Title: Liberated for Bondage Date: October 5th Author: Ryan Koch Texts: Exodus 20.1-20; Psalm 19; Philippians 3.4b-14; Matthew 21.33-46 The ten commandments, perhaps no one other text is as well known in the Bible. It is so well known that in pop culture, we find movies, poems, and songs written about it (like songs by […]
Dark sayings
Title: Dark sayings Date: Sept 28, 2008 Author: Isaac Villegas Texts: Ex 17:1-7; Ps 78:1-4, 12-16; Philippians 2:1-13; Matt 21:23-32 Psalm 78:2, “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” Or as other translations put it, “I will speak secret saying, mysteries, dark sayings.” What […]
Leaving Egypt Behind?
Title: Leaving Egypt Behind? Date: September 21, 2008 Texts: Psalm 105.1-6, 37-45; Exodus 16.2-15; Philippians 1.21-30; Matthew 20.1-16 Author: Ryan Koch Last Friday I went to Charlotte both to see a friend and also to attend the monthly poetry slam in Downtown Charlotte. This summer up in Michigan one of the pastors introduced me to […]
A sermon on protests
These two quotes helped me think through my sermon: Karl Barth, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (pp. 492 and 496): Love of one another ought to be undertaken as the protest against the course of this world, and it ought to continue without interruption…. Love is that denial and demolition of the existing […]
A sermon on Joseph
Title: Control and Faith Date: August 17, 2008 Texts: Genesis 45:1-16; Matthew 15:21-28 Author: Isaac Villegas Self-control. It’s important. Without it we would get ourselves into a whole lot of trouble. I’m sure you can remember when you wish you exercised a little more self-control. For me, I don’t have very much control when it […]
A sermon on Mennonite spirituality
Title: Spirituality from Prison Date: July 20, 2008 Texts: Gen 32:22-32; Matt 11:25-30 Author: Isaac Villegas Alone. It was night, and Jacob was alone. He left his family and possessions behind on the other side of the stream; now he was alone, surrounded by darkness. And the wrestling begins. Jacob isn’t a spiritual superhero. He […]
A sermon on government
Title: Joseph and Slavery Date: July 6th, 2008 Texts: Gen 41:41-57 Author: Isaac Villegas In a lot of ways, the story of Joseph feels like a ‘rags to riches’ story. He’s in a dungeon, but not for long. Soon he’s discovered; Pharaoh hears about his gifts and takes Joseph to the very top of Egyptian […]
Jesus for President: An Ecumenical Campaign
Our district of Mennonite churches brought Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw to town for their Jesus for President campaign. You can read part of a report of the event below. —————————————————– The Jesus for President campaign came to Raleigh, N.C. on July 22nd. Chris Haw, Shane Claiborne, and their crew took the stage at 7pm. […]
Fugitive Church
Where does church happen? In this article, Isaac tells the story of a moment of church that happened outside the walls of our normal meeting place. The people of Chapel Hill Mennonite can gather anywhere for church, even in the hospital. Here’s a couple paragraphs from the article: Sometimes church just happens. Christ shows up […]
Surrender to Communion
Giving up control is scary business. Can church be a place where we learn to be vulnerable with one another, and recognize that vulnerability as the movement of the Holy Spirit? Isaac remembers how a baby consecration wrapped him up into a vulnerable communion with God and companions at Chapel Hill Mennonite. Here’s a taste […]
Radical Ecumenism
Sometimes disticintions between churches and denominations gets to be a mess. Is there anything that can bring churches together? Isaac describes the relationship between Chapel Hill Mennonite and the Quakers as an example of what he calls “radical ecumenism.” Here’s an excerpt from his article, which appeared in The Mennonite: Tending to the grass and […]
Hope and nests, part II
Title: Hope and Nests, part II Date: May 4th, 2008 Texts: Ps 68:1-10, 32-35; Ac 1:6-14; I Pet 4:12-14, 5:6-11; Jn 17:1-11. Nests and hope. That’s what I preached about the last time. I told you about the blue birds who moved into the birdhouse in my front yard near the road. I talked about […]
Nests and hope, part I
Title: Nests and hope Date: April 13, 2008 Texts: Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23; I Peter 2:19-25; John 10:1-10 We have two blue birds living in our front yard. Last fall our neighbor gave Katie and me a bird house, and I put it up near the street this past January. That probably wasn’t the best […]
A protest of hope
Title: A Protest of Hope Date: March 20, 2008: Maundy Thursday Texts: John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Jerusalem welcomed Jesus as their king, “Blessed is the king of Israel” (John 12:13). And a few days later, on Maundy Thursday, Jesus is in the valley of darkness. Later this night, he will be arrested and his procession to […]
Mud
Title: Mud Date: March 2nd, 2008, 4th Sunday of Lent Texts: I Sam 16:1-13; Ps 23; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41. Mud, made with dirt and saliva. This is such a great story. Jesus heals a blind beggar with his spit. Thursday, around noon, I stopped by the Regulator Bookstore to pick up a book that […]
Home away from home
Title: Home away from home Date: February 17, 2008 Texts: Gen 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Rom 4:1-5, 13-17; Jn 3:1-17. To leave it all behind. To wander into the unknown with nothing to hold onto… only a promise. “The Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house.’” Leave everything. […]
God is home
Title: God is home Date: February 10, 2008, 1st Sunday of Lent Texts: Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11 I’m a home body. I like being at home, and all the things that home allows me to do. I can make my coffee just how I like it. I have the choice of three […]
When Jesus gets here
Date: January 6, 2008, Epiphany Sunday Texts: Isa 60:1-6; Ps 72:1-7, 10-14; Eph 3:1-12; Matt 2:1-12 What happens when Jesus gets here? What happens when Jesus arrives? That’s the question of Epiphany. What changes after Advent? We just finished our season of Advent, our time of anticipation. And I think it’s safe to say that […]
“Blessed are those who mourn”
Isaac described a day in the life of our congregation. He shows how our mourning is also our worship by telling the story of a worship service at Chapel Hill Mennonite. The article appeared in The Mennonite. Here is an excerpt: Mourning is worship. Sometimes we worship with our tears. To worship any differently would […]