2011.10.02 - Kevin Makins - Soma: 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 1:1-9; Acts 18
In our first week studying the letter of 1 Corinthians we learn about the city of Corinth, the church that was founded there, and the grace that holds this whole mess together.
Music led by Alex Drumm and Justine Kormann - starts 57 minutes in.
Mark 2; Zechariah 8
We kick off year two of Eucharist Church by revisiting our first series: “Bread & Wine.”
The Christian has to know how to lament, and how to praise. How to mourn, and how to celebrate. How to recognize both exile and home.
This week was our attempt at a liturgy combining feasting, fasting, and maranatha.
Music led by Tim Selles and Jeff Wynands.
Luke 11; John 4, 17; 1 Corinthians 12
We kick off year two of Eucharist Church by revisiting our first series: “Bread & Wine.”
As the table grows and grows, we find that we are surrounded by people with radically different backgrounds, stories, and convictions; which will naturally cause tension.
War and peace, spiritual gifts, style of music, time of gathering, sexual ethics, colour of carpet, end of times, alcohol, dancing, playing cards, and dress code - churches fight and divide over all sorts of issues.
But what if it was possible to be united at the table? What if there was a better way? What if we were eucharistic?
What would happen if we took Jesus’ prayer seriously?
Because coming to the table is easy, but staying is hard.
Music led by Joel Cumby and friends - starts 50 min in.
Special thanks to Scott Aasman for bringing his piece “Altarpiece for a Suburban Church”
Deuteronomy 16; Matthew 11; Luke 14; Galatians 3; Colossians 1; Revelation 7
We kick off year two of Eucharist Church by revisiting our first series: “Bread & Wine.”
If asked what the central image of the Christian story is, most of us would respond with “the cross.”
That would be a pretty good answer.
Certainly the cross is crucial, and absolutely key to the Christian story, but there is another image that is perhaps just as significant as the cross. That image in the table.
From beginning to end, the biblical story points to the table as the place where salvation and new life is found. And the table keeps getting bigger.
Music led by Joel Cumby and friends - starts 43 min in.
When God rescued his people from slavery, he gave them a specific command: take one day a week and rest. Don’t produce, don’t create, don’t work - simply rest, pray, and play.
(We’ve talked about this before!)
As Christians, we believe that rhythm is crucial to our lives, and that without it we can work ourselves into burn-out, or fail to work as hard as we ought.
There is a rhythm to life, a pattern that creation falls into. We often talk about Sabbath as individuals, but we also need rest as a community.
Which is why, from July 10 to August 21, we are going to take a season of rest as a community. We will still gather on Sunday, but the service will be unplugged; singing only songs from the hymnal (!), with brisk “heat-appropriate” sermons, and time to hang out together afterwards.
The fact is, this year has been amazing! Parties in the park, people meeting Jesus, Christmas sing-a-longs, baby dedicating, bike blessings, and a Mass for the End of the World - our church is growing into a healthy, God-loving, Jesus-following community. It’s all been amazing, but it has been a lot of work, and we need to fall into Sabbath rest.
Unfortunately, this break has implications for our podcast as well. The fact is, uploading sermons takes some time and energy, and so for seven weeks we will not be updating with any new sermons. On the plus side, this will give any of our regular listeners a chance to go through the old classic sermons on this page.
And then, come fall, we will be ready to hit it all over again.
Thank you to everyone who follows our church via the internetz, we are very thankful for your prayer and support.
Grace and peace.
2011.07.03 - Kevin Makins - Imaginarium: Imagining a Better City
Isaiah 65, Zechariah 8, Jeremiah 29, Philippians 3
The third and final sermon in our series on creativity and imagination.
Christians can sometimes think that our ultimate hope is non-physical, other-worldly, and more or less disconnected from our experiences here and now. But the God of the bible is constantly reaffirming this world as good, sacred, and worth rescuing.
God is always concerned with place - and specifically, with cities. If we are going to work for the good of our city, we are going to need to learn how to see it with fresh eyes.
And this will require imagination.
Music led by Joel Cumby and a rocking band - starts 45 min in.
2011.06.26 - Kevin Makins - Imaginarium: The Most Resilient Parasite
Exodus 2 & 4, Isaiah 52, Luke 10
The second sermon in our three week series on the theological imagination examines the power of ideas to shape, form, and change us.
