Shows
Zao MKE ChurchUnderground: Be Fully Alive
No one will know when suffering will become liberation, or what will become of the many trials of this life, says Jesus. So what are we to do?
Jesus calls us stay present, embodied, and alive in the face of uncertainty and doubt. Stay alert - Be fully alive!
2022-11-1830 minZao MKE ChurchUnderground: The Widow’s ProtestMaybe you've heard the story:
A poor widow gives all she has, mere pennies, in offering to the temple.
Is this a picture of perfect generosity?
Or a protest of a system that takes everything--every last penny--from the most vulnerable?
Join us for Underground, a series on the gospel of Mark. We'll trace Jesus's story from beginning to end, as he builds a movement while trying to stay off the grid until the right moment arrives for the showdown with empire at the cross. This is the gospel like you've never heard - tell no one.2022-11-0739 minZao MKE ChurchUnderground: Coming OutWhat does it mean to come out and claim our identity as counter cultural, liberationist, radical Jesus-followers?
Join us for Underground, the continuation of our series on the gospel of Mark. We'll trace Jesus's story from beginning to end, as he builds a movement while trying to stay off the grid until the right moment arrives for the showdown with empire at the cross. This is the gospel like you've never heard - tell no one.
2022-11-0726 minZao MKE ChurchRebuilding: Being HumanDivine Image Bearers? Totally depraved? Creatures? Co-creators? What does it mean to be human?
Some of us are ready to shed the shame-laden theology that claims human beings are rotten to the core. But how do we find our worth and keep our faith? Or does a faith without fear depend on seeing the good (and the God) in ourselves?
This season, join Zao for the series Rebuilding: Faith After Deconstruction. We'll talk about what to do now that the foundation of your faith is in shambles around you - do you pick it up? walk away? or can we bu...2022-11-0738 minZao MKE ChurchRebuilding: In The Beginning...
7 days ️or dinosaurs?
Literal or mythological?
Religion ️or science?
This week, we tackle the creation of all things. What have we been taught in church that's toxic or ignorant? What is a more nuanced and mature way to approach our Bibles, faith, and science?
2022-10-2144 minZao MKE ChurchRebuilding: Who is God?If we reject the idea of God as a bearded white man in the clouds, we're still left with a question: Who is God, and what are they like?
This season, join Zao for the series Rebuilding: Faith After Deconstruction. We'll talk about what to do now that the foundation of your faith is in shambles around you - do you pick it up? walk away? or can we build something new?2022-10-1127 minZao MKE ChurchRebuilding: Does Prayer Work?Am I supposed to run everything by God? Does God really give us what we ask for? If my prayers aren't answered, was I not faithful enough?
Many of us have been taught toxic or simplistic messages about prayer - as though it is a cure-all, a measure of our faith, or a performance of our piety.
But scripture does instruct us to pray. So why do we do it, and does it work?
This season, join Zao for the series Rebuilding: Faith After Deconstruction. We'll talk about what to do now that the foundation of your faith is in sha...2022-10-0440 minZao MKE ChurchRebuilding: Stop Worshipping Your BibleWhat if the church has made an idol out of the Bible?
As so many of us deconstruct our faith, the Bible becomes more more troubling. What if the Bible isn't perfect? It doesn't need to be when we remember that the Bible isn't God.
This season, join Zao for the series Rebuilding: Faith After Deconstruction. We'll talk about what to do now that the foundation of your faith is in shambles around you - do you pick it up? walk away? or can we build something new?2022-10-0449 minZao MKE ChurchRebuilding: Faith After DeconstructionSo you've been deconstructing all the toxic teachings of the fundie church you grew up in. Now what?
This Sunday, Zao kicks off the series Rebuilding: Faith After Deconstruction. We'll talk about what to do now that the foundation of your faith is in shambles around you - do you pick it up? walk away? or can we build something new?2022-09-2045 minZao MKE ChurchYou Can’t Break My SoulSpecial guest sermon by Dee Dee Watters
Dee Dee Watters (she/her/hers) is an unapologetic Black Woman of trans experience who is a mother, leader, healer, performer and recently stepping into her calling as a death doula. She’s a member of Freshwind Christian Fellowship under the guidance of Pastor Marvetta Walker.
Dee Dee is the publisher for TransGriot an online publication and the host of TransGriot Weekly. Nationally recognized for her leadership and advocacy around trans murders she asks that you join her in telling elected officials that trans rights are human rights! And we...2022-09-1248 minZao MKE ChurchUnderground: I See People As Trees
"I can see people," the man said, after Jesus touched his eyes. "But they look like trees, walking."
How do we perceive our world, and the people in it, when we are in the process of being healed? And how can we come to know the walking trees as human beings, made, like us, in the divine image of God?
