken recipe -- although my dear friend Haley swears you should all try her mocha muffins as well.

I’m so honored that Kendra believes our work of wondering together about God’s good words matters, and that she has made the time and space to join us today!

Today's passage is from Psalm 29:3-9:

The voice of the Lord is heard over the waters.

The God of glory thunders.

The Lord thunders over the mighty waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful.

The voice of the Lord is majestic.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees.

The Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon into pieces.

He makes the mountains of Lebanon leap like a calf.

He makes Mount Hermon jump like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord strikes

with flashes of lightning.

The voice of the Lord shakes the desert.

The Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord twists the oak trees.

It strips the forests bare.

And in his temple everyone cries out, “Glory!”

What do these verses make you wonder about God's voice? About how he speaks?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening!

Wesley Hill: Matthew 21:28-32 Sep 30, 2020

This week, I am absolutely delighted to welcome my dear friend Wesley Hill as our guest host.

Wes is a teacher, a writer, a godfather, and a priest in the Episoscopal church. He is an associate professor of New Testament at Trinity School for Ministry, and he is one of the most thoughtful and gracious people writing in the American church right now. If you haven’t picked up his book on the Lord’s Prayer, please give yourself a gift and grab it right now! (Might I suggest ordering from the good folks at Hearts and Minds Books?)

Wes also really loves the Bible. His friendship and example have encouraged me to read it more deeply, more slowly, and with more curiosity and hope. I’m so happy that he’s come to share his wonder and his voice with all of us today.

Today's passage is Matthew 21:28-32:

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The father[a] went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening!

Scot Sherman: Luke 4:1-13 Sep 23, 2020

Our guest host today, Scot Sherman, is the executive director of the Newbigin House of Studies in San Francisco, where he co-founded the Newbigin Fellowship for Faith, Peace and Justice in 2010. He also hosts Conversations for the Common Good, which you can find and listen to online -- Scot has had some fascinating conversations with folks like Jim Wallis, Pádraig Ó Tuama, Van Jones, Austin Channing Brown, and Tony Hale. If that’s not enough, he’s an organist, an opera lover, and can tell you anything you want to know about Lesslie Newbigin or golden-age British murder mysteries.

Scot is also a great preacher, and a priest in the Episcopal Church: I’m so glad he is joining us today as we wonder about God’s good words together!

Luke 4:1-13

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’”

5 Then the devil[a] led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil[b] said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered him, “It is written,

‘Worship the Lord your God,

and serve only him.’”

9 Then the devil[c] took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you,

to protect you,’

11 and

‘On their hands they will bear you up,

so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”

12 Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening!

Sally Steele: Job 38:8-12, 16-18 Sep 16, 2020

It’s not too early to mark your calendars: we’ll be back with another Advent season, beginning on November 29. I hope you’ll join me, as we wait together for God.

In the meantime, everyone needs some rest from time to time, and so I’m going to be taking a little break. But I would love for you to hear from some of my friends while I’m resting! This Fall, we’ll have special guest-hosted episodes of We Wonder every week, where you can still listen to God’s good words with some lovely and different voices. And I’ll be listening along with you!

This week's episode features our friend, Sally Steele. Sally is a pastor and a non-profit director at City Hope, an organization in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood that provides a trusted gathering place + community for our neighbors on the margins. She lives just across the Bay in Oakland with her husband and their three girls who are in 6th, 4th, and 2nd grade. When the air is clean in the SF Bay Area, she likes to get outside for hiking and backpacking; when it’s not so much, like recently, she loves to stay in and cook for her family.

This week's passage is Job 38:8-12, 16-18:

8 Who created the ocean?

Who caused it to be born?

9 I put clouds over it as if they were its clothes.

I wrapped it in thick darkness.

10 I set limits for it.

I put its doors and metal bars in place.

11 I said, ‘You can come this far.

But you can’t come any farther.

Here is where your proud waves have to stop.’

12 “Job, have you ever commanded the morning to come?

16 Have you traveled to the springs at the bottom of the ocean?

Have you walked in its deepest parts?

17 Have the gates of death been shown to you?

Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?

18 Do you understand how big the earth is?

Tell me, if you know all these things. Have you ever shown the sun where to rise?

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening!

Mira Sawlani-Joyner: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-14 Sep 09, 2020

It’s not too early to mark your calendars: we’ll be back with another Advent season, beginning on November 29. I hope you’ll join me, as we wait together for God.

In the meantime, everyone needs some rest from time to time, and so I’m going to be taking a little break. But I would love for you to hear from some of my friends while I’m resting! Starting this week, we’ll have special guest-hosted episodes of We Wonder every week, where you can still listen to God’s good words with some lovely and different voices. And I’ll be listening along with you!

This week's episode features our friend, Mira Sawlani-Joyner. Mira's experience in Children's ministry has spanned the globe, from serving in youth ministry in Australia, to mission trips in South East Asia, South Africa and South America to most recently in leading a virtual VBS from her home in Washington DC. She is on the Launch Team of a LGBTQIA+ affirming community called Resurrection City, DC and a second year Seminarian. When she isn't navigating online learning alongside her three daughters, she finds joy in painting and practicing Yoga.

Today's passage is Psalm 139:1-6, 13-14:

O Lord, you have searched me and known me.

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from far away.

3 You search out my path and my lying down,

and are acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before a word is on my tongue,

O Lord, you know it completely.

5 You hem me in, behind and before,

and lay your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is so high that I cannot attain it.

13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

that I know very well.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening!

For Grownups: Welcome to Area Code Sep 08, 2020

The Area Code Network launches today!

Area Code is a collective of creators who have gathered to create the most genuine, sincere work possible, uninhibited by red tape or competing agendas, and We Wonder is just one of many podcasts that are a part of it.

Check out www.areacodenetwork.com for more information and to sign up for our newsletter.

Dorena Williamson: Mark 5:24-34 Sep 02, 2020

It’s not too early to mark your calendars: we’ll be back with another Advent season, beginning on November 29. I hope you’ll join me, as we wait together for God.

In the meantime, everyone needs some rest from time to time, and so I’m going to be taking a little break. But I would love for you to hear from some of my friends while I’m resting! Starting this week, we’ll have special guest-hosted episodes of We Wonder every week, where you can still listen to God’s good words with some lovely and different voices. And I’ll be listening along with you!

This week's episode features our friend, Dorena Williamson. Dorena is a bridge-builder, speaker, writer, and church-planter. Her books gently invite children and grownups alike to explore truths that are near and dear to my heart: that God has created all of us beautiful, across the range of human colors and cultures, as well as in all of our different abilities. I’m so grateful she is joining us today!

Dorena’s books (linked to Amazon, but I encourage you to buy them from your local bookstore or place an order with Hearts and Minds Books!):

Colorfull: Celebrating the Colors God Gave us

Thoughtfull: Discovering the Unique Gifts in Each of Us

Gracefull: Growing a Heart That Cares For Our Neighbors

You can learn more about Dorena’s work at https://www.dorenawilliamson.com/

Today's Scripture is from Mark's gospel, chapter 5 verses 24 - 34.

24 So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 He looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening!

Friday Lectio: 2 Peter 1:5-8 Aug 07, 2020

This is our last episode for this Ordinary Time series: thanks so much to everyone who has been listening along!

It’s not too early to mark your calendars: we’ll be back with another Advent season, beginning on November 29. I hope you’ll join me, as we wait together for God.

In the meantime, everyone needs some rest from time to time, and so I’m going to be taking a little break. But I would love for you to hear from some of my friends while I’m resting! Starting in September, we’ll have special guest-hosted episodes of We Wonder every week, where you can still listen to God’s good words with some lovely and different voices. And I’ll be listening along with you! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @wewonderpod to find out about these weekly episodes and to get updates on our Advent season.

Today’s reading is from the 2 Peter, chapter 1, verses 5 through 8. I wonder what the Holy Spirit might want to show me about self-control? Do any words or phrases capture my attention, or my heart?

5 So you should try very hard to add goodness to your faith. To goodness, add knowledge. 6 To knowledge, add the ability to control yourselves. To the ability to control yourselves, add the strength to keep going. To the strength to keep going, add godliness. 7 To godliness, add kindness for one another. And to kindness for one another, add love. 8 All these things should describe you more and more. They will make you useful and fruitful as you know our Lord Jesus Christ better.

Holy Spirit, you help us to live by your power. You free our hearts, so that we are controlled by your love instead of by sin. Help your fruit to grow in our lives today, so that your love moves out into the world through us. Remind us that we are Jesus’s hands and feet working and walking in our homes, our families, our friendships, and our towns. Thank you for freeing us to love you and one another with our whole hearts. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening!

Thursday Lectio: James 3:7-11 Aug 06, 2020

Today’s reading is from the book of James, chapter 3, verses 7 through 11. I wonder what the Holy Spirit might want to show me about self-control? Do any words or phrases capture my attention, or my heart?

7 People have tamed all kinds of wild animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures. And they still tame them. 8 But no one can tame the tongue. It is an evil thing that never rests. It is full of deadly poison. 9 With our tongues we praise our Lord and Father. With our tongues we curse people. We do it even though people have been created to be like God. 10 Praising and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, it shouldn’t be this way. 11 Can fresh water and salt water flow out of the same spring?

Holy Spirit, you help us to live by your power. You free our hearts, so that we are controlled by your love instead of by sin. Help your fruit to grow in our lives today, so that your love moves out into the world through us. Remind us that we are Jesus’s hands and feet working and walking in our homes, our families, our friendships, and our towns. Thank you for freeing us to love you and one another with our whole hearts. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Wednesday Lectio: 1 Peter 1:13-16 Aug 05, 2020

Today’s reading is from 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 13 through 16. I wonder what the Holy Spirit might want to show me about self-control? Do any words or phrases capture my attention, or my heart?

13 So be watchful, and control yourselves completely. In this way, put your hope in the grace that lies ahead. This grace will be brought to you when Jesus Christ returns. 14 You should obey your Father. You shouldn’t give in to evil desires. They controlled your life when you didn’t know any better. 15 The God who chose you is holy. So you should be holy in all that you do. 16 It is written, “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Holy Spirit, you help us to live by your power. You free our hearts, so that we are controlled by your love instead of by sin. Help your fruit to grow in our lives today, so that your love moves out into the world through us. Remind us that we are Jesus’s hands and feet working and walking in our homes, our families, our friendships, and our towns. Thank you for freeing us to love you and one another with our whole hearts. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Tuesday Lectio: Romans 8:4-6 Aug 04, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 8, verses 4 through 6. I wonder what the Holy Spirit might want to show me about self-control? Do any words or phrases capture my attention, or my heart?

4 Jesus does for us everything the holy law requires. The power of sin should no longer control the way we live. The Holy Spirit should control the way we live. 5 So don’t live under the control of sin. If you do, you will think about what sin wants. Live under the control of the Holy Spirit. If you do, you will think about what the Spirit wants. 6 The thoughts of a person ruled by sin bring death. But the mind ruled by the Spirit brings life and peace.

Holy Spirit, you help us to live by your power. You free our hearts, so that we are controlled by your love instead of by sin. Help your fruit to grow in our lives today, so that your love moves out into the world through us. Remind us that we are Jesus’s hands and feet working and walking in our homes, our families, our friendships, and our towns. Thank you for freeing us to love you and one another with our whole hearts. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Monday Lectio: Romans 7:21-25 Aug 03, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 7, verses 21 through 25. I wonder what the Holy Spirit might want to show me about self-control?

21 Here is the law I find working in me. When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 Deep inside me I find joy in God’s law. 23 But I see another law working in me. It fights against the law of my mind. It makes me a prisoner of the law of sin. That law controls me. 24 What a terrible failure I am! Who will save me from this sin that brings death to my body? 25 I give thanks to God who saves me. He saves me through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Holy Spirit, you help us to live by your power. You free our hearts, so that we are controlled by your love instead of by sin. Help your fruit to grow in our lives today, so that your love moves out into the world through us. Remind us that we are Jesus’s hands and feet working and walking in our homes, our families, our friendships, and our towns. Thank you for freeing us to love you and one another with our whole hearts. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Friday Lectio: 2 Timothy 2:24-25 Jul 31, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s second letter to Timothy, chapter 2, verses 24 and 25. As we listen, I wonder if God’s Spirit wants to teach me about gentleness today?

