Bethany UCC

Pastor Rebecca kicked off our Theme Songs series wondering: Could she be a show-runner? Hear some of her 3-season arc for a prestige program based on Samuel’s life, and the theme song for the same, sung by his mother in 1 Samuel 2. (The donkeys are from Season 2, Episode 1 but that got cut for time.)

This week, Pastor Rebecca shared some hard lessons she’s learned about finances: sometimes, you don’t know what you don’t know until you find out. Preaching on scripture from the Book of Acts, her sermon explains that God is always trying to reveal to you, again and again, what more is possible.

This week, Pastor Vince preached on Acts 2, as well as Glottophobia (the tendency to judge others based on how they speak). Regardless of what kind of language you use, Vince’s sermon encourages you to tell what you know about the God of Love.

Pastor Vince’s sermon this week is all about magic, starting with scripture from Deuteronmy 8, leading to the Magic Hedge bird sanctuary here in Chicago, and ending with the every day gifts that we might take for granted if we don’t stop to notice.

To kick off our “Spring Migration” theme, for the first time in 9+ years, Vince repreached a sermon he preached at Bethany in 2017. This one centered on Isaiah 65 and Vince's unabashed disdain for the Cowbird.

This week, we ordained Bethany member Alaina Hoffman. Pastor Rebecca preached on Luke 4, and covered geese, penguins and improv along the way.

Pastor Vince preached on Acts 1:6-11 this week. His sermon is about love - not love at first sight, or infatuation. Instead, he speaks about love that sticks around, the kind that is messy and takes work, the kind that isn’t always fun, but resists the temptation to run away.

Pastor Rebecca’s sermon this week covers Psalm 8, the Artemis space landing and how much water one should use while brushing their teeth. But does any of that really relate to her sense of Christianity? Her sermon has some answers

This week was Easter, so naturally Pastor Vince preached on pro wrestling. Centering Matthew 28 and the human fascination with good and evil, Vince reminds us that while evil might be loud, good always gets the job done in the end.

Preaching sweatpants this week, Pastor Vince shares his learnings about the Gate Theory of Pain, and describes how Jesus escapes to Bethany as his comfortable place during the most painful week of his life.