As a Christian community, called to peacemaking and reconciliation, we affirm that people of any race, ethnic identity, gender, who are gay or straight, of any ability, age, or economic status, are welcome to full participation in our congregation.
Scripture: I John 3:16-24 Melissa preached for the first time from our new meeting space at Church of the Good Shepherd in downtown Raleigh while most of us were still tuning in via Zoom. Following Jesus isn’t about fancy beliefs, personal piety or a checklist of beliefs. Whenever we have the ability to aid one […]
Scripture: 1 John 3:1-7 This Sunday Melissa began a series on I John. Many people are leaving the institutional church. Why is it that we have difficulty identifying with the term “Christian” or have some anxiety about it? The gap is between who Jesus is and how Jesus’ followers act in the world. “This is […]
Scripture: John 20:19-31 On this “Holy Humor Sunday,” our Sermonator, aka Hans Linnartz, provided an explanation of different types of humor and read the story of Jesus appearing among the disciples after his resurrection from the “Implified Version” of the Gospel of John. The best humor is the best humor when it surprises us with […]
God has a way of turning bad news into good news. Easter, the “good news” comes on the heals of some very bad news. This year’s bad news was the pandemic. It affected everything, including being able to meet in person on Easter Sunday. Yet in the mist of the bad news there is “good […]
Scripture: Mark 11:1-11 Melissa reflected on the strange triumph and sorrow and hope mixed together that people in El Salvador might be feeling. Palm Sunday of 1980 was the funeral for Archbishop Oscar Romero. He died because he took the side of the poor during the conflict that lead up to the Salvadorans Civil War. […]
Scripture: John 12:23-32, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Psalm 51:1-12 God is in the midst of the messiness of human life. Rather than a prescription for how to live, the psalms provide a description of God’s presence in that messiness. Psalm 51 describes David telling the truth about his sin. There’s no getting out of the work of […]
Scripture passages: Numbers 21:4-9 & John 3:14-21 After Dave and Nina read the scripture passages, Tripp Helms provided the morning message during our Zoom service. Nicodemus came to Jesus to ask some questions and Jesus uses the example of the snake being lifted up in the wilderness by Moses to explain how he must also […]
Today’s scripture is John 2:13-16 where Jesus overturns the tables of money lenders in the Temple. Jesus is not against commerce but he is furious with people using to Temple to conduct their commerce. For turning the into a shopping mall. It’s easy to set ourselves up against despicable behavior. It’s much harder to recognize […]
Scripture: Mark 8:31-38 Today’s scripture talks about Peter rebuking Jesus, and Jesus in turn rebuking Peter right back. Melissa tells us that term could be interpreted today as, “Shut up!” The term is used elsewhere in the gospel four times, when Jesus silences violent and evil spirits. This passage illustrates two ways for the world […]
After Dennis and Kathy read the scripture passages from Genesis 9:3-17 and Mark 1:9-15, Rachel shared a story of the ark, reminding us that many of us have been isolating from others for well more than 40 days due to the pandemic. This year has felt like a year of living in the ark. But […]
Scripture: 2 Kings 2:1-12, Mark 9:2-9 After the reading of the 2 Kings passage, we listened to Robert Robinson sing Swing Low Sweet Chariot. After the Mark passage Melissa shared a video performance of the theme from The Mission. Our world is chock full of beautiful things. Many things that are beautiful are unnecessary. The […]
It’s easier to have trust in the rulers currently in power, they have great influence over our daily lives. But Isaiah reminds us rulers come and go. In Isiah 3 conquering armies come and go over a few decades, only God is constant. Where will we put our trust, our faith? Will we live lives […]
Scripture: Deuteronomy 18:15-20 & Mark 1:21-28 Melissa provided us with an alternative way of looking at this passage of Jesus in the synagogue and his encounter with the man with an unclean spirit. The language Mark uses throughout his gospel is that Jesus comes to “invade enemy territory.” Melissa ties this story in with the […]
Scripture: John 4:1-42 In retelling the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, Melissa pointed out the history of bad blood between the Samaritans and the Jews. The woman is only able to see what Jesus offers once the conversation moves from competition to mutual flourishing. Jesus wants everyone to have access to this […]
God calls out repeatedly to Samuel. At first Samuel thinks it is his father Eli calling but the third time he tells the Lord he is listening. God then tells Samuel that because Eli knew of sons’ sins, and did nothing, he is just a responsible. He will be judged just as harshly. Like Eli […]
Scripture: Mark 1:4-11, Acts 19:1-7 To what baptism have you been baptized? The story in Acts talks about Jesus’ followers being baptized in the Holy Spirit. This baptism gave them, among other things, the power to stand up to powerful and dangerous interests. In baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit to enter into this life […]
Scripture: Luke 2:22-40 – On the Road to Rejoicing The prophet Anna–portrayed this morning by Ann–witnessed Jesus’ arrival at the temple and foretold about the hope that Jesus would bring. What a strange Advent season it has been. Mourning the loss of life through COVID-19 and the racial injustice we continue to see. What have […]
I Samuel 7:1-11, 16 & Luke 1:26-38 – On the Road to Revelation God selected Mary, a young woman to deliver the Lord Jesus in to the world. She was afraid and then heard a an angel’s voice “Greetings you who highly favored, the Lord is with you”. She heard the voice again “Don’t be […]
Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 & John 1:6-8, 19-28 – On the Road to Restoration During Advent the sermon again began with a monologue. This Sunday Hans told the story of a person at the temple who witnessed the questioning of John the Baptist by the Sadducees and Pharisees. Melissa gave witness to activities taking place […]
Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11, Mark 1:1-8 – On the Road to Repentance On this second Sunday of Advent Steve Derthick opened the sermon time with a monologue as John the Baptist. Melissa continued the invitation for all of us to participate in the sermon by asking us to share a time there was a person who […]
After the scripture was read from Isaiah 64:1-9 and Mark 13:24-37, Janet Fields provided a monologue for the first Sunday of Advent. Melissa followed that with a short homily and then invited congregants to participate in the sermon by sharing a story of a journey they prepared for. How do we get ready during this […]
Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46, 26:6-13 Jesus comes to bring a new rein, a new order of creation, and to invite us into it. It is a new world, an inversion. It’s built not on scarcity or fear, not bound to the way things are, but this rein that has already come into being in the life, […]
Scripture I Thessalonians 5:1-15 Christianity is a strange religion. It won’t make you rich and it won’t give you any power. It promises to separate you from your family, from your job and it might get you killed. But it promises a life of love that turns again and again towards Jesus.
Melissa speaks from Matthew 25:1-13, the parable of the bridesmaids. While one would think the moral is about not letting your lamps run out of oil, rather it’s about staying awake. We are all facing the problem of coming unprepared and then falling asleep. It’s a warning to each of us about the lives we […]