24 Anyone who serves the Lord must not be hard to get along with. Instead, they must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach. The one who serves must not hold anything against anyone. 25 They must gently teach those who are against them. Maybe God will give a change of heart to those who are against you. That will lead them to know the truth.

Loving God, you are the LORD who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful, and full of love. You forgive those who do evil, and you came to live and die for those who have turned their backs on you. Fill us with your Spirit so that we, too, can walk in your ways of gentleness, grace, and love. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you Monday!

Thursday Lectio: Galatians 6:1-2 Jul 30, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s letter to the Galatians, chapter 6, verses 1 and 2. As we listen, I wonder if God’s Spirit wants to teach me about gentleness today?

1 Brothers and sisters, what if someone is caught in a sin? Then you who live by the Spirit should correct that person. Do it in a gentle way. But be careful. You could be tempted too. 2 Carry one another’s heavy loads. If you do, you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Loving God, you are the LORD who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful, and full of love. You forgive those who do evil, and you came to live and die for those who have turned their backs on you. Fill us with your Spirit so that we, too, can walk in your ways of gentleness, grace, and love. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Wednesday Lectio: Proverbs 15:1-5 Jul 29, 2020

Today’s reading is from the book of Proverbs, chapter 15, verses 1 through 5. As we listen, I wonder if God’s Spirit wants to teach me about gentleness today?

1 A gentle answer turns anger away.

But mean words stir up anger.

2 The tongues of wise people use knowledge well.

But the mouths of foolish people pour out foolish words.

3 The eyes of the LORD are everywhere.

They watch those who are evil and those who are good.

4 A tongue that calms is like a tree of life.

But a tongue that tells lies produces a broken spirit.

5 A foolish person turns their back on their parent’s correction.

But anyone who accepts correction shows understanding.

Loving God, you are the LORD who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful, and full of love. You forgive those who do evil, and you came to live and die for those who have turned their backs on you. Fill us with your Spirit so that we, too, can walk in your ways of gentleness, grace, and love. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Tuesday Lectio: James 1:19-21 Jul 28, 2020

Today’s reading is from the book of James, chapter 1, verses 19 through 21. As we listen, I wonder if God’s Spirit wants to teach me about gentleness today?

19 My dear brothers and sisters, pay attention to what I say. Everyone should be quick to listen. But they should be slow to speak. They should be slow to get angry. 20 Human anger doesn’t produce the holy life God wants. 21 So get rid of everything that is sinful. Get rid of the evil that is all around us. Don’t be too proud to accept the word that is planted in you. It can save you.

Loving God, you are the LORD who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful, and full of love. You forgive those who do evil, and you came to live and die for those who have turned their backs on you. Fill us with your Spirit so that we, too, can walk in your ways of gentleness, grace, and love. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Monday Lectio: Luke 6:35-38 Jul 27, 2020

Today’s reading is from the gospel of Luke, chapter 6, verses 35 through 38. As we listen, I wonder if God’s Spirit wants to teach me about gentleness today?

Jesus said, 35 But love your enemies. Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then you will receive a lot in return. And you will be children of the Most High God. He is kind to people who are evil and not thankful. 36 So have mercy, just as your Father has mercy. 37 If you do not judge other people, then you will not be judged. If you do not find others guilty, then you will not be found guilty. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good amount will be poured into your lap. It will be pressed down, shaken together, and running over. The same amount you give will be measured out to you.

Loving God, you are the LORD who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful, and full of love. You forgive those who do evil, and you came to live and die for those who have turned their backs on you. Fill us with your Spirit so that we, too, can walk in your ways of gentleness, grace, and love. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Friday Lectio: Hebrews 12:1-3 Jul 24, 2020

Today’s reading is from the book of Hebrews, chapter 12, verses 1 through 3. As we hear it together, I wonder what God’s Spirit wants me to hear about faithfulness?

1 A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. And let us keep running the race marked out for us. 2 Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the one who started the journey of faith. And he is the one who completes the journey of faith. He paid no attention to the shame of the cross. He suffered there because of the joy he was looking forward to. Then he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 He made it through these attacks by sinners. So think about him. Then you won’t get tired. You won’t lose hope.

Faithful God, we pray that the words we heard today with our ears will be planted inside us, in our hearts. Please help these words to grow in us and to blossom into good, faithful fruit in our lives. May all that we do and say give honor and praise to you, our faithful and loving Creator. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you on Monday!

Thursday Lectio: James 1:2-5 Jul 23, 2020

Today’s reading is from the book of James, chapter 1, verses 2 through 5. As we hear it together, I wonder what God’s Spirit wants me to hear about faithfulness?

2 My siblings, you will face all kinds of trouble. When you do, think of it as pure joy. 3 Your faith will be tested. You know that when this happens it will produce in you the strength to continue. 4 And you must allow this strength to finish its work. Then you will be all you should be. You will have everything you need. 5 If any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He will give it to you. God gives freely to everyone and doesn’t find fault.

Faithful God, we pray that the words we heard today with our ears will be planted inside us, in our hearts. Please help these words to grow in us and to blossom into good, faithful fruit in our lives. May all that we do and say give honor and praise to you, our faithful and loving Creator. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Wednesday Lectio: 1 Peter 1:5-8 Jul 22, 2020

Today’s reading is from the book of 1 Peter, chapter 1, verses 5 through 8. As we hear it together, I wonder what God’s Spirit wants me to hear about faithfulness?

5 Through faith you are kept safe by God’s power. Your salvation is going to be completed. It is ready to be shown to you in the last days. 6 Because you know all this, you have great joy. You have joy even though you may have had to suffer for a little while. You may have had to suffer sadness in all kinds of trouble. 7 Your troubles have come in order to prove that your faith is real. Your faith is worth more than gold. That’s because gold can pass away even when fire has made it pure. Your faith is meant to bring praise, honor, and glory to God. This will happen when Jesus Christ returns. 8 Even though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, you believe in him. You are filled with a glorious joy that can’t be put into words.

Faithful God, we pray that the words we heard today with our ears will be planted inside us, in our hearts. Please help these words to grow in us and to blossom into good, faithful fruit in our lives. May all that we do and say give honor and praise to you, our faithful and loving Creator. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Tuesday Lectio: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Jul 21, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 4, verses 16 through 18. As we hear it together, I wonder what God’s Spirit wants me to hear about faithfulness?

14 We know that God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. And he will also raise us up with Jesus. And he will present both you and us to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit. God’s grace is reaching more and more people. So they will become more and more thankful. They will give glory to God. 16 We don’t give up. Our bodies are becoming weaker and weaker. But our spirits are renewed day by day. 17 Our troubles are small. They last only for a short time. But they are earning for us a glory that will last forever. It is greater than all our troubles. 18 So we don’t spend all our time looking at what we can see. Instead, we look at what we can’t see. That’s because what can be seen lasts only a short time. But what can’t be seen will last forever.

Faithful God, we pray that the words we heard today with our ears will be planted inside us, in our hearts. Please help these words to grow in us and to blossom into good, faithful fruit in our lives. May all that we do and say give honor and praise to you, our faithful and loving Creator. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Monday Lectio: Lamentations 3:19-24 Jul 20, 2020

Today’s reading is from the book of Lamentations, chapter 3, verses 19 through 24. As we hear it together, I wonder what God’s Spirit wants me to hear about faithfulness?

19 I remember how I suffered and wandered.

I remember how bitter my life was.

20 I remember it very well.

My spirit is very sad deep down inside me.

21 But here is something else I remember.

And it gives me hope.

22 The LORD loves us very much.

So we haven’t been completely destroyed.

His loving concern never fails.

23 His great love is new every morning.

LORD, how faithful you are!

24 I say to myself, “The LORD is everything I will ever need.

So I will put my hope in him.”

Faithful God, we pray that the words we heard today with our ears will be planted inside us, in our hearts. Please help these words to grow in us and to blossom into good, faithful fruit in our lives. May all that we do and say give honor and praise to you, our faithful and loving Creator. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Friday Lectio: James 2:14-18 Jul 17, 2020

Today’s reading is from the book of James, chapter 2, verses 14 through 18. As we hear it together, can I listen for what the Holy Spirit might have to say to me about goodness? Are there any words or phrases that I want to spend some time with today?

14 Suppose a person claims to have faith but doesn’t act on their faith. My brothers and sisters, can this kind of faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister has no clothes or food. 16 Suppose one of you says to them, “Go. I hope everything turns out fine for you. Keep warm. Eat well.” And suppose you do nothing about what they really need. Then what good have you done? 17 It is the same with faith. If it doesn’t cause us to do something, it’s dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith. I do good deeds.” Show me your faith that doesn’t cause you to do good deeds. And I will show you my faith by the good deeds that I do.

Loving God, help us to wait for your goodness to grow in us. Help us to taste your goodness, and to always want more. And help us see your goodness all around us, because you never change. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you Monday!

Thursday Lectio: 1 Peter 2:21-24 Jul 16, 2020

Today’s reading is from 1 Peter chapter 2, verses 21 through 24. As we hear it together, can I listen for what the Holy Spirit might have to say to me about goodness? Are there any words or phrases that I want to spend some time with today?

21 You were chosen to do good even if you suffer. That’s because Christ suffered for you. He left you an example that he expects you to follow. 22 Scripture says, “He didn’t commit any sin. No lies ever came out of his mouth.” 23 People shouted at him and made fun of him. But he didn’t do the same thing back to them. When he suffered, he didn’t say he would make them suffer. Instead, he trusted in the God who judges fairly. 24 “He himself carried our sins” in his body on the cross. He did it so that we would die as far as sins are concerned. Then we would lead godly lives. “His wounds have healed you.”

Loving God, help us to wait for your goodness to grow in us. Help us to taste your goodness, and to always want more. And help us see your goodness all around us, because you never change. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Wednesday Lectio: Philippians 4:8-9 Jul 15, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, chapter 4, verses 8 and 9. As we hear it together, can I listen for what the Holy Spirit might have to say to me about goodness? Are there any words or phrases that I want to spend some time with today?

8 Finally, my siblings, always think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right, and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things. 9 Do what you have learned or received or heard from me. Follow my example. The God who gives peace will be with you.

Loving God, help us to wait for your goodness to grow in us. Help us to taste your goodness, and to always want more. And help us see your goodness all around us, because you never change. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Tuesday Lectio: James 1:16-18 Jul 14, 2020

Today’s reading is from the book of James, chapter 1, verses 16 through 18. As we hear it together, can I listen for what the Holy Spirit might have to say to me about goodness? Are there any words or phrases that I want to spend some time with today?

16 My dear siblings, don’t let anyone fool you. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from God. This kind of gift comes down from the Father who created the heavenly lights. These lights create shadows that move. But the Father does not change like these shadows. 18 God chose to give us new birth through the message of truth. He wanted us to be the first harvest of his new creation.

Loving God, help us to wait for your goodness to grow in us. Help us to taste your goodness, and to always want more. And help us see your goodness all around us, because you never change. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Monday Lectio: Psalm 34:8-14 Jul 13, 2020

Today’s reading is from Psalm 34, verses 8 through 14. As we hear it together, can I listen for what the Holy Spirit might have to say to me about goodness? Are there any words or phrases that I want to spend some time with today?

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good.

Blessed is the person who goes to him for safety.

9 You holy people of God, have respect for the LORD.

Those who respect him have everything they need.

10 The lions may grow weak and hungry.

But those who look to the LORD have every good thing they need.

11 My children, come. Listen to me.

I will teach you to have respect for the LORD.

12 Do you love life

and want to see many good days?

13 Then keep your tongue from speaking evil.

Keep your lips from telling lies.

14 Turn away from evil and do good.

Look for peace and go after it.