2022-09-0625 minZao MKE ChurchUnderground: HatersSometimes it feels like the haters just won't quit. Jesus actually dealt with them, too - and has something to say about where the hate comes from and where, exactly it can go
Join us for Underground, a new series on the gospel of Mark. We'll trace Jesus's story from beginning to end, as he builds a movement while trying to stay off the grid until the right moment arrives for the showdown with empire at the cross. This is the gospel like you've never heard - tell no one.2022-08-3035 minZao MKE ChurchUnderground: Queering the BibleHow does our understanding of Jesus and the Bible change when we read it from a queer perspective? We'll take a single whole chapter and reinterpret story by story.
Not honored in his home town, creating abundance out of crumbs, and rocking a wardrobe so powerful that it'll heal your soul? Sounds queer to us!
Join us for Underground, a new series on the gospel of Mark. We'll trace Jesus's story from beginning to end, as he builds a movement while trying to stay off the grid until the right moment arrives for the showdown with empire at the cross. Th...2022-08-2342 minZao MKE ChurchUnderground: DemonizedEmpire demonizes the marginalized. Turns the oppressed into boogiemen. What if we have our ghost stories all wrong? Luckily, Jesus knows who the real demons are.
Join us for Underground, a new series on the gospel of Mark. We'll trace Jesus's story from beginning to end, as he builds a movement while trying to stay off the grid until the right moment arrives for the showdown with empire at the cross. This is the gospel like you've never heard - tell no one.2022-08-1525 minZao MKE ChurchUnderground: Take RootJesus said that not everyone who hears the Good News will be able to let it take root in them and flourish. So how do we cultivate ourselves as fertile ground - especially when systems of oppression grow up like thorns all around us?
Join us for Underground, a new series on the gospel of Mark. We'll trace Jesus's story from beginning to end, as he builds a movement while trying to stay off the grid until the right moment arrives for the showdown with empire at the cross. This is the gospel like you've never heard - tell no o...2022-08-1032 minZao MKE ChurchUnderground: Nonbinary JesusJesus was a walking talking paradox: human/divine, Jewish/Jewish lawbreaker, savior/crucified, alive/dead/alive again.... binary breaking in nearly every way. What supposedly contradictory identities do you hold? What if they are the key to the divine image of God in you?
Join us for Underground, a new series on the gospel of Mark. We'll trace Jesus's story from beginning to end, as he builds a movement while trying to stay off the grid until the right moment arrives for the showdown with empire at the cross. This is the gospel like you've never heard - tell no o...2022-08-1027 minZao MKE ChurchUnderground: Burning Down the HouseJesus's first followers destroyed buildings to create access for those who were systemically left out. What structures are you willing to bring down out of radical solidarity?
Join us for Underground, a new series on the gospel of Mark. We'll trace Jesus's story from beginning to end, as he builds a movement while trying to stay off the grid until the right moment arrives for the showdown with empire at the cross. This is the gospel like you've never heard - tell no one.2022-07-2628 minZao MKE ChurchUnderground: OutsiderThe beginning of the good news doesn't start at the temple. It's not even in the city. It's on the outskirts, thumbing its nose at the structures of oppression and hierarchy. In a world where some are insiders and some are outsiders, Jesus is clear to start where the holiest power lies - the margins.
This Sunday we kick off Underground, a new series on the gospel of Mark. We'll trace Jesus's story from beginning to end, as he builds a movement while trying to stay off the grid until the right moment arrives for the showdown with empire at t...2022-07-2627 minZao MKE ChurchBringing Sexy BackLet's be honest, most of what the church has taught us about sexual ethics is trash.
We're over it.
This week, we start fresh! Let's form a new and healthier attitude towards faith and sex - one that is sex positive, queer-informed, feminist, and Biblical.2022-07-1732 minZao MKE ChurchPure Trash: Let’s Get PhysicalWhat is sex, anyway?
In the church, sexuality gets reduced to some pretty narrow, heteronormative definitions. This leaves out a lot of sexual expression, and sets the stage for lots of church kids getting very creative so that ']they can remain "pure" in the eyes of God.
This week we'll delve deep into the steamiest scriptures, revisit what it means to be sexual, and find out how physical connection can be holy, Biblical, and not confined to the definitions or even relationships that we've been told about in church.
2022-07-0828 minZao MKE ChurchPure Trash: Purity Culture and PatriarchyTrue love is mutual, but purity and #TrueLoveWaits culture wants to replace generous mutuality with patriarchy and the oppression of women.
"men and women are different but equal"
"women are helpmates, men heads of household"
"wives and husbands both submit to each other, but…. differently"
Purity culture not only creates gendered hierarchy within relationships, it also makes women and girls responsible for managing the sexuality, fantasy life, and violence of boys and men.
