Jonathan Bachman's image of protestor Iesha Evans in Baton Rouge
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The photo above is of protestor Iesha Evans who, of her protest and arrest, said: "I just need you people to know. I appreciate the well wishes and love, but this is the work of God. I am a vessel! Glory to the most high."
Lectionary Reading is from Luke 10
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One of the most helpful resources I've found for learning about gentrification is the podcast "There Goes the Neighborhood"
Article quotes in the sermon (warning, very strong language) "The Hamilton Institute: This Is How We Welcome You"
I read this book a few weeks ago and it is one of the best, and most accessible, resources on the devil and spiritual warfare. It even ties in to the broader "powers and principalities" theme of the sermon. Click here to buy "Reviving Old Scratch" by Richard Beck.
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How can the church be united when there are people who have significant disagreement on important moral and ethical questions?
Well it all starts with a time traveller named Cornelius...
Article Link: How One Stupid Tweet Ruined Justine Saccos Life
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Pentecost Sunday is all about the Holy Spirit coming to bring Unity, NOT Uniformity!
And if unity is the sign that Christ is King, perhaps our churches should worry more about how to practice peace and reconciliation instead of how good the band is or how "correct" our theology is!
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How can we be witnesses to God's grace without hiding it away or being annoying and pushy?
What does it look like to be people who are Still Waters?
SPOILER ALERT! Don't watch this video until you hear Kevin mention a video near the end of the sermon.
Also, don't click on this until the end of the sermon... but this happened at the end of the gathering:
https://www.facebook.com/davehamilton100/videos/10153360054332315/
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How did such a simple message get so complicated?
We also interview our friend Sue, who shares about her journey of learning to follow Jesus, and what it was like when people would try to "evangelize" her before she was going to church. Her reflections are so good and so fresh.
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Why is it so awkward and uncomfortable to talk about our faith? Especially with those who are not Christians!
In this very interactive sermon we share reflections on this awkwardness, and what it might look like for us to own our faith in a genuine way.
ALSO it includes the tightest 5 minute comedy set by Eucharist Comedian-in-Residence (ok, he just is a part of the church and hilarious) Zak McDonald. It's seriously very funny and very good.
Everyone is getting into it!
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The resurrection account is incredibly beautiful and compelling... but what can we know FOR SURE? What can KNOW happened that fateful Sunday, 2000 years ago?
Well here's a start: we know SOMETHING happened.
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2016.03.25 - Kevin Makins - Give 'Em Hell / Lent 2016
"He Was a Nutjob" (Good Friday)
Matthew 23
Every year we host a wake for Jesus where people dress in black, eat funeral food, and tell stories of the deceased. This year the wake was hosted by a Pharisee, who spoke some harsh words.
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This Sunday we're talking about the strange Christian phenomenon of using religious language to whitewash our cultural fears, anxieties, and aggression.
If you've ever been on the receiving end of such hostility a) I'm so sorry, that isn't right, and b) this is an open invite for you to join us as we dig deeper into why bad religion happens and how we can find a humble, prayerful, way forward.
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Our words hold tremendous power.
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Ever been angry at bad religion? Ever felt like priorities in the church were misaligned or hypocritical? Ever wanted to protest and raise your voice about it?
Jesus shows us that our anger matters, and he shows us what to do with it.
Give 'em hell, Jesus!
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When God entered into humanity, he did so in a body. A physical body that got sick, and did manual labour, and smelled bad sometimes.
He had a real body.
We live in a world obsessed with image, and sex, and weight... but it's a world that is very "anti-body".
But what if God, in taking on a body, blessed all bodies?
Your body is blessed.
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Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. A classic Christmas statement!
But that's how we tell the story NOW. At the time the story was this:
A man and woman were engaged to be married, and she became pregnant... from someone who she was not engaged too...
And that wasn't viewed positively.
Strong language warning, but in the eyes of their society:
Mary was a slut, Joseph was a sucker, and Jesus was a bastard.
Knowing what we know, it can be hard to understand just how much of a SCANDAL the whole situation was.
Which, for me, raises the question:
God, was there no better way to begin the incarnation? Why begin in scandal?
Turns out there are some VERY good reasons!