Loving God, help us to wait for your goodness to grow in us. Help us to taste your goodness, and to always want more. And help us see your goodness all around us, because you never change. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Friday Lectio: Ephesians 4:29-32 Jul 10, 2020

Thursday Lectio: Colossians 3:12-14 Jul 09, 2020

Today’s reading is from the letter to the Colossians, chapter 3, verses 12 through 14. As we listen, can I pay attention to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that catch my ear or my heart today?

12 You are God’s chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don’t be proud. Be gentle and patient. 13 Put up with one another. Forgive one another if you are holding something against someone. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these good things, put on love. Love holds them all together perfectly as if they were one.

LORD, you are a God who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful and full of love. Come to our aid, and have mercy on us. Show your strength by helping us. Prove your goodness to us, so that we can sing about it to the world. Let people hear our songs, know you, and be healed. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Wednesday Lectio: Matthew 5:38-42 Jul 08, 2020

Today’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 5, verses 38 through 42. As we listen, can I pay attention to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that catch my ear or my heart today?

Jesus said, 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye must be put out for an eye. A tooth must be knocked out for a tooth.’ 39 But here is what I tell you. Do not fight against an evil person. Suppose someone slaps you on the right cheek. Turn your other cheek to them also. 40 Suppose someone takes you to court to get your shirt. Let them have your coat also. 41 Suppose someone forces you to go one mile. Go two miles with them. 42 Give to the one who asks you for something. Don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow something from you.”

LORD, you are a God who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful and full of love. Come to our aid, and have mercy on us. Show your strength by helping us. Prove your goodness to us, so that we can sing about it to the world. Let people hear our songs, know you, and be healed. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Tuesday Lectio: Titus 3:3-6 Jul 07, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s letter to Titus, chapter 3 verses 3 through 6. As we listen, can I pay attention to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that catch my ear or my heart today?

3 At one time we too acted like fools. We didn’t obey God. We were tricked. We were controlled by all kinds of desires and pleasures. We were full of evil. We wanted what belongs to others. People hated us, and we hated one another. 4 But the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared. 5 He saved us. It wasn’t because of the good things we had done. It was because of his mercy. He saved us by washing away our sins. We were born again. The Holy Spirit gave us new life. 6 God poured out the Spirit on us freely. That’s because of what Jesus Christ our Savior has done.

LORD, you are a God who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful and full of love. Come to our aid, and have mercy on us. Show your strength by helping us. Prove your goodness to us, so that we can sing about it to the world. Let people hear our songs, know you, and be healed. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Monday Lectio: Psalm 103:8-14 Jul 06, 2020

Today’s reading is from Psalm 103, verses 8 through 14. As we listen, can I pay attention to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that catch my ear or my heart today?

8 The LORD is tender and kind. He is gracious.

He is slow to get angry. He is full of love.

9 He won’t keep bringing charges against us.

He won’t stay angry with us forever.

10 He doesn’t punish us for our sins as much as we should be punished.

He doesn’t pay us back in keeping with the evil things we’ve done.

11 He loves those who have respect for him.

His love is as high as the heavens are above the earth.

12 He has removed our sins from us.

He has removed them as far as the east is from the west.

13 A father is tender and kind to his children.

In the same way, the LORD is tender and kind

to those who have respect for him.

14 He knows what we are made of.

He remembers that we are dust.

LORD, you are a God who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful and full of love. Come to our aid, and have mercy on us. Show your strength by helping us. Prove your goodness to us, so that we can sing about it to the world. Let people hear our songs, know you, and be healed. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Friday Lectio: Romans 12:17-21 Jul 03, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 12, verses 17 through 21 . As we listen, can I pay attention to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that catch my ear or my heart today?

17 Don’t pay back evil with evil. Be careful to do what everyone thinks is right. 18 If possible, live in peace with everyone. Do that as much as you can. 19 My dear friends, don’t try to get even. Leave room for God to show his anger. It is written, “I am the God who judges people. I will pay them back,” says the Lord. 20 Do just the opposite. Scripture says, “If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. By doing those things, you will pile up burning coals on their heads.” 21 Don’t let evil overcome you. Overcome evil by doing good.

Our prayer this week borrows words from Psalm 86. The Psalms can give us good words that shape our hearts into places where patience can grow. They can show us how other people have waited and hoped in God. Will you pray with me?

LORD, you are a God who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful and full of love. Come to our aid, and have mercy on us. Show your strength by helping us. Prove your goodness to us, so that we can sing about it to the world. Let people hear our songs, know you, and be healed. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you Monday!

Thursday Lectio: Psalm 37:1-9 Jul 02, 2020

Today’s reading is from Psalm 37, verses 1 through 9 . As we listen, can I pay attention to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that catch my ear or my heart today?

1 Don’t be upset because of sinful people.

Don’t be jealous of those who do wrong.

2 Like grass they will soon dry up.

Like green plants, they will soon die.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good.

Then you will live in the land and enjoy its food.

4 Find your delight in the LORD.

Then he will give you everything your heart really wants.

5 Commit your life to the LORD.

Here is what he will do if you trust in him.

6 He will make the reward for your godly life shine like the dawn.

He will make the proof of your honest life shine like the sun at noon.

7 Be still and wait patiently for the LORD to act.

Don’t be upset when other people succeed.

Don’t be upset when they carry out their evil plans.

8 Turn away from anger and don’t give in to wrath.

Don’t be upset, because that only leads to evil.

9 Sinful people will be destroyed.

But those who put their hope in the LORD will receive the land.

Our prayer this week borrows words from Psalm 86. The Psalms can give us good words that shape our hearts into places where patience can grow. They can show us how other people have waited and hoped in God. Will you pray with me?

LORD, you are a God who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful and full of love. Come to our aid, and have mercy on us. Show your strength by helping us. Prove your goodness to us, so that we can sing about it to the world. Let people hear our songs, know you, and be healed. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Wednesday Lectio: Galatians 6:7-10 Jul 01, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia, chapter 6, verses 7 through 10 . As we listen, can I pay attention to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that catch my ear or my heart today?

7 Don’t be fooled. You can’t outsmart God. A man gathers a crop from what he plants. 8 Some people plant to please their desires controlled by sin. From these desires they will harvest death. Others plant to please the Holy Spirit. From the Spirit they will harvest eternal life. 9 Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up. 10 So when we can do good to everyone, let us do it. Let’s try even harder to do good to the family of believers.

Our prayer this week borrows words from Psalm 86. The Psalms can give us good words that shape our hearts into places where patience can grow. They can show us how other people have waited and hoped in God. Will you pray with me?

LORD, you are a God who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful and full of love. Come to our aid, and have mercy on us. Show your strength by helping us. Prove your goodness to us, so that we can sing about it to the world. Let people hear our songs, know you, and be healed. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Tuesday Lectio: 2 Timothy 2:8-13 Jun 30, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s second letter to Timothy, chapter 2, verses 8 through 13. As we listen, can I pay attention to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that catch my ear or my heart today?

8 Remember Jesus Christ. He came from David’s family line. He was raised from the dead. That is my good news. 9 I am suffering for it. I have even been put in chains like someone who has committed a crime. But God’s word is not held back by chains. 10 So I put up with everything for the good of God’s chosen people. Then they also can be saved. Christ Jesus saves them. He gives them glory that will last forever.

11 Here is a saying that you can trust. If we died with him, we will also live with him. 12 If we don’t give up, we will also rule with him. If we say we don’t know him, he will also say he doesn’t know us. 13 Even if we are not faithful, he will remain faithful. He must be true to himself.

Our prayer this week borrows words from Psalm 86. The Psalms can give us good words that shape our hearts into places where patience can grow. They can show us how other people have waited and hoped in God. Will you pray with me?

LORD, you are a God who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful and full of love. Come to our aid, and have mercy on us. Show your strength by helping us. Prove your goodness to us, so that we can sing about it to the world. Let people hear our songs, know you, and be healed. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Monday Lectio: Psalm 130:5-8 Jun 29, 2020

Today’s reading is from Psalm 130, verses 5 through 8. As we listen, can I pay attention to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that catch my ear or my heart today?

5 With all my heart, I wait for the LORD to help me.

I put my hope in his word.

6 I wait for the LORD to help me.

I want his help more than night watchmen want the morning to come.

I’ll say it again.

I want his help more than night watchmen want the morning to come.

7 Israel, put your hope in the LORD,

because the LORD’s love never fails.

He sets his people completely free.

8 He himself will set Israel

free from all their sins.

Our prayer this week borrows words from Psalm 86. The Psalms can give us good words that shape our hearts into places where patience can grow. They can show us how other people have waited and hoped in God. Will you pray with me?

LORD, you are a God who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful and full of love. Come to our aid, and have mercy on us. Show your strength by helping us. Prove your goodness to us, so that we can sing about it to the world. Let people hear our songs, know you, and be healed. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Friday Lectio: James 3:16-18 Jun 26, 2020

Today’s reading is from the book of James, chapter 3, verses 16 through 18. As we listen, can I open my heart to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that specially stand out to me today?

16 Are you jealous? Are you concerned only about getting ahead? Then your life will be a mess. You will be doing all kinds of evil things. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is pure. That’s the most important thing about it. And that’s not all. It also loves peace. It thinks about others. It obeys. It is full of mercy and good fruit. It is fair. It doesn’t pretend to be what it is not. 18 Those who make peace plant it like a seed. They will harvest a crop of right living.

Our prayer this week is called “The St Francis” prayer, after St Francis of Assisi, and it’s a good prayer to memorize, as we look for God’s peace to grow in our hearts:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you Monday!

Thursday Lectio: 2 Timothy 2:22-24 Jun 25, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s second letter to Timothy, chapter 2, verses 22 through 24. As we listen, can I open my heart to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that specially stand out to me today?

22 Run away from the evil things that young people long for. Try hard to do what is right. Have faith, love, and peace. Do these things together with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with arguing. It is dumb and foolish. You know it only leads to fights. 24 Anyone who serves the Lord must not be hard to get along with. Instead, they must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach. The one who serves must not hold anything against anyone.

Our prayer this week is called “The St Francis” prayer, after St Francis of Assisi, and it’s a good prayer to memorize, as we look for God’s peace to grow in our hearts:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Wednesday Lectio: Ephesians 4:2-6 Jun 24, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus, chapter 4, verses 2 through 6. As we listen, can I open my heart to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that specially stand out to me today?

2 Don’t be proud at all. Be completely gentle. Be patient. Put up with one another in love. 3 The Holy Spirit makes you one in every way. So try your best to remain as one. Let peace keep you together. 4 There is one body and one Spirit. You were appointed to one hope when you were chosen. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. 6 There is one God and Father of all. He is over everything. He is through everything. He is in everything.

Our prayer this week is called “The St Francis” prayer, after St Francis of Assisi, and it’s a good prayer to memorize, as we look for God’s peace to grow in our hearts:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Tuesday Lectio: Philippians 4:4-7 Jun 23, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, chapter 4, verses 4 through 7. As we listen, can I open my heart to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that specially stand out to me today?

4 Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful! 5 Let everyone know how gentle you are. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything. No matter what happens, tell God about everything. Ask and pray, and give thanks to him. 7 Then God’s peace will watch over your hearts and your minds. He will do this because you belong to Christ Jesus. God’s peace can never be completely understood.

Our prayer this week is called “The St Francis” prayer, after St Francis of Assisi, and it’s a good prayer to memorize, as we look for God’s peace to grow in our hearts:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Monday Lectio: John 14:25-27 Jun 22, 2020

Today’s reading is from the gospel of John, chapter 14, verses 25-27. As we listen, can I open my heart to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that specially stand out to me today?

Jesus said, 25 “I have spoken all these things while I am still with you. 26 But the Father will send the Friend in my name to help you. The Friend is the Holy Spirit. He will teach you all things. He will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 I leave my peace with you. I give my peace to you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not let your hearts be troubled. And do not be afraid.

Our prayer this week is called “The St Francis” prayer, after St Francis of Assisi, and it’s a good prayer to memorize, as we look for God’s peace to grow in our hearts:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Friday Lectio: John 16:20-22 Jun 19, 2020

Today’s reading is from the gospel of John, chapter 16, verses 20 through 22. As we listen, can I open my heart to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that specially stand out to me today?