But what does the Bible *actually* have to say about this? Turns out Jesus was a radical feminist, and much of what he had to say about...2022-06-2543 minZao MKE ChurchPure Trash: True Love is ComplicatedTrue love waits, right? Ummmm...
It's complicated.
Those of us who grew up in the church ended up with some pretty messed up ideas about sex, sin, and intimacy. Whether you grew up in the era of #TrueLoveWaits, had a purity ring, or even just experienced the purity-culture-light version of general sex negativity, you may have some unlearning to do when it comes to the Bible, faith, and sexuality.
Join us this Sunday as we kick off our new summer series, Pure Trash: putting purity culture where it belongs. We'll talk about where it all came from, what the Bible (and Jesus!) *actua...2022-06-2544 minZao MKE ChurchParty People: Be Gay Do CrimeSometimes being transgressive is an act of holiness.
This pride weekend, come hear about the time King David (notoriously fluid in his sexuality and gender expression) danced nearly naked through the streets as both a celebration and a protest, and how modern pride paraders and queer activists are inheritors of that that courageous Bibilical demonstration of turning mourning into dancing.2022-06-2522 minZao MKE ChurchParty People: SnoozefestEver feel like the best party would be just a nice, long, nap?
When party culture is tied to hustle culture, we think every party should be a banger. But in God’s economy, rest is a critical part of a celebratory life. Come learn how taking it slow, creating space for rest, and collaborating to do nothing at all can dismantle systems of oppression.2022-06-2543 minZao MKE ChurchParty People: unFashionably LateWhat happens when someone is late to the party?
Liberation for all is the theme of the kingdom party, so when someone shows up late, it usually means they have a history of participating in harm. Are we ready to receive folks who truly repent of supremacy culture and oppression? Or are we unwilling to throw them the party that scripture says they (and we) deserve?2022-06-2535 minZao MKE ChurchParty People: PresenceParty planning: stressful nightmare or gratifying project?
For some of us, the fun is in the prep work - planning everything just so, imagining how it all will go, and providing the perfect environment for the people we love. For others, all the pressure and details become awful distractions, keeping us from truly enjoying the celebration.
What does any of this have to do with Jesus? No matter how you prepare, we’re all called to be fully present (alive, even!) to the party atmosphere, to the love that surrounds us, and to Jesus who is at the heart of ever...2022-06-2528 minZao MKE ChurchParty People: Love FeastWhy is gathering to eat so important to following Jesus, and what can we do to add more love (and more feasting!) to our faith lives?
The Bible contains instructions for all kinds of feasts and festivals, but one stands out for followers of Jesus - the communion meal. In the early days of the church, this was not just wafers and a sip of wine, but a lavish meal called a Love Feast.
Come learn why that was so important then, and how we can build love feasting back into our faith and our community.2022-06-2526 minZao MKE ChurchParty People: Party TricksJesus once turned water into wine just to keep the party going - was this just a neat trick or is there something holy going on? Let's dig into the wedding that Jesus didn't want to end and talk about how joy is creative, communal, and exponentially grown.
2022-06-2530 minZao MKE ChurchParty PeopleFaith can seem serious and somber sometimes, but following Jesus leads us to eat, drink, and party hard more than you would think. This spring, embrace your inner party animal as we discover why the good news is worth celebrating!
2022-06-2530 minZao MKE ChurchTorn: A New ThingAfter harm, the ultimate goal is not reconciliation. God is actually doing a New Thing in us - not just restoring the status quo, but transforming systems and relationships into something more holy, more just, and more whole.
2022-06-2537 minZao MKE ChurchTorn: ForgivenessWhich is harder - to give forgiveness or receive it?
2022-06-2537 minZao MKE ChurchTorn: Return To LoveWhen we hear the word "repent" do we think of love? Or do we think of judgment, rejection, or even hate?
Let's take a deeper look at the idea of repentance and see if there is Good News here for us as we seek love, healing, and justice.
2022-06-2530 minZao MKE ChurchTorn: When Sin Goes ViralSome sins seem to take on a life of their own as individual choices add up to systems and structures of evil. There comes a tipping point where these structures (racism, queer phobia, environmental degradation, capitalism) take on a life of their own, newly replicating themselves beyond the control of any one person. We call this corporate sin - the sins of collective or communal harm.
Corporate sin is a major emphasis of the scriptures, in which the prophets frequently call on whole cities to repent. So why do our modern conversations about sin always center the individual? And how a...2022-03-2931 minZao MKE ChurchTorn: DeadlyWhy are some sins - the seven deadly sins, the ten commandments, sins related to sex - highlighted above all others? Are all sins the same or are some worse? And if some are worse, are they the ones we hear most about?
2022-03-2938 minZao MKE ChurchTorn: The S WordWhat is "sin" and why do some of us feel terrible at the mere mention of the word?
