Sermon Video: "whoever is not against us is for us" - Mark 9:38-41

 The Church has struggled (and Israel before it) throughout its history to properly define what it means to be 'one of us'. We either subtract something that God has required, or more often, we add hurdles and restrictions of our own. Here Jesus tells his disciples to not hinder someone who was using the power of God, in Jesus' name, to help people, even though the disciples did not know who this person was. He punctuates his command with a profound statement, "whoever is not against us is for us." In this context Jesus is saying that anyone who is helping the Kingdom of God, who is furthering God's will, is on our team. Why? Because nobody can access God's power without being in relationship with God, therefore anyone who is able to work via the Spirit of God must indeed be 'one of us.'

Sermon Video: The Counter-Intuitive Kingdom of God - Mark 9:30-37

 There isn't a nation (or culture) on earth, now or in the past, that embodies the Kingdom of God.  They all fall short, far short.  Why?  Because the Kingdom of God is run on a servanthood basis.  It was created by the supreme act of self-sacrifice in history, Jesus' death on the cross, that established the Kingdom of God, and only moves forward when his followers imitate him and serve others.  Is America a Christian nation?  No, there is no such thing.  No nation lives by the moral code of the New Covenant, no nation makes its decisions based upon eternity.  The Kingdom of God is different, by design, thanks be to God.

Sermon Video: "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" - Mark 9:14-29

 Is faith all or nothing?  Is there room for hesitancy, fear, or doubt?  Faith isn't like a light switch, all on or all off, but a continuim, it can grow and it can be weakened.  As Jesus helps a father whose son health need is too difficult for his own disciples to overcome, he also confronts the issue of wavering faith.  Jesus does not condemn the man who admits that his faith is weak, he helps him.  As Christians, and as a Church, we need to do likewise: admit our own weaknesses and help those in need.

Sermon Video: "Peace be with you!" - John 20:19-23

 On the evening of the first Easter, following a confusing morning involving an Empty Tomb and visitations from angels, the disciples of Jesus were gather together, with the doors locked for fear of arrest. Suddenly, Jesus enters the room and dispels their collective anxiety and fear, telling them, "Peace be with you!" (Shalom in Hebrew) Not only was their recent fear releaved, for Jesus was truly alive, but the future's concerns were suddenly less daunting. Jesus immediately tells them their next step, to go and tell the Good News. Without Jesus, they were anxious and afraid, with Jesus, they were confident and ready to take on the world. That's the difference that the presence of Jesus makes, he brough peace then, and he brings peace now.

Sermon Video: Jesus loved to the end - John 13:1

 Contemplating the Last Supper (in our celebration of Maundy Thursday) through the eyes of John's commentary at the start of his extended section regarding Jesus' passion. For all of John's deep philosophical and theolgoical material, this introduction to the culminating days of Jesus' mission on earth has but one theme: Jesus loved his friends. What was on Jesus' mind when Judas approached with the mob, when standing before the Sanhedrin, when being mocked and beaten by the soldiers, when hanging in agony from the cross? His love for his friends. A simple truth, but a profound one.