Jesus said, 20 What I’m about to tell you is true. You will weep and mourn while the world is full of joy. You will be sad, but your sadness will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a baby has pain. That’s because her time to give birth has come. But when her baby is born, she forgets the pain. She forgets because she is so happy that a baby has been born into the world. 22 That’s the way it is with you. Now it’s your time to be sad. But I will see you again. Then you will be full of joy. And no one will take away your joy.

God, we wait in hope for you. You help us. You are like a shield that keeps us safe. Give us hearts that are joyful because of you; teach us to trust you, because you are holy and good. Lord, let your faithful love be with us. We put our hope in you. Bring us today into the joy of your life and your presence. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Thursday Lectio: Isaiah 35:8-10 Jun 18, 2020

Today’s reading is from the prophet Isaiah, chapter 35, verses 8 through 10. As we listen, can I open my heart to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that specially stand out to me today?

8 A wide road will go through the land. It will be called the Way of Holiness. Only those that lead a holy life can use it. “Unclean” and foolish people can’t walk on it. 9 No lions will use it. No hungry wild animals will be on it. None of them will be there. Only people who have been set free will walk on it. 10 Those the LORD has saved will return to their land. They will sing as they enter the city of Zion. Joy that lasts forever will be like beautiful crowns on their heads. They will be filled with gladness and joy. Sorrow and sighing will be gone.

God, we wait in hope for you. You help us. You are like a shield that keeps us safe. Give us hearts that are joyful because of you; teach us to trust you, because you are holy and good. Lord, let your faithful love be with us. We put our hope in you. Bring us today into the joy of your life and your presence. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Wednesday Lectio: Psalm 98 Jun 17, 2020

Today’s reading is Psalm 98. A psalm is a prayer that is also a song. As we listen, can I open my heart to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that specially stand out to me today?

Sing a new song to the LORD.

He has done wonderful things.

By the power of his right hand and holy arm

he has saved his people.

The LORD has made known his power to save.

He has shown the nations that he does what is right.

He has shown his faithful love

to the people of Israel.

People from one end of the earth to the other

have seen that our God has saved us.

Shout for joy to the LORD, everyone on earth.

Burst into joyful songs and make music.

Make music to the LORD with the harp.

Sing and make music with the harp.

Blow the trumpets. Give a blast on the ram’s horn.

Shout for joy to the LORD. He is the King.

Let the ocean and everything in it roar.

Let the world and all who live in it shout.

Let the rivers clap their hands.

Let the mountains sing together with joy.

Let them sing to the LORD,

because he is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the nations of the world

in keeping with what is right and fair.

God, we wait in hope for you. You help us. You are like a shield that keeps us safe. Give us hearts that are joyful because of you; teach us to trust you, because you are holy and good. Lord, let your faithful love be with us. We put our hope in you. Bring us today into the joy of your life and your presence. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Tuesday Lectio: Isaiah 12:3-6 Jun 16, 2020

Today’s reading is from the prophet Isaiah chapter 12, verses 3 through 6. As we listen, can I open my heart to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that specially stand out to me today?

3 People of Israel, he will save you. That will bring you joy like water brought up from wells. 4 In days to come, the people of Israel will sing, “Give praise to the LORD. Make his name known. Tell the nations what he has done. Announce how honored he is. 5 Sing to the LORD. He has done glorious things. Let it be known all over the world. 6 People of Zion, give a loud shout! Sing for joy! The Holy One of Israel is among you. And he is great.”

God, we wait in hope for you. You help us. You are like a shield that keeps us safe. Give us hearts that are joyful because of you; teach us to trust you, because you are holy and good. Lord, let your faithful love be with us. We put our hope in you. Bring us today into the joy of your life and your presence. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Monday Lectio: Galatians 5:22-25 Jun 15, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, verses 22 through 25. As we listen, can I open my heart to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that specially stand out to me today?

22 But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy, and peace. It is being patient, kind, and good. It is being faithful 23 and gentle and having control of oneself. There is no law against things of that kind. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed their sinful desires to the cross. They don’t want these things anymore. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

God, we wait in hope for you. You help us. You are like a shield that keeps us safe. Give us hearts that are joyful because of you; teach us to trust you, because you are holy and good. Lord, let your faithful love be with us. We put our hope in you. Bring us today into the joy of your life and your presence. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Friday Lectio: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Jun 12, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 13 verses four through 7. As we listen, can I open my heart to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that specially stand out to me today?

4 Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not want what belongs to others. It does not brag. It is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor other people. It does not look out for its own interests. It does not easily become angry. It does not keep track of other people’s wrongs. 6 Love is not happy with evil. But it is full of joy when the truth is spoken. 7 It always protects. It always trusts. It always hopes. It never gives up. (NIRV)

God, we love because you first loved us. Root us in your love, so that we are like trees planted by living streams. And as we receive all that you give, help us to love not just with our words but with our whole lives, so that everyone will know we are your children. Send your love through us into this world you have made. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening!

Thursday Lectio: John 4:7-12 Jun 11, 2020

Today’s reading is from the first letter of John, chapter 4 verses 7 through 12. As we listen, can I open my heart to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that specially stand out to me today?

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has become a child of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 Here is how God showed his love among us. He sent his one and only Son into the world. He sent him so we could receive life through him. 10 Here is what love is. It is not that we loved God. It is that he loved us and sent his Son to give his life to pay for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we should also love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love one another, God lives in us. His love is made complete in us. (NIRV)

God, we love because you first loved us. Root us in your love, so that we are like trees planted by living streams. And as we receive all that you give, help us to love not just with our words but with our whole lives, so that everyone will know we are your children. Send your love through us into this world you have made. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Wednesday Lectio: Matthew 5:43-48 Jun 10, 2020

Today’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 5, verses 43 through 48. As we listen, can I open my heart to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that specially stand out to me today?

Jesus said, 43 “You have heard it that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor. Hate your enemy.’ 44 But here is what I tell you. Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. 45 Then you will be children of your Father who is in heaven. He causes his sun to shine on evil people and good people. He sends rain on those who do right and those who don’t. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Even the tax collectors do that. 47 If you greet only your own people, what more are you doing than others? Even people who are ungodly do that. 48 So be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect. (NIRV)

God, we love because you first loved us. Root us in your love, so that we are like trees planted by living streams. And as we receive all that you give, help us to love not just with our words but with our whole lives, so that everyone will know we are your children. Send your love through us into this world you have made. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Tuesday Lectio: Matthew 22:34-40 Jun 09, 2020

Today’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 22, verses 34 through 40. As we listen, can I open my heart to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that specially stand out to me today?

34 The Pharisees heard that the Sadducees weren’t able to answer Jesus. So the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them was an authority on the law. So he tested Jesus with a question. 36 “Teacher,” he said, “which is the most important command in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and most important commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ 40 Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments. (NIRV)

God, we love because you first loved us. Root us in your love, so that we are like trees planted by living streams. And as we receive all that you give, help us to love not just with our words but with our whole lives, so that everyone will know we are your children. Send your love through us into this world you have made. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Monday Lectio: Galations 5:22-25 Jun 08, 2020

Today’s reading is from Paul’s letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, verses 22 through 25. As we listen, can I open my heart to what the Holy Spirit might want me to hear? Are there any words or phrases that specially stand out to me today?

22 But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy, and peace. It is being patient, kind, and good. It is being faithful 23 and gentle and having control of oneself. There is no law against things of that kind. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed their sinful desires to the cross. They don’t want these things anymore. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (NIRV)

God, we love because you first loved us. Root us in your love, so that we are like trees planted by living streams. And as we receive all that you give, help us to love not just with our words but with our whole lives, so that everyone will know we are your children. Send your love through us into this world you have made. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can support this and future seasons of the podcast by joining us as a patron: visit patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod to stay in touch, or learn more at www.wewonderpod.com. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

We Wonder: Ordinary Time Begins Monday! Jun 05, 2020

This season, during Ordinary Time, we are going to spend time reading and praying about the Holy Spirit has promised to grow in us, when we abide in Jesus. When we are connected to Jesus, like the branches to a vine, then his character will begin to become ours. We will look at passages of Scripture that teach us about the fruit that blossoms in us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that can nourish us and our world: fruit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

May 31: Pentecost May 31, 2020

Today’s reading is from Acts 2:1-17, and 32-33.

1 When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers gathered in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound came from heaven. It was like a strong wind blowing. It filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw something that looked like fire in the shape of tongues. The flames separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in languages they had not known before. The Spirit gave them the ability to do this.

5 Godly Jews from every country in the world were staying in Jerusalem. 6 A crowd came together when they heard the sound. They were bewildered because each of them heard their own language being spoken. 7 The crowd was really amazed. They asked, “Aren’t all of these people who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then why do we each hear them speaking in our own native language? 9 We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites. We live in Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia. We are from Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia. Others of us are from Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene. Still others are visitors from Rome. 11 Some of the visitors are Jews. Others have accepted the Jewish faith. Also, Cretans and Arabs are here. We hear all these people speaking about God’s wonders in our own languages!” 12 They were amazed and bewildered. They asked one another, “What does this mean?”

13 But some people in the crowd made fun of the believers. “They’ve had too much wine!” they said.

14 Then Peter stood up with the 11 apostles. In a loud voice he spoke to the crowd. “My fellow Jews,” he said, “let me explain this to you. All of you who live in Jerusalem, listen carefully to what I say. 15 You think these people are drunk. But they aren’t! It’s only nine o’clock in the morning! 16 No, here is what the prophet Joel meant. 17 He said,

In the last days, God says,

I will pour out my Holy Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy.

Your young men will see visions.

Your old men will have dreams.

And now, verses 32 through 33:

Peter said, 32 God raised this same Jesus back to life. We are all witnesses of this. 33 Jesus has been given a place of honor at the right hand of God. He has received the Holy Spirit from the Father. This is what God had promised. It is Jesus who has poured out what you now see and hear.

Friday Lectio: John 14:25-27 May 29, 2020

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Thursday Lectio: Revelation 21:1-5 May 28, 2020

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Wednesday Lectio: Romans 8:35-39 May 27, 2020

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Tuesday Lectio May 26, 2020

Monday Lectio: Romans 8:9-11 May 25, 2020

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

A Brief Update from We Wonder May 23, 2020

We Wonder is taking Memorial Day weekend off and will return on Monday!

Friday Lectio: Colossians 2:13-15 May 22, 2020

13 At one time you were dead in your sins. Your desires controlled by sin were not circumcised. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave us all our sins. 14 He wiped out what the law said that we owed. The law stood against us. It judged us. But he has taken it away and nailed it to the cross. 15 He took away the weapons of the powers and authorities. He made a public show of them. He won the battle over them by dying on the cross.

Jesus, you have risen from the dead and have ascended to sit at God’s right hand. Though we cannot see you, you promised that we will live in and with you. Send us your Holy Spirit to lead us into your new creation.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Thursday Lectio: Colossians 2:9-12 May 21, 2020

9 God’s whole nature is living in Christ in human form. 10 Because you belong to Christ, you have been made complete. He is the ruler over every power and authority. 11 When you received Christ, your circumcision was not done by human hands. Instead, your circumcision was done by Christ. He put away the person you used to be. At that time, sin’s power ruled over you. 12 When you were baptized, you were buried together with Christ. And you were raised to life together with him when you were baptized. You were raised to life by believing in God’s work. God himself raised Jesus from the dead.

Jesus, you have risen from the dead and have ascended to sit at God’s right hand. Though we cannot see you, you promised that we will live in and with you. Send us your Holy Spirit to lead us into your new creation.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Wednesday Lectio: Colossians 1:21-23 May 20, 2020

21 At one time you were separated from God. You were enemies in your minds because of your evil ways. 22 But because Christ died, God has brought you back to himself. Christ’s death has made you holy in God’s sight. So now you don’t have any flaw. You are free from blame. 23 But you must keep your faith steady and firm. You must not move away from the hope the good news holds out to you. This is the good news that you heard. It has been preached to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, now serve the good news.