This Lent, the season leading up to Easter, we'll break down the B.S. around sin (hint: it's way less about sex, drugs, & rock n roll than you might have heard), discover why talking about sin can actually give us a stronger faith, a more inclusive community, and more accountability from systems of injustice.2022-03-2928 minZao MKE ChurchBrief: The Gospel by Any Other NameWhat happens to the message of Jesus when it is interpreted throughout different cultures and across different times? It becomes more rich with meaning! Though there are many gatekeepers in religious community, we are called to trust that the heart of Jesus's message thrives among cultural difference - and to beware conflating Jesus with western culture or whiteness, which has caused immeasurable harm throughout history.
In our last sermon on this series, we jump to a slightly longer book - Galatians. We'll sit with the whole book in one setting to understand how the radical Paul who wrote this letter a...2022-03-2936 minZao MKE ChurchBrief: A Wolf With A Sheep’s Byline"Slaves obey your masters"
"Women, be submissive to husbands"
"Be subject to rulers and authorities"
Wait a minute, Paul. Weren't you just upending the slave/master hierarchy in Philemon? Didn't you say that in God's household, there is no male or female?
And Paul, weren't you famously jailed and then executed for boldly building a church that worshipped Jesus, famously crucified by the state for acts of rebellion?
So what in the world is going on with the letter to Titus, instructing followers abandon the counter-cultural nature of the underground Jesus movement to become respectable, government approved ci...2022-02-1748 minZao MKE ChurchBrief: When The Bible Gets WeirdReading the book of Jude can feel rather head-spinning to modern readers: the angel Michael arguing with the devil over Moses dead body, clouds without rain and crashing waves turning to foam, innumerable references to scriptures both within and outside of the Old Testament. And honestly, it actually gets *weirder* when you know more what the author is talking about - for instance, when you realize he's referencing the idea than angels pissed God off by coming to earth and procreating with human beings, creating a race of giant angel-human hybrids, which caused God to bring the flood and wipe...2022-02-1744 minZao MKE ChurchBrief: Rome Didn’t Fall In A DaySometimes it feels like modern day power structures (American imperialism, capitalism, the carceral state) are eternal - they have been here so long it's hard to imagine a world after them. But Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament, is here to remind us that all empires do fall, and he issues a warning against investing in the evils of a temporary empire over building the everlasting kingdom of God.
2022-02-1735 minZao MKE ChurchBrief: Not A Slave, But A SiblingPhilemon, one of the shortest books of the Bible, was written to urge a rich slave owner to free an enslaved man in his household as a matter of Christian duty, and to receive him home as a beloved family member - entitled to all the rights of a brother, not a slave. So how did this become a favorite text of defenders of American slavery in the 18th & 19th centuries?
Read it for yourself and decide among trusted community- is this book of the Bible pro-slavery or radically abolitionist?2022-02-1740 minZao MKE ChurchBriefThe Bible can sometimes feel overwhelming, so you might be surprised to know that some of the books of the Bible were originally written in less than 300 words.
In the next sermon series that starts this Sunday, we’re going to take a look at some of the shortest books of the Bible to see that those short, yet potent, messages are.
What was so important to get across that these writers only used 300 words to say it?2022-02-1735 minZao MKE ChurchNaked As We Came: Perfect Parent, Perfect ChildEvery new parent thinks their newborn baby is perfect, right? Well God thought that about you at the moment of your creation, and unlike human parents, the shine never wore off. Sometimes we talk about God as the "perfect Father" - but what if God thinks of you as the perfect child?
2022-02-1728 minZao MKE ChurchNaked As We Came: TrustWhat does it mean to trust in God? Do we trust God with the vulnerability of a newborn baby? Should we?
In faith spaces, we often take for granted the idea that trusting in God is important, but in this episode we'll unpack what we mean by trust and whether trust, even in God, must be built in relationship.2022-02-1726 minZao MKE ChurchNaked As We Came: SurrenderWe come into this world through irresistible forces of movement and change. Through our lives, we learn to resist change. What if we released our resistance and surrendered to the flow of creation?
2022-02-1720 minZao MKE ChurchNaked As We Came: SufferingTry as we may, we cannot avoid suffering - for ourselves or for our loved ones. What does the suffering of the innocent tell us about humanity, creation, and the nature of God?
2022-02-1730 minZao MKE ChurchNaked As We Came: Delight
“The joy of the lord is your strength” - Nehemiah 8:10
When we arrive on this earth, everything we take in everything with wide-eyed wonder. What if that’s a feature we aren’t supposed to age out of? Though many of us wear cynicism like an armor, the call of God is to earnest joy and delight wherever we can find it. An attitude of delight us vulnerable, but also gives us strength for the beautiful life we were born for.
