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.
Matthew 5:14-16 Kathy Boos continued our summer series of sharing about a song or scripture passage that has been impactful. Melissa provided the scripture background from these verses from the Sermon on the Mount before Kathy shared her thoughts on the song. Kathy reflected on the importance of all kinds of music in her life, […]
Lamentations 3:19-33 Debbie Bledsoe continues our summer series of sharing beloved songs and bible passages. Melissa introduces the passage from Lamentations, then Debbie shares from her experiences of God’s faithfulness in her life whether in the midst of hardships and change or joy and beauty. Morning by morning we can see new ways God loves […]
I Corinthians 15:1-6 In the continuing series of RMCers sharing a scripture or song that is particularly meaningful, Dave Cooper reflects on this passage from I Corinthians. Melissa introduces the passage before Dave shares and closes with the song When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. Christ has freed us to a life of right relationships–with […]
Psalm 139 During the summer months RMCers are sharing scripture passages that have been particularly meaningful to them. This Sunday Hannah Barg shared about her brother Erin and the special relationship they had through music. Rachel Taylor introduces the passage from Psalm 139, followed by Hannah providing the scripture in song. After Hannah shares her […]
Zinith shares about how he came to Raleigh Mennonite. The recording starts with Loretta reading Ezekiel 34:11-16 and Melissa providing context…. Read More →
Acts 2:1-21 Just before Melissa’s message we watched a video portrayal of today’s scripture passage. The sermon ended with us listening to “Ella’s Song” sung by Sweet Honey in the Rock. This was a terrible week leading up to Pentecost Sunday, with a White woman making false accusations about a Black man, the police murdering […]
I Corinthians 8 As we continue our Zoom services online, Melissa continued her series talking about the church in Corinth. As we work at being church together at Raleigh Mennonite, we’re given this gift of seeing how this little church in Corinth worked out its conflicts, and how it might be good news for our […]
Sriprakash Mayasandra and Rachel Taylor provided our message this morning in the form of an interview. Sri, a former RMCer, has been studying in France before taking on his latest role with Mennonite Central Committee in Chad. He was able to join us via web conference and share some of his testimony and current work. […]
Acts 18:1-4 I Corinthians 1:10-18 In the scripture passages for today we see the early church is in disarray. There is division and tumult. But Paul urges the church in Corinth to keep their focal point on one place: on Jesus. For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but […]
Acts 17:1-9 In our city and in our country protests have been taking place that are tinged with “rights” language, including the right for churches to hold gatherings. But a few thousand years earlier a different scene played out that also concerned the state and religion. Paul and Silas and the other Christians have disrupted […]
Acts 3:1-10 There’s something new in this familiar scene for Peter and John as they encounter a beggar in front of the temple gates. Unlike many times they have walked this way before, they stop and acknowledge this lame man. They really see him. With new eyes, through the Holy Spirit. It’s an invitation for […]
I Corinthians 15:1-26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. But death is roaring all around us these days in the midst of the pandemic. That makes “Holy Humor Sunday,” a tradition of RMC for the last few years, a lot more difficult right now. But in many ways, our times are much less […]
As we celebrated Easter Sunday together via Zoom, Melissa spoke from the Gospel of John’s account of Jesus’ resurrection. The disciples are huddled together, afraid the Roman soldiers will find them and they too will be killed as Jesus was. Every person in the story recounted in this gospel is alone, in the dark. Only […]
It’s Palm Sunday. Instead of processing around the outside of Hope School as we’ve done the past couple of years, we waved our branches from our homes, worshipping together via Zoom. (See raleighmennonite.org/2020/palm-sunday for a link to the video shared during the service of several RMCers waving branches in front of their homes.) Indeed, things […]
On our third online worship service during the COVID-19 pandemic, Melissa had some technical challenges so presented her message without notes. The scripture was from John 11, the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead. When Mary and Martha tell Jesus, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died,” Jesus doesn’t […]
We all met from our homes via Zoom as the second week apart due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Melissa preached from John 9:1-41. This is a time of anxiety and fear, but it’s also a time for us to sift through our own lives and for us to think about what it will be like […]
On this first Sunday we streamed our service rather than meet in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Melissa preached from John 4:5-42. A small group met at Fletcher to lead worship. “These are unusual and difficult times. But these are opportunities for us to both be and to receive good news. To let our […]
John 3:1-17 We had the honor of having Ronda Singletary bring the message this morning. Ronda was recently released from the women’s prison and shared her powerful testimony, including poetry that she wrote. The recording starts with Sus Long leading the congregation in the song written by and for the women she has worked with, […]
Matthew 4:1-11 The temptations Jesus encountered shows Jesus was the Messiah. The most god-like thing to do in that moment was to not be godlike and while Jesus had the power to be godlike he chose not to. What would you do in the moment of temptation if you were in Jesus’ position and had […]
Scripture Isaiah 25:6-9Revelation 19:5-10 The secular world enslaves people, in Roman times literally and today through harsh work environments, low wages, unaffordable health care and debt. In Revelation God provokes us to see greed and the hoarding of wealth and align with the poor.
Luke 22:14-23 Our guest preacher this Sunday was Dr. Malinda Berry. This was part of the weekend she spent with us teaching on our Mennonite theology of Communion and how we might create a robust and living theology of table as a local community. Communion helps us connect with each other. Malinda drew in part […]
John 6:25-40, I Corinthians 11:23-26, 12:12, 24-27 Melissa continued the series on communion, focusing today on the role of bread. How bread comes to be is significant, from the grains to the yeast that acts as leavening. In many ways, we are bread. How do we break ourselves open to be made whole?How do we […]
Matthew 26:17-30 On this first Sunday that we held worship at Fletcher Academy, Melissa recounts the story of the Last Supper, Jesus having Passover with his friends. The account in Matthew spends more time talking about the betrayal by Judas than it does about breaking of the bread and sharing the cup. When we come […]
Matthew 5:21-24 and 1 Corinthians 11:17-26 Melissa reflects on the place where we have worshiped since 1994 and how that has affected us as a community.
