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Raleigh Mennonite Church

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.

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Creation’s Gift – Sept. 5, 2021

September 6, 2021

Melissa preaching on Sept. 5, 2021

Scripture: Genesis 1 & 2 Melissa began her message by sharing the video “Manoomin: Food That Grows on the Water” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eOz8CPW0m0]. The audio is included in this recording. For the Anishinaabe creation is a gift. But it’s also a gift that forms a bond not just between giver and receiver, but between creatures. The concept of […]

Creation’s Gift – Sept. 5, 2021

Tagged With: Creation, Genesis, gifts, Melissa Florer-Bixler

Jesus, the Perfect Gift – Aug. 29, 2021

August 29, 2021

Melissa preaching with arms outstretched and a big smile.

Scripture: John 1 This Sunday we launched a new series on Gifts. The recording starts with a reading from John 1 by Elizabeth and Jackie, then Melissa launches into a story from her early childhood. We want gifts to be unconditional, with no strings attached. But that’s almost impossible for us to accomplish. Human gifts […]

Jesus, the Perfect Gift – Aug. 29, 2021

Tagged With: gifts, Gospel of John, Jesus, Melissa Florer-Bixler

The Offensiveness of Jesus – Aug. 22, 2021

August 22, 2021

Melissa preaching at Shepherd's Hall Aug. 22, 2021

Scripture: John 6:56-69 Melissa reminds us that a lot of what Jesus did during his ministry on earth pushed all sorts of boundaries. At times he was downright offensive. The people on the other side of Jesus’ offenses are those who had lost their bearing. Following Jesus is not an orderly set of rules. Rather, […]

The Offensiveness of Jesus – Aug. 22, 2021

Tagged With: chosen, disciples, Gospel of John, love, Melissa Florer-Bixler, offensive

The Fleshiness of the Gospel – Aug. 15, 2021

August 16, 2021

Melissa preaching at RMC, Aug. 15, 2021, with her hands reaching out.

Scripture: John 6:51-58 Our English translation of the text for today’s sermon doesn’t quite get at the graphicness of the passage. “If you do not ‘gnaw on the body of Christ and drink his blood, you have no life in you,” is a more accurate translation from the Greek. Whatever spiritualizing we want to bring […]

The Fleshiness of the Gospel – Aug. 15, 2021

Tagged With: Bartolomé de Las Casas, communion, Gospel of John, Melissa Florer-Bixler

A New Space, A New Day – Aug. 8, 2021

August 9, 2021

Melissa Florer-Bixler preaching Aug. 8, 2021 at Shepherd's Hall.

Scripture: Psalm 66 This Sunday marked the first time meeting in person since March 2020, and the first time together at Shepherd’s Hall, where we are sharing space with Church of the Good Shepherd in downtown Raleigh. As people who are trying to follow the teachings of Jesus, we don’t have to make the kingdom […]

A New Space, A New Day – Aug. 8, 2021

Tagged With: COVID-19, hope, Joy, kingdom, Melissa Florer-Bixler, Psalm

Giving Voice to Bathsheba – July 25, 2021

July 25, 2021

Melissa preaching via Zoom on July 25, 2021

Scripture: 2 Samuel 11:1-12:13 Melissa tackles this difficult passage about the sexual violence carried out by a powerful king, the kind of king that God had warned the Israelites about when they had cried out for someone to rule over them. There’s something else for us to learn about the structure of sexual violence in […]

Giving Voice to Bathsheba – July 25, 2021

Tagged With: 2 Samuel, Bathsheba, David, Melissa Florer-Bixler, power, sexual assault

Jesus keeps showing up – July 18, 2021

July 18, 2021

Melissa preaching from home, July 18, 2021

Scripture: Mark 6:34-56 Melissa’s sermon recounts this passage from Mark in three parts, focusing on Jesus meeting the disciples on the lake as they were struggling to row against a strong headwind. Jesus repeatedly meets the disciples in the midst of their exhaustion. He repeatedly knew their needs before they themselves knew them. Just as […]

Jesus keeps showing up – July 18, 2021

Tagged With: good news, Gospel of Mark, Melissa Florer-Bixler, rest

Living a Little More Like John the Baptist – July 11, 2021

July 11, 2021

Alicia T. Crosby preaching to Raleigh Mennonite on July 11, 2021

Scripture: Mark 6:14-29 Our guest speaker this morning was Alicia T. Crosby. As Chrys noted in the introduction, Alicia was not able to be with us live in our Zoom worship, but nonetheless her recorded sermon resonated with those gathered. The same God who abided with John the Baptist in today’s scripture abides with you. […]

Living a Little More Like John the Baptist – July 11, 2021

Tagged With: Alicia T. Crosby, Gospel of Mark, John the Baptist

Faith & Fear – June 20, 2021

June 21, 2021

Daniel Crowe preaching on Zoom, June 20, 2021

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41 Daniel Crowe provided this Sunday’s message. Making decisions can be difficult and involves a certain amount of risk. Things don’t always turn out the way we want them to. After calming the seas during a terrible storm, Jesus asked the disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you have no faith?” Daniel […]

Faith & Fear – June 20, 2021

Tagged With: Daniel Crowe, faith, fear, Gospel of Mark, Les Miserables, uncertainty

