The Magnificat, Mary's hymn of praise to God, is full of righteous anger at the injustices of her world—and ours. We can easily imagine her with her fist raised in protest! Yet we must not move too quickly toward an unrighteous anger. Following the example of Mary at the Annunciation, we can see two other gestures of Mary that prepared her heart to sing such a song.

Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin

Part of the series “Advent”

Some of the biblical texts chosen for the season of Advent are downright apocalyptic! This is because they emphasize the second coming of Jesus. While these passages can cause us to feel some anxiety about the world, if can trust and rely on Jesus, we can still live lives that are marked by joy, prayer, and peace.

Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin

Part of the series “Advent”

Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin

Scott shares a story of what's saving his faith.

Speaker: T. Scott Burgess

Part of the series “Work of the People (What's Saving My Faith): What's Saving My Faith”

Making peace in the world starts in what might seem like an unlikely place: by honoring everything that God made. We look to surprising biblical source for this idea: the flood narrative in Genesis 9.

Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin

Part of the series “Make Peace”

Making peace requires us to overcome our fears—and it might be helpful to realize that many of our "phobias" are actually forms of hatred of the Other.

Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin

Part of the series “Make Peace”

The Gospels tell us that Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness to pray as he cultivated his own consciousness of God in the midst of his activities. Christian sages and mystics from the past and in the present day have emphasized the link between contemplation and meditation and continuing Jesus’ acts of healing and peacemaking.

Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin

Part of the series “Make Peace”

Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin

What is the difference between “us” and “we”? Well, the answer can be found in English grammar. (Sorry!) Church is not just something we are; it is also something we are called to do. And in order to be effective and successful in pursuing this calling, we need everyone to join in.

Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin

Part of the series “Church: Why Bother?”

The message of scripture and the consistent witness of the church are clear: the body of Christ is stronger and more reflective of the image of God when more people (and more types of people!) are part of the mix. We need “you” in order to be the best version of “us.”

Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin

Part of the series “Church: Why Bother?”