Rachel shares her joys, pains and insights of keeping Bees. Bees only survive by working together in community. In Philippians 1:21-30 Paul doesn’t offer Jesus as a path to prosperity nor does he advocate seeking suffering. Instead he is honest that following Jesus is filled with beauty, joy and community but comes at a cost.
Retributive Justice or Forgiveness? – Sept. 13, 2020
Matthew 18:21-35 Melissa tackles this difficult passage that juxtaposes this new way of doing life–this kingdom of God way of forgiveness, grace and hope–and points out how it doesn’t mix with the old order of carrying out justice. But if that new way of doing things is one-sided, the whole thing falls apart. When the […]
Just As I Am – Aug. 30, 2020
John 6:35-40 Pam Bruns shared with us during this last Sunday in our summer series of sharing favorite songs or scriptures. The song “Just As I Am” has held special meaning for Pam throughout her life and she shared about how its meaning has changed for her through three different phases of life. It was […]
The Love of God – Aug. 23, 2020
Karin shared she feels the love of God when singing hymns with a choir. She noted that currently in the US we live with a mentality of scarcity. A sense that providing even basic needs like heath care to others will limit our own access. We even extend this to God’s love for us, forgetting […]
Walking Humbly – Aug. 16, 2020
Micah 6:8 Craig Hargett continues our summer series of selecting meaningful songs or scripture passages and speaking on them. This passage from Micah is a well-known and oft-quoted verse, especially within Mennonite circles. How do we act with justice, kindness and humility in our daily lives? It is a continuing challenge, but God has taken […]
Jesus Calls Us Friends – Aug. 9, 2020
John 15:14-15 & Acts 8:26-38 Ann Roberston shared two of the favorite songs of her father as our summer series continued. She spoke of learning from him how he loved the songs “In the Garden,” which many of us know better as “He Walks with Me and He Talks with Me,” and “What a Friends […]
God of the Bible – Aug. 2, 2020
John 1:1-5 Leah Weaver continued our summer series of sharing a song or scripture that has been particularly meaningful. Like for many of us, she notes that for her congregational singing at RMC is a particularly important aspect of our life together. The song “God of the Bible” is one of many favorite songs and […]
A Desire for Justice – July 26, 2020
Psalm 37 Rachel shared from this passage and her memories of hearing about it in the context of a seminary class on the role of the environment and land portrayed in the Old Testament, then juxtaposed immediately after through a campus rally about the suffering encountered by many in eastern North Carolina as a result […]
The Black National Anthem – July 19, 2020
Psalm 88 Al Reberg shared how the song Lift Every Voice and Sing often referred to as The Black National Anthem has moved him over the years. In the 80s, Kirsten (his daughter) had learned Lift Every Voice and Sing while part of the Saint Cecilia Youth Chorale. She sang it for him and it […]
Reflections on 45 years of ministry – July 12, 2020
John 15:1-17 [Note: there were a few technical glitches during Duane and Lois’s sharing via Zoom. These were edited out and as a result there are a couple of places that don’t completely flow together.] Duane uses the passage from John to reflect on the way Jesus was pruned for ministry. He shares about the […]
This Little Light of Mine – July 5, 2020
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, […]
Great is thy faithfulness – June 28, 2020
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 […]
Dying With Our Sins – June 21, 2020
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 […]
Known by God – June 14, 2020
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 […]
The Church Found Me – June 7, 2020
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 →
Beyond Understanding – May 31, 2020
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 […]
Reorienting Toward the Marginalized – May 24, 2020
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 […]
Love Lived Out – May 17, 2020
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. […]
The Process of Being Saved – May 10, 2020
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 […]
Turning the World Upside Down – May 3, 2020
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 […]
Eyes Fastened – April 26, 2020
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 […]
Hard to Find Humor – April 19, 2020
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 […]
I Have Come for YOU! – April 12, 2020
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 […]
Pulling Back the Curtain – April 5, 2020
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 […]
