How has God used ideas to create new worlds? Why did Jesus, throughout his life, choose to teach through stories and parables?
And what is so “theological” about the theological imagination?
Music led by Joel Cumby and Alex Drumm - starts 52 min in.
2011.06.19 - Chris Cuthill - Imaginarium: The Theological Imagination
Mark 14
The first sermon in our three week series on the theological imagination. Chris Cuthill, who holds the Art Chair at Redeemer University, explores the idea of imagination as it intersects with faith, hope, and life in the Kingdom.
Music led by Joel Cumby - starts 41 min in.
2011.06.12 - Kevin Makins - both God and money: Money Ain’t A Thang
2 Corinthians 8, 1 Corinthians 11
The call of God’s people has always been to show the world what He is like; and this means being radically generous with our lives, and yes, even with our money.
Music led by Andrew Huang - starts 47 min in.
2011.06.05 - David Barker - both God and money: Dollar Dollar Bill Y'all
Leviticus 27, Numbers 18, Deuteronomy 14 & 26, 1 Corinthians 16, 2 Corinthians 8-9, 1 Timothy 5
Finally; the money sermon!
How should the Christian give? What should we give? When should we give? What does the Bible say about giving to your local church?
What if I’m poor? What if I’m rich?
A sermon all about cash-money, and what it means to give to your community.
Music led by Alex Drumm.
2011.05.29 - Kevin Makins - both God and money: Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems
Matthew 6, 1 Timothy 6, Hebrews 13
We work for it, think about it, dream of what we would do with it; our world is obsessed with money.
But when it comes to money, the church is often silent.
The job of the Christian is to confront the false gods of the day. Today, the god of money reigns.
We need to confront this false god. We need to believe that there is a better way, and a better God. We need to know how to use our money as a tool, how to rebel against the myths of our culture, and how to create a world that is generous.
Perhaps most of all, we need to understand Jesus’ words: “you cannot serve both God and money.”
Music led by Joel Cumby.
2011.05.15 - Wendy Gritter - The Power of Powerlessness
John 20, Philippians 2
Wendy Gritter returns to Eucharist pulpit with a teaching about emptying ourselves of all we have, and finding power in our powerlessness.
2011.05.15 - Kevin Makins - Do you realize how old this is?
Deuteronomy 6
This week at Eucharist we dedicate two amazing kids, and commit to “remember”.
Kevin Makins - Easter Epilogue: Peter
John 13, 18, and 21
Peter encounters the Resurrected Jesus.
A sermon about comparing ourselves to others, and the unique calling Jesus has given each one of us.
Kevin Makins - Easter 2011: Resurrection
John 19-20; Ephesians 5
The tomb is empty; it’s time to wake up!
Kevin Makins - The Things That Make For Peace: Hell
Matthew 25, Revelation 21-22
Jesus teaches us that violence does not win, that true power comes through sacrifice, that there is always a third way; but in the end, does he throw billions of people into fire forever?
In the end, does Jesus return with the biggest sword of all? Does violence truly have the last word?
A sermon about peace, justice, and yes, hell.
Kevin Makins - The Things That Make For Peace: Zacchaeus
Luke 19
On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus meets a tax collector named Zacchaeus. Lots of people know how this story goes: Zacchaeus climbs a tree, Jesus calls him down, they go for dinner, Zacchaeus repents, etc. etc.
And that’s where our telling of the story ends, but the text goes on - because you can’t leave destructive systems behind without serious consequences.
Zacchaeus’ story isn’t over yet.
Kevin Makins - The Things That Make For Peace: Third
Matthew 5
Many of Jesus’ sayings have found their way into our own culture. You will still hear people encouraging others to “turn the other cheek” and “go the extra mile”. Sometimes, we can hear these phrases so much that they actually become a little dull to our ears; they lose their teeth.
But to Jesus and his disciples, these were radical, loaded statements about how to combat violence. When presented with two options, Jesus always points to a third way.
David Barker - The Things That Make For Peace: Sabbath
Mark 2, Deuteronomy 5
There is perhaps no sin more rewarded in our North American culture than the sin of Sabbath breaking. In the midst of a busy world that values productivity above all, Jesus’ teachings on Sabbath become an act of rebellion against the empires of our world.
Sabbath makes for peace.