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 […]
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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 […]
The Pueblo of God
Title: The Pueblo of God Date: May 16, 2010 Texts: Exod 18:13-26, Ac 1:15-26 Author: Isaac S. Villegas It’s good to be back here at church with you. As most of you already know, these past two Sundays I was in Dallas, Texas, visiting a Mennonite congregation—Iglesia Menonita Luz del Evangelio, trans. Light of the […]
Road trip
This summer Isaac will be visiting Mennonite congregations throughout the USA. He will be writing a column for The Mennonite Weekly Review about his visits. In his most recent column, Isaac explains his trips: This column will be a series of scenes from God’s mission among rural and urban congregations, wealthy and poor, young and […]
Mary Raber, March 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. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
Burst upon us
Title: Burst upon us Text: Acts 6:36-43 Date: April 25, 2010 Author: Catherine Thiel Lee Well, I sort of laughed to myself last week at Isaac’s sermon. He preached about the story of Jesus eating breakfast after his resurrection with his disciples, on how ordinary it all was, and on what it means for us […]
153
Title: 153 Date: April 14, 2010 Texts: John 21:1-14, Acts 9:1-6 Author: Isaac S. Villegas I love this story about Jesus, this story in John’s Gospel about his appearance to the disciples. I love it for the details, the strange details; the care John shows in getting the story right. Usually, the Gospel of John […]
Easter in us
Title: Easter in us Date: April 4, 2010 Texts: Isa 65:17-25; Ps 118:1-2, 14-24; Acts 10:34-43 Author: Isaac S. Villegas “Let him easter in us, be a dayspring to the dimness of us, be a crimson-cresseted east.” That’s one of the last lines from Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poem, “The Wreck of the Deutschland.” Let Christ […]
Bodies Matter, part 2
Title: Bodies Matter, part 2 Date: April 1, 2010 (Holy Thursday) Texts: John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Place: CHMF Author: Isaac Villegas This sermon is titled, “Bodies Matter, part 2,” because I preached “Bodies Matter, part 1” in Cary this morning. Some of us held a footwashing service at a detention center operated by the Immigration and […]