2021-10-2222 minZao MKE ChurchNaked As We Came: Unashamed"Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there" - Job 1:21
We are born naked into this world - unashamed, vulnerable, and ready to be loved. Through the worries and wounds of our lives, we acquire shame, emotional armor, and a fear that we are unlovable. The love of Jesus calls us to return, naked and unashamed, into the embrace of our loving God. Join us this Sunday as our pastors return from parental leave and reflect on what it means to be born and born again.2021-10-1125 minZao MKE ChurchHow To Come BackGuest sermon by Rev. Hannah Kardon
We aren't the first people to, in fits and starts, begin to return to old ways of life after a long and traumatic disruption. A few thousand years ago, the Israelites under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and The Temple after seventy years of exile. From them, we can learn a bit about what is needed to make a new life out of rubble, to remember and re-build what we've lost, and find strength to change all the things that weren't so wonderful in the first place...2021-10-1118 minZao MKE ChurchReclaiming ChurchJ.J. Warren preaches from Acts 11, challenging us to be like Peter: to respond to the voice of God, which calls us to move beyond the boundaries that keep us apart from our fellow humans and the doctrines that keep queer people out of UMC pulpits.
2021-10-1120 minZao MKE ChurchYou are the Light of the WorldGuest sermon by Derrick Scott
The folks who received the Sermon on the Mount were probably surprised to hear these words being said to them. The call to be salt and light for the sake of the world goes out to everyone, but especially to everyday, ordinary individuals. And the world is waiting on us to respond.
2021-09-2021 minZao MKE ChurchHot Body Summer: Un-learning: the Haunting Journey to Self-loveGuest sermon by Rev. Dr. Jay Williams, Pastor at Union Church Boston
Loving self (body) is a process of unlearning… self criticism, self hate, self loathing - it is the rejection of how we’ve been shaped by society. Being beloved of God and the body of Christ is accompanied by transformation of the mind.
2021-09-1232 minZao MKE ChurchHot Body Summer: Attending to Our Sacred BodiesGuest sermon by Cor Christophe, Zao community member
We believe God created us and most of us claim, believe, and/or have been told that because God created us, our bodies are sacred/holy. But what does it mean to have a sacred body? Are all bodies truly sacred? And how do we care for our sacred body? Join us this Sunday as we explore these questions, and examine how we may attend to our sacred/holy Bodies that God created.
2021-09-1230 minZao MKE ChurchHot Body Summer: Binding the StrongmanGuest sermon by Rev. Jason Butler
Our bodies represent a power but our question is always, “How will that power be used”? For good or not so much? When Jesus encounters the religious leaders he is facing strongmen who are oppressing the people. How does Jesus respond? And where are our bodies in this story?
2021-08-2224 minZao MKE ChurchHot Body Summer: Your Body Was Always EnoughGuest sermon by Bryan Minan, Zao community member
The love of God has always and will always be given and extended to us all. Especially to those communities who have been historically hurt, oppressed, and had religion weaponized against them. Join us for a message about that love that promises to always be there, from a community that wants to do the same.
2021-08-2241 minZao MKE ChurchHot Body Summer: The Gift of Our ScarsGuest sermon by Rev. Victoria Sun Esparza
What do our scars tell us about God’s transformative work? What happens when our scars only remind us of our painful past? Join us as we talk about transformation, the story of our bodies, and what we do with the scars left behind.
2021-08-0926 minZao MKE ChurchHot Body Summer: Curing PityGuest sermon by Rev. Tyler Sit, Pastor at New City Church
How do we cure pity in our society? What alternatives does the Bible offer to paternalistic charity? Join us to see how Jesus answered those questions!
2021-08-0319 minZao MKE ChurchThe Economics of GraceGuest sermon by Rev. Ryan Wallace, Associate Pastor of Faith Formation at First Presbyterian Church of Libertyville
The norms and values of capitalism are consistently at odds with the norms and values of the Gospel. Our economy conditions us to believe that all relationships are transactional, all things have a quantifiable market value, and all resources are limited. When we—consciously or unconsciously—buy into this way of thinking and acting, the roots of injustice and inequality grow deeper in our communities. But there’s another way. The norms and values of God’s economy of grace confront...2021-07-2531 minZao MKE ChurchDon't Miss the Message!Guest sermon by Rev. Afi Dobbins-Mays, Pastor at Solomon Community Temple United Methodist Church and the New St. James Community Church
In true Zao fashion, we are still celebrating PRIDE long past June! Join us for a sermon from Reverend Afi Dobbins-Mays, in celebration and honor of Pride month. It is a call for justice, love and unity in Christ!
2021-07-1834 minZao MKE ChurchRest Creates Fertile GroundGuest sermon by Rev. Jennifer Nordstrom, Senior Minister at First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee
Stillness has a relationship with movement, just as the notes of a piece of jazz are punctuated by silence. As opposed to silence, stillness can be a frame for music, creativity, and teeming life. Stillness can serve as the ground for creativity, the rest that creates the next thing. Join us for this worship service that explores the relationship between rest and creativity.
