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.
On this fourth Sunday of Lent Melissa preached from John 9:1-41 and Romans 5:1-11. The story of Jesus healing the man who was born blind, and the subsequent questioning by the Pharisees illustrates the difference between being cured and being healed. After he gains his sight, he is repeatedly questioned by the people in power […]
On this third Sunday of Lent, Melissa spoke from Romans 5:1-11. Most of our sins aren’t interesting or dangerous. They’re mostly petty and boring and cruel. We short change both the chasm of our failings and the grace of God when we limit the scope of our sins to doing bad things. Our sins are […]
On this second Sunday of Lent Melissa preached from Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, weaving in basketball with the ongoing theme of confession, along with talking about community and identity. What if our identity isn’t a story about heroics or world-changing? What if the only way to tell each other apart is that we forgive each other?
On this first Sunday of Lent, Melissa preached from Genesis 2:15-17 & 3:1-7 and Romans 5:12-19. During this season we are focusing our time and attention toward “confession.” We have varied experiences with confessions. Confession is when we come clean, when we tell the truth about who we are. We are not God!
Susan Scott spoke from Matthew 17:1-9, which shares the experience of Jesus and three of his disciples going up into a mountain where they meet Moses and Elijah. In that interchange Jesus’s divine nature is revealed, with God appearing in a cloud, claiming Jesus as God’s beloved Son, telling the disciples to listen to him. […]
Scripture: Matthew 5:21-37 Today we’re listening to Jesus challenge our misconceptions about what this Jesus-centered life is that we have chosen to live. If you’re here because you’re trying to find a behavior modification program to make you more moral, this is not the right place. Jesus is actually interested in the heart of the […]
Scripture: Matthew 5:11-20 Melissa asked the congregation to help shape the sermon and interpret scripture together in this message about the oft-heard passage of the church being the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
Scripture: Luke 18:35-43, I Peter 1:3-6 On this Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday Karina Gonzalez, John Frye and Christina Hershey each shared a bit of their journeys and what it means to them to be Mennonite and part of this community. John’s sharing included several slides.
Scripture: John 1:29-42 Melissa shares about Jesus’ baptism and anointing by the Holy Spirit through three different encounters: two icon images and a video. The Holy Spirit is frequently an under-considered member of the trinity, an afterthought. Feel free to participate in this visio divina by studying the icons as you listen to the sermon […]
The service on Epiphany Sunday was filled with poetry and singing. Featured in this recording:
Matthew 2:13-23 Scripture doesn’t tell us a lot about Jesus’ early life, when God became a human baby. The story at the beginning of his life will form the whole rest of the story. It turns out that what it means to be God is actually what it means to be perfectly human, to love […]
Scripture: Isaiah 7: 10-16, Matthew 1: 18-25 Melissa preached from home since she had a child with COVID. We continue to hear from the prophecies in Isaiah on this fourth Sunday of Advent. God rolls God’s eyes at Ahaz because of Ahaz’s reluctance to listen to God. And God sends a token that Ahaz doesn’t […]
Scriptures: Isaiah 35:1-10 and Matthew 11:2-11 How does one tie in excitement about the World Cup with the third Sunday of Advent? Leave it to Melissa!
On this second Sunday of Advent, the anticipation of Christ’s arrival, Susan Scott provided the message based on Isaiah 11:1-10. Most of us have plenty of light, hope and joy in our lives, but certainly it can be a struggle at times. Where in your life do you need to hold on to hope?
Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-5 Melissa began her sermon on this first Sunday of Advent by sharing a rendition of Down by the Riverside by Rosetta Tharpe. In the Isaiah passage, God paints a picture for Isaiah of a world where tools of war become obsolete. That is a pretty bold vision for people locked into a […]
Scripture: Luke 23: 33-43 On this Sunday celebrating the reign of Jesus, Melissa shared the image of some graffiti archaeologists uncovered depicting a man with his arm raised toward a man with a donkey’s head nailed to a cross. Under it bears the inscription “Alexamenos adores his god.” There are frequently two depictions of Jesus. […]
Melissa reflects on and gives voice to the hypothetical woman who was married to seven brothers from the story in Luke 20:27-38. The Sadducees pose this question about the resurrection, but all along what Jesus wanted to tell the Sadducees, wanted to tell us, is that all women, all people, need good news. We need […]
Scripture: Ephesians 1:11-23 On this All Saints Day Melissa provided the message, explaining that saints are people who have lived in a way that help us believe that God is real. They are not necessarily the ones who are the best at believing stuff. Saints carry faith for one another and make make God credible […]
Melissa shared The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14) in its original form and as it might play out right here at Raleigh Mennonite. This version as acted out had a Bishop, a philanthropist, an activist and a payday lender. The first three were smug in their righteousness and celebrated that […]
Melissa began the four-part message sharing the story of the widow who demanded justice from the judge in Luke 18:1-8. This was followed by three stories of RMCers who shared out of their calling to work for social justice in their varied roles: Rachel “RED” Davis, Elizabeth Korver-Glen and David Rohrer.
Susan brought the message from Luke 16:19-31, telling the story of the rich man and Lazarus. How often are we so caught up in our own world that we miss those at the margins? And it’s not just about being blind to those at the margins but about being so sure you know what God […]
Scripture: Jeremiah 32: 1-3a, 6-15 In the final sermon of the four Melissa preached reflecting on her sabbatical, she focuses on hope, even in the midst of incredibly trying times. Often times it’s difficult to see hope in current circumstances, but frequently it’s churning and breathing below the surface, even if we can’t see it. […]
In the midst of our busyness it’s easy to miss the beauty of God’s extravagant creation all around us. Through the poetry of Psalm 65 and several more modern authors, Melissa recounts more of her sabbatical journey and encourages us to stop and notice that we too are a part of the joyful abundance of […]
Scripture: Ezekiel 18:1-4, 19-32 Melissa continued sharing about some of the experiences from her sabbatical, this time about Belfast and the historical divisions between Catholics and Protestants. Each of us is more than our past, more than our histories. More than the actions and illnesses of our parents in our nations and our communities. Your […]
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