Pastor Michael explores the trial of Jesus in Mark 15, highlighting the ways that the decision to execute Jesus was based in a "rigged game" and a "sham trial." What does this moment expose about the evils of both Empire and religious institutions? How might Jesus's actions that point to a greater hope for renewal beyond broken human systems, and give us hope in this current political moment?

Guest preacher, Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, speaks to our community about the importance of both individual and communal discernment in the midst of our political realities. While he acknowledges that elections are an activity of empire, he challenges us to engage power in such a way that upholds the belovedness of all people, even those we might consider our enemies. How might we prevent evil from "winnning," by choosing to overcome evil with good?

Barnabas Lin, our church's Itinerant Minister and Theologian in Residence, addresses the complexity and messiness of claiming our political power, even in the midst of the broken systems of Empire. How might our commitment to honor God and our love our neighbors compel us to vote, to protest, to divest, to advocate and to pray, even when the Empire seeks to limit our imagination and cause us to despair?

Pastor Erina reflects on sections in Mark and the ways that Jesus disrupts the social order of his time by reorienting family and kinship. How might the promise of a family that extends beyond our blood families be good news for us in a time, climate, and reality in which sometimes, our families are the ones we need saving from?

Jazzy Johnson guest preaches for us and guides us into the interaction between Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7, reminding us that salvation is not abstract, but material. She invites us to hear and heed the cry of this woman, alongside obstinate mothers across time and history, who have fought for their own dignity by demanding their daily bread. How might we continue to hear these cries in our world today, and work for the alleviation of material suffering that they are calling for?

NOTE: Around 23 minutes into her sermon, there are a couple of minutes of silence in the recording as Jazzy shows some slides, representing the cries for alleviation. Here are the slides that she shared: https://bit.ly/4eTxI3U

Pastor Erina continues our sermon series by looking at the story of the demoniac in Mark 5 from an imperial lens. How does the naming of Legion in Mark 5 unveil Jesus's authority over the forces of Empire, militarism, and occupation? How might we follow Jesus into the act of naming the demons of our world, in pursuit of collective liberation?

Guest preacher, Rev. Riana Shaw Robinson, preaches for us from Mark 12:41-44, by speaking from the voice of the widow. How does the widow's offering in the midst of a broken and exploirtative temple system remind us of Jesus's movements in our world? How might her story invite us to embrace the margins, to see the invisible, and to work toward a world where all God's children are seen- regardless of their status?

Pastor Michael continues our sermon series by reading Jesus's authority to heal within the conditions of Empire. How is healing not just a physical act, but also a political one? And how might Jesus' deliberate healing actions represent a disruption of the Empire's inertia toward both sickness and injustice?

Pastor Erina kicks off our fall sermon series by providing us some historical context for the imperial backdrop of the Markan narrative and examining the beginnings of Jesus's ministry in Mark 1. How does the arrival of Jesus- in movements of belonging, belovedness, and vulnerability- provide us an antidote to Empire? How does Jesus provide us new understandings of messiahship that defy the expectations of rule based in power and domination?

*Note: The sermon recording starts a little late. 

Pastor Erina and Pastor Michael share some updates on work that our community has collaborated on the past 6 months- updating our church identity and values statements.