Pastor Rebecca preaches 4 mini-sermons about how worship shapes and transforms us and why, as a church, we do what we do.

Introducing our Keep Church Weird worship theme for September, Pastor Vince’s sermon reflects on the first time he realized it was “weird” to be a church person, and on the many ways that Jesus calls us to stick out in love.

This week, Pastor Rebecca preached 4 mini sermons about how worship shapes and transforms us and why, as a church, we do what we do.

The kind of sermon that elicited applause from the congregation! Rev. James Pennington preached from the book of Luke* for the final week of Show and Tell: a faith made for sharing. Joining the disciples who walked the road to Emmaus on the first Easter, Rev. James said we better pay attention, we better look around, because Empire teaches us to categorize, but Jesus teaches us to recognize. Instead of labels, Jesus gives us names. Give it a(nother) listen and then ask yourself, “Were not our hearts burning within us???”

* Luke 4:18-19, Luke 24:13-16, 30-32

Preaching on things lost and found, Pastor Rebecca’s sermon this week tells the story of Lambie by Susannah Pratt, while also citing Kathryn Schulz' Lost and Found.

Pastor Vince’s sermon centers an historical marker in Kentucky commemorating the site of a divine revelation. He ponders on a world where more moments of spiritual connection are given tangible, historic form.

Pastor Rebecca on the importance of hiring the right nanny for your baby. (Kidding! Sort of!) We kicked off our Show and Tell theme with some of the 5 words the gospel-writer would use to describe Jesus (bible-based, guest, revelation) and some of the 5 words he’d use to describe us and other disciples (remember-ers, witnesses) as he shows and tells in Luke 24: 28 - 32. (*Plus* stories about nannying.)

To close out our “Bless this Mess” theme, Pastor Vince preaches about the temptation to resolve the conflict between our messiness and blessedness. To paper over our problems or deny our goodness. But God calls us to hold both fiercely.

Last month, Pastor Vince led a group of Bethany members on a pilgrimage along St. Cuthbert’s Way in Scotland. This week in worship, we heard reflections from some of those pilgrims describing their journey.

As part of our “Bless this Mess” worship theme, Vince preaches about the challenge of human relationship and the inconvenience (and necessity) of human connection.