Today’s reading from Isaiah 16:1-5 opens us to a moment of a refugee crisis; we are reading about this massive disruption that happens across the Near East. Isaiah says “Like fluttering birds, like scattered nestlings, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon.” Due in large part to climate change, so […]
Melissa Florer-Bixler
Everything God Created is Good – Feb. 6, 2022
1 Timothy 4:4-5 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. We love family heirlooms not because they are wood or steel or gold but because they are given in love and carry love within them. Your body […]
The Work of Healing – 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 […]
Christ through the eyes of a child and the poor – Jan 2, 2022
Micah decries prophets who cry peace when they have something to eat and declare war against those who put nothing in their mouth. Micah looks out at the justice system and announces his disgust: its rulers give judgments for a bribe, its priests teach for a price, its prophets give oracles for money. The mystery […]
Common Things are Made Holy – Dec 26, 2021
Melissa spoke of St Ephrem who lived at the start of the fourth century. He was the son of poor farmers, falsely accused and imprisoned. When exonerated he makes his way to a monastery seeking solitude and a life devoted to writing poetry. But during a devastating famine he feels God calling him back to […]
Redeemed from sexism – Dec. 19, 2021
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 […]
Joyful Resistance – Dec. 5, 2021
Elizabeth, herself pregnant, welcomes Mary and offers Mary a blessing. A blessing of resistance to the powers that be. … Read More →
The Gift of the Spirit through Baptism – 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 […]
Gifts Of and For the Body – Nov. 14, 2021
Melissa continues our fall series on gifts. The scripture from I Corinthians 12 focuses on the gifts that everyone brings to the benefit of the body of Christ. The things the world prizes as powerful–it’s easy to believe that we did that. That we worked hard. That we got that education. We built that skill […]
Life’s gifts – 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 […]
All Saints Day – Oct. 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 […]
Acts of Love for Our Neighbors? – Oct. 24, 2021
Scripture – Luke 10:30-37 Those of us who grew up in the church have heard the story of the Good Samaritan many times. In this continuing series on gifts, Melissa draws fresh insights from the story.
Is this the place? – Oct. 10, 2021
The scripture today from Isaiah 1:1-20 is a prophecy or indictment of those who have much, of those who have excess. It speaks to those who have more than enough with not attending to the needs of the poorest among them. It’s no secret that our air, land and waters face a devastating century, and […]
The Giveaway – Oct. 3, 2021
Scripture: Leviticus 1:1-9 and 14-17 The message begins with Rosene telling a story of a favorite gift she received. This first account of offerings in Leviticus is simply about being a gift, not something to clear feelings of guilt or forgive sins. Its only purpose is for the pleasure of and enjoyment of God. Melissa […]
A Gift or a Bribe? – Sept. 26, 2021
Melissa continues the series on gifts with the story from Genesis 32 about Jacob meeting his brother Esau after battling with someone all night long. There are parallels between this story and that of Cain and Abel from a few weeks ago. Jacob is under the impression that he can buy anything he wants if […]
Gifts that aren’t ours to give – Sept. 12, 2021
Scripture: Genesis 4:1-16 Cain and Abel gave gifts to God, but they were not gifts for them to give since all they have is already from God. When we hear that God had regard for Abel’s gift of animal parts, but no regard for Cain’s gift of fruit of the land we might ask ourselves, […]
Creation’s Gift – 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 […]
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 […]
A New Space, A New Day – Aug. 8, 2021
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 […]
Giving Voice to Bathsheba – 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 […]
Jesus keeps showing up – 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 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 […]