John 20: 1-18 Happy Easter to everyone! In this sermon Melissa Florer-Bixler preaches on the resurrection and the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene at his tomb. Jesus asks Mary, “whom are you looking for?” This is a loaded question, however, as Melissa shows us. The question asks us to look into our own selves, […]
Gospel of John
A Good Life Looks Like Wheat – Mar. 17, 2024
John 12: 20-33 Note: At 2:19, ten seconds of audio was lost due to a technical problem during the live recording. Melissa Florer-Bixler preaches on a time in Jesus’ life where there is no time left for ministry, but only to speak to those present of his imminent demise and fulfillment of God’s plan. The […]
The Difference Between Snakes Sent and Snakes Let Go – March 10, 2024
Numbers 21: 4-9 John 3: 14-21 Our perspective on the trials and tribulations of life can have a profound effect and how we formulate our understanding of God’s character and our own place and purpose in God’s creation. Melissa Florer-Bixler preaches on the long and arduous Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt and how […]
The Temple is a Home – Mar. 3, 2024
John2: 13-22 Melissa Florer-Bixler preached on the cleansing of the Temple by Jesus. From this gospel we learn that the existence of an economy for selling sacrificial animals and exchanging currency was not what angered Jesus, being necessary for travelers to participate in rituals, but rather the proximity of these activities, within the holy space […]
Shepherding us Sheep – Jan. 21, 2024
Scripture: John 10:14-15 Each year, Anabaptist-related churches around the world are encouraged to worship around a common theme on a Sunday close to January 21. On that date in 1525, the first Anabaptist baptism took place in Zurich, Switzerland. Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday provides an opportunity to remember our common roots and celebrate our worldwide koinonia. Today […]
Who I am not – Dec. 17, 2023
John 1:6-8, 19-28 and Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 On this third Sunday of Advent, Melissa shared about a list of “I am nots” that she made this week. John the Baptist knew who he was not, and who he was. Think about (or make) your own lists of “I am nots.” How does that sentence end? […]
Extravagant abundance – Aug. 27, 2023
John 2:1-12 This Sunday Melissa begins a three-part series on the question: What is the Church For? The miracle at the wedding of Cana seems like a superfluous act on the part of Jesus. There’s nothing practical or useful about the sign. Jesus doesn’t cure disease, raise a person from the dead or feed hungry […]
Spirit Empowered Community – May 28, 2023
Scripture: John 20:19-23; Acts 2:1-21 On this Pentecost Sunday we also celebrated the birthday of Raleigh Mennonite and the annual renewal of our covenant together. We take time to remember that we’ve said “yes” to showing up for one another. There’s no rule book for how to do this. The only tools we’re given to […]
Doing the work to which we were called – May 21, 2023
Scripture: John 17:1-11 We were privileged to have Casey Stanton provide the message this Sunday. Casey is co-director of Discerning Deacons, a project serving the Catholic Church through active discernment around women and the diaconate. Called to be active in promoting change within the Catholic Church, Casey called all of us to do the work […]
Abiding – May 14, 2023
This was a unique Sunday when Raleigh Mennonite joined St. Ambrose Episcopal for a joint worship service in St. Ambrose’s sanctuary. Father Jemonde Taylor and Pastor Melissa Florer-Bixler brought a dialogical sermon from the gospel reading in John 14:15-21. During Lent the choirs from both churches joined together to learn about and sing songs from […]
Marshmallow Prayers – May 7, 2023
Susan provided the message this Sunday from John 14:1-14 Jesus tells his disciples to, “Ask for anything in my name and I will give it.” That offer needs to be looked at in context!
The Way Through – April 30, 2023
Our guest speaker this Sunday was Ian McPherson, from Pullen Memorial Baptist Church. Chrys introduced him before he spoke from the lectionary passage of John 10:1-10. We often hear of Jesus referred to as the good shepherd. But in this passage, Jesus first refers to himself twice as “the gate.” “Christ’s in-breaking into our world […]
While it was still dark – April 9, 2023
On this Easter morning Melissa preached from John 20:1-18. Early on the first morning, while it was still dark, there was sweat and adrenaline and weeping. It has been three days since the crucifixion. Three days since they took his body down from the cross, and sealed it inside a cave with a massive boulder. […]
Seeing & Not Believing – March 19, 2023
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 […]
Three Doorways to the Holy Spirit – Jan. 15, 2023
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 […]
Come and have breakfast – May 1, 2022
Scripture: John 21:1-19 Jesus visits the disciples a third time after his resurrection, this time as some of them have been fishing. “Where is Melissa going with this sermon?” That’s what many were thinking as she started her sermon, telling us that our bodies are “an island of creatures.” The real body of Jesus joins […]
Creation is reborn – April 17, 2022
On this Easter Sunday we celebrate that creation is reborn, and we with it. The tomb opens and life is born from it. You can’t thwart it or destroy it. You can’t even unbelieve it, or overpower it. Because all that’s left to do here is to bear witness.
Pouring out Scarcity – April 3, 2022
In this continuing series during Lent, today’s story is about Mary pouring out expensive perfume, washing Jesus’ feet with it and drying his feet with her hair. Rather than agreeing with Judas’ chastisement for wasting money on such extravagance, Jesus says, “She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my […]
Delighting in our Love, Understanding our Loneliness – Feb. 20, 2022
Hearing a sermon from the sensuous passages found in the Song of Songs is pretty uncommon. Susan Scott provided an eloquent, humorous and insightful message on just that. What do the words in the Song of Songs teach us about God? For one, that God is not a prude. God is not squeamish or embarrassed […]
Jesus, the Perfect Gift – Aug. 29, 2021
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 […]
The Offensiveness of Jesus – 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 Fleshiness of the Gospel – Aug. 15, 2021
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 […]
Jesus schools Nicodemus – May 30, 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 […]
Holy Humor: Surprising with Joy – 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 […]