In the final sermon of this series, Bible Say What, Pastor Mak explores the journey to finding oneself in the very text that may have once been used against us. How can someone begin to find themselves in the text if they haven't even felt permission to find themselves in the church? So many of us here have come from a background of harmful theology, myself included. Many of us have been told or taught that our very existence is shameful and unwelcome in Church. If we’ve been told we shouldn’t even be seen in a church, how on earth are we supposed get to a place of seeing ourselves in the text. If the messaging that’s been ingrained in us leaves people like us out, or worse- characterizes people like us as the villains, how are we to feel anything other than distant and resistant to opening the Bible, let alone reading it with the intention of seeing ourselves in it. It can feel incredibly daunting. It feels incredibly daunting to me. One could say this sermon topic is the “scare the you-know-what out of me” assignment. But like the intention behind my acting class, sometimes we need a push to get out of our own heads, move beyond the box the world has put us in, and address the fear that's been holding us back.
Read MoreIn today’s sermon we ask questions related to the Bible, and whether it is the authority which is the word of God to be believed and obeyed; or whether its words were inspired by God; or whether it’s infallible and free from errors and untruths. There are so many different beliefs and theological perspectives, and there probably will be until the end of time.
Read MoreWhat themes do you think can easily be missed if reading this text from a place of power and privilege? Jesus placed himself in solitary with the weak and so did Moses and the 17 prophets in the Hebrew Bible. So what happens if you don’t find yourself as weak? Might you find it difficult to see yourself in the narrative of Scripture as the one in need, being oppressed, held captive. Jesus came to give sight to the blind… perhaps this is spiritual metaphorical blindness. In this sermon you’re invited to see the text anew from the perspective of black liberation, how might this lift is a spiritual blindness to see a broader vision?
Read MoreWe continue this sermon series by looking at how Jesus and his disciples read the Bible. Through the framework of Rob Bell’s work, What Is the Bible?, we consider Interpretation, Incarnation and Invitation to determine how we too can be enlightened through the retelling of Scripture.
Read MoreJennifer Uriele Derenoncourt will continue with our new series, Bible Say What? and explore questions like What is the version of the Bible you want to take with you on this journey of life? What are the stories that speak to you and how do you interpret them? How do those stories align with your God?
Read MoreEver heard someone refer to the Bible as the manual or GPS for life, the magic 8 call, the rule book? Well Rev. Josh started our new series, Bible Say What? By exploring questions like: What is the Bible if not a GPS? Who wrote the Bible? Who decided what books were included? When did it come together? How and Why do we even read the Bible? Some of the responses to these questions just may surprise you…
Read MoreWe aren’t the first generation to deconstruct or recover from church trauma… this has been apart of our human life cycle forever! In this sermon, Rev. Josh Lee focuses specifically on the wilderness season that Peter and the disciples found themselves in after Jesus death… full of questions, doubt, regret, uncertainty, perhaps certain of what they didn’t believe but unsure of what they do believe. Sunday we will glean from our ancestors on how they navigated reconstructing their faith after it all came crashing down.
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