Sermons on growing in faith (Page 18)
Radical Ritual
Over sixty thousand people gathered this week for Burning Man to celebrate Radical Ritual. As thousands searched for purpose & meaning on the playa, we gathered in worship at The Table to reflect on the depth & beauty of our ancient tradition’s radical rituals. Pastor Matt invites reflection on the radical roots of Holy Communion. Pastor Linda reminds us of the healing waters of Baptism. Pastor Chris challenges us to receive God’s anointing for our work in the world.
Cars 3
Matt’s message is rooted in Matthew 13.31-33, 44-52. Matt connects the story of the disciples and Jesus in Matthew with the new Disney Pixar film, Cars 3. Lightning McQueen faces the struggles of trying to learn the new technology while he is still stuck in the old days. Just like in Cars 3, these parables in the reading are demonstrating the old and the new coming together and bringing out the treasures of what our tradition and Scripture teach us…
Moana
This week in our worship series Faith & Films, Linda takes us through Disney’s new story of Moana and ties it together with the scripture of Isaiah 55.10-13. This film walks us through the beauty and mystery of God’s creation through Polynesian stories and mythology. Like Moana, Isaiah points to the cycles of nature as the story of God’s promise. We must learn to trust God’s desire to bless and re-create and allow us to pause in the beauty of…
The Divine Dance
Linda’s message is rooted in Genesis 18. 1-8. Linda invites us to wonder about the Trinity, as we are all part of God’s flowing Divine Dance. So the question is, will you open up and dance with the Divine?
Baptism in the Trinitarian Flow of Love
Linda’s message is rooted in Matthew 28.16-20 and writings of Father Richard Rohr. Linda invites us to wonder about our baptism into the trinitarian flow of love. What might it mean for us to be baptized & sent in this way?
Pentecost
Matt’s message is rooted in the story of Pentecost from Acts 2 and the Risen One’s breathing the Holy Spirit on the disciples in John 20.19-22. How might the disruptive ways of the Holy Spirit be luring you to join the trinitarian flow in a Divine Dance? Our worship series in rooted in Fr. Richard Rohr’s The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation. This podcast includes brief clips from the following songs from worship at The Table this morning:…
Brave & Brokenhearted
Linda’s message invites reflection on John 17.1-17 and Brené Brown’s Rising Strong. Jesus prayed for his followers to experience eternal life through an ever deepening relationship with God. How might the prayer of Jesus become our story? What will it look like to practice of Rising Strong in your work, your home, and your communities?
The Rumble
Linda’s message is rooted in John 14.1-14. Linda draws upon the writing of Brené Brown to invite reflection on how we might rumble with the emotions & stories that arise when we find ourselves face down in the arena. Jesus promises to share the truth with his followers. How might we uncover the truth of our own lives by rumbling with the stories we tell ourselves about our disappointments and failures?
The Reckoning
Matt’s message is rooted in John 10.1-10 and Brené Brown’s Rising Strong. Brené Brown writes, “One of the truisms of wholehearted living is you either walk into your story and own your truth, or you live outside of your story, hustling for your worthiness” (Rising Strong). “[Jesus] came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10.10). What emotional reckoning might be the gate in your life that leads to abundant life?
The Arena
Linda’s message is rooted in John 20.19-31 and introduces our Easter journey into Rising Strong. This worship series holds the lectionary readings for the season of Easter in conversation with Rising Strong by Brené Brown.
Raising of Lazarus
Matt’s message is rooted in the story of Jesus raising Lazarus (John 11.1-45); which foreshadows what lies ahead for Jesus, and for all of us, if we desire to follow him as messiah. Jesus weeps at the tomb of Lazarus with Mary and Martha. What might it mean for Jesus to meet us at the tomb today? After raising Lazarus, Jesus calls those gathered to unbind him. How might Jesus be calling us to unbind one another from the suffocating reality of death?
Finding Life-Giving Water through Conversation with a Thirsty Messiah & a Courageous Woman
Matt’s message is rooted in the encounter of an unnamed Samaritan woman with Jesus at Jacob’s well in John 4. An unnamed foreign woman from a different religious tradition & cultural identity is the first one to whom Jesus reveals his true identity in the Gospel of John. How might this story challenge and invite us to claim Jesus as Messiah in our everyday lives? Our scripture reading of John 4 is woven with Conversations by Sara Groves.