Anointed to be heroes – June 13, 2021

June 13, 2021

Chalice Overy preaching on June 13, 2021 from Shepherd's Hall

Scripture: I Samuel 15:34-16:13 Rev. Chalice Overy, associate pastor at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, was our guest speaker this Sunday. The story of Samuel anointing David is a good hero story. However, it also points out our biases, or expectations, for who is fit for leadership. But most hero stories also miss something; all the […]

Anointed to be heroes – June 13, 2021

Tagged With: anointed, Chalice Overy, heroes, I Samuel

Jesus schools Nicodemus – May 30, 2021

June 4, 2021

John 3:3 “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” We’ve studied this passage and listened to sermons. We understand Jesus is telling Nicodemus about the Holy Spirit. That by accepting Jesus we are filled with the Holy Spirit and gain eternal life. But Nicodemus […]

Jesus schools Nicodemus – May 30, 2021

Tagged With: born again, Gospel of John, John, Melissa Florer-Bixler, Nicodemus

Spirit of the Hush Harbors – May 23, 2021

May 24, 2021

Melissa preaching from new worship space on May 23, 2021

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21 On this Pentecost Sunday Melissa told a story about the sanctuaries in wooded areas called hush harbors where enslaved people would gather to worship in freedom, away from their enslavers and overseers. Pentecost is not a call to action. It’s a description of the Spirit’s work. What have we become as the […]

Spirit of the Hush Harbors – May 23, 2021

Tagged With: church, Holy Spirit, Melissa Florer-Bixler, Pentecost, sanctuary, slavery

Ascending Time – May 16, 2021

May 16, 2021

Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23 & I John 5:9-13 It’s Ascension Sunday though Jesus’ ascension is actually commemorated on a Thursday on the church calendar. Interestingly, that’s one of the few days of the year that Amish and Old Order Mennonites take time off from work. For them it’s a time to remember those who were left […]

Ascending Time – May 16, 2021

Tagged With: Ascension, COVID-19, I John, Melissa Florer-Bixler, time

God is Love – May 9, 2021

May 16, 2021

Melissa preaching from her office, May 9, 2021

Scripture: Psalm 27: 1-5 & 1 John 4: 7-21 When we depend on a set of rules to live our lives we see ourselves as creatures who can determine our own goodness, instead of what we actually are, which is recipients of grace. As creatures of grace we are confronted by our inability to love […]

God is Love – May 9, 2021

Tagged With: Bees, COVID-19, I John, love, Melissa Florer-Bixler

We believe with our bodies – April 25, 2021

April 25, 2021

Melissa preaching at CGS on Zoom, April 25, 2021

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 […]

We believe with our bodies – April 25, 2021

Tagged With: COVID-19, George Floyd, I John, Melissa Florer-Bixler

A weighty love – April 18, 2021

April 18, 2021

Melissa preaching from her home via Zoom on April 18, 2021

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 […]

A weighty love – April 18, 2021

Tagged With: Christian, church, COVID-19, I John, love, Melissa Florer-Bixler

Holy Humor: Surprising with Joy – April 11, 2021

April 11, 2021

Hans in a gladiator helmet giving the homily on April 11, 2021

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 […]

Holy Humor: Surprising with Joy – April 11, 2021

Tagged With: COVID-19, doubt, Gospel of John, Hans Linnartz, holy humor, miracles, Thomas

Easter Sunday, The Good News – April 4th, 2021

April 8, 2021

2021 RMC Easter Pageant

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 […]

Easter Sunday, The Good News – April 4th, 2021

Tagged With: Easter, pageant, sermon

Palms not Guns – March 28, 2021

March 31, 2021

Melissa holding up a jar during Zoom service March 28, 2021

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. […]

Palms not Guns – March 28, 2021

Tagged With: COVID-19, El Salvador, Gospel of Mark, Melissa Florer-Bixler, Oscar Romero, Palm Sunday, power

Telling the Truth – March 21, 2021

March 21, 2021

Melissa preaching via Zoom on March 21, 2021

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 […]

Telling the Truth – March 21, 2021

Tagged With: COVID-19, Melissa Florer-Bixler, Psalm, truth

Eternal Life Begins Now – March 14, 2021

March 14, 2021

Tripp holding a croqueted replica of the Covid-19 virus while preaching.

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 […]

Eternal Life Begins Now – March 14, 2021

Tagged With: COVID-19, eternal life, fear, Gospel of John, healing, Numbers, Tripp Helms

Clearing the clutter – March 7, 2021

March 10, 2021

Melissa

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 […]

Clearing the clutter – March 7, 2021

No, you shut up! – Feb. 28, 2021

February 28, 2021

Melissa preaching via Zoom on Fevb. 28, 2021

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 […]

No, you shut up! – Feb. 28, 2021

Tagged With: baptism, evil, Gospel of Mark, Melissa Florer-Bixler, suffering

Resting with the Animals – Feb. 21, 2021

February 22, 2021

Rachel preaching via Zoom on Feb. 21, 2021

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 […]

Resting with the Animals – Feb. 21, 2021

Tagged With: animals, COVID-19, Genesis, Gospel of Mark, Noah, Rachel Taylor, rest

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Mailing Address
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121 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27603

Phone: 919-831-2969

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Masks are no longer required at in-person services and events. But we are mask-friendly and fully supportive of visitors, members and service leaders who choose to wear masks for their own personal protection. Those who can’t attend in person still have the option of attending by Zoom. Please contact us if you'd like the Zoom connection information.

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