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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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Gospel of Matthew

Advancing the kingdom of heaven – June 12, 2022

June 12, 2022

Yuri preaching at Raleigh Mennonite on June 12, 2022

Scripture: Matthew 5:38-42 While Melissa is on sabbatical we are privileged to have a number of guest speakers. Yuri Yamamoto recently graduated from Shaw University with her Master of Divinity and is commissioned and endorsed by the Federation of Christian Ministries as a Christian minister and chaplain. Yuri is very active in the community and […]

Advancing the kingdom of heaven – June 12, 2022

Tagged With: Gospel of Matthew, kingdom, Sermon on the Mount, Yuri Yamamoto

Stitching Stories from Prison – May 8, 2022

May 12, 2022

Cindy Locklear shares at RMC with crocheted prison awareness quilt in the background.

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-45 We were honored to have Sarah Jobe and Cindy Locklear share in today’s service. Melissa introduced chaplain Sarah Jobe from the Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women who shared about the prison awareness quilt crocheted by women incarcerated at North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women as they survived COVID in prison. Cindy shared […]

Stitching Stories from Prison – May 8, 2022

Tagged With: Gospel of Matthew, prison, testimonies, women's prison

The Work of Healing – Jan. 23, 2022

January 24, 2022

Melissa preaching via Zoom on Jan. 23, 2022

Melissa recounts stories of Mennonites in Java–doing harm and learning to do better–as we reflect on what it means to be part of the larger global Christian church on World Anabaptist Sunday. Healing and restoration is always ongoing. We engage in repentance, over and over again, recognizing that this is how the reign of God […]

The Work of Healing – Jan. 23, 2022

Tagged With: Anabaptism, communion, Gospel of Matthew, healing, Indonesia, Isaiah, Melissa Florer-Bixler

Redeemed from sexism – Dec. 19, 2021

December 22, 2021

Melissa Florer-Bixler preaching Dec. 19, 2021 at RMC.

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, Melissa spoke from 1 Samuel 1:19-28 and Matthew 1:18-25. Both Hannah and Mary faced incredible oppression and ridicule given their situations. But Elkanah and Joseph bear that shame along their wives. Elkanah and Joseph must both transgress the boundaries of their culture. These men recognize the power vested in […]

Redeemed from sexism – Dec. 19, 2021

Tagged With: feminism, Gospel of Matthew, I Samuel, Melissa Florer-Bixler, men, patriarchy, sexism

The Gift of the Spirit through Baptism – Nov. 21, 2021

November 21, 2021

Melissa preaching at RMC on Nov. 21, 2021

In this final sermon in the fall series on gifts, Melissa preached from Matthew 3:13-17 and Acts 2:1-13. The holy spirit is somehow both a gift and a giver of gifts. One of the awkward parts about Jesus’ baptism is that Jesus does not need to be baptized. Jesus does not need to receive the […]

The Gift of the Spirit through Baptism – Nov. 21, 2021

Tagged With: Acts, baptism, gifts, Gospel of Matthew, Holy Spirit, Melissa Florer-Bixler, water

Life’s gifts – Nov. 7, 2021

November 7, 2021

Melissa preaching on Nov. 7. 2021

Melissa continues the series on gifts, this time speaking from Exodus 16:1-21 and Matthew 6:24-34. Jesus tells us that our lives are more than food and our bodies are more than clothing. Almost the entirety of Jesus’ time on earth is spent fixing and feeding and holding and weeping and walking and exorcising. So do […]

Life’s gifts – Nov. 7, 2021

Tagged With: Exodus, gifts, Gospel of Matthew, Melissa Florer-Bixler

All Saints Day – Oct. 31, 2021

October 31, 2021

Scripture readings; Mathew 1:1-16 and Mathew 22:23-33 Matthew 1:1-16 recites Jesus genealogy ad nauseum. How many begets does it take to tie Jesus to the promise of David and Abraham? If we look closer, Jesus’ lineage is spotty; some ancestors are extraordinarily holy and brave others extraordinarily awful. All shape Jesus and Christianity. The same […]

All Saints Day – Oct. 31, 2021

Tagged With: All Saints Day, Gospel of Matthew, Melissa Florer-Bixler

The Anti-Kingdom – Nov. 22, 2020

November 22, 2020

Melissa preaching via Zoom.

