Shows
Seattle Mennonite Church SermonsAn Ingathering of the Supremely Good We start our new year with the Narrative Lectionary “In the [very] beginning…” (a very good place to start…). The first creation account, in Genesis chapter one, reveals a Creator God who creates and co-creates, makes and beckons forth life. And God sees all that comes to be and declares: “good, good, good, good, good, good, and SUPREMELY good.” Today is a good day to remember that “supremely good” is our original condition, our birthright, our truest and deepest core.Sermon begins at minute 6:54.Scripture: Genesis 1:1—2:4aImage: artwork by A...
2021-09-1217 min
Seattle Mennonite Church SermonsIn the Den with the LionsIn this worship we begin exploring in the dark. So much of the time language and culture teachers that all that is good and right an beautiful is full of light and all that is evil and terrible is dark. And thus that dark is something to fear and avoid. As we enter Advent with Daniel in the den of lions, we too may feel entombed: the darkening days, the fear of COVID, unknowns in political leadership. Yet we learn from Daniel's experience that though the dark is fraught and fearful, there is hope. There are angels. Sermon...
2020-11-3053 min
Seattle Mennonite Church SermonsCitizen Discipleship"Disciples of Jesus should be desperate citizens. The desperate citizen will press their citizenship as far as possible for the sake of thwarting death and its agents." Pastor Amy explores the work of theologian Willie James Jennings and discusses the way our citizenship in nation should be engaged in relationship to our citizenship in the Reign of God. Now is not the time to opt out, when so many have had to fight desperately to be included.Sermon begins at 22:32Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from One L...
2020-08-1748 min
Seattle Mennonite Church SermonsListening & Learning: Shannon DycusWe continue our summer worship series in which we listen to and learn from Black preachers. Today: Shannon Dycus, former pastor of First Mennonite Church in Indianapolis IN, and current Dean of Students at Eastern Mennonite University. We listened to Shannon’s 2016 sermon, delivered at Christian Theological Seminary, in which she in which she invites us to consider lament - Jesus’ and our own - in light of Jesus' image of our mother hen God gathering her brood to her breast with tenderness and vulnerability. [Sermon begins at 19:00, prayers at 34:35.]---Luke 13.31-35PHOTO: lettering by Amy...
2020-08-0946 min
Seattle Mennonite Church SermonsListening & Learning: Austin Channing BrownWe continue our summer worship series in which we listen to and learn from Black preachers. Today: Austin Channing Brown, author of best-selling book, I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, and a powerful preacher. We listened to Austin's sermon, from the Evolving Faith Conference 2018, in which she revisits the story of Rizpah, whose sons were killed by King David because of their potential claim to the throne as descendants of former King Saul. In an act of final revenge against King Saul, Rizpah’s sons were hung on an open mountain hillside to decay in...
2020-08-0254 min
Seattle Mennonite Church SermonsEasy Yokes & Light Burdens??Nothing about the yoke of intractable racism feels easy. Nothing about the burden of a runaway pandemic feels light. Is there any good news at all in these supposedly comforting words of Jesus? And what's the deal with all those words of judgment that *precede* the supposed comfort? Pastor Megan explores the good news of a well-placed "y'all" and steals her most memorable line (attributed, of course) from Pastor Melanie, "I'm in it for the shalom, [y'all]!" You'll have to listen in to connect all those dots. [sermon begins at 16:40]---Matthew 11:20-30Image: Lettering by...
2020-07-2641 min
Seattle Mennonite Church SermonsListening & Learning: Glen GuytonWe continue our summer worship series in which we listen to and learn from Black preachers. Today: Glen Guyton, the Executive Director of our denomination, Mennonite Church USA. He loves pie and is funny (though his wife may disagree). And he preaches a good word: When we flee from our path, or lock ourselves away in fear, God invites us back again and again ("I got you..."), and Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit on us, empowering us for the work of transformation and perhaps even some "good trouble" (RIP John Lewis). Sermon - "The Journey" - begins at 20:45....
2020-07-1955 min