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.
Rachel provided the message this Sunday drawn from the story of Elijah in 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14. It is a strange irony that Elijah, who lived in the shadow of the forces of death for the entirety of his ministry, narrowly avoiding dying of starvation, thirst, violence, depression, should meet the end of his own […]
Rachel preached from a passage not often preached about, Leviticus 12:1-8. Leviticus is sometimes a book of the Bible that we need to read multiple times and keep wrestling with. The book spells out in a very nuts and bolts sort of way what it meant for the ancient Israelites to love your neighbor as […]
Rachel brought the message this morning from Genesis 18:1-15, the story of Abraham and Sarah receiving word that she would bear a child even though she was in her nineties. The story follows the arc of many fairy tales, with a few key differences. Isaac was a sheer gift in the midst of the messiness […]
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 […]
Rachel shares her joys, pains and insights of keeping Bees. Bees only survive by working together in community. In Philippians 1:21-30 Paul doesn’t offer Jesus as a path to prosperity nor does he advocate seeking suffering. Instead he is honest that following Jesus is filled with beauty, joy and community but comes at a cost.
Psalm 37 Rachel shared from this passage and her memories of hearing about it in the context of a seminary class on the role of the environment and land portrayed in the Old Testament, then juxtaposed immediately after through a campus rally about the suffering encountered by many in eastern North Carolina as a result […]
Psalm 139 During the summer months RMCers are sharing scripture passages that have been particularly meaningful to them. This Sunday Hannah Barg shared about her brother Erin and the special relationship they had through music. Rachel Taylor introduces the passage from Psalm 139, followed by Hannah providing the scripture in song. After Hannah shares her […]
Sriprakash Mayasandra and Rachel Taylor provided our message this morning in the form of an interview. Sri, a former RMCer, has been studying in France before taking on his latest role with Mennonite Central Committee in Chad. He was able to join us via web conference and share some of his testimony and current work. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Acts 2:1-4, Romans 8:14-39 Rachel draws from Trevor Noah’s memoir Born a Crime to recount the power of understanding many languages. Pentecost calls us to welcome others, to be changed, to be vulnerable, to learn new languages. “The promise of Pentecost is that we are being made into a people, speaking many languages, to praise […]
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 […]
Rachel helped us take a broader view of a number of Jesus’ parables found in the Gospel of Matthew, providing some background and giving the congregation an opportunity to reflect on them in a new way. … Read More →
Rachel tells the story of William Kamkwamba, a boy in Malawi whose family faced starvation due to extreme drought. Ultimately a story of resilience and hope, along with creativity and ingenuity, what makes this an Advent story is because of the faithfulness and trust in the midst of incredible adversity. We may be longing for […]
Doug Luginbill, Central District Conference minister, joined us this Sunday to ordain Melissa and install Rachel. This recording includes the ordination and installation, as well as Doug’s sermon from the lectionary reading of Isaiah 36:14; 13-20; 37:1-7; 2:1-4. Together pastors and congregations clarify the vision to which God is calling them. They discern the gifts […]
Rachel preached from I John 4:7-21. We’re not alone on our journeys. Together, we encourage each other, share resources, catch each other when we fall, and simply enjoy each other. As our journeys become real and we’re brought to the edge of ourselves, we’ll encounter God’s love there too. Through loving each other and through […]
This Sunday Rachel told the story of Tabitha, in Acts 9:36-43, but from the perspective of one of Tabitha’s widowed friends in Joppa. Tabitha shows how our whole life can be defined by little resurrections, little renewals of life, little affirmations that death, sin, division and brokenness do not have the last word. Her story serves […]
Rachel brought the sermon based on John 18:17-27, reflecting on the oft-told story of Peter denying he knew Jesus, his teacher. Peter was later able to take the experience of his failure, look at it with God’s eyes, and use it to imagine something new. She links the charcoal fire they were gathered around in […]
