No one is proud of weakness. We don’t like to put our brokenness on display. But the Lord’s Table confronts us with our wounded bodies. The brokenness of Christ’s body confronts us with the wounds in our own life. In this short article, Isaac reflects on the way our congregations are broken and distributed as […]
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Who are you?
Title: Who are you? Date: May 3, 2009 Texts: Acts 4:5-12; I Jn 3:16-24 Author: Isaac Villegas Who are you? There are a number of ways to answer that question. You can give your name: Hi, I’m Isaac. Or maybe your job, or talk about your parents, or about where you’re from. Who are you? […]
The boundaries of God’s love
Title: The boundaries of God’s love Date: April 26, 2009 (3rd Sunday of Easter) Texts: Psalm 4, Acts 3:12-19, 1 John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48 Author: Thomas Lehman When I started to prepare this message I was drawn to the passage from 1 John Ch. 3. Verse two deserves special mention before I take up the […]
Those who haven’t seen
Title: Those who have not seen Date: April 19 (Easter 2) Texts: Acts 4:32-35, Ps 133, I Jn 1:1-2:2, Jn 20:19-31 Author: Isaac Villegas “if the church does not live by miracles she does not live at all.” ~ John H. Yoder Last week was Easter. And we heard the story of Mary’s encounter with […]
To practice love: Maundy Thursday
Title: To practice love Date: April 9, 2009; Maundy Thursday, foot-washing service Texts: John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Author: Isaac Villegas In a few minutes you will walk up here and stand in line, waiting your turn to wash feet and have your feet washed. You will sit down on a chair. Take off your shoes. Then […]
The way of the donkey
Title: The Way of the Donkey Date: April 5, 2009 Texts: Phil 2:5-11, Mk 11:1-11 Author: Isaac Villegas What’s with the donkey? This is the most important publicity moment in Jesus’ life. And he rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. We all know that image matters. People notice the details when you’re important. Just think […]
Ekano Ami Besto: letter from Nathan
To every thing there is a season, turn, turn turn. Bangladesh is one of MCC’s oldest projects. There’s a plaque in the Dhaka commemorating the first volunteer in West Bengal back in 1946. At one point MCC Bangladesh had over 300 National staff and something like 70 Expatriate service workers or Bideshi’s, but a few […]
Love heals
Title: Love Heals Date: March 22, 2009 Texts: Num 21:4-9, Eph 2:1-10, Jn 3:14-21 Author: Isaac Villegas “What would not have been assumed would not have been healed.” ~ Gregory of Nazianzus “The God who created us without us will not save us without us.” ~ Augustine What a strange story. The people encounter poisonous […]
Anger
Title: Jesus comes with a whip Date: March 15, 2008 (3rd Sunday of Lent) Texts: Ex 20:1-17, Jn 2:13-22 Author: Isaac Villegas Jesus, like any good Jew, takes a trip to the temple in Jerusalem for Passover. And when he finally gets there, after his long trip, he is disgusted. It’s not the holy place […]
Work: Ash Wed sermon
Title: Work Date: February 25, 2009 (Ash Wednesday) Texts: Genesis 3:17-19 Author: Isaac Villegas Work. The alarm clock wakes you up on Monday morning. You lie there for a few minutes, getting ready to do it all over again this week. Or it’s Friday: you get home after the week of work, you are tired, […]
Roadside Jesus
Has God abandoned us? The world seems like a desolate place. But the Scriptures tell us that Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us.” Where can we find this One who gives life? Isaac suggests that the Christ shows up among those who gather at the edges of our comfortable world. Here’s a passage from his […]
Now what?
Title: Now what? Date: February 15, 2009 Texts: Psalm 30, I Cor 9:24-27, Mk 1:40-45 Author: Isaac Villegas My dad grew up running. Not from the law; just running. He ran track when he was a kid in Colombia. And he was good at it. His coach said he had a future. So my dad […]
Emergent church; Mennonite churches
The February 16th (2009) issue of the Mennonite Weekly Review features an article on the Eastern Carolina District’s local ecumenical conversations. The best part about it is that there’s a wonderful picture of a few folks at Chapel Hill Mennonite. Follow this link: Emerging Churches find treasures in Anabaptism.
A short and joyful history
Title: A Short and Joyful History Date: Feb. 8, 2009 Author: Tom Lehman OPENNG PRAYER. O Lord, guide our thoughts, that we might better understand you, and better understand ourselves as your children. In today’s lectionary reading from the first letter to the church in Corinth, the apostle Paul describes his missionary strategy, and makes […]
Demons: Malcolm X and exorcisms
Title: Demons Date: February 1, 2009 Text: Mark 1:21-28 Author: Isaac Villegas I usually rent movies from the shelves of the new release section. But last week I quickly glanced at that section and got bored. So I walked around some of the other shelves and a movie caught my eye. Now, I’m a sucker […]
Guided by Voices
Title: Voices Date: January 18, 2009 Texts: I Sam 3:1-20; Jn 1:43-51 Author: Isaac Villegas “In my soul I feel just that terrible pain of loss, of God not wanting me, of God not being God, of God not really existing.” “If I ever become a saint, I will surely be one of darkness.” — […]
Ami Kushi : Nathan in Bangladesh
One of the Charles family traditions that my Grandmother started is that instead of exchanging Christmas gifts we share a story about something which happened to us during the year. This is the story I wrote a little belatedly this year and decided to send it out as my latest update. “It’s the simple things” […]
Fully Alive: on baptism
Title: Fully Alive Date: Jan 11, 2009, the Baptism of our Lord Texts: Gen 1:1-5; Ps 29; Mk 1:4-11 Author: Isaac Villegas “The glory of God is the human being fully alive…” — Irenaeus, 2nd century Last week I finally got around to cutting out a bunch of the dead plants in my front yard—Baptisias, […]
Exactly what you want
Title: Exactly what you want Date: December 28, 2008 Texts: Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Luke 2:22-40 Author: Isaac Villegas Sometimes you get exactly what you want. Eric wanted bike gloves and bike pants—those nice spandex kind with the butt padding. I thought he was going to wear them to church as a sermon illustration. He was asked […]
Waiting for what?
Title: Waiting for what? Date: December 21, 2008 (4th Sunday of Advent) Texts: Luke 1:26-38, 47-55 Author: Isaac Villegas What are you waiting for? Think about it. What are you waiting for?—a new job, a child, friends, a paycheck, love, a restored relationship, forgiveness. Or maybe you’re simply waiting for the end of my sermon. […]
Pregnant with God
Christians are people who make room for God. Mary is the first one in the Christian story who shows hospitality to Christ. She gives her very body as the space where good news can be born in our world full of bad news. In his Advent reflection for The Mennonite, Isaac looks to Mary as […]
Letter from Nathan in Bangladesh: Dekha hobe
For the past few years Nathan Charles has worshiped with us. He recently decided to serve with Mennonite Central Committee in Bangladesh for the next three years. Below is his latest letter. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
Isaiah’s Advent vision, and ours
Title: Isaiah’s Advent vision, and ours Date: December 14, Third Sunday of Advent Texts: Psalm 126; Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28 Author: Tom Lehman The sequence of passages in the Revised Common Lectionary during Advent reminds me every year that the Sundays between Thanksgiving and Christmas are more varied and complicated […]
Anticipating Glory
Title: Anticipating Glory Date: December 7, 2008 (2nd Sunday of Advent) Texts: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; Isaiah 40:1-11; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8 Author: Monica Schmucker Growing up with a German mother, advent was a season we celebrated, and so I have long felt that I understand the concept of Advent better than most Americans. I […]