November 12, 2026 - Taking Chances

Friends

What a great weekend! Fun, welcoming gatherings, stories and memories shared, laughter and music, delicious food, former members of Mill Woods travelling from far away, a few politicians sprinkled in for good measure, and so much gratitude expressed for the chance to connect in community.

A huge thank you to all of you who made this time together possible, and, of course, to everyone who has contributed to fifty years of life and community at Mill Woods.

Our anniversary celebrations were bookended by memorial services for two beloved long-time members of our church. There is something deeply moving about holding gratitude and grief together, remembering those who have shaped our community, even as we wonder about what the future holds.

Our theme this week is Risk. Following Jesus is not about playing it safe. It is about trusting God’s love enough to risk something for the sake of love and justice.

We will explore this theme through of the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). This is a familiar story but one that still holds a few surprises.

One of the things I love about the Bible is that the stories are often not as straightforward as they first seem. Some passages seem to shimmer, offering different understandings as we turn them over and look at them from different angles.

This is especially true of Jesus’ parables, stories which almost always take unexpected turns that challenge our assumptions.

Faithful readers can come to very different understandings of the same passage.

So how do we discern what the texts might be saying to us?

For me, an important guide is love. Our Song of Faith speaks of God as Holy Mystery that is Wholly Love. Reading scripture through that lens invites us to ask how a passage might lead us to love, justice and compassion. Sometimes that means a text will challenge us or make us uncomfortable.

The parable of the talents is an excellent example of a text that shimmers. Is it encouraging us to take risks with the gifts we have received, or is it a call to resist systems of exploitation?

Perhaps we can learn from both ways of reading.

Join us Sunday as we explore this story and wonder together what it mean to live courageously in an uncertain world.

Bless you

William Brook