Melissa spoke from Jeremiah 33:14-16 and Luke 21-25-36. Look around; the time is now. Stand up! Raise your heads. Don’t hide, don’t run away, don’t weep and gnash your teeth. Don’t numb yourself against this world, shutting it out with whatever distractions you can find. During this time of Advent, take hope. Hope is a posture of your body; the way your body acts in the world. Hope is unraveling itself among us as Jesus continues to come into the world.
In the 37 times that Jesus describes the reign of God in the Gospels, not once is the kingdom of God like a kingdom of earth. Each time, Jesus tells them stories. Over and over again he roots the liberation of God in ordinary life, in what happens around us, not in throne rooms with princes and crowns but in baking bread and sowing seeds.
Melissa’s sermon was based on John 18:33-37. She also has a version of it online at https://sojo.net/articles/kin-dom-christ
Doug Luginbill, Central District Conference minister, joined us this Sunday to ordain Melissa and install Rachel. This recording includes the ordination and installation, as well as Doug’s sermon from the lectionary reading of Isaiah 36:14; 13-20; 37:1-7; 2:1-4. Together pastors and congregations clarify the vision to which God is calling them. They discern the gifts of the congregation, identify where God is at work, and join the journey.
This service was also webcast and is available on YouTube.
An oft-quoted verse, Micah 6:8, framed the message introduced by Melissa and shared by Shannon and Deb. Shannon focuses on the meaning of kindness and Deb talks about what it means to walk humbly.
Melissa spoke from 2 Samuel 11:1-5, 26-27, 12:1-9 and Psalm 51. David makes a tragic and terrible decision and the results are heinous. When we see or hear of acts like this, we seek a confession from the wrongdoer, though David doesn’t come clean until he’s confronted by Nathan.
Once we let the truth out, it’s no longer ours alone. When we confess publicly, it makes us dependent upon one another. What kind of a community do we need to be that we are able to confess into it, where we can nurture a truth about our lives instead of pretending and walking around like everyone’s okay?
Telling and rewriting the story of Joshua from Joshua 24:1-15, Melissa shared about her experiences of visiting border communities in Arizona and Mexico to learn more about the current immigration situation.
Angel brought the message on this World Communion Sunday. The lectionary reading was from Exodus 19:3-7, 20:1-17. How do the Ten Commandments speak to us today?
Melissa brought the message from Exodus 14 about Moses and the Israelites being delivered out of the land of the Egyptians and crossing the sea.
Today’s lesson from Genesis 39:1-23 about Joseph and Potiphar’s wife was particularly salient given the week’s current events. Melissa asks, “How is the empire we can’t help but be a part of controlling our lives? Where is our allegiance?” As Ta-Nehisi Coates has said, “You are called to struggle, not because it assures you victory but because it assures you an honorable and sane life.”
The service was also live-streamed and the video is available on RMC’s YouTube channel.
As a result of some last minute storm-related changes, Melissa and Hans provided a Bible study for today’s message based on Genesis 12:1-9 and Hebrews 11:8-16. Their interactive review, including a discussion of Abram’s blessings, was followed by Sri Mayasandra who shared about his life and current ministry as the Asia regional peace resource coordinator with Mennonite Central Committee.
The service was also live-streamed and the video is available on RMC’s YouTube channel.
Donna Coltrane Battle joined us this Sunday and provided a riveting message based on the story of Noah from Genesis 6-9. Covenants are birthed out of pain. Recovery, or salvation, requires sacrifice. On this side of the covenant, we must press for ongoing justice.
Dr. Battle currently serves as the chaplain at Meredith College.
This Sunday marks the beginning of a new study of Genesis. Prior to Melissa’s message from Genesis 1, Pam read a poem, “God’s Grandeur” by Gerald Manly Hopkins.
There is mystery in the creation story. Everything in the world is a pure gift, an unmerited pure act of God’s love that somehow has intersected with time. You are a sign of God’s love enfleshed.
Melissa finishes up her series on the book of, and the person, Ruth. But Ruth shows up another time, at the beginning of the New Testament. The genealogy listed in Matthew 1 mentions three very unique women, including Ruth. Remnants of Ruth show up in Jesus generations later.
Ruth 4, Matthew 1, Matthew 9:20-38
Melissa continues her series on Ruth, focusing this Sunday on Ruth 3:1-18. We join the message a few minutes in.