“Prayer Shawls and Barley Loaves” John 6 by Katie Johnson July 30, 2012 My fiancé told me a story of a 5 year old boy in his church whose uncle was dying from cancer. The boy’s family was going to do a walk for cancer research. He asked his grandma if he gave his birthday […]
The true shepherd is among us
“The True Shepherd is Among Us” Jeremiah 23.1-6 – Psalm 23 – Mark 6.30-34, 53-56 – Ephesians 2.11-22 by Nate Rauh July 22, 2012 Psalm 23 is an old prayer. It is prayed, for the most part, from the point-of-view [ewe? sorry] of an individual sheep as it journeys with the rest of its […]
Zombie Apocalypse and Vampire Economics
Vampire Economics, Zombie Apocalypse, and the Bible Amos 7:7-15, Mk 6:14-29, Ps 85 by Isaac S. Villegas July 15, 2012 “Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; justice and peace will kiss” (Ps 85:10). This beautiful line describes the world of the Psalmist — a world where “God’s glory will dwell in our land” (v. 9), […]
The lonely prophet
The Lonely Prophet Ezekiel 2:1-8, Mark 6:1-13 by Kathy Roberts July 8, 2012 Prophet: A divinely inspired person; a divinely inspired interpreter, revealer, or teacher of the will or thought of God or a god; a person who speaks, or is regarded as speaking, for or in the name of God or a god. (OED) […]
Salvation
Salvation Mk 5:21-43, 2 Cor 8:7-15 by Isaac Villegas July 1, 2012 What is salvation all about? I got to thinking about salvation this week as I was reading the assigned bible passages, especially the one from Mark’s Gospel, about Jesus healing Jarius’ daughter and the woman with the issue of blood. Healing has everything […]
Towering trees, pesky weeds
Towering Trees, Pesky Weeds Ezekiel 17:22-24; Mark 4:26-34 by Ryan Koch June 17, 2012 “Love your enemies; do good to them,” (Lk. 6:35) Jesus famously stated. Tonight I want to talk about what might be humanity’s supreme nemesis – trees. Call me crazy, but I believe that somewhere within us, we are envious of trees’ […]
Hunter’s Neo-Anabaptists
Isaac S. Villegas MWR Book Review January 2011 A Neo-Anabaptist Vision? James Davison Hunter, To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, & Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World (Oxford University Press, 2010). In his analysis of Christian witness in North America, James Davison Hunter discusses a movement he names “Neo-Anabaptism.” The heart of […]
Why fire?
Why Fire? Acts 2:1-21 by Catherine Thiel Lee May 27, 2012 Joe asked me what I was preaching about this week. “Pentecost,” I told him. “Do you remember what happens at Pentecost?” His eyes got wide and he grinned and nodded. “There’s fire! And Jesus sends it on their heads.” If I may brag on […]
Wilderness roads
Wilderness roads Acts 8:26-40, 1 Jn 4:7-21, Jn 15:1-8 by Isaac S. Villegas May 6, 2012 “I am the vine, you are the branches,” Jesus says to the disciples, “Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit” (Jn 15:5). There are some grapevines that grow in a little plot of land […]
Cornerstone
Cornerstone Acts 4:5-12, 1 John 3:16-24 by Martha King April 29, 2012 It just so happens that I preached the on Good Shepherd Sunday last year; so I’ll admit that instead of writing another sermon on the 23rd Psalm, I decided to look elsewhere in our passages for the week and pick up with Isaac’s […]
Resentment
Without resentment Acts 3:12-19, Luke 24:36b-48 by Isaac S. Villegas April 22, 2012 When I was a teenager, I’d say that my grudges, my resentments, were based solely on soccer rivalries. I would look, at disgust, at the players from Cyrus, a team from Phoenix, with their choreographed warm up routine, and every player wearing […]
Alive for one another
Alive for One Another Acts 4:32-35, John 20:18-31 by Meghan Florian April 15, 2012 I had trouble getting into lent this year. I tried picking up a lenten discipline, but couldn’t find motivation to carry it through; I didn’t even care enough to feel guilty about that. And, during holy week I didn’t set foot […]