2021-07-1120 minZao MKE ChurchIndependence or Liberation?Each 4th of July weekend, churches across the country wave flags and sing songs of patriotism. But is this commitment to national identity faithful? Or do we have other opportunities to celebrate alternative American histories that align less with colonizing empire and more with the Gospel message of freedom from oppression?
2021-07-0428 minZao MKE ChurchSacred Rhythms: Can I Face The End?When we come to the end of the Spiritual life cycle, we are invited to reflect on what we've learned. Where have we come from, and how are we different? Can we accept that this path is not what we thought it might be when we set out?
We'll look to Jesus on the cross, facing transition from life to death. Though he will rise again in just 3 days, even Jesus must face the end of this cycle. How can we learn to accept where we have been to transform through spiritual ends into new beginnings on the other side?2021-07-0436 minZao MKE ChurchSacred Rhythms: Be A Good AncestorIn the middle of our spiritual cycles, we can find ourselves in a bit of existential crisis. Does any of this even matter? God invites us to turn from ourselves in these moments to see that we are part of something larger and more lasting - and that our contributions matter!
2021-06-1430 minZao MKE ChurchSacred Rhythms: Am I Loveable Just As I Am?Happy Pride weekend! This week, we'll be entering the part of the spiritual life cycle concerned with identity and love - who am I? Can this new version of myself love and be loved authentically? Learning from the Biblical story of young lovers David and Jonathon, we'll see how stripping off the expectations of others and pursuing your true self can lead you into deeper and truer love - for yourself, for others, and for God.
2021-06-0733 minZao MKE ChurchSacred Rhythms: Can I Risk It?At the beginning of every spiritual cycle, we ask ourselves, "Can I risk it?" We wonder whether we are truly capable of embarking on a journey into the unknown. Is it safe? Who must I rely on, and how much can I trust myself on the new path?
To give us hope and a model of how to leap into the spiritual unknown with abandon, we'll look to Jesus in his own childhood, putting his trust entirely in God as his heavenly parent, to break free from cultural norms and the expectations of his family. Jesus the child can teach u...2021-05-3033 minZao MKE ChurchStaying Awake: The Gospel for ChangemakersJesus asks his followers to stay awake, which begs the question: Stay awake to what?
Join us for a special sermon from Tyler Sit, who is a queer POC friend of Zao, church planter and author of the new book, Staying Awake: The Gospel for Changemakers. We'll explore how we can stay awake, show up for justice and transform the world around us by first transforming ourselves.2021-05-2716 minZao MKE ChurchNot Your Abomination: What If We're Wrong?Sometimes we're plagued by doubt, even if we're *mostly* sure that God affirms and celebrates LBGTQ people. So what if we're wrong? Come hear a word of hope in the midst of uncertainty - our earnest, imperfect pursuit of the Gospel is holy and good. Even if we're wrong.
2021-05-1636 minZao MKE ChurchNot Your Abomination: Un-ClobberThis week, we'll unpack the handful of single verses that have been taken out of context to harm LGBTQ people. What's an abomination anyway? Do these scriptures actually reference consenting relationships between adults at all? From Leviticus to Romans, we've got you covered, verse by verse.
2021-05-0946 minZao MKE ChurchNot Your Abomination: The Real Sin of Sodom
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah has been wielded against queer people for so long that some of our anti-queer words and laws are references to this scripture. But what if the Sin of Sodom isn't about LGBTQ people at all?
TW: service will contain content related to sexual assault
2021-05-0244 minZao MKE ChurchNot Your Abomination: The Blessing of Adam and SteveWhat if the creation is about Adam & Eve, Adam & Steve, and Eve & whoever she's into? We'll dissect the origins of one of the hater's favorite slogans, and see why Adam & Steve can get their happily ever after just like everyone else.
2021-04-2539 minZao MKE ChurchNot Your Abomination: De-weaponizing the BibleWant to know how to respond to family, friends, or even strangers when they use the Bible as a weapon to harm or reject LGBTQ people?
In this series, we'll break down:
1) How to read scripture in a way that truly honors God and all God's children
2) Each of the 7 verses most popularly used to harm or reject LGBTQ people
3) What to do with internal nagging doubts like, "what if the haters are right after all?"2021-04-1847 minZao MKE ChurchNo Stupid Questions: 20Qs in 30minAre science and faith opposites?
Why are Christians hypocrites?
What's the point of prayer?
This Sunday, Pastor Jonah will attempt to answer 20 burning questions submitted anonymously by the community, in just 30 minutes.2021-04-1135 minZao MKE ChurchEaster Sunday: RisenWounds and all, Jesus has risen to invite us into a new kind of hope - one we just might have to live out to believe.
