Don't cuss! That's one typical childhood interpretation of the Third Commandment. Of course, we shouldn't mix God's name in with a string of nasty language. However, the use of naughty words isn't the primary meaning of "Do not use the Lord your God's name as if it were of no significance."

One purpose of the Third Commandment is to stress the importance of keeping promises and telling the truth, epscially when using God's name. Think about the oath witnesses take in the American court system. They swear to "Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God." We need to be able to believe each other to function in society.

The Ten Commandments give us guidance for living together. The Third Commandment, reminds us that integrity matters. When you're known as a Christian, others see your speech and actions as a reflection of your character--and God's. Despite good intentions, we sometimes break the Third Commandment unintentionally. This type of violation happens when heartbreaking life events such as a cancer diasnosis and the death of a child are attributed to God's will. In these scenarios, we're using God's name in ways that are inconsistent with God's character.

Pastor Mia reminds us that representing God well in our daily lives is not optional. Think about what you say and what you do. Your words and actions can color God's reputation.

This week, Pastor Mia shares the final lessons learned during a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. In pilgrimage, the journey is the point and the destination matters. The Gospel of James teaches us this wisdom, telling us to stand firm and be patient as we wait for the coming of the Lord.

There is a correlation between backpacking on a physical trail and the spiritual journey. After walking mile after mile on a trail, exhaustion sets in. Spiritual life is like that too. We want it to be thrilling. We want to put forth our best selves in faith. However, when there is no excitement and we’ve grown tired, spiritual life becomes a matter of simply showing up. In other words, stay on the trail and keep on walking.

As you near the end of the journey, you may finally realize your pack is too heavy. Instead of leaving behind the things you didn’t need, you kept them. Spiritual life is similar. We each have spiritual baggage we continue to carry, until we take the time to examine it and get rid of what we don’t need.

On a journey, the exhaustion is real. Stand firm. Stay on the trail and keep on walking. And long the way, be filled with joy as you reach the end of one journey and begin another.

Every year thousands of pilgrims travel the Camino de Santiago, a route in Spain that leads to the burial site of St. James. This week, Pastor Mia explains how walking a path such as the Camino is a reflection of the spiritual journey. By making a physical journey we learn that our way is made by others.

The Camino de Santiago was built by others. Some people dedicated their lives to developing the route. Others posted signs marking the route for pilgrims. Others laid pavers to show which way to walk when there was a fork in the road. And others built stone bridges for crossing streams and rivers.

Like those others who made the way for pilgrims to travel the Camino, others made the way for our spiritual life. Today we have Scriptures, because our our ancestors in faith wrote about their experiences with God. Traditions, including Sunday worship and communion, were also handed down by our spiritual ancestors. And the prophets set the example of being faithful even under pressure.

There are others who make our way in faith. Who made the way for you? And how are you making the way of faith for those who follow?

Pilgrimage — both the physical journey of walking the Camino de Santiago and the spiritual journey each of us takes toward God — is different for each of us. Our backgrounds, burdens, and hopes shape the way we travel. Some of us come with strength, others with wounds or worries, and still others with questions about belonging or purpose. Yet, what unites us is not sameness of thought or experience, but hearts bound together in Christ.

Pastor Mia shows how wisdom is essential for the journey. Wisdom is not just knowledge, but faithful discernment — knowing when to push forward, when to rest, and how to support one another. The letter of James reminds us that when we lack wisdom, we can simply ask God, who delights in giving it. Sometimes wisdom is practical, like knowing when to take a break or accept help. Other times, it’s deeper: learning to lay down the baggage we carry, or to show gentleness and compassion to fellow travelers whose journeys look different from our own.

A pilgrimage trail in Northern Spain attracts thousands of walkers each year. Their destination is the Santiago de Compostella where, according to tradition, the bones of St. James the Apostle are buried. For the next four weeks, Pastor Mia shares some of her experiences and lessons learned as she and two companions walked the last 73 miles of the Camino de Santiago.

Pilgrimage to sacred destinations has long been a religious practice. Pilgrimage is holy, physical, and spiritual. Reaching the destination at the end of a pilgrimage is exhilarating, but that’s not the point. It’s the journey that matters. Spiritual maturity grows not from rushing to the destination, but from faithfully walking step by step on the journey. After all, faith is lived out in action.

For Pastor Mia, walking the Camino was a concrete way to reflect on her spiritual journey. At first, she questioned whether she could physically walk ten miles a day, carrying a backpack and pushing past physical exhaustion. In many ways, she says she felt the same way when she took her baptismal vows nearly 30 years ago.

When day one of walking the Camino arrived, Pastor Mia realized she could meet the challenge and she learned the first of many lessons that apply to the spiritual journey. When you think it’ll be too difficult or faith asks too much, instead of expecting failure, expect that you can.

We live in a world saturated with voices—media, culture, influencers, even well-meaning friends and family—all shaping our beliefs and perceptions. Sometimes, these voices distort the truth, just as the serpent did in Eden, or as false prophets did in Jeremiah’s day. We must be discerning, recognizing that not every voice speaks truth, and that even our own understanding is filtered through years of cultural influence. The challenge is to seek the “wheat” and not the “straw”—to hunger for what truly satisfies, even as we acknowledge that we will sometimes get it wrong.

Seminarian Mary Riedl brings her own very relatable story to the element of faith, leading us to greater wisdom in listening to the voice of God.

Trusting God is not always easy, especially when life feels uncertain or promises seem delayed. Belief is just the beginning—trust is what transforms our lives Pastor Mia shares stories of Abraham and Jesus to illustrate how trusting God's promises, even when they seem impossible, leads to abundant life and spiritual growth. She encourages us to practice spiritual disciplines like worship and community, which help us stay alert and open to God's work in our lives. Ultimately, trusting in God's care allows us to live with confidence, readiness, and joy, knowing that God shows up for us always.

God’s treasure is worth everything we have, and God’s kingdom is already among us, waiting for us to receive it with open hands.

In the Parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus warns us to "Be on your guard against all kinds of greed" (Luke 12: 13-21). Greed, like all sin, is sneaky. We don't decide to be greedy. We slide into it with justifications.

We want things and money, often because we believe they'll provide security. However, things and money aren't the problem. The problem is within us. We allow things and money to get in the way of being rich toward God. Greed isn't an ecomonic issue. Both poor and rich can be greedy, and both poor and rich can be rich toward God.

Greed blocks us from trusting God and that behavior is nothing new. Pslam 49, from thousands of years ago, addresses trust in wealth and trust in God. So does Paul's letter to the Colossians, written just a few years after the resurrection. Paul portrayed greed as idolaty. Instread of trusting God to save us, we put our trust in something else.

Building trust takes time and it can be destoyed in moments, so we're naturally suspicious. In reality, we can't survive without some level of trusting. Pastor Mia reminds us that Scripture includes story after story of God keeping promises. God has always been faithful to us, even when were were not faithful to God.