Recent Blog Posts

11/26/2023 Hope for the Goats? The parable of the Sheep and the Goats ends with the king dismissing the goats to "eternal punishment." Is it possible these words hold hope for the goats to be restored? What is the worst way to read this parable? What is a better way?...

11/19/2023 Thanksgiving & Stewardship With the holiday season approaching, today we pause for prayer and reflection. Additionally, we discuss the parable of the talents (bags of gold). This story often makes us uncomfortable, but how can it remind us of our "first...

11/12/2023 Some Things Cannot Be Borrowed In one of the last parables Jesus tells his disciples before his arrest, he tells the story of ten bridesmaids awaiting the bridegroom's return. At the surface, the parable seems to contradict other teachings of Jesus, but...

11/05/2023 You Are Not to Call Yourself Rabbi In Matthew 23 Jesus has a final conflict with the Pharisees and teachers of the law. He critiques them not for their theology or biblical interpretation, but for hypocrisy. Given this teaching, how can we remain faithful...

10/22/2023 Tension, "Refugia" and Good Trouble Imitating Christ put Paul in tension ("good" trouble) with his culture. Imitating Paul put the Thessalonian church in tension ("good" trouble) with their culture. If the U.S. church lacks tension ("good" trouble) with our...

10/15/2023 The Political Letter to the Philippians Philippians is one of the most fascinating letters in the New Testament. It is simultaneously revolutionary and relational. In this sermon, we do a quick crash course on the letter, the history of Philippi, and what...

10/08/2023 Consider it All Crap Where do we find our true identity? Is it within ourselves, our ideologies and our accomplishments? Is this the way of Christ? Drawing inspiration from the life of the Apostle Paul and his own experiences, Pastor Greg offers a different...

10/01/2023 The "Value Gap" Lie Using language from writer and activist James Baldwin, Pastor Curtis explores the "value gap" lie upheld by the Chief Priests and the Elders of the temple system in Jesus' day. Where do value gap lies exist in our lives, and what can we...

9/24/2023 Looking Back to Egypt The lectionary readings for this Sunday include some of the most famous texts in the Bible. We focus on Exodus 16, when the Israelites long for Egypt as they grumble against God in the wilderness. What does the story tell us about human...

9/17/2023 Lessons on Forgiveness: From King George to King Jesus From the story of Joseph, to words from Paul, and a parable from Jesus, today's message explores (1) how power dynamics impact forgiveness-and-reconciliation, (2) our tendency to make disputable matters...