Ecclesia Houston

As the fall weather comes (at last!) to greet us, our team is preparing a series of contemplative resources that we hope will encourage you to take a walk, whether in your neighborhood or in nature, and cultivate attentiveness to God’s presence. All you need is a pair of headphones and comfortable footwear. A diversity of voices will greet you through scripture, music, and reflection as you take part in this spiritual practice. New episodes will be released every other week throughout our Lost Enchantment teaching series.

It was a joy to welcome back Dr. Richard Beck as we begin a new series

which will unfold over the coming weeks through the fall. In an age of

dis-enchantment and skepticism, we invite you to join us on this journey to

reawaken a sense of wonder and grow in attentiveness to the presence of God

that we may often miss, even when it’s right in front of us.

Pastor Sean Palmer looks to Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount;

calling us to reorient our vision for “the good life” and grow in awareness

of the good life that already is because of God’s presence with us in every

moment.

During these times of such distress, Pastor Chris Seay urges us to hear

anew, and truly heed Jesus’ words that we come to him with the faith of

children. Rather than dogma, curiosity. Rather than skepticism, trust.

Rather than despair, hope. What invitation will you take with you today?

Pastor Mike Yager invites us into the curious story of Moses, Eldad, and

Medad in Numbers 11. The flourishing of a community means that everyone is

taking part. Today, we ask if we are engaged in the kