We did a deep dive into the Beatitudes, Jesus' most substantive teaching on who is blessed (or "happy") in the Kingdom of God. While we might have heard these read from time to time, we tried to bring a new perspective on them, and the invitation to discipleship that they are.

On the heels of our sermon two weeks ago, we wonder what the church can do in times of great upheaval to be a light to the world. We found a historic precedent in St. Benedict of Nursia, who "preserved humanity" in his early monastic groups. Centered on Christ and his cross, we too can be a place which preserves the humanity and dignity of all.

Sermon Text: Deuteronomy 11:7-21

God is not mindless about land, but cares for it, so the Lord sees your faithfulness on it and sees your unfaithfulness on it.“ There is an ominous – perhaps a fatal – presumptuousness in living in a place by the imposition on it of one’s ideas and wishes.” Scripture calls us to this agrarian work, to tell the truth about our land and our selves. Our first, most faithful step isn’t to do, but to listen. An agrarian people must be a contemplative people. Action emerges from silence. Planting emerges from pasture walks. Design emerges from seasons. Repentance emerges from confession. Programming emerges from observation. Because good land, good economy, good communities come from deep faithfulness. Listen. And it is listening, to God, ground, and neighbor, that we come to learn how we live faithfully in this place, a place that Christ gave himself for.

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Sermon Text: Genesis 11:1-9, Philippians 2:1-13, Luke 4:1-13

The Church is the body of Christ, so we reflect Christ's nature - fully human, fully divine. Therefore, there's nothing we do in the church that doesn't have eternal, spiritual ramifications. When it comes to stewardship, all of it draws us to Christ or obscures Christ to us. So as we go through the "administrative" parts of the church in the coming months, let us look with the eyes of faith - pray, listen, discern, and commit.

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Sermon Text: Acts 1

The Church is the body of Christ, so we reflect Christ's nature - fully human, fully divine. Therefore, there's nothing we do in the church that doesn't have eternal, spiritual ramifications. When it comes to stewardship, all of it draws us to Christ or obscures Christ to us. So as we go through the "administrative" parts of the church in the coming months, let us look with the eyes of faith - pray, listen, discern, and commit.

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Sermon Text: Proverbs 3:1-12; Matthew 19:16-26

So when we talk stewardship, we aren’t first talking about budgets, but about a vision. We aren’t talking about money, but about how we align our lives with a world being renewed by Christ, How do I take ALL of me and let Christ’s power flow from me and from us? That’s the question of stewardship!

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Sermon Text: Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12; Mark 10:2-16

Our associate conference minister, Sheresa Simpson-Rice, joins us to celebrate World Communion Sunday, and to reflect on a faith that calls us to a wider view of God's welcome for all people around the table!

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Sermon Text: James 2

We continue in James, who reminds us that if we are to be faithful people, we must do, not just believe. The minute we ask, "How do I love God?" we are into the realm of religion. Religion based in love requires discipline and sacrifice, but it also makes space for joy. If we would love God well, let us "lift our hands, that our hearts may follow."

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