2021-04-0432 minZao MKE ChurchAct Out: Protest Sunday (Palm Sunday)Palm Sunday is not only a culmination of years of Jesus's ministry, it's a massive protest against empire. Come hear how the day in, day out work of discipleship makes major disruption like this possible.
2021-03-2844 minZao MKE ChurchAct Out: Radical PraiseLast week, we talked abolition and hope for a world redeemed. But what if the quickest way there begins with praise of the God who promises that it's possible?
Come hear a story of prison walls crumbling and jailers redeemed all because of a powerful song of praise.2021-03-2124 minZao MKE ChurchAct Out: Redemption CultureWhat do cancel culture, the prison industrial complex, and the book of Acts have in common? They all convict us to build a new kind of culture in the Kingdom - one where all people can be redeemed and set free.
2021-03-2148 minZao MKE ChurchAct Out: Spread the WordHow do we all catch the vision for the world as it could be? We spread the word! Through our actions, our relationships, and our conversations, our faith calls us dream big - and loud.
2021-03-0735 minZao MKE ChurchAct Out: Kick InWas the early church made up of proto-socialists? If so, what does that mean for modern followers of Jesus?
2021-02-2842 minZao MKE ChurchAct Out: Show UpWhile we're virtual, church can feel like something we watch more often than something we do (or are!). But Jesus calls us to be his hands and feet in the world, so how do we get into the fray? First step: Show Up.
This lent, join the Zao community as we spend time in the book of Acts, a history of how the early followers of Jesus built the church to live out the Gospel for generations to come.2021-02-2141 minZao MKE ChurchValentine's GayLove is a part of all of our lives, whether with partners, friends, family, or God. Join pastors Jonah and Cameron as they talk about their own love, marriage, and faith in light of V-Day.
2021-02-1452 minZao MKE ChurchPack Light: Instruments of LiberationIf we are called to leave oppression, pain, and empire behind in our journey to liberation, what do we bring along? According to scripture, we need drums, songs, and dancing!
Learn from Exodus why the people if Israel didn't wait to leaven their bread but still managed to pack their hand drums as they escaped captivity and sang songs of hope and worship.2021-02-0730 minZao MKE ChurchPack Light: Family of OriginIn our journeys into freedom, God leads us to discover our true selves, fight for justice, and dream of a better world. So what do we do when our family of origin doesn't want to come with us - or worse, when they try to keep us in captivity and oppression?
Join us for a special sermon from Pastor Cameron Malakai, including an open letter to the family he must leave behind as he embraces the freedom of the Gospel.2021-01-3141 minZao MKE ChurchPack Light: Unpacking Our IdolsFalse idols erase our history and obscure the love of God which sustains us. How can we unpack our idols so that they don't steal the future God has promised us?
2021-01-2440 minZao MKE ChurchPack Light: Unpacking EmpireEmpire and other violent systems of domination are sneaky - they end up as stowaways in our baggage (and even our bodies!). We need to intentionally unpack empire and break the generational systems of violence as we we move into true freedom.
2021-01-1739 minZao MKE ChurchPack Light: Leaving (and Grieving) the PlaguesEven as we move into freedom, we still have to contend with the pain of the past. Come learn how to move through your emotions so you don't end up dragging with you a suitcase full of the locusts, frogs, and other plagues you've survived.
This season, the story of the Exodus has a lot to teach us about leaving behind what doesn't serve us as we prepare for what God has in store. Come prepare for the journey of 2021 by packing light - and by leaving behind the baggage of the past.2021-01-1037 minZao MKE ChurchPack Light: Leaving 2020 BehindThis season, the story of the Exodus has a lot to teach us about leaving behind what doesn't serve us as we prepare for what God has in store. Come prepare for the journey of 2021 by packing light - and by leaving behind the baggage of the past.
2021-01-0331 minZao MKE ChurchChristmas Eve ServiceThis Christmas, an intimate look at the God who came to be with us - to hold us and to be held. Come let us adore!
2020-12-2620 minZao MKE ChurchPrepare She the Way of the Lord: Mary the MagnificentWe've all heard about Mary the pure innocent virgin. But what if that idea obscures how bold, brave, and powerful she actually was?
Come prepare for Christmas with the women who made the way for Jesus in this world.2020-12-2035 minZao MKE ChurchPrepare She the Way of the Lord: Elizabeth the WiseThis week, Elizabeth's story shows us how companionship, friendship, and willingness to share hard earned wisdom is miraculous in and of itself.
Come prepare for Christmas with the women who made the way for Jesus in this world.2020-12-1428 minZao MKE ChurchPrepare She the Way of the Lord: Ruth Who LovedAs we prepare for Christmas, we're going to look at the stories of the unlikely women named as Jesus's ancestors who made the way for Jesus the liberator.
