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 strange words? When I first [...]
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 this [...]
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 order which [...]
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 comes to food. It’s [...]
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 hasn’t mastered the spiritual disciplines; nor [...]
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 power—from a filthy prison [...]
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.
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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. People started [...]
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 with [...]