Jesus, you have risen from the dead and have ascended to sit at God’s right hand. Though we cannot see you, you promised that we will live in and with you. Send us your Holy Spirit to lead us into your new creation.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Tuesday Lectio: Colossions 1:18-20 May 19, 2020

18 The Son is the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning. He is the first to be raised from the dead. That happened so that he would be far above everything. 19 God was pleased to have his whole nature living in Christ. 20 God was pleased to bring all things back to himself. That’s because of what Christ has done. These things include everything on earth and in heaven. God made peace through Christ’s blood, by his death on the cross.

Jesus, you have risen from the dead and have ascended to sit at God’s right hand. Though we cannot see you, you promised that we will live in and with you. Send us your Holy Spirit to lead us into your new creation.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Monday Lectio: Colossians 1:15-17 May 18, 2020

15 The Son is the exact likeness of God, who can’t be seen. The Son is first, and he is over all creation. 16 All things were created in him. He created everything in heaven and on earth. He created everything that can be seen and everything that can’t be seen. He created kings, powers, rulers, and authorities. All things have been created by him and for him. 17 Before anything was created, he was already there. He holds everything together.

Jesus, you have risen from the dead and have ascended to sit at God’s right hand. Though we cannot see you, you promised that we will live in and with you. Send us your Holy Spirit to lead us into your new creation.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

May 17: The Spirit of Truth May 17, 2020

Scripture passage: John 14:1-7, 15-19

Jesus said to his friends, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” How is my heart, right now? Can I offer it to Jesus, who speaks peace and love to troubled hearts?

I wonder, do I ever feel like I don’t know the way? Is it hard sometimes to know what I should do, or say, or who I should trust? What do I want to say to God about that?

How does it feel to hear Jesus’s words: “I am the way, the truth, and the life?”

Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our friend: someone who is for us, who wants the best for us, and who loves to be with us. Can I invite the Holy Spirit to befriend me and walk with me today?

The Holy Spirit also leads us along Jesus’s way. I wonder, can I trust that Jesus’s ways are always good, even when they are hard? That Jesus’s steps of love, forgiveness, and humility will always bring me home to God?

Jesus, you are the way home to God. Jesus, you are the truth of God’s love for us and for the world. Jesus, you are the life that creates and sustains us, and carries us through death into eternal life with God. Send your Spirit to us and help us walk in your ways with joy and gratitude.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Friday Lectio: Romans 6:1-13 May 15, 2020

11 In the same way, consider yourselves to be dead as far as sin is concerned. Now you believe in Christ Jesus. So consider yourselves to be alive as far as God is concerned. 12 Don’t let sin rule your body, which is going to die. Don’t obey evil desires. 13 Don’t give any part of yourself to serve sin. Don’t let any part of yourself be used to do evil. Instead, give yourselves to God. You have been brought from death to life. So give every part of yourself to God to do what is right.

Gracious God, give us ears to hear and hearts to receive your words of peace. Thank you for pouring your love into our hearts, and help us to be confident in all that Jesus has done for us.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Thursday Lectio: Romans 6:5, 8-10 May 14, 2020

5 By being baptized, we have been joined with him in a death like his. So we will certainly also be joined with him in a resurrection like his...8 We died with Christ. So we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ was raised from the dead and will never die again. Death doesn’t control him anymore. 10 When he died, he died once and for all time. He did this to break the power of sin. Now that he lives, he lives in the power of God.

Gracious God, give us ears to hear and hearts to receive your words of peace. Thank you for pouring your love into our hearts, and help us to be confident in all that Jesus has done for us.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Wednesday Lectio: Romans 6:1-4 May 13, 2020

1 What should we say then? Should we keep on sinning so that God’s grace can increase? 2 Not at all! As far as sin is concerned, we are dead. So how can we keep on sinning? 3 All of us were baptized into Christ Jesus. Don’t you know that we were baptized into his death? 4 By being baptized, we were buried with Christ into his death. Christ has been raised from the dead by the Father’s glory. And like Christ we also can live a new life.

Gracious God, give us ears to hear and hearts to receive your words of peace. Thank you for pouring your love into our hearts, and help us to be confident in all that Jesus has done for us.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Tuesday Lectio: Romans 5:6-8 May 12, 2020

6 At just the right time Christ died for ungodly people. He died for us when we had no power of our own. 7 It is unusual for anyone to die for a godly person. Maybe someone would be willing to die for a good person. 8 But here is how God has shown his love for us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Gracious God, give us ears to hear and hearts to receive your words of peace. Thank you for pouring your love into our hearts, and help us to be confident in all that Jesus has done for us.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Monday Lectio: Romans 5:1-5 May 11, 2020

1 We have been made right with God because of our faith. Now we have peace with him because of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through faith in Jesus we have received God’s grace. In that grace we stand. We are full of joy because we expect to share in God’s glory. 3 And that’s not all. We are full of joy even when we suffer. We know that our suffering gives us the strength to go on. 4 The strength to go on produces character. Character produces hope. 5 And hope will never bring us shame. That’s because God’s love has been poured into our hearts. This happened through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Gracious God, give us ears to hear and hearts to receive your words of peace. Thank you for pouring your love into our hearts, and help us to be confident in all that Jesus has done for us.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark and Nick Thompson. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

May 10: Jesus, The Servant May 10, 2020

Scripture passage: Philippians 2:1-11

I wonder: does belonging to Christ help me in any way?

Does his Jesus’ love comfort me at all?

Has Jesus ever been gentle with me?

I wonder, can I sit for a minute with the good news that Jesus, who is equal with God, emptied himself of everything so that he could come and live with us?

Jesus emptied himself out, all the way to death on the cross. I wonder, how does Jesus show me what God is like? What do I want to say to Jesus about that?

I wonder if it’s hard sometimes to think and act like Jesus did? Can I ask his Holy Spirit to breathe into me and help me?

I wonder how I can look out for the good of others around me this week? Can I ask Jesus, right now and throughout the week, to show me?

Jesus, your life, death, and resurrection were all for us and for God’s glory. You show us God’s ways of humility and kindness, and by your Spirit you give us the power to walk in your steps. Thank you for being gentle and loving towards us, and be with us this week as we look out for one another.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Friday Lectio: Ephesians 2:19-22 May 08, 2020

19 So you are no longer outsiders and strangers. You are citizens together with God’s people. You are also members of God’s family. 20 You are a building that is built on the apostles and prophets. They are the foundation. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in the building. 21 The whole building is held together by him. It rises to become a holy temple because it belongs to the Lord. 22 And because you belong to him, you too are being built together. You are being made into a house where God lives through his Spirit.

Jesus Christ, you are our peace. Because of your death and resurrection, God gives us life even when we are dead in sin. Now we are called to follow you. Help us sing your praise in all that we do and say.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Thursday Lectio: Ephesians 2:14-18 May 07, 2020

14 Christ himself is our peace. He has made Jews and Gentiles into one group of people. He has destroyed the hatred that was like a wall between us. 15 Through his body on the cross, Christ set aside the law with all its commands and rules. He planned to create one new people out of Jews and Gentiles. He wanted to make one peace between them. 16 He planned to bring both Jews and Gentiles back to God as one body. He planned to do this through the cross. On that cross, Christ put to death their hatred toward one another. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away. He also preached peace to those who were near. 18 Through Christ we both come to the Father by the power of one Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ, you are our peace. Because of your death and resurrection, God gives us life even when we are dead in sin. Now we are called to follow you. Help us sing your praise in all that we do and say.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Wednesday Lectio: Ephesians 2:12-13 May 06, 2020

12 Before you believed in Christ, you were separated from him. You were not considered to be citizens of Israel. You were not included in what the covenants promised. You were without hope and without God in the world. 13 At one time you were far away from God. But now you belong to Christ Jesus. He spilled his blood for you. This has brought you near to God.

Jesus Christ, you are our peace. Because of your death and resurrection, God gives us life even when we are dead in sin. Now we are called to follow you. Help us sing your praise in all that we do and say.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Tuesday Lectio: Ephesians 2:6-10 May 05, 2020

6 God raised us up with Christ. He has seated us with him in his heavenly kingdom. That’s because we belong to Christ Jesus. 7 He has done it to show the riches of his grace for all time to come. His grace can’t be compared with anything else. He has shown it by being kind to us. He was kind to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. 8 God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift. 9 It is not based on anything you have done. No one can brag about earning it. 10 We are God’s creation. Now we can do good works. Long ago, God prepared these works for us to do.

Jesus Christ, you are our peace. Because of your death and resurrection, God gives us life even when we are dead in sin. Now we are called to follow you. Help us sing your praise in all that we do and say.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Monday Lectio: Ephesians 2:3-5 May 04, 2020

3 At one time...Our desires were controlled by sin. We tried to satisfy what they wanted us to do. We followed our desires and thoughts. God was angry with us, like he was with everyone else. That’s because of the kind of people we all were. 4 But God loves us deeply. He is full of mercy. 5 So he gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God’s grace has saved you.

Jesus Christ, you are our peace. Because of your death and resurrection, God gives us life even when we are dead in sin. Now we are called to follow you. Help us sing your praise in all that we do and say.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

May 3: The Road to Emmaus May 03, 2020

Scripture passage: Luke 24:13-35

I wonder why Cleopas and the other follower didn’t recognize Jesus when he met them on the road?

I wonder what it was like to walk along, under the sky, and have Jesus explain all about the Scriptures to them? I wonder what words he used? I wonder what his voice sounded like as he spoke?

The friends said to one another, “Didn’t our hearts burn inside us as he opened the Scriptures? Weren’t we excited, as he talked with us on the road?” I wonder how it felt, to begin to understand that God had been working in all of the sad and scary things that had happened to Jesus?

I wonder how they recognized Jesus when he broke the bread with them at the table?

I wonder if Jesus is present to me, in a special way, when I come to his table?

I wonder what it was like, when all of the disciples gathered together again, telling one another the different ways they had seen the Lord?

Jesus, you helped your followers understand how to read Scripture. You showed them that God was at work in your suffering and death, and then you shared a meal with them and they knew that you were alive with them again. Meet us as we hear your good words, and be with us at your table, whenever we can gather there again.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Friday Lectio: Ephesians 1:19-23 May 01, 2020

19 And you will know God’s great power. It can’t be compared with anything else. His power works for us who believe. It is the same mighty strength 20 God showed. He showed this when he raised Christ from the dead. God seated him at his right hand in his heavenly kingdom. 21 There Christ sits far above all who rule and have authority. He also sits far above all powers and kings. He is above every name that is appealed to in this world and in the world to come. 22 God placed all things under Christ’s rule. He appointed him to be ruler over everything for the church. 23 The church is Christ’s body and is filled by Christ. He fills everything in every way.

We praise you, Lord, because you are good. We sing to you, O God, because you are gracious. You have chosen us for yourself, and made us your own. Give us grace to trust you today.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Thursday Lectio: Ephesians 1:15-18 Apr 30, 2020

15 I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus. I have also heard about your love for all God’s people. That is why 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the glorious Father. I keep asking him to give you the wisdom and understanding that comes from the Holy Spirit. I want you to know God better. 18 I pray that you may understand more clearly. Then you will know the hope that God has chosen you to receive. You will know that what God will give his holy people is rich and glorious.

We praise you, Lord, because you are good. We sing to you, O God, because you are gracious. You have chosen us for yourself, and made us your own. Give us grace to trust you today.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Wednesday Lectio: Ephesians 1:11-14 Apr 29, 2020

11 We were also chosen to belong to him. God decided to choose us long ago in keeping with his plan. He works out everything to fit his plan and purpose. 12 We were the first to put our hope in Christ. We were chosen to bring praise to his glory. 13 You also became believers in Christ. That happened when you heard the message of truth. It was the good news about how you could be saved. When you believed, he stamped you with an official mark. That official mark is the Holy Spirit that he promised. 14 The Spirit marks us as God’s own. We can now be sure that someday we will receive all that God has promised. That will happen after God sets all his people completely free. All these things will bring praise to his glory.

