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Raleigh Mennonite Church

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Gospel of Mark

The faith to be made well – June 30, 2024

June 30, 2024

Susan listening to Hans speak at RMC on June 30, 2024. They're in front of a banner with ribbons.

Susan and Hans provided a sermon dialogue based on the passage from Mark 5:21-43 of the woman with the hemorrhage and Jairus, a chief rabbi in the synagogue, whose daughter was deathly ill. They portrayed these two characters who met Jesus, allowing us to picture ourselves in the story. Through this imaginative retelling, we can […]

The faith to be made well – June 30, 2024

Tagged With: faith, Gospel of Mark, Hans Linnartz, healing, Susan Scott

The Mystery of God’s Kingdom – June 16, 2024

June 16, 2024

Melissa preaching in front of a banner of ribbons on June 16, 2024

Scripture: Mark 4:26-34 In this Sunday’s message, Melissa wove together the parables of the sower scattering seed and of the mustard seed growing with the tremendously destructive dispensationalist theology made popular by Hal Lindsey. Dispensationalism is a reading of scripture that is the basis of Christian Zionism, a violent anti-Semitic, literalist misuse of scripture. It […]

The Mystery of God’s Kingdom – June 16, 2024

Tagged With: Christian Zionism, dispensationalism, Gospel of Mark, love, Melissa Florer-Bixler, mustard seed, seeds

Redefining Triumph and Success – March 24, 2024

March 24, 2024

Mark 11: 1-11 Note: The English voice you hear in this podcast is that of the translator. You can hear Miguel in the background, preaching in Spanish In this sermon, RMC’s Miguel Cruz preaches on the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem as related in the Gospel of Mark. While we often focus on the […]

Redefining Triumph and Success – March 24, 2024

Tagged With: Easter, Gospel of Mark, Jerusalem, Miguel Cruz, Palm Sunday, triumphal entry

Into the Wilderness of Lent – Feb. 18, 2024

February 18, 2024

Phil Jackson

RMC member Phil Jackson preached on the temptation of Christ in the wilderness as told in Mark 1: 9-15. Although this relation of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry is very brief, we should not be fooled into reading too quickly past Mark’s description of this pivotal event. In it we can see how Jesus is […]

Into the Wilderness of Lent – Feb. 18, 2024

Tagged With: Gospel of Mark, Lent, temptation, Wilderness

Prayer: An Invitation for God to Dwell Within Us – Feb. 11, 2024

February 11, 2024

Melissa Florer-Bixler Sermon at RMC

Mark 9: 2-9 What will we do when we meet God? Will we run away? Cower? Ask questions? Or can we make a tent for God to inhabit and live among us? Melissa Florer-Bixler explores and unpacks the experience of Peter meeting God in the story of the transfiguration of Christ in the Gospel of […]

Prayer: An Invitation for God to Dwell Within Us – Feb. 11, 2024

Tagged With: Gospel of Mark, Melissa Florer-Bixler, Peter, prayer, transfiguration

A Grounding in Baptism – Jan. 14, 2024

January 21, 2024

Nina Balmaceda preaching at Raleigh Mennonite in front of a colorful banner.

Scripture: Mark 1:1-14 Nina Balmaceda provided the sermon this Sunday. Nina is on the faculty at Duke Divinity and president of the Peace and Hope International. She and her family are active at RMC. In the context of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus, Nina shared about the history of baptism and its relevance for us […]

A Grounding in Baptism – Jan. 14, 2024

Tagged With: baptism, Gospel of Mark, history, Nina Balmaceda

Reorienting Time – Dec. 10, 2023

December 10, 2023

Melissa preaching with her hand raised outward. A star-patterned quilt is behind her.

Mark 1:1-8 and Isaiah 40:1-11 On this second Sunday of Advent, Melissa reflects on our relentless focus on time; our need for efficiency. Time is invented; we made it up. Advent invites us into a different pace of time, a pace we call “Waiting.” Time’s first purpose was to be loved by God.

Reorienting Time – Dec. 10, 2023

Tagged With: Advent, Gospel of Mark, Isaiah, L'Arche, Melissa Florer-Bixler, time, wasting time

Leaning into Fear – Dec. 3, 2023

December 3, 2023

Melissa, holding her hands out while preaching on Dec. 3, 2023.

