Title: The just shall live by faith Texts: Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; Luke 19:1-10 Date: October 31, 2010 Author: Thomas Lehman As today is Halloween, Chapel Hill’s most celebrated holiday, it is appropriate to say that the word means the hallowed evening before November 1, All Saints Day, a holiday in Europe and elsewhere. In the […]
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The beginning and the end
Title: The beginning and the end Texts: Gen 1:1-3, Ps 84, Jn 1:1-5, Rev 22:16-17, 20-21 Date: Oct. 24, 2010 Author: Isaac Villegas “The earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Gen 1:2). The first chapter of Genesis is […]
Lighthouse Mennonite
Title: Waiting for God at Lighthouse Mennonite Date: October 17, 2010 Texts: I Cor 14:26-33 Author: Isaac S. Villegas Waiting. Waiting for God. After Catherine’s sermon last Sunday, I’ve been thinking about what it means for us to wait for God. Catherine preached from the book of Jeremiah, about the Jews who had to live […]
Your people will be my people
Isaac reflects on his recent visit to Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church in Goessel, Kansas: As these two sister congregations cross borders in order to commune with one another, they find themselves in communion with Christ. To use the words of Augustine of Hippo, the Holy Spirit is the presence of love that “holds them together in […]
New
Title: New Text: Jeremiah 29: 1-7 Date: Oct 10, 2010 Author: Catherine Thiel Lee This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the survivors…This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and […]
The crumbs are enough
Title: The Crumbs Are Enough Texts: 1 Timothy 6:6-19, Luke 16:19-31 Author: Meghan Florian Date: Sept 26, 2010 “There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment.” Paul begins with the need to be content – we brought nothing into this world, he writes, and we take nothing out of it. This passage ends with […]
Faithful Witnesses (Alexanderwohl)
Title: Faithful witnesses Date: September 19, 2010 Texts: Isa 43:6-12, Isa 62:1-3, Rev 2:12-17 Author: Isaac Villegas “I know where you live—where Satan has his throne” (Rev 2:13). With those ominous words, Jesus addresses the church in Pergamum at the beginning of the book of Revelation. “I know where you live—where Satan has his throne.” […]
Guest in a Jewish house
Isaac reflects on his visit with the people at First Mennonite Church of San Francisco: In San Francisco the Mennonites assemble as Christ’s body within the house of Israel. Gentiles have become children of God, wrote theologian Karl Barth in 1949, “only as those chosen with [the Jews]; as guests in their house.” For First […]
Slaves of Christ
Title: Slaves of Christ Texts: Philemon 1-21 Date: Sept 5, 2010 Author: Chris Gooding After I graduated from college, I spent a year living in Bombay, India. I moved there to work for a non-profit known as International Justice Mission. IJM helps people with a variety of legal issues worldwide, but what they are best […]
Pilgrimage to Zion
Title: Pilgrimage to Zion Texts: Psalm 122, 126, 129, 137 Date: August 29, 2010 Author: Isaac Villegas “Where are you from?” I’ve been hearing that question a lot these past few months as I have been traveling around visiting different Mennonite communities. “Where are you from?” If you’ve recently moved into the area for work […]
These far by faith
Title: These far by faith Text: Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Date: August 15, 2010 Author: Monica Schmucker This week the lectionary gives us another chunk of that legendary Hebrews chapter that we started on last week. As I read it over during this past week, I was looking for the things that would jump out at me […]
Seeking a homeland
Title: Seeking a homeland Text: Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 Date: Aug 8, 2010 Author: Meghan Florian “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” – or, in another translation I memorized as a child, “faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do […]
The World of God
On his recent trip to a Mennonite church in Lancaster, Isaac reflected on the way church is a place where the world is welcomed into God’s presence. Here’s an excerpt: While waiting for the Monday night meal to begin, I read a brochure that describes the church’s purpose: “East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church, planting life […]
Will it make me happy?
Title: Will it make me happy? Texts: Luke 12:13-21, Colossians 3:5 Date: August 1, 2010 Author: Thomas Lehman Although today’s scripture passages contain enough attractive material for sermons on several subjects, preparation has been more than usually challenging, and in at least one respect humbling. Preaching to listeners that include our three grandchildren is a […]
Anabaptism at Mt. Zion Mennonite
Isaac took a recent trip to Boonsboro, MD, and spent a week with Mt. Zion Mennonite Church. Here’s an excerpt from the reflection he wrote for the Mennonite Weekly Review: From the window of the nursery I can see the cemetery that stretches across the hill alongside the church — a field planted with rectangular […]
Renting
Title: Renting Date: July 18, 2010 Texts: Num 9:15-23, Jer 29:4-9, 1 Pet 2:9-12 Author: Isaac S. Villegas We are wanders—all of us. Most of us did not grew up here in North Carolina. Even if we did, our ancestors didn’t. We live in a foreign land. I’ve been here for seven years, and I’m […]
Oh that, would that, if only…
Title: Oh that, would that, if only… Text: 2 Kings 5:1-14 Date: July 4, 2010 Author: Catherine Thiel Lee Our story tonight comes from 2 Kings and it is about a man named Naaman. Naaman is a “great man.” Hebrew narrators are usually sparse, even terse with their descriptions. But here the narrator goes on […]
Life of the dead
Title: The life of the dead Date: June 27, 2010 Texts: Gen 49:29-50:24, Heb 11:32-12:1, Lk 23:50-24:3 Author: Isaac S. Villegas I think there’s a new theme developing in my sermons over the past year or so. I really think the gospel is about our whole bodies. The good news is about our material lives, […]
Iglesia Menonita Luz del Evangelio
Isaac wrote about his visit with a Hispanic Mennonite church in Dallas, TX. Here’s a few paragraphs from the article: The Bible study before the Sunday morning worship service of Iglesia Menonita Luz del Evangelio turns into a passionate sermon. A discussion of the story of Esther becomes a call to live as the pueblo de […]
Waiting for Elijah
Title: Waiting for Elijah Text: 1 Kgs 21 Date: 6.13.2010 Author: Chris Gooding The ministry of the prophet Elijah only takes up five and a half chapters of 1st and 2nd Kings. Six and a half in the entire Bible, if you include the nasty letter that he writes to king Jehoram in 2 Chronicles […]
What are we doing here
Title: What are we doing here? Text: Luke 8:26-39, 1 Kings 19:1-15 Date: June 20, 2010 Author: Thomas Lehman Eight years ago I took up a new hobby: I gamble. I have never purchased even one lottery ticket, and I don’t sneak off to Las Vegas or Atlantic City or the nearest Native American casino […]
Mary Raber, May 2010
Our congregation financially supports Mary Raber’s work in the Ukraine. She is there with Mennonite Mission Network. Below is her recent letter. Read it to learn about her work and find out how to support her with our prayers as well. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
Pallbearers
Title: Pallbearers Text: Luke 7:11-17 Date: June 6, 2010 Author: Catherine Thiel Lee I have a friend who makes icons. Well…she doesn’t really make icons, but kind of. I’m not talking about the symbols on your computer that show a little picture of your file. I mean religious icons, pictures of Jesus or Mary or […]
This Wisdom uttered made the sky
Title: “This Wisdom uttered made the sky…” Date: May 30, 2010 Text: Proverbs 8 Author: Meghan Florian Absolute in flame beyond us Seed and source of Dark and Day Maker whom we beg to be Our mother father comrade mate… Be here Be now ~ James Taylor & Reynolds Price Does not wisdom call, and […]