We praise you, Lord, because you are good. We sing to you, O God, because you are gracious. You have chosen us for yourself, and made us your own. Give us grace to trust you today.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Tuesday Lectio: Ephesians 1:7-10 Apr 28, 2020

7 We have been set free because of what Christ has done. Because he bled and died our sins have been forgiven. We have been set free because God’s grace is so rich. 8 He poured his grace on us. By giving us great wisdom and understanding, 9 he showed us the mystery of his plan. It was in keeping with what he wanted to do. It was what he had planned through Christ. 10 It will come about when history has been completed. God will then bring together all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

We praise you, Lord, because you are good. We sing to you, O God, because you are gracious. You have chosen us for yourself, and made us your own. Give us grace to trust you today.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Monday Lectio: Ephesians 1:3-6 Apr 27, 2020

3 Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Those blessings come from the heavenly world. They belong to us, because we belong to Christ. 4 God chose us to belong to Christ before the world was created. He chose us to be holy and without blame in his eyes. He loved us. 5 So he decided long ago to adopt us. He adopted us as his children with all the rights children have. He did it because of what Jesus Christ has done. It pleased God to do it. 6 All those things bring praise to his glorious grace. God freely gave us his grace because of the One he loves.

We praise you, Lord, because you are good. We sing to you, O God, because you are gracious. You have chosen us for yourself, and made us your own. Give us grace to trust you today.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

April 26: "Peter, Do You Love Me?" Apr 26, 2020

Scripture: John 21:1-17

I wonder why Peter and the other disciples had gone back to their lives as fishermen, after everything that had happened?

I wonder why Peter jumped right into the water to swim to Jesus, as soon as he recognized him?

I wonder what it was like to be served breakfast on the beach by the risen Lord?

I wonder how Peter felt, when Jesus took him aside after breakfast. I wonder if this was the first time Peter spoke with Jesus alone, after he was raised?

I wonder why Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?”

I wonder how Jesus’ voice sounded, when he told Peter, “Feed my sheep”? Was it a command? An invitation? A gift?

I wonder, can I trust that Jesus knows me like he knows Peter, and loves and welcomes all of me, too?

Our loving God, thank you for seeing us and knowing us inside and out. Thank you that when you see everything that is beautiful and good in us, and everything that is broken and scared, you always come towards us in love, just like Jesus came to Peter and the disciples on the beach.

Friday Lectio: 1 Corinthians 15:54b-57 Apr 24, 2020

Jesus, you taught us that your kingdom is a farmer who scatters seeds. Let your words take root in us, and help them grow so that we can bear your living fruit in the world

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Thursday Lectio: 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 Apr 23, 2020

Jesus, you taught us that your kingdom is a farmer who scatters seeds. Let your words take root in us, and help them grow so that we can bear your living fruit in the world

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Wednesday Lectio: 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 Apr 22, 2020

Jesus, you taught us that your kingdom is a farmer who scatters seeds. Let your words take root in us, and help them grow so that we can bear your living fruit in the world

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Tuesday Lectio: 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 Apr 21, 2020

Jesus, you taught us that your kingdom is a farmer who scatters seeds. Let your words take root in us, and help them grow so that we can bear your living fruit in the world

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Monday Lectio: 1 Corinthians 15:35-38 Apr 20, 2020

Jesus, you taught us that your kingdom is a farmer who scatters seeds. Let your words take root in us, and help them grow so that we can bear your living fruit in the world

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

April 19: Jesus Appears to His Friends Apr 19, 2020

Scripture: John 20:19-31

Wondering Questions:

At the beginning of this story, even though Peter and John had seen the empty tomb, the disciples were still afraid. They had locked themselves inside, and were hiding. I wonder why they were still confused, uncertain, scared on that very first Easter day?

I wonder how Jesus’s friends responded in the first moments when they saw that he was in the room? I wonder what their faces looked like?

I wonder how Jesus looked the same to them, after his death and resurrection? I wonder how he was different, now that he had been raised to new life?

I wonder how it felt, to see that Jesus was really alive? To see his chest take in air, and then feel the breath as he exhaled?

I wonder why Jesus’s first words, to his disciples and then later to Thomas, were “Peace be with you”?

Jesus said to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen me, but have still believed.” Is that a hard thing for me to do? What do I want to say to God about that?

Can I ask God, right now, to help me hope and trust that these good words are true?

Prayer

Creator God, you gave your people this promise: “I will put my Spirit in you. And you will live again.” By your Spirit, you raised Jesus from the dead. Fill us with your living Spirit, and help us walk in your living ways.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Friday Lectio: 1 Corinthians 15:27-28 Apr 17, 2020

Loving God, your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a lamp that guides me. Brighten our steps with the light of your resurrected life, and help us walk in your ways with joy.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Thursday Lectio: 1 Corinthians 15:23-26 Apr 16, 2020

Loving God, your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a lamp that guides me. Brighten our steps with the light of your resurrected life, and help us walk in your ways with joy.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Wednesday Lectio: 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 Apr 15, 2020

Scripture passage: 1 Corinthians 15:20-22

Loving God, your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a lamp that guides me. Brighten our steps with the light of your resurrected life, and help us walk in your ways with joy.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Scripture passage: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Loving God, your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a lamp that guides me. Brighten our steps with the light of your resurrected life, and help us walk in your ways with joy.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Tuesday Lectio: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Apr 14, 2020

Scripture passage: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Loving God, your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a lamp that guides me. Brighten our steps with the light of your resurrected life, and help us walk in your ways with joy.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Scripture passage: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Loving God, your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a lamp that guides me. Brighten our steps with the light of your resurrected life, and help us walk in your ways with joy.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

Monday Lectio: 1 Corinthans 5:14 Apr 13, 2020

Scripture passage: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Loving God, your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a lamp that guides me. Brighten our steps with the light of your resurrected life, and help us walk in your ways with joy.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and produced by Richard Clark. You can connect with us at sarah@wewonderpod.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @wewonderpod.

Like what you hear? Want to support future seasons and get some occasional fun insider perks? Support We Wonder by becoming a monthly patron: visit https://patreon.com/wewonder to learn more.

We Wonder: Easter Begins Tomorrow! Apr 12, 2020

Each Sunday in Easter, we will hear a story from the New Testament and wonder together about Jesus, who has passed through death and been raised in glory on the other side. As our churches continue to practice social distancing, I hope this will give both children and grownups together an additional space to come together in worship.

We will also have short daily episodes each weekday, from now until May 29. Each day, we will sit with a short passage of Scripture. We will hear it, meditate on it, and pray about it together. I hope this can become a daily practice for children and grownups as we learn together to let God’s good words breathe new life into our hearts.

Our first daily episode will be tomorrow! So join me, as we rest and find new life in God.

April 11: Easter Vigil Apr 11, 2020

Today is Holy Saturday, and sometimes it can feel like the longest day in the world. When we woke this morning, Jesus was sealed in the tomb. The disciples were scattered. Sometimes today feels like the day when the light of the world has gone out.

But now the day is drawing to a close. The sun is going down, and the dark is creeping across the sky. But tonight is not like other nights. Tonight is the most holy night, when Jesus passed over from death to life. Tonight, the light of Christ flames forth and will never go out again. From Romans 6: “we know that Christ was raised from the dead, and will never die again. Death doesn’t control him anymore. When he died, he died once and for all time. He did this to break the power of sin. Now that he lives, he lives in the power of God.”

Paul also tells us, “By being baptized, we have been joined with him in a death like his. So we will certainly also be joined with him in a resurrection like his.” Alleluia! The Lord is risen!

Music for this episode is from the album “Love Divine, Victorious,” by City Church San Francisco, with special thanks to Karl Digerness, Minna Choi, the City Church choir and the Magik*Magik* Orchestra. You can purchase a digital copy of the album at https://music.citychurchsf.org/album/love-divine-victorious

I wonder what went through Mary’s mind and heart, in the instant she noticed that the stone was moved?

I wonder why Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb? What made them feel like they needed to hurry and race?

I wonder why Mary stayed beside the tomb, after the two disciples left.

I wonder how Jesus’ voice sounded, when he said, “Mary.”

Can I begin to imagine the joy and wonder that Mary felt, as she turned around and saw her risen Lord? Can I let myself believe that this is actually true, and that the living Jesus speaks my name, too?

This Easter, for us in this time, is different: many of us are celebrating at home, unable to gather with our communities, and we may not know what happens next. The disciples didn’t know what was going to happen next, either. All they had to hold onto were Mary’s simple words: “I have seen the Lord.” Can I hold on to those words right now, and place my hope and trust in their deep, deep good news?

God, you make this holy night shine with the glory of Jesus’ resurrection. We praise you and thank you for raising Jesus to new life, and raising us in him. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we are carried safely through sin and death; in Jesus, we pass over to your eternal, glorious life.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

April 11: Holy Saturday Apr 11, 2020

Today is Holy Saturday, and sometimes it can feel like the longest day in the world. When we woke this morning, Jesus was sealed in the tomb. The disciples were scattered. Sometimes today feels like the day when the light of the world has gone out.

But now the day is drawing to a close. The sun is going down, and the dark is creeping across the sky. But tonight is not like other nights. Tonight is the most holy night, when Jesus passed over from death to life. Tonight, the light of Christ flames forth and will never go out again. From Romans 6: “we know that Christ was raised from the dead, and will never die again. Death doesn’t control him anymore. When he died, he died once and for all time. He did this to break the power of sin. Now that he lives, he lives in the power of God.”

Paul also tells us, “By being baptized, we have been joined with him in a death like his. So we will certainly also be joined with him in a resurrection like his.” Alleluia! The Lord is risen!

Music for this episode is from the album “Love Divine, Victorious,” by City Church San Francisco, with special thanks to Karl Digerness, Minna Choi, the City Church choir and the Magik*Magik* Orchestra. You can purchase a digital copy of the album at https://music.citychurchsf.org/album/love-divine-victorious

I wonder what went through Mary’s mind and heart, in the instant she noticed that the stone was moved?

I wonder why Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb? What made them feel like they needed to hurry and race?

I wonder why Mary stayed beside the tomb, after the two disciples left.

I wonder how Jesus’ voice sounded, when he said, “Mary.”

Can I begin to imagine the joy and wonder that Mary felt, as she turned around and saw her risen Lord? Can I let myself believe that this is actually true, and that the living Jesus speaks my name, too?

This Easter, for us in this time, is different: many of us are celebrating at home, unable to gather with our communities, and we may not know what happens next. The disciples didn’t know what was going to happen next, either. All they had to hold onto were Mary’s simple words: “I have seen the Lord.” Can I hold on to those words right now, and place my hope and trust in their deep, deep good news?

God, you make this holy night shine with the glory of Jesus’ resurrection. We praise you and thank you for raising Jesus to new life, and raising us in him. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we are carried safely through sin and death; in Jesus, we pass over to your eternal, glorious life.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

April 10: Good Friday Apr 10, 2020

Today is Good Friday. Today is a sad and serious day: it is the day when Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world. It is a day for remembering, with sadness, how very badly things have gone in the world. But it is also a day for a deep and quiet gratitude, because we know that all that is broken in the world and in us was nailed to the cross with Jesus. Because of his death -- and because that death will come undone when he rises again -- we are welcomed into God’s eternal life.

I hope you will find ways to slow down, to watch, and to listen on today and tomorrow, as things go dark and we wait for resurrection. So join me, as we remember today that our one great hope is in God.

Music for this episode is from the album “Love Divine, Victorious,” by City Church San Francisco, with special thanks to Karl Digerness, Minna Choi, the City Church choir and the Magik*Magik* Orchestra. You can purchase a digital copy of the album at https://music.citychurchsf.org/album/love-divine-victorious

Scripture passage: Mark 15:1-38

I wonder why Pilate handed Jesus over to be killed, when he knew that he did not deserve it?

I wonder what it was like to be in the crowd, as they called out “Crucify him! Crucify him!” I wonder if any of those same people had been in the crowd that yelled “Hosanna!”?

I wonder how Simon of Cyrene felt, when rough Roman soldiers grabbed him and forced him to help carry Jesus’ cross. I wonder if he was afraid? I wonder if he had any room to feel sorry for the man who would be nailed on it, or if he just wanted to get away and be safe?

I wonder what Jesus’ voice sounded like, as he cried out to God?

I wonder what the Roman commander saw, that no one else there did? I wonder why, as he watched Jesus die, he said, “This man was surely God’s son”?