Isaiah 64:1-9 On this first Sunday of Advent, Melissa acknowledged that there is so much in our lives, in our world, to be afraid of. We are not in control of the world. We are vulnerable beyond our imagining. Somehow though, God is at work in this Apocalypse. She told the story, among others, of […]

Leaning into Fear – Dec. 3, 2023

Tagged With: Advent, fear, Gospel of Mark, Isaiah, Melissa Florer-Bixler

The Silenced and the Silentious – July 17, 2022

July 17, 2022

Greg Jarrell speaking at Raleigh Mennonite on July 17, 2022

We were privileged to have Greg Jarrell as our guest speaker this Sunday. Chrys introduces Greg, then Eric reads from Mark 9:14-29 before Greg gives the message. The silenced understand the silent spirit spoken about in the Mark passage. What it’s like to be told to go along just to get along. What it’s like […]

The Silenced and the Silentious – July 17, 2022

Tagged With: Gospel of Mark, Greg Jarrell, Micah, prayer, racism, Silenced, social justice, white supremacy

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

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

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

God is Beautiful – Feb. 14, 2021

February 14, 2021

Melissa preaching on Zoom, Feb. 14, 2021

Scripture: 2 Kings 2:1-12, Mark 9:2-9 After the reading of the 2 Kings passage, we listened to Robert Robinson sing Swing Low Sweet Chariot. After the Mark passage Melissa shared a video performance of the theme from The Mission. Our world is chock full of beautiful things. Many things that are beautiful are unnecessary. The […]

God is Beautiful – Feb. 14, 2021

Tagged With: beauty, COVID-19, Gospel of Mark, Melissa Florer-Bixler, transfiguration

Destroying Domination – Jan. 31, 2021

January 31, 2021

Melissa preaching via Zoom on Jan. 31, 2021

Scripture: Deuteronomy 18:15-20 & Mark 1:21-28 Melissa provided us with an alternative way of looking at this passage of Jesus in the synagogue and his encounter with the man with an unclean spirit. The language Mark uses throughout his gospel is that Jesus comes to “invade enemy territory.” Melissa ties this story in with the […]

Destroying Domination – Jan. 31, 2021

Tagged With: COVID-19, domination, Fanny Lou Hamer, Gospel of Mark, Melissa Florer-Bixler, racism, W.E.B. Du Bois

The Faith of our Baptism – Jan. 10, 2021

January 10, 2021

Melissa preaching via Zoom, with several participants shown in the gallery above her.

Scripture: Mark 1:4-11, Acts 19:1-7 To what baptism have you been baptized? The story in Acts talks about Jesus’ followers being baptized in the Holy Spirit. This baptism gave them, among other things, the power to stand up to powerful and dangerous interests. In baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit to enter into this life […]

The Faith of our Baptism – Jan. 10, 2021

Tagged With: Acts, baptism, good news, Gospel of Mark, Holy Spirit, Melissa Florer-Bixler, white supremacy

Prophets Among Us – Dec. 6, 2020

December 8, 2020

Steve Derthick portraying John the Baptist in front of a babbling creek.

Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11, Mark 1:1-8 – On the Road to Repentance On this second Sunday of Advent Steve Derthick opened the sermon time with a monologue as John the Baptist. Melissa continued the invitation for all of us to participate in the sermon by asking us to share a time there was a person who […]

Prophets Among Us – Dec. 6, 2020

Tagged With: COVID-19, Gospel of Mark, Isaiah, Jeremiah Wright, John the Baptist, Prophet

Preparing for the Journey – Nov. 29, 2020

December 8, 2020

Janet Fields portraying a woman preparing for a journey in biblical times.

After the scripture was read from Isaiah 64:1-9 and Mark 13:24-37, Janet Fields provided a monologue for the first Sunday of Advent. Melissa followed that with a short homily and then invited congregants to participate in the sermon by sharing a story of a journey they prepared for. How do we get ready during this […]

Preparing for the Journey – Nov. 29, 2020

Tagged With: Advent, COVID-19, Gospel of Mark, Isaiah, journey, preparation

What is this Passover Feast? – Jan. 19, 2020

January 19, 2020

Rachel Taylor preaching at RMC January 19, 2020

Exodus 12:3-13 and Mark 14:12-25 Our biblical example of communion stems from Jesus sharing the Passover meal with his disciples. Rachel reflects on how the church’s communion practice, particularly in white-dominant congregations, can deepen rather than heal racial divisions in the church as it did in the past when white slave owners required those they […]

What is this Passover Feast? – Jan. 19, 2020

Tagged With: A Year at the Table, communion, Exodus, Gospel of Mark, passover, Rachel Taylor, racism, slavery, table

Freed to Follow Jesus – June 10, 2018

June 10, 2018

Melissa preaching at RMC June 10, 2018

Melissa continues her series on what we generally call the ten commandments, found in Exodus 20:1-16. But she intertwines this Old Testament passage with the Gospel reading from Mark 10:17-31, what we typically refer to as the story of the rich young ruler. Jesus tells this man and the disciples–and us–that the commandments all along have been […]

Freed to Follow Jesus – June 10, 2018

Tagged With: Exodus, freedom, Gospel of Mark, Melissa Florer-Bixler, Ten Commandments, wealth

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