Feb 10, 2019 |
A Vision for Redeemer
| The Rev. Philip DeVaulA Vision for Redeemer
“Jesus is here, now, present in this church. And, he is calling us to move forward, and this vision that we have is simply a way for us to see what moving forward looks like. It’s a way for us not just to do new work, but to re-approach the work that we are doing: the way that we are caring for each other, the way we are participating in the redemption of the world – to look at it again and anew with a sense that in doing this work we are accomplishing something.”
Luke 5:1-11
Luke 5:1-11
Feb 03, 2019 |
The One Thing I Learned in College
| The Rev. Philip DeVaulThe One Thing I Learned in College
"To me [love] sounds so big that I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to grasp it, trying to hold onto it, trying to get closer to that being my understanding of the world. I don’t ever want to grow out of that. I want to grow in to that reality. I want this to be the center piece of our lives because its not just something we can move pass or go beyond."
Feb 03, 2019 |
Conversion of Life
| The Rev. Mitchell BojarskiConversion of Life
"You need to be willing to convert your life every day. To listen for a God who is calling you out of the old patterns that you think you know, to listen to a God who is going to teach you something new even if you have been doing this for decades and decades.”
Luke 4:21-30
Luke 4:21-30
Jan 27, 2019 |
On a Mission from God
| The Rev. Melanie W. J. SlaneOn a Mission from God
"Our mission as Christians has always been, and will always be, to know Christ and to make Christ known. And, in this community we are gathering together to say, 'no one is dispensable, everyone matters, and if one suffers we all suffer, and if one rejoices we all rejoice.' Our mission and our vision for this community is that we are a symbol of God’s love in this town, in this city, and in this nation."
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Luke 4:14-21
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Luke 4:14-21
Jan 27, 2019 |
Who Should We Get Rid Of?
| The Rev. Philip DeVaulWho Should We Get Rid Of?
“God is not interested in us becoming good, better, or best, God is interested in us becoming whole. God is not interested in us figuring out who to get rid of so that we can be the right kind of people. God is interested in us recognizing our fundamental interconnectedness, that we belong utterly and completely to one another. That we are one.”
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Jan 20, 2019 |
60-78% Transformed
| The Rev. Melanie W. J. Slane60-78% Transformed
"Just like a fine wine, the complexity and balance and unique gifts that we each have to share often get better with time. Participating in the miracle of transformation is a process… a process in these steps, a process of fermentation that requires an interruption of our current composition, a new ordering of the elements, an embrace of effervescence, and the giving and sharing of warmth."
John 2:1-11
John 2:1-11
Jan 13, 2019 |
The Ordinary Way of God
| The Rev. Mitchell BojarskiThe Ordinary Way of God
“The temptation for a lot of us is to look for God in the world and expect choirs of angels, and shepherds, and rulers from far off lands to come and point to God. And, what often happens is God is there in the crowd, and there’s no fanfare, and there’s no heavenly host. It’s just God in the crowd, doing ordinary things."
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Jan 13, 2019 |
Recognizing God
| The Rev. Philip DeVaulRecognizing God
“When we love and show mercy and forgiveness, when we look at each other and care for one another, when we care for this world and go out of our comfort zone and risk something of ourselves to make this world more like his kingdom come and his will be done – when we do that, we’re not just doing it so that we can get the right number of marks or so that God will pay attention to us. We are participating with God in the work that God is already doing.”
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Jan 06, 2019 |
A Political Epiphany
| The Rev. Philip DeVaulA Political Epiphany
"There are political implications to the words that we read, the things that we say we believe, the prayers that we pray, the songs that we sing, and the stories that we hear. They all point to a reality that is here and now, and present in this world. And, if Jesus is Lord, he is not Lord of just a couple things or a few parts of us. Jesus is Lord of all."
Matthew 2:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12
Dec 30, 2018 |
Grace Upon Grace
| The Rev. Joyce KeeshinGrace Upon Grace
"Grace permeates our scripture. Grace can seem so huge, so dramatic, and yet we can see it in simpler ways in our daily lives: the grace of a parent or teacher dealing with patience and love in a trying situation, the grace of a warm greeting to a friend or to a stranger, choosing forgiveness as a response when anger and vengeance might be more expected, having the courage to walk as Jesus did among those less accepted, among those in greater need, to touch the untouchable with Jesus’s compassion."
