August 7, 2022 – When things are right in your face, you go cross-eyed trying to see them clearly. Jesus’s request to “not worry” invites us to focus on what’s a little further away—without erasing or downplaying the worries right in front of us.
Mary Liechty reads the sermon on behalf of Pastor Monica.
Scripture: Matthew 6:19-34
July 31, 2022 – We conclude our Jesus Geography series by walking the less-than-safe road between Jericho and Jerusalem. As we walk, we’ll find ourselves in the company of two unexpected disciples who embody the centrality of giving and receiving mercy.
Mary Liechty reads the sermon on behalf of Pastor Monica.
Scripture: Luke 10:29-37, Mark 10:46-48 (CEB)
July 24, 2022 – Jesus spent A LOT of time in people’s houses. What difference does it make that Jesus was in someone’s home when he launched some of his broadest and most systemic critiques of society at large? Why is it important that Jesus both taught and healed in homes?
Carla Schmid reads the sermon on behalf of Pastor Monica.
Scripture: Mark 1:29–34; 2:15–17; 3:20–21, 31–35
July 3, 2022 – The Bible is sparse enough on details that when you find one, you should probably ask why it was important enough to be preserved for thousands of years. So how about those place names we so easily skip over? Does the place make a difference in what Jesus said and did? This week we begin a new series called “Jesus Geography” by following Jesus to Caesarea Philippi.
Todd Grotenhuis reads the sermon on behalf of Pastor Monica.
Scripture: Mark 8:27–9:1 IBT
June 19, 2022 – As we recognize Juneteenth, we’ll eavesdrop on one of Jesus’s sermons. His hometown crowd turned from enamored fans into a murderous mob—what on earth happened?
Scripture: Luke 4:16-30 (CEB)
May 22, 2022 – “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words—they just might stab me!” How we wield our words is one of the most common topics in Proverbs. Interpersonal speech and speech that describes systemic dysfunction hurt… but is the alternative silence? How do we heal?
Scripture: Proverbs 12:18
May 15, 2022 – While Proverbs gifts us with images of Wisdom as the female divine, it also contains troubling portraits of Folly personified as female, as well. In Proverbs 7, Folly is a lascivious woman who seduces an unwary young man. What do we do when we see ourselves reflected in negative stereotypes like these scenes? The invitation of Scripture is towards holding the potentialities and liabilities of its contents in conversation.
Scripture: Proverbs 7:1–27
Speaker: Dr. Susannah Larry, AMBS
April 17, 2022 – Two thousand years before COVID-19, Jesus was already social distancing, even from his best friends like Mary! As we celebrate Easter, we move from embracing the certainty of Jesus’s death to the openness—and open-endedness—Jesus’s resurrection ushers in. This week we conclude our series “Seeking God’s Ways” with the theme “From Certainty to Openness.”
Scripture: John 20:1-18
April 10, 2022 – “Finally some peace and quiet!” or so goes the phrase. This time, though, peace isn’t quiet. In fact, it’s loud and disruptive! Come along for Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week leading up to Easter, as we explore the theme “From Power Over to Power With.”
Scripture: Luke 19:29-42
April 3, 2022 – Jesus is lying low at his friends’ house in the suburbs around Jerusalem when one of his hostesses Mary anoints his feet with expensive perfume, a deeply meaningful gesture. Judas’s protest invites us to ask ourselves, “What is most needed in this moment?” How do we choose between conflicting priorities? We dive into Week 5 of our Lenten series “Seeking God’s Ways” with the theme “From Scarcity to Abundance.”
Scripture: John 12:1–8