Jesus, if we have died with you, then we will also live with you.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

April 9: Maundy Thursday Apr 09, 2020

Today is Maundy Thursday. Today gets its name from the Latin word mandatum, which means “command.” Maundy Thursday is the day when Jesus ate his last supper with his disciples, and he gave them the command to love one another.

Maundy Thursday is also the first day of the Triduum, or the three holy days that lead up to Easter. These are the days when we walk with Jesus from the Last Supper to the garden of Gethsemane; from his arrest and trial to his death and burial; and then glimpse the dawning light of Easter and resurrection. I hope you will find ways to slow down, to watch, and to listen on these holy days. They are the days that changed everything. So join me, as we watch, and wait, and hope in God.

Music for this episode is from the album “Love Divine, Victorious,” by City Church San Francisco, with special thanks to Jason Morrell, Karl Digerness, Minna Choi, the City Church choir and the Magik*Magik* Orchestra. You can purchase a digital copy of the album at https://music.citychurchsf.org/album/love-divine-victorious

Scripture passage: John 13:1-9, 11-14, 31-38

I wonder what Jesus’ disciples thought, as they saw Jesus draw the water and prepare to wash their feet. I wonder if they whispered anything to one another?

I wonder how I would have felt, if I were there. Can I imagine Jesus doing such a humble, lowly job for me? What would I say to Jesus, if I were there?

I wonder why Jesus said he was going to receive glory, when he knew that he would be arrested and killed?

I wonder what Jesus’ face looked like, as he spoke to Peter. I wonder what his voice sounded like, when he said, “Before the rooster crows, you will say you don’t me three times.”

Jesus said, “You must love one another, just as I have loved you. If you love one another, everyone will know you are my disciples.” I wonder how we can live that out together? How can we live so that we look like Jesus?

Jesus, you loved your disciples to the very end, and you have called us to walk in that love. Help us receive the love and service that you have given us. Transform us to share your love and serve those around us, so that when people look at our lives they may see your love.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

April 8: Spy Wednesday Apr 08, 2020

Wednesday in Holy Week is also known as Spy Wednesday: it is the day when we remember that a disciple named Judas Iscariot agreed to spy on Jesus, and hand him over to be arrested. Each day this week, we are continuing to listen to stories and wonder together about Jesus’ very last days before his death. We are watching what he did, and listening to what he said as we walk with him toward the cross.

Good Friday is coming, but Easter morning is waiting for us on the other side. Join me, as we watch, and wait, and hope in God during Holy Week.

Scripture passage: Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16

I wonder what Jesus’ disciples felt when he told them that he would be handed over, and nailed to a cross. I wonder how I would have felt, if I were there? Would I have been disappointed? Disbelieving? Confused? Sad?

I wonder why the chief priests and the leaders wanted so badly to arrest Jesus, and to see him killed? I wonder how they felt, as they heard him speak and saw the crowds gather around him?

I wonder why Judas went to find the chief priests? I wonder what he was thinking and feeling when he made that decision?

I wonder how he felt, as he walked away with the thirty pieces of silver in his pocket. I wonder what Judas thought, and felt, the next time he looked into Jesus’ eyes?

Jesus, you were betrayed by a friend. You knew that every step in Jerusalem was leading you closer to a Roman cross. On this week, so many years ago, you endured so much pain, because you love us. Help us to trust you even when, like the disciples we don’t understand what you are doing; to adore you, because you are good; and to rest in your strong love.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

April 7: Holy Week Tuesday Apr 07, 2020

Today is Tuesday, the third day of Holy Week. Each day this week, we are spending time listening to stories and wondering together about Jesus’ very last days before his death. We will watch what he did, and listen to what he said as we walk with him toward the cross.

Good Friday is coming, but Easter morning is waiting for us on the other side. Join me, as we watch, and wait, and hope in God during Holy Week.

Scripture passage: Mark 14:3-9

I wonder what the scented oil smelled like, as it poured out of its jar and down into Jesus’ hair. Can I imagine being in that room, and taking in the scent, the sight of the joy in the woman’s face, the love in Jesus’ eyes?

I wonder how the woman felt when the people around her became angry. I wonder how it felt when Jesus spoke up to praise what she had done?

I wonder why this story doesn’t tell us the woman’s name, even though Jesus promised that we would always remember what she had done?

I wonder if I have ever felt so moved by God’s love that I have wanted to respond with a gift of my own? Can I sit, right now, and welcome that overwhelming love into my heart?

I wonder if Jesus was able to still smell the oil, as he hung on the cross. I wonder how it felt to him, in that moment, to remember the great gift of love the woman had given him?

Jesus, filled with God’s love, you poured out your life for us just as this woman poured out her oil. Help us receive your gift, and respond with the joy that works, prays, and gives itself for others, too.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

April 6: Holy Week Monday Apr 06, 2020

Today is Monday in Holy Week. Each day this week, we will spend some time hearing and wondering about Jesus’ very last days before his death. We will watch what he did, and listen to what he said as we walk with him toward the cross.

Good Friday is coming, but Easter morning remains our hope. Join me, as we watch, and wait, and hope in God during Holy Week.

Scripture passage: Mark 11:12-19

I wonder what Jesus’ face looked like, when he saw the empty fig tree? I wonder what his voice sounded like when he brought everything in the temple to a stop?

I wonder what it felt like to watch Jesus turning over the tables, and scattering all of the animals and money around the temple? Was it frightening? Surprising? Exciting? Something else?

I wonder why Jesus was so upset with the money-changers, the animal-sellers, and the people who were in charge at the temple?

I wonder if it’s true that Jesus wants me to be able to come close to God, just as badly as he wanted to help the people in the temple?

I wonder if I can imagine a place where all people -- no matter where they are from, or what they look like, or how much money they have, or how they dress or eat -- can live out God’s ways and come close to God together? How does it feel, to picture a place that is a house of prayer for all people?

Our good God, you promise that as the mountains surround your holy city, so you surround your people. Keep us close in your love, and help us draw others to know you, worship you, and find themselves at home in your love.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

April 5: Palm Sunday Apr 05, 2020

Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. All around the world, people will slow down and remember the things that happened during this week two thousand years ago in Jerusalem.

Scripture passage: Mark 11:1-11

I wonder what Jesus’ disciples were thinking about, as they walked up the steep road from Jericho to Jerusalem? I wonder if they were hoping Jesus would act like a king and show God’s power?

I wonder what it was like to be in the crowd, waiting for Jesus to pass by? Would I have wanted to sing? To wave to Jesus? What would I do if he caught my eye and smiled?

I wonder if there was anyone in the crowd who was not happy to see Jesus riding into the city like a king? I wonder if anyone there was afraid of the Roman soldiers and what they might do, if another king came?

I wonder if the people who welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem were excited and curious about what he would do next? I wonder if I can slow down during Holy Week and watch Jesus? I wonder if I can pay attention to what he wants to show me this week?

Also featured: “At Jerusalem’s Gate,” by Nikki Grimes; from At Jerusalem’s Gate: Poems of Easter, by Nikki Grimes (Eerdmans Young Readers).

April 3: Friday Examen Apr 03, 2020

This is the fifth of our weekly guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This guided prayer will be re-published each day this week, so you can use it for daily prayer.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “Colors,” by Josh Garrels.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

April 2: Thursday Examen Apr 02, 2020

This is the fifth of our weekly guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This guided prayer will be re-published each day this week, so you can use it for daily prayer.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “Colors,” by Josh Garrels.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

April 1: Wednesday Examen Apr 01, 2020

This is the fifth of our weekly guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This guided prayer will be re-published each day this week, so you can use it for daily prayer.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “Colors,” by Josh Garrels.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

April 1: The Good Shepherd Apr 01, 2020

Did you know there’s a craft for today’s story? Join us as a patron at patreon.com/wewonder to download and print out crafts for every Wednesday episode.

Welcome back to We Wonder: Lent. This is the fifth week of Lent: the last week before Holy Week. This is when Lent can start to seem really, really long, but the end is in sight. With Jesus, we are drawing near to his entry into Jerusalem and to the cross.

Scripture Passage: John 10:11-18

I wonder how I am like one of the sheep in this story? I wonder what it is like to hear Jesus’ words like a hungry sheep, who has been waiting all night to be led out to good pastures, and food?

I wonder if I can believe that Jesus knows me, like a shepherd knows his sheep? I wonder if I can trust that Jesus will guide me well, because he knows all of who I am and what I need?

I wonder, when Jesus told this story, if Jesus’ friends remembered that God had promised to be the shepherd of his people? I wonder if I can believe that Jesus is the one who is God, doing God’s work to protect and guide his people?

I wonder why Jesus said that he would give up his life. I wonder how much he must love us, to lay down his life to protect us, like a shepherd who is keeping his sheep safe?

It is almost Palm Sunday. Next week, we will follow Jesus through Jerusalem and to the cross. I wonder if I can trust my Good Shepherd, even when the path he walks feels dangerous or scary? I wonder if I can believe he will deliver me safely through to the other side?

March 31: Tuesday Examen Mar 31, 2020

This is the fifth of our weekly guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This guided prayer will be re-published each day this week, so you can use it for daily prayer.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “Colors,” by Josh Garrels.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

March 30: Monday Examen Mar 30, 2020

This is the fifth of our weekly guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This guided prayer will be re-published each day this week, so you can use it for daily prayer.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “Colors,” by Josh Garrels.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

March 27: Friday Examen Mar 27, 2020

This is the fourth of our weekly guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This guided prayer will be re-published each day this week, so you can use it for daily prayer.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “The Joy of the Lord,” by Audrey Assad.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

March 26: Thursday Examen Mar 26, 2020

This is the fourth of our weekly guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This guided prayer will be re-published each day this week, so you can use it for daily prayer.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “The Joy of the Lord,” by Audrey Assad.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

March 25: Wednesday Examen Mar 25, 2020

This is the fourth of our weekly guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This guided prayer will be re-published each day this week, so you can use it for daily prayer.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “The Joy of the Lord,” by Audrey Assad.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

March 25: Born of the Spirit Mar 25, 2020

Did you know there’s a craft for today’s story? Join us as a patron at patreon.com/wewonder to download and print out crafts for every Wednesday episode

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent. This is the fourth week of Lent: just as Israel wandered in the desert for forty years, and Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days, we are still walking with Jesus toward the cross.

Scripture passage: John 3:1-9

I wonder why Jesus said that his Spirit is like the wind? I wonder what the word-pictures of wind and breath can show me about God?

I wonder why Jesus said that to see God’s kingdom, I have to be born again? I wonder what parts of me need new breath or new life?

I wonder: can I remember being born? Being born is something that happens for us, whether we are ready or not. We aren’t the ones who make it happen. I wonder how God’s new life is like that?

Some of the things Jesus says in this story are a little mysterious. I wonder if I can trust God to speak to me when I hear words that are hard to understand?

This is the fourth week of Lent. I wonder if this season is starting to feel long? I wonder if I can ask God to help me continue to wait and hope, even when Easter feels so far away?

Living God, when you send your Spirit, you create living things; you give new life to the ground, and to dry bones. We will sing songs of praise to you, the Giver of Life, as long as we have breath in our lungs.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

March 24: Tuesday Examen Mar 25, 2020

This is the fourth of our weekly guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This guided prayer will be re-published each day this week, so you can use it for daily prayer.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “The Joy of the Lord,” by Audrey Assad.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

March 23: Monday Examen Mar 23, 2020

This is the fourth of our weekly guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This guided prayer will be re-published each day this week, so you can use it for daily prayer.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “The Joy of the Lord,” by Audrey Assad.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

March 20: Friday Examen Mar 20, 2020

This is the third week of our guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

March 19: Thursday Examen Mar 19, 2020

This is the third week of our guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

March 18: Wednesday Examen Mar 18, 2020

This is the third week of our guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

March 18: The Parable of the Vine Mar 18, 2020

This is the third week of Lent: just as Israel wandered in the desert for forty years, and Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days, we are still spending this season walking with Jesus toward the cross.

Today’s reading is from the gospel of John, chapter 15 verses 1 through 9.