John 1:1-18
John 1:1-18
Dec 24, 2018 |
Nights Like This
| The Rev. Philip DeVaulNights Like This
"We are hoping to have a Christmas where the roast turns out okay, and that people probably don’t kill each other at the dinner table. Jesus is working on a Christmas where our hearts are transformed for love and we are drawn into deeper relationship with the people around us – where we are drawn into a reality where we recognize how beautiful this world is and where we recognize how beautiful we are.
Luke 2:1-14(15-20)
Luke 2:1-14(15-20)
Dec 23, 2018 |
Full of Grace
| The Rev. Philip DeVaulFull of Grace
"You are given so much power in this world – power to speak blessing into being, power to recognize God’s presence, and a power to love others in a way that will make them sing… that will make them prophets. God is working miracles of love in this world and God is giving you voices to speak about those miracles, and eyes to see the miracles happening in each person’s life. Mary is not the only one full of grace. The grace with which Mary is filled fills all of us this season, in this time. We are filled with the love of God."
Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)
Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)
Dec 23, 2018 |
Blessed Are Those Who Believe
| The Rev. Mitchell BojarskiBlessed Are Those Who Believe
"It’s really easy to get wrapped up in the season, and to sing the carols, to decorate and to shop, and to know that we’re getting ready to celebrate the birth of God. But, it’s harder to really believe that God became a human being."
Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)
Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)
Dec 16, 2018 |
The Baptist's Good News
| The Rev. Philip DeVaulThe Baptist's Good News
"It’s going to require something of you if you’re really interested in justice... if you’re really interested in peace. If you really want to know love, you’re going to have to give love in a way you never have. If you’re going to want to know blessing you’re going to have to bless this world in a way that it has never been blessed before. If you’re going to want to understand forgiveness you are going to have to forgive people."
Luke 3:7-18
Luke 3:7-18
Dec 09, 2018 |
Dig In
| The Rev. Melanie W. J. SlaneDig In
"We all have them – hills and valleys that surround our hearts. They’re there, and they’re real, and they’re deep and wide and high. And, John the Baptist says to us today, 'level ‘em.' Level the hills and valleys and make a clear way so that God can enter in."
Luke 3:1-6
Luke 3:1-6
Dec 09, 2018 |
Expectations
| The Rev. Joyce KeeshinExpectations
"I think there’s an inherent contradiction in the words 'prepare the way' because it's almost a call to action. And yet, so much of what we need to do to prepare the way is to let go. Let go of expectation, let go of fear, let go of those things that we put in place that get in the way of being open, open to Christ in our lives."
Luke 3:1-6
Luke 3:1-6
Dec 02, 2018 |
Liberation
| The Rev. Mitchell BojarskiLiberation
"Rejoice because your redemption is at hand. When this kind of power comes into the world, we’re not going to be destroyed we’re going to be liberated. We’re going to be freed from all the sinfulness, death, and evil in the world. And, it may seem scary, but it is our liberation."
Luke 21:25-36
Luke 21:25-36
Dec 02, 2018 |
Apocalypse Now
| The Rev. Melanie W. J. SlaneApocalypse Now
"The personal and communal apocalypses of our lives can be frightening – wildfires in California, earthquakes in Alaska, random hailstorms in Cincinnati, divorce, unemployment, violence against children… In the midst of all these horrors God asks us to stand tall and wait for Christ. Jesus makes our Gospel, not one of fear, but one of hope, and light, and life."
Luke 21:25-36
Luke 21:25-36
Nov 25, 2018 |
We Are His Kingdom
| The Rev. Mitchell BojarskiWe Are His Kingdom
"We’ve been made into this kingdom. We’ve been made into a kingdom of truth. Not a kingdom of right or a kingdom of might – but a kingdom of truth."
Revelation 1:4b-8
John 18:33-37
Revelation 1:4b-8
John 18:33-37