Publications

“Sabbath Rest” (Exodus 20:8-11)

Rev. Leia Rose Battaglia

What is the most important thing in your life? What do you spend the most time or energy doing? God offers us the sabbath day to remember what is important and to receive and offer renewal.

“Words Matter” (Matthew 15:1-18)

Rev. Leia Rose Battaglia

Words matter and it can be all too easy to use them to hurt people. How can we use our words not to condemn others in the name of God, but to lift people up by speaking words of love?

“Quoth the Graven, ‘Nevermore'” (Matthew 6:19-24)

Rev. Leia Rose Battaglia

The second commandment calls us not to worship idols, but what does that mean for the art and objects around us and that we use in worship? When does an object stop being an inspiration and start being an idol?

“The Lord is our God, the Lord Alone.” (Deuteronomy 6:1-14)

Rev. Leia Rose Battaglia

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. What does it mean to you to have one God who is big enough to have all of the power of the universe and also big enough to love every individual person?

“Thou Shalt” (Exodus 20:1-4, 7-17)

Rev. Leia Rose Battaglia

If the ten commandments are a starting point, what other commandments would you add for yourself or for society? What are your most important moral values? What things does “a good person” do? What other commandments do you live by?

“Road Trip” (Isaiah 49:8-13)

Rev. Leia Rose Battaglia

The Lord says, “I will turn all my mountains into a road.” What are the mountains that block people from the road to God? How can we help God cut roads through those mountains?

“Whatsoever You Do” (Matthew 25:31-40)

Rev. Leia Rose Battaglia

Jesus once said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” But Jesus also said, “Whatsoever you did for the least of these siblings of mine, you did for me.” How can we teach ourselves to see the face of Jesus reflected in everyone around us?

“THOSE People” (Mark 9:33-42)

Rev. Leia Rose Battaglia

Jesus challenges us to welcome everyone, no exceptions, and not to set conditions or hierarchies of who is "good enough" to follow Jesus.

“Rainbow” (Genesis 6-9)

Rev. Leia Rose Battaglia

The story of Noah's ark, of God's flood and rainbow, is a really dark and sad and horrifying story. But no matter how dark the story is, no matter how much we feel like we are drowning, God still sets a rainbow in the sky and offers us a beautiful promise of love and grace.

“Blank Space” (Acts 1:1-11)

Rev. Leia Rose Battaglia

How do we live our lives when we can't see Jesus? What do we do when all we can find is a blank space where it seems like he should be standing?