In seach of a body
“In search of a body” Isaiah 25:6-9, John 20:1-18 by Isaac S. Villegas Easter 2012 Let’s be honest with ourselves. We are a good at making meals. There’s nothing like a Chapel Hill Mennonite potluck, and our Easter potluck is just the culmination of all that is good from our various meals throughout the year. […]
Crucified hope
Crucified hope Mark 11:1-11 by Isaac S. Villegas April 1, 2012 Palm Sunday After 40 days of Lent, days of contemplation, of wandering into our interior life, we find ourselves here, on Palm Sunday, standing at the edge of Lent, leaning toward Easter. Lent has been a time of wandering, a circling deeper and […]
Ever before me
“Ever before me” Jer 31:31-34, Ps 51:1-12 by Isaac S. Villegas March 25, 2012 “To the leader: a psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.” That’s the introduction to Psalm 51. There’s a story here, behind the prayer, a familiar story. David, the king […]
Love and light
“Love and Light” John 3:14-21 by Matt Morin March 18, 2012 It can be seen scrawled on subway doors, or spelled out in smoke by sky-writing airplanes. It has been plastered below the eyes of professional quarterbacks[1] and adapted for use by NASCAR[2]. It is printed at the bottom of paper cups at In-N-Out […]
interview in The Christian Century
Isaac was interviewed in The Christian Century magazine. Here’s an excerpt: What does your denominational affiliation mean to your parishioners? It means a lot. Many of us have joined the Mennonite Church because we wanted to be part of a community of faith that rejects violence outright, a congregation that supports us as we try […]
Cleansing of the Temple
Title: Cleansing of the Temple Date: March 11, 2012 Text: John 2:13-22 Author: Dave Swanson Preaching is not abstract. Preaching in Lent is certainly not so. A few weeks ago, on Ash Wednesday, Isaac introduced Lent as something positive. I heard him saying it is an invitation to deeper life to which we, as church, […]
Following the plain-spoken Jesus
Following the plain-spoken Jesus Mark 8: 31-38 by Catherine Thiel Lee March 4, 2012 Apparently, there is a logic to the lectionary. The bits of Scripture we read to each other each week in Lent do two things. It’s all about anticipation. First, we get to go back over the stories of Israel and remember […]
Baptized with a flood
Tile: Baptized with a flood Text: Genesis 9:8-17, Mark 1:9-15, 1 Peter 3:18-22 Date: Feb 26, 2012, First Sunday of Lent Author: Isaac S. Villegas “[A] Christian life is nothing else than a daily Baptism, once begun and ever continued.” ~ Martin Luther, 16th century[1] My garden is coming back to life — crocuses, daffodils, […]
Our God comes
Title: Our God comes Text: Mk 9:2-9 Date: Feb 19, 2012 Author: Matt Elia Our God comes, the Psalmist says, and does not keep silence. This is my beloved son, shouts a darkness in the clouds, listen to him. Our God comes—and does not keep silence. This is my son—listen to him. Several Saturdays ago, […]
Healing
Tile: Healing Text: 2 Kings 5:1-14, Mark 1:40-45, Ps 30 Date: Feb 12, 2012 Author: Isaac S. Villegas I was in New York City last week, which turned out to be the right place for the Superbowl, although I didn’t have the endurance to stay up late and watch the Giants win. While in […]
What does it mean to be healed?
Title: What does it mean to be healed? Text: Mark 1:29-39 Date: Feb 5, 1012 Author: Scott Schomburg Mark’s gospel begins in the middle. His first written lines form our imaginations for the rest of the story. He writes, “This is the beginning of the good news about Jesus.” What follows is the narrative of […]
The Church of the Exorcism
Tile: The Church of the Exorcism. Text: Mark 1:21-28, 1 Cor 8:1-13 Date: Jan 29, 2012 Author: Isaac S. Villegas It is the Sabbath and Jesus is worshiping in the local synagogue. He preaches the good news and the people are impressed. All of a sudden an unclean spirit reveals itself, having taken possession […]