Ben Rudeen Kreider, pastor at Chapel Hill Mennonite Fellowship, provided the message on this Palm Sunday.

From the ubiquitous Buc-ee's billboards to the variety of incredibly creative signs seen at yesterday's No Kings rallies, signs are everywhere. A good sign grabs your attention in a short phrase with what a movement is about.

Palm branches waved while Jesus rides in on a donkey colt--both are symbols, or signs with meaning. Pilate had a sign for the world to see hung above Jesus when he was nailed to the cross: "King of the Jews." These words were meant to mock, deride and belittle. To send a message that anyone who dared cross or insinuate kingship was a threat to the Roman Empire. Yet we as followers of Jesus cling with faith to the truth of that sign posted above him.

The paradox of faith is that we believe that this man deserves all titles of honor and respect and admiration and gratitude, that he is indeed King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the very Son of God.

On this fifth Sunday of Lent, we continue the story of Jesus before Pontius Pilate. Through lots of questioning Jesus is mum. When Pilate gets quite frustrated and asks if Jesus is not aware that he has the power to release Jesus or to have him crucified, Jesus answers, "You have no power over me unless it has been given to you from above." Pilate can find no wrong in him, but the Jewish leaders and the people insist he must be crucified.

What made Jesus dangerous was his lack of fear. But Pilate is afraid for his role. When the Jewish leaders say they have no king but the emperor Caesar, Pilate is concerned for his own life.

There is such a contrast, such dissonance, between the apparently fearless Jesus and these deeply religious men speaking blasphemy. It can be difficult for us not to fall into the trap of relying on our government as our ruler, when instead we are called to rely on a higher power.

There are so many points of reference for our lives today in this story of Jesus before Pilate that Susan spoke about on this fourth Sunday of Lent. Pilate was a politician, not a statesman, not a leader, but a politician. To Pilate, truth was something to manipulate.

The dissonance between Pilate and Jesus is stark. As relatable as Pilate is--we read about the likes of him in the newspaper everyday--so we understand his world, his priorities. But it's this other king, Jesus, who claims our allegiance, whose kingdom is not of this world. Jesus has gone before us and stood up to evil and power.

Seth brought the message on this third Sunday of Lent. We find Peter, the beloved disciple of Jesus, at probably one of the worst times of his life, denying he knew Jesus when he swore he wouldn't.

But this story isn't so much about Peter as it is about us. We all, like Peter, have moments when we lose sight of our bravery, our integrity, our boldness, our loyalty. We all have deeds we look back on with shame; things that we hope we'll never have to answer for or even admit out loud.

We're admonished not to be consumed by the shame of our imperfection. Instead, to lean in to the beauty and the horror of the cross. To lean into the dissonance of our limitations and failures and the grace and truth of the one we follow, of the one who loves us.

(Apologies for the dropout of the audio at a couple places in Seth's sermon.)

At the start of her sermon on this day after the US and Israel rained bombs on Iran, Susan admonished us to keep up the coordinated, persistent, non-violent pressure on the administration, and to keep up the prayer.

The way of Jesus is the way of love, and today's text is all about love. In it we read about Jesus washing his disciples' feet. This was completely unheard of for someone in authority--for their teacher--to be stooping to the point of washing the feet of someone "below" him in the caste system. The master takes on the role of a subordinate and pours out his love and devotion.

But then he goes a step further.

If I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought also to wash one another's feet, for I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."

To pass on the selfless, self-forgetful love of God, sometimes means letting others see you in a less than flattering light. What a radical countercultural way to behave because it means we have to take our eyes off ourselves, and focus on the other person.

What does it mean to serve others when self-forgetful, selfless service opportunities come your way? Especially when we're not particularly comfortable following through on those opportunities? What is God nudging each of us to do?

The first Sunday of Lent Susan Scott delivered a shorter sermon than normal to allow time for a major church life meeting after the service. Lent is a season when we tend to lean more intentionally into engaging with the life and character of Jesus. The scripture was story of Lazarus' resurrection. We all know the outcome, so it is easy to forget all the pain, suffering, and disappointment that occurred during his death when they expected Jesus to be there and do something to save his friend. He isn't even there to offer comfort. People sent word to Jesus and he stayed put for two days. Forcing this tragedy so that he can perform a great miracle seems callous of Jesus. What his followers do not understand is that Jesus is preparing them for the anguish, doubt, and fear that will happen to them after he is crucified. Join Susan Scott as she uses her sermonette to explore this seldom considered part of the Lazarus story and what lesson we can take from it for our own faith journeys.

This is Trey Ferguson's (our pastoral candidate) first sermon here at RMC. How we imagine God shapes how we interact with others, our pursuits, ethics, and mores. Which means that when our understanding of God shifts there is the potential for us to transform along with it. The children of Israel saw God's glory as a consuming fire (from God's appearance on top of Mt. Sinai) and they applied that understanding in the bloody conquest of Canaan. Jesus, however, provided an entirely different view of God's glory to the disciples. Jesus was not consumed by the fire of God's presence--he was transformed. This begs the question, did God's glory change or did the perspective of the witnesses to God's glory change? RMC invites you to join Trey Ferguson as he uses the Transfiguration of Jesus to explore how our perception of God fundamentally affects our faith journey and our community of faith.