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46, 26:6-13 Jesus comes to bring a new rein, a new order of creation, and to invite us into it. It is a new world, an inversion. It’s built not on scarcity or fear, not bound to the way things are, but this rein that has already come into being in the life, […]

The Anti-Kingdom – Nov. 22, 2020

Tagged With: Christ the King, COVID-19, Gospel of Matthew, Melissa Florer-Bixler

Stay Awake – Nov. 8, 2020

November 8, 2020

Melissa speaking via Zoom on Nov. 8, 2020

Melissa speaks from Matthew 25:1-13, the parable of the bridesmaids. While one would think the moral is about not letting your lamps run out of oil, rather it’s about staying awake. We are all facing the problem of coming unprepared and then falling asleep. It’s a warning to each of us about the lives we […]

Stay Awake – Nov. 8, 2020

Tagged With: COVID-19, election, Gospel of Matthew, Melissa Florer-Bixler

Retributive Justice or Forgiveness? – Sept. 13, 2020

September 13, 2020

Melissa preaching via Zoom, Sept. 13, 2020

Matthew 18:21-35 Melissa tackles this difficult passage that juxtaposes this new way of doing life–this kingdom of God way of forgiveness, grace and hope–and points out how it doesn’t mix with the old order of carrying out justice. But if that new way of doing things is one-sided, the whole thing falls apart. When the […]

Retributive Justice or Forgiveness? – Sept. 13, 2020

Tagged With: COVID-19, Forgiveness, Gospel of Matthew, grace, retribution

This Little Light of Mine – July 5, 2020

July 5, 2020

Kathy speaking via Zoom on July 5, 2020

Matthew 5:14-16 Kathy Boos continued our summer series of sharing about a song or scripture passage that has been impactful. Melissa provided the scripture background from these verses from the Sermon on the Mount before Kathy shared her thoughts on the song. Kathy reflected on the importance of all kinds of music in her life, […]

This Little Light of Mine – July 5, 2020

Tagged With: Civil Rights, COVID-19, Gospel of Matthew, Kathy Boos, Melissa Florer-Bixler, peace, protests, songs

Pulling Back the Curtain – April 5, 2020

April 5, 2020

It’s Palm Sunday. Instead of processing around the outside of Hope School as we’ve done the past couple of years, we waved our branches from our homes, worshipping together via Zoom. (See raleighmennonite.org/2020/palm-sunday for a link to the video shared during the service of several RMCers waving branches in front of their homes.) Indeed, things […]

Pulling Back the Curtain – April 5, 2020

Tagged With: COVID-19, Gospel of Matthew, Melissa Florer-Bixler, Palm Sunday

Temptations – March 1, 2020

March 1, 2020

Ryan Paige preaching at RMC on March 1, 2020

Matthew 4:1-11 The temptations Jesus encountered shows Jesus was the Messiah. The most god-like thing to do in that moment was to not be godlike and while Jesus had the power to be godlike he chose not to. What would you do in the moment of temptation if you were in Jesus’ position and had […]

Temptations – March 1, 2020

Tagged With: Gospel of Matthew, Lent, power, Ryan Paige, temptation

Last Supper – Feb. 2, 2020

February 4, 2020

Melissa preaches at Fletcher Academy on Feb. 2, 2020, the first Sunday RMC met there.

Matthew 26:17-30 On this first Sunday that we held worship at Fletcher Academy, Melissa recounts the story of the Last Supper, Jesus having Passover with his friends. The account in Matthew spends more time talking about the betrayal by Judas than it does about breaking of the bread and sharing the cup. When we come […]

Last Supper – Feb. 2, 2020

Tagged With: A Year at the Table, communion, Gospel of Matthew, Judas, Melissa Florer-Bixler, passover, table

Remembrance of baptism – Jan. 12, 2020

January 12, 2020

Melissa preaching at RMC on Oct. 27, 2019

Matthew 3:3-17 NOTE: There were electronic issues during the recording which caused interference in the audio. It gets progressively worse toward the end of the recording, but it’s a good sermon, so if you can persevere, it’s worth it! Baptism is a little death. At the same time, all of life is baptism. There is […]

Remembrance of baptism – Jan. 12, 2020

Tagged With: baptism, church, community, Gospel of Matthew, Melissa Florer-Bixler

Not Belonging – Jan. 5, 2020

January 5, 2020

Stan Wilson preaching at RMC on Jan. 5, 2020

John 1, Matthew 2:1-12 Stan Wilson provided the sermon this morning. Drawing from Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, Stan says to be true to our Christian vocation, we need to “not belong.” For the church to not belong, we need to be part of a community that is called to embrace the wholeness and […]

Not Belonging – Jan. 5, 2020

Tagged With: church, Gospel of John, Gospel of Matthew, pacifism, Rowan Williams, Stan Wilson

Adoption – Dec. 22, 2019

January 5, 2020

Melissa preaching at RMC on Oct. 27, 2019

Isaiah 7:10-16, Matthew 1:18-25 Even though Joseph is not Jesus’ biological father, Jesus becomes a part of Joseph’s story; the inheritor and adopted child of the whole line of God’s promises. Our story as Christians is also one of adoption. We were destined for adoption as God’s children through Jesus Christ.