This week, tune in to hear about Ruth, the queer, foreign woman, who fought for her chosen family and is named as one of Jesus's ancestors.
Come prepare for Christmas with the women who made the way for Jesus in this world.2020-12-0633 minZao MKE ChurchPrepare She the Way of the Lord: Rahab the SurvivorAs we prepare for Christmas, we're going to look at the stories of the unlikely women named as Jesus's ancestors who made the way for Jesus the liberator.
This week, tune in to hear about Rahab, a sex worker, a total boss, and the ultimate survivor.
Come prepare for Christmas with the women who made the way for Jesus in this world.
2020-11-2934 minZao MKE ChurchThe Kingdom is like...Seeds That GrowThe kingdom of God is like a lush garden, where the seeds of the Good News have taken root in the souls of our soil, sprung up from the ground with hope, and borne the fruit of joy and abundance. How is the soil of your soul? Are you ready to grow the kingdom from the seeds you've been given?
2020-11-2234 minZao MKE ChurchThe Kingdom is like...Trading UpWhen you get a glimpse of the beauty of the Kingdom, are you willing to trade up the life you have for something truly better?
The words from Jesus this week remind us that we should never settle for the ways of the world, even if it means giving it all up for something far greater.2020-11-1532 minZao MKE ChurchThe Kingdom is like...Enough for AllThis week has taken a lot of patience, as we sit on the edge of our seats waiting for crumbs. But what about a world where there is enough for all?
Hear Jesus' vision for a Kingdom where "enough for all" matters more than who wins or loses.
2020-11-0836 minZao MKE ChurchThe Kingdom is like...a Generous TricksterThis Sunday's scripture text is one you probably have never heard preached before. Ever.
Sometimes it's called the Parable of the Deceitful Manager, or the Unjust Steward. We're calling it the Generous Trickster. And get this - the liar from the title? He's the hero of the story.
Come hear why Jesus told his disciples they could learn a thing or two from this tricky character.2020-11-0131 minZao MKE ChurchThe Kingdom is like...Lost ThingsEver been lost?
Ever found something precious?
You might have some insight into the world that God intended. Come hear how stories of lost things can move us from scarcity and isolation into celebration and abundance.2020-10-2543 minZao MKE ChurchThe Kingdom is like...the Upside DownKicking off our new series, "Upside Down." We'll be hearing all the radical and stranger stories that Jesus told describing what the Kingdom is - a great reversal, a sudden shift in power, a disruption unexpected and beyond our wildest imaginations.
Get a glimpse into the world as it could be, should be, and will be once we are all reconciled in love and liberation.2020-10-1836 minZao MKE ChurchHate Mail Series: Until All Are FreeWe noticed that a lot of the people angry at us for supporting Black Lives Matter seem to be pretty queerphobic. And ableist. And misogynist.
Perhaps that's because, deep down, our haters know that none of us is truly free until we're all free. Liberation is intersectional!
Lucky for us, the Gospel is here for ALL oppressed people, and isn't making us wait in line to get liberated.
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We've been receiving a lot of angry letters lately about our support for the prophetic Black Lives Matter movement, our affirmation of God's beloved LGBTQ+ children, and just in general for the ways...2020-10-1128 minZao MKE ChurchHate Mail Series: False ProphetsOur haters have bee throwing out the term "false prophet" a lot. But what does the Bible teach about discerning the Spirit of truth from the spirit of error?
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We've been receiving a lot of angry letters lately about our support for the prophetic Black Lives Matter movement, our affirmation of God's beloved LGBTQ+ children, and just in general for the ways that we seek to live out the radical Gospel of liberation.
We'd like to take some time to respond to the haters, offering a different perspective on love, justice, and Jesus. Come hang, and see how we are all...2020-10-1140 minZao MKE ChurchHate Mail Series: TreasonWhat do the American Flag and the Roman Emperor have in common? They are both central to the religion of nationalism that so often poisons Christianity.
Come hear why we reject the worship of imperialism, and why that has our haters so riled up.
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We've been receiving a lot of angry letters lately about our support for the prophetic Black Lives Matter movement, our affirmation of God's beloved LGBTQ+ children, and just in general for the ways that we seek to live out the radical Gospel of liberation.
We'd like to take some time to respond to the haters, offering a di...2020-09-2738 minZao MKE ChurchHate Mail Series: Judgment DayIs God the wrathful vengeance-seeker that human beings make God out to be? Or does God have a different plan for how all this should end?
We'll turn the hate mail on its head as we radically reorient ourselves to the judgment and justice of God.
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We've been receiving a lot of angry letters lately about our support for the prophetic Black Lives Matter movement, our affirmation of God's beloved LGBTQ+ children, and just in general for the ways that we seek to live out the radical Gospel of liberation.
We'd like to take some time to respond to the hate...2020-09-2737 min