Nina Balmaceda provided the sermon for this morning's service which was held via Zoom due to the inclement weather.

Jesus was not from the center of power. He began his ministry near Mount Tabor. Not a majestic mountain, but more of a hill, far away from Jerusalem's power. It was close to everyday, ordinary people of mixed ancestry. He began his ministry in a place that religious leaders considered marginal, mixed and overlooked.

Jesus is on the side of the oppressed. Christ's first proclamation, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near," is not a threat. It's not a scream creating shame, but a voice of consolation for those who have suffered deeply.

God's kingdom takes root in places that feel far from the center. God's light still rises in unexpected places.

This Sunday we remembered Martin Luther King, Jr. and also focused on the temptations of Jesus as recounted in Luke (and Matthew and to a lesser degree in Mark).

Temptations offer a test. There's a chance to pass it and a chance to fail it. With Lent soon approaching next month, Susan suggested it's a great opportunity to address one of the temptations you face in this tumultuous time. She provided a number of ideas to get us thinking about how we could address some of the temptations we might be facing due to the national turmoil.

What life-giving practice would you do well to embrace? Or what destructive habit would you benefit from turning away from?

Phil Jackson was our guest speaker this Sunday, retelling the story of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist. Would you have gone out to hear John in the wilderness? Many people went out to hear this guy preach and teach. Jesus was among those who went to where John was preaching. It takes a little convincing for John to agree to baptize him.

In that process, Jesus comes out of the wilderness, saying yes to God's work and John's ministry. After his baptism by John, the Father says "Yes," to Jesus, and anoints him and blesses him for his public ministry.

By joining us in community with himself through baptism and the gift of the Spirit, Jesus incorporates us into his servanthood, which is the establishment of justice and righteousness.

On this Epiphany Sunday Susan began with a portrayal of the wise men's perspective crafted by Frederick Buechner. Why did the magi follow the star to where Jesus was? "To be wise is to be eternally curious."

Is to live without Christ the real death, and to die with him the only life? Jesus invites us to pick up our cross; not an appealing image... When we take up the cross we empty our hands and bid goodbye to our old lives, both good and bad.

Paul is an example of giving up his old life with much esteem, to follow Christ. When we die unto Christ, we surrender our identities. Pay attention to the names you call yourself and see what they say about your identity. What is there that you need to surrender to fully embrace your new identity?

Susan Scott reminded us of a powerful image from this week's scripture in John where Jesus became flesh and "tabernacled with us." Jumping back in time to Exodus, God instructs the chosen people in great detail on how to build a portable tabernacle, a sanctuary, for God to dwell in, but only a very select few people could enter. Later the tabernacle is built in stone in Jerusalem with the holy of holies that contains the Ark of the Covenant and God's presence, but is destroyed by the Babylonians and then rebuilt when the Israelites return from captivity. During Jesus' time Herod massively expanded the temple, but the building had no Ark, no cloud of glory, no miracles, and no prophesies like the first one - a silence of 4 centuries. The high priesthood was corrupt and under the influence of the Roman occupiers. Into this darkness, John tells us that the long awaited return of God's glory to the temple has been fulfilled by Jesus, to an extant even greater than that of the first temple. But God is doing something new, amazing, and unexpected this time. Instead of being reserved for an elite few, God's glory now walks without elaborate trappings among all the people, prophesying and doing great miracles. As the short, dim days of winter continue, take some time to reflect on the bright glory of Jesus in our lives - God tabernacling with us, not apart from us.

Buy it quick before it runs out! One day sale only! Maybe I should get two just in case. We are trained from an early age by society and by advertising to fear that if we don't purchase something, it will not be available to us in the future or at that price, and we will suffer somehow for not owning it. People are good at manufacturing the fear of scarcity despite the fact that we are surrounded by an abundance of stuff and things. Jordan Morehouse, reflecting on the scripture from Isaiah, contends that in the face of abundance we are so conditioned to scarcity that we don't know how to trust that there is enough. Our fear of scarcity drives us to work longer hours or side hustle for more money, and reduces our capacity to build community with family, friends, and other believers. This in turn reduces our available social safety net, which leads to more fear, which leads to more work, in an ever-tightening spiral. The powers of the world use the threat of less to justify war and cruelty, and the whole system would collapse if everyone views what they have as abundance. Tyrants fear abundance, but God delights in it. God brings manna, loaves and fishes, and salvation through Christ all without cost. To combat this sinister mindset of scarcity that constantly robs our lives of joy and community, our church bodies must lean in to a culture of radical, reflexive generosity, giving more than we expect to ever receive, without strings attached. These small kindnesses will quietly build, multiply, and produce unimaginable abundance as God's love has already shown us through Christ's example

