Participation: Saved FROM Something, FOR Something

2015.11.01 - Kevin Makins - Our Weird Church
Participation: Saved From Something, For Something

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Beginning with the relationship between “Heaven” and “Earth” and ending with a story about salad-dressing-baby-blessing, this sermon looks at what it means to be active participants WITH God.

Because we aren’t just saved FROM something, we are saved FOR something: we are saved to partner with God in the Ongoing Resurrection and Reconciliation of All Things!

That’s some GOOD NEWS right there!

Side note from Kevin (Pastor at EC): At the end of the gathering I got to give these ribbons to everyone in the church, who lined up one by one and received them. I said to them, and I say to you readers now:

“______ it is my honour to present to you this participation ribbon. May you continue to partner with God in the Ongoing Resurrection and Reconciliation of All Things!”

Some people are still wearing them! May you remember you are a participant, and may you find joy in that partnership.

ADDITIONALLY I mention some slides in the sermon, calling them “Circle Theology”, but you can’t necessarily visualize them easily, so the slides are all posted below for your viewing pleasure and aid!

Sex: Lines in the Sand - So What?

2014.05.25 - Kevin Makins - So What?

Sex: Lines in the Sand

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John 7-8, Matthew 5, 1 Corinthians 6, Galatians 5, Romans 1, Hebrews 13, 1 Timothy 1, Genesis 1, Song of Songs

Here it is: the most important (and awkward) topic on the list! We are surrounded by sex in our culture, but our culture fails to understand it. Our culture is sex OBSESSED, but is still as lonely and disconnected as ever. We are in desperate need of a better word on sex, and the church has tried to bring this word.

The problem is that sometimes, in trying to bring a good word, the church has heaped shame, judgement, and pain on people .

There must be a better way to talk about, and practice, sex as Jesus followers.

Additionally, there is reference to another sermon on sex that has been preached at Eucharist, that covers some additional ground. You can find that sermon by clicking here!

COLOSSIANS REMIXED - SLAVERY REMIXED / JOY

2013.12.08 - COLOSSIANS REMIXED - Kevin Makins

SLAVERY REMIXED / ADVENT JOY

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Colossians 3:22-4:1, Romans 8, 1 John 1

Now that we’ve tackled women and children’s submission we can move on to a simpler, more Christmas-like topic… slavery. …

Awkward…

Let’s be honest: lots of people want to put the bible on trial for what it does and does not say when it comes to slavery. But the same bible that was used to defend human slavery was also used to give hope to the enslaved!

What exactly was Paul saying to these slaves and slave owners in Colossae, and perhaps the more frightening question, what is the text saying to us two-thousand years later?

The text:

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.

Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

Targum written and read by Aaron Craig

Back to the Future - Corporate Demons

2013.05.12 - Kevin Makins - Back To The Future: Old Sermons That Shaped Us

Corporate Demons

1 Corinthians 8 and 10, Revelation 2 and 3, Daniel 7

This sermon got the most feedback (positive AND negative) of any sermon preached at Eucharist! It’s about one of the ways that spiritual warfare presents itself in our culture.

Reading by Terri Drumm is from her blog post “Our weird relationship with clothing”

Sandy Reynolds read for Mother’s Day from the blog “The Messy Middle”

_____

This sermon is a “re-preach” of an earlier sermon at Eucharist. You can re-listen to the original sermon (from March 2012) by clicking here!

GET BEHIND ME SANTA! - An Apocalyptic Advent

2012.12.02 - Kevin Makins and Dave Witt - GET BEHIND ME SANTA!

An Apocalyptic Advent

Revelation 4, Revelation 17, Acts 19

You would not believe all the resistance we’ve faced getting ready for the Apocalyptic Advent this year. 

Part of that resistance is that for the first time in over two years, BOTH of the audio files that record the weekly sermon were corrupted. This, along with about a dozen other factors, gives us a sense that there may be some other powers at work in this whole thing. Powers that don’t like the idea of being exposed, which is what this whole sermon series is about.

But while the powers can corrupt our audio files, they can never silence our podcasting!

So Dave Witt and myself gathered in a local coffee shop to go over the basic ideas of what an Apocalyptic Advent looks like, and why we think it’s such a crucial tool for us to use this season.

Time to get apocalyptic!

Music led by Aaron Craig - starts 34 minutes in.