I wonder how water and nutrients move through a vine and into its branches? I wonder how vines make their fruit grow?

I wonder if I can imagine being joined to Jesus, like a branch that grows out of a vine? I wonder how being that close to Jesus makes me feel?

I wonder if I ever feel disconnected, like a branch that has fallen to the ground? I wonder if it’s hard to believe, sometimes, that I can be filled with Jesus’ life? What do I want to say to God about that?

I wonder what fruit Jesus is slowly growing in me right now? Can I ask God to help me see the ordinary ways that I show his love and life to the people around me?

I wonder what it feels like to rest and remain in Jesus’ love? Can I sit quietly, and imagine Jesus’ love moving through me, like the sap from a vine?

Jesus, you are the vine and we are the branches. Forgive us when we forget that, and try to grow and live on our own. Fill us with your eternal life, so that your fruit of love and grace can grow in our lives and feed your world.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We Wonder is written and hosted by me, Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. Did you know there’s a craft for today’s episode? Head over to Patreon.com/we wonder to find out how you can support this podcast with a monthly membership and get access to the crafts and other special perks.

March 17: Tuesday Examen Mar 17, 2020

This is the third week of our guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

A Special Episode for Troubled Times Mar 17, 2020

Wherever you are listening to this today, some things in your life might be pretty different than they were a week ago. And for some of us, all these changes might feel a little scary. We might not really understand why things are different right now. People we know might seem worried, or anxious, and we don’t know how we can help.

So today, we have a special episode for everyone who is walking through this worldwide experience of pandemic together. Join me, as we call out and wait on God.

We Wonder is written and hosted by me, Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. Music for today’s episode features “Sing Me to Sleep,” by the Likes of Us and “Safe and Sound,” by Graham Colton.

We’ll be back tomorrow with this week’s regularly scheduled Lent episode; you can also join us and pray along with our daily Examen episodes. In the meantime you can learn more about We Wonder, at wewonderpod.com, or you can follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @wewonderpod.

March 16: Monday Examen Mar 16, 2020

This is the third week of our guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

March 13: Friday Examen Mar 13, 2020

This is the second week of our guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This guided prayer will be re-published each day this week, so you can use it for daily prayer.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “You Keep Your Promises,” by JJ Heller.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

March 12: Thursday Examen Mar 12, 2020

This is the second week of our guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This guided prayer will be re-published each day this week, so you can use it for daily prayer.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “You Keep Your Promises,” by JJ Heller.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

March 11: Wednesday Examen Mar 11, 2020

This is the second week of our guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This guided prayer will be re-published each day this week, so you can use it for daily prayer.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “You Keep Your Promises,” by JJ Heller.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

March 11: The Parable of the Lost Sheep Mar 11, 2020

Did you know there’s a craft for today’s story? Join us as a patron at patreon.com/wewonder to download and print out crafts for every Wednesday episode

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent. This is the second week of Lent: just as Israel wandered in the desert for forty years, and Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days, we will spend the next four weeks walking with Jesus toward the cross.

Scripture passage: Luke 15:1-10

I wonder why some people were upset about who Jesus was having dinner with? I wonder what they wanted him to do differently?

I wonder if I have ever felt lost, or separated, or alone? Are there places I go where I don’t feel safe or at home? Do I need to tell someone I love? Can I talk to God about that feeling?

Have I ever found something I have loved, and lost? Can I remember what that felt like on the inside? I wonder if God feels exactly that way about me?

I wonder if I can believe that God is always looking for me because God delights in me? That I bring God joy? That God’s party isn’t complete without me there?

I wonder if I can be still right now, and trust that God will seek me out? Can I ask God to help me wait and hope, because I know that he is loving and good?

Kind God, all of us are like sheep. We have wandered away from you. But you are like the shepherd, who will look until you find us. Help us to wait, and watch, and hope to be found.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

March 10: Tuesday Examen Mar 10, 2020

This is the second week of our guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.
This guided prayer will be re-published each day this week, so you can use it for daily prayer.
We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).
Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “You Keep Your Promises,” by JJ Heller.
A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!
Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

March 9: Monday Examen Mar 09, 2020

This is the second week of our guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This guided prayer will be re-published each day this week, so you can use it for daily prayer.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “You Keep Your Promises,” by JJ Heller.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

March 6: Friday Examen Mar 06, 2020

This is the first of our daily guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This episode will release every afternoon for you to use for daily prayer every day this week: we’ll have a new Examen (same format, different prompts and music!) every Monday.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “What Can Ever Come,” by John Lucas.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

March 5: Thursday Examen Mar 05, 2020

March 4: Wednesday Examen Mar 04, 2020

This is the first of our daily guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.
This episode will release every afternoon for you to use for daily prayer every day this week: we’ll have a new Examen (same format, different prompts and music!) every Monday.
We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).
Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “What Can Ever Come,” by John Lucas.
A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!
Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

March 4: The Parable of the Sower and the Seeds Mar 04, 2020

Did you know there’s a craft for today’s story? Join us as a patron at patreon.com/wewonder to download and print out crafts for every Wednesday episode

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent. This is the first week of Lent: just as Israel wandered in the desert for forty years, and Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days, we will spend the next five weeks walking with Jesus toward the cross.

Scripture passage: Mark 4:26-32

I wonder why Jesus said the kingdom of God is like a seed? Can I sit and wonder about that word-picture?

I wonder how the work God does in me is like the work God does in a seed that is planted deep in the ground?

I wonder if there are places in me that feel hard or closed-up, like an unplanted seed? What do I want to say to God about those parts of myself?

I wonder if I can trust God to bring new life out of the dry, hard places in my heart? I wonder if I can trust that God loves all of me, and that God’s love is a safe place to be planted?

Lent happens in springtime: the earth that was frozen and dead blossoms into life again. Dry, helpless seeds are planted in the ground, and plants push up out of the ground. Jesus goes into the grave, and is raised to new life. It is a time of sadness for all that is wrong in us and in the world, and also of hope that it can all be made new. Can I ask God to come close to me in the sadness? Can I ask God’s Spirit to whisper words of hope to me in the dark?

Loving God: Jesus was planted in the ground, and raised to new life. Help me to be like a tree that is planted near living water, and that bears the fruit of your love and life.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

March 3: Tuesday Examen Mar 03, 2020

This is the first of our daily guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This episode will release every afternoon for you to use for daily prayer every day this week: we’ll have a new Examen (same format, different prompts and music!) every Monday.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “What Can Ever Come,” by John Lucas.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

March 2: Monday Examen Mar 02, 2020

This is the first of our daily guided Examen prayer episodes! The Examen is a way of focusing our attention on how we have moved through the day, looking to see where God has been at work and with us in all of the mundane moments of daily life.

This episode will release every afternoon for you to use for daily prayer every day this week: we’ll have a new Examen (same format, different prompts and music!) every Monday.

We Wonder is written and hosted by Sarah Dahl, and is produced by Richard Clark. To learn more about We Wonder, go to wewonderpod.com, or you can stay connected on Instagram and Twitter (@wewonderpod).

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; the music for our Examen this week is “What Can Ever Come,” by John Lucas.

A big thank-you to the fourth and fifth graders at City Church San Francisco for offering our responsive prayers this season!

Want to help create more beauty and wonder? Support us as a monthly patron! Go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can become a partner in this work.

February 26: Ash Wednesday Feb 26, 2020

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent. Today is Ash Wednesday, the very beginning of the season that helps us get ready for Easter. Just as Israel wandered in the desert for forty years, and Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days, we will spend the next forty days walking with Jesus toward the cross.

“Lent” is also an old English word for “springtime.” This is the season when the earth begins to come back to life after winter. Ice melts, the earth thaws, and things that were dead begin to bloom and grow again. During Lent, we name the things in our hearts and in our world that are dead, and we wait to see how God will raise them to new life with Jesus. Join me, as we watch, and wait, and hope in God.

Today is Ash Wednesday: the day when we remember that we are like ashes. Without Jesus, we are like fires that have gone out.

Scripture passage: Psalm 51:1-6, 10-17

I wonder if I have ever felt like a blown-out candle, or like cold ashes that can’t spark to life? What do I want to say to God about that?

I wonder if God is still close to me when I feel far away? I wonder if I can trust that faithful love is always waiting for me?

David says to God, “you will gladly accept a heart that is broken because of sadness over sin.” I wonder: what things do I see in myself and in the world that break my heart? Can I trust God to be kind to my sad heart?

Lent happens in springtime: the earth that was frozen and dead blossoms into life again. Dry, helpless seeds are planted in the ground, and plants push up out of the ground. Jesus goes into the grave, and is raised to new life. It is a time of sadness for all that is wrong in us and in the world, and also of hope that it can all be made new. Can I ask God to come close to me in the sadness? Can I ask God’s Spirit to whisper words of hope to me in the dark?

Closing Prayer:

Open our lips, O God, and our mouths will proclaim your praise. Create new hearts in us, O God, and renew us and our world. Give us the joy of your saving help again, and sustain us with your Spirit who breathes life.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Our theme music is by Schwarzsound; other songs are “Trace”, by Roary and “Hold to the Light,” by Brooke Annibale.

Also: a huge, heartfelt thank you to our patrons Debara and Mary for making this episode happen!

You can help us create more beauty and wonder by supporting us as a monthly patron: go to patreon.com/wewonder to learn more about how you can help this podcast grow!

For Grownups: Why We Pray the Examen in Lent Feb 21, 2020

Every Monday during Lent, we are going to release a prayer episode that walks each of us -- young and old -- through the Examen in a simple and inviting way.
You can re-listen to the same episode to pray daily through the week. All you need is about ten minutes and a place where you can get quiet and comfortable.

For Grownups: Why We Wait, and Watch, and Hope in Lent Feb 19, 2020

During Lent, we wait and hope for what God will do in us and in our world.

Welcome to We Wonder: Lent Feb 10, 2020

We Wonder: Lent begins on February 26, Ash Wednesday.

“Lent” is also an old English word for “springtime.” During Lent, we name the things in our hearts and in our world that are dead, and we wait to see how God will raise them to new life with Jesus.

Every Monday during Lent, we will set aside time to pray and rest in God, and practice looking for where God is already coming close to us in our everyday lives. You can re-listen and pray along with these episodes every day of the week, if you’d like.

Every Wednesday in Lent, we’ll share a story or psalm from Scripture, and wonder about God’s good words together.

Starting on Palm Sunday, we’ll have special episodes for each day in Holy Week, as we walk together toward the cross with Jesus.

January 6: The Feast of the Epiphany Jan 06, 2020

Matthew 2:1-12

In Epiphany we see that Jesus is God, come to live among us. We watch Jesus to see what God’s glory and character are like. And during Epiphany, we see that Jesus is not someone hidden away, for only the good people or the right people to find. Jesus is the light that bursts into our world, shining with God’s glory and love for everyone.

I wonder what the wise men saw in the light of that star that captured their hearts so that they followed it on such a long journey?

I wonder what the wise men saw in the face of the child Jesus that brought them to their knees?

Have I ever felt the light of God’s love shine on me so powerfully that I wanted to kneel, or give gifts, or sing with joy? Can I ask God, right now, to help me see that love in Jesus’ face?

The gospel of John tells us that in Jesus, God’s light is shining in the darkness and the darkness cannot put it out. Where do I need to see God’s light and love shining today? Do I need that light in my heart? In my thoughts? In my family? In my school?

Can I believe that Jesus shines God’s love into the world, and that the light of that love will never go out even in the darkest, saddest places? What do I want to say to God about that?

God of peace, in the name of Jesus who came as the light of the world,

We pray that your light will shine in the world and the darkness will not overcome it.

God, in your love, hear our prayer.

God of hope, in the name of Jesus whose first crib was the animals’ feed trough,

We pray for everyone who does not have a warm place to sleep or enough food to eat. Please provide, and use our offerings and our lives to share your love.

God, in your love, hear our prayer.

God of joy, in the name of Jesus who came to live among us, light up our hearts and our lives, so that we will be full of your life.

God, in your love, hear our prayer.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

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Thanks for listening!

December 24: The Manger Dec 24, 2019