Susan Scott's sermon starts us with Israel's period of exile in Babylon, where Jerusalem has fallen, the temple is destroyed, and the people feel like God has abandoned them without hope. Ezekiel reminds the Israelites that God has not forgotten them. God keenly knows their suffering and Showed Ezekiel a vision of hope in the valley of dry bones that could be made to dance. God is greater than death and Israel will live again, even though that will still take decades. Eventually God's people return, rebuild, and there is a revival of the people. We see the same theme 600 years later in the John scripture with Jesus's resurrection of Lazarus. Jesus waits until after Lazarus dies to come back a perform a miracle. Jesus, like God to Ezekiel, speaks words of hope and faith to those mourning Lazarus and regretting Jesus's delayed response. We too, much wait patiently with faith and hope that God will make good on their promises even when our circumstances appear bleak. Remember that God is greater than death, greater than our problems, and when God is at work there is always hope.

Due to some technical issues, the beginning of Susan's sermon was cut off.

On this first Sunday of Advent 2025, we were introduced to the theme for Advent: "Be Amazed!" This week's focus was on the three youths, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to bow down to the image of King Nebuchadnezzar. As a result, they are thrown into the fiery furnace. Yet God protects them.

(Image of the fiery furnace by artist Konstantinos Adrianoupolitis, in the public domain.)

Ann Robertson brought the message this Sunday prior to Thanksgiving. She reminded us of the importance of being grateful for the people in our lives who have made a difference and reflected on the ways that gratitude benefits us. Ann also provided some solutions to address times when we might not be so grateful, three of which were portrayed humorously by Hans.

As Paul told the church in Philippi, "I thank God every time I think of you."

As we approach Thanksgiving, Susan provided suggestions for how to live into a life of gratitude.

The book of Thessalonians is said to be the oldest writing in the new testament. The letter is written to a church facing persecution, with the people fearing for their lives. Yet the writer tells them to, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in all circumstances."

Gratitude isn't just a practice for the good times.

Because the important thing is not just to think about gratitude, but to do it, we were provided an opportunity to reflect on things we're grateful for and share at least one of those things with our neighbor. Susan also provided some ways to practice gratitude and incorporate these habits into our daily lives.

Our guest speaker this Sunday was Franco Salvatori, an Everence stewardship consultant. Due to flight cancellations he couldn't be with us in person, so he shared his message via Zoom.

Consumerism is a unifying religion in America. It's the thing that makes you wish you just had more. But as Christ's followers we're called to worship only one God, and it's not consumption. It's easy to fill our lives with stuff, but still be empty.

The path toward an overflowing life is through wisdom and generosity. Honoring God with our first fruits is the practice of recognizing God's hand in providing the resources that we have.

God calls us to give of our first fruits not because God needs it, but because it actually changes us. It changes our hearts and helps us focus on the giver. As we practice that discipline it creates an attitude in us that Franco called wealth. If we've developed an action of giving and of generosity, because we are seeking wisdom and we're seeking God, then it's the exact opposite of consumerism. And Proverbs tells us that is the pathway to an overflowing life.

When you pray to God, what underlying assumptions about God do you bring to the interaction? Do you believe God to be: loving? trustworthy? concerned with your life? These assumptions, and honestly our biases, fundamentally shape how we pray, the nature of our prayer life, and a good portion of our spiritual journey as a whole. Susan Scott preached on the prayer that started in Ephesians 1, was interrupted, and finished in Ephesians 3. What can we learn from this prayer? God is knowable, worth knowing, and stands ready to impart the wisdom and most importantly, the hope that we need. This hope is not for riches or aggrandizement, but rather that God will do what they have promised to do and to aid us in our calling. This hope allows us to wait patiently for the things that God has promised that we do not yet have. Ultimately, this hope is that God will reconcile all things in heaven and earth through Jesus. Hope give us the ability to endure the feelings of helplessness and despair when the world around us seems dark and unredeemable: when all of our efforts to bring light and salt appear futile. Remember that God wastes none of the work that they call you to do and that is all a part of a plan of redemption that started even before Christ appeared.

Mauricio Chenlo preached on Satan’s temptation of Christ, offering him all of the kingdoms of the world.  Similarly, often we depend on the kingdoms of the world to deliver the kingdom of God.  Mauricio related his experiences growing up in Argentina where he experienced Christian faith expressed in the nation’s politics swing wildly from right to left as the government went from a dictatorship to a Marxist government.  He even heard the preaching on liberation theology about the kingdom of God from the dictator Ortega of Nicaragua in the 90s.  Politics is the process by which people make collective decisions about how to live together by distributing power, responsibilities and resources.  So, who gets to define these priorities? In this country it seems that we are told to change our politics every four years.  Likewise, the Church historically has been tempted to align with political ideologies.  Jesus, however, brings a different kind of politics.  Jesus rejected alignment with any of the political ideologies of his time.  The role of the Church is to be a witness and an extension of the kingdom of God in this world, because we still must be in the world even if we are not of the world.  We cannot just focus on feeding people’s bodies (not on bread alone); we must also nourish people spiritually.  We must not manipulate God’s word, love, or message to gain power or popularity.