Adoption – Dec. 22, 2019

Tagged With: adoption, Advent, Gospel of Matthew, Joseph, Melissa Florer-Bixler

Fulfilled – Filled Up – Dec. 8, 2019

December 8, 2019

Melissa preaching at RMC on Oct. 27, 2019

Isaiah 11:1-10 & Matthew 3:1-12 On this second Sunday of Advent, Melissa told us, “this is a season to be shaken up and shaken out.” Christians have a profound failure to live out the Gospel, but we’re also attuned to our failure. We require outside intervention and Jesus comes through an intervention of love. It’s […]

Fulfilled – Filled Up – Dec. 8, 2019

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

Unlocked Doors – Aug. 11, 2019

August 12, 2019

Rachel Taylor preaching Aug. 11, 2019

Matthew 12:1-6Hebrews 9:1-14 Rachel brought the message this morning and began by telling us about recently being locked in the walk-in refrigerator at Anathoth Community Garden. She weaved this story and several readings into the teachings from the Hebrews passage about Christ as our high priest. Jesus, as our priest, makes us whole, by reminding […]

Unlocked Doors – Aug. 11, 2019

Tagged With: Gospel of Matthew, Hebrews, Rachel Taylor

Sacrifices & Finding Life – July 28, 2019

July 29, 2019

Melissa preaching May 19, 2019

Hebrews 4:14 – 5:10 & Matthew 26:36-40 Melissa works at clearing up misconceptions we often have and reconciling some of our notions of the sacrificial system of the Old Testament and Jesus’ life and crucifixion. We were forgiven long before we knew we needed forgiving.

Sacrifices & Finding Life – July 28, 2019

Tagged With: crucifixion, Gospel of Matthew, Hebrews, Melissa Florer-Bixler, sacrifice

The Good, the Bad & the Cross – July 21, 2019

July 23, 2019

Zinith Barbee preaching at RMC on July 21, 2019

Matthew 12:46-50, Hebrews 2:10-18 Zinith Barbee provided the sermon this morning, intertwining stories of Wyatt Earp and cowboys, with Jesus, his family, and Pharisees. At the end of the four gospels, we don’t get the OK Corral, we get Golgotha. Jesus is not the new Sheriff in town, he’s the new light and life.

The Good, the Bad & the Cross – July 21, 2019

Tagged With: Gospel of Matthew, Hebrews, Wyatt Earp, Zinith Barbee

Laughing Together – April 28, 2019

May 5, 2019

Rachel preaching July 15, 2018

Matthew 28:18-20 On this Sunday after Easter, we celebrate “Holy Humor.” We’re called to laugh. Laughter is not an escape. It’s not a weapon. It’s not something to be hoarded. Laughter is something we’re called to nurture. It’s something we’re called to grow in. Laughter is a way to celebrate God’s reign now, and in […]

Laughing Together – April 28, 2019

Tagged With: Gospel of Matthew, holy humor, laughter, Rachel Taylor

The Resurrection Reorders Life – April 21, 2019

April 21, 2019

Matthew 28:1-15 Melissa tells us there were two very different realities that Sunday morning, three days after Jesus had been crucified. The contrast between the Jewish women and the Roman soldiers at the grave couldn’t have been greater. The Easter story is a story of grace. It’s a reordering of life. We’re encouraged to let […]

The Resurrection Reorders Life – April 21, 2019

Tagged With: Easter, Gospel of Matthew, Melissa Florer-Bixler, resurrection

The Questions of Holy Week – April 14, 2019

April 14, 2019

Melissa preaching

Matthew 21:1-17 It’s Palm Sunday. The day we celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem as the King of Peace. But Jerusalem is a powder keg at Passover, and Jesus tosses in a match. It’s not unlike the unrest during the Civil Rights movement, when activists carried out a series of non-violent direct actions, pushing against […]

The Questions of Holy Week – April 14, 2019

Tagged With: Gospel of Matthew, Melissa Florer-Bixler, Palm Sunday

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121 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27603

Phone: 919-831-2969

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COVID-19 Update

We have begun worshipping in person at our downtown Raleigh location at Church of the Good Shepherd. We ask everyone to wear a mask and to be considerate of others’ COVID-related boundaries. We are continuing to provide the service via Zoom for those who are not able to join us in person. Please contact us if you'd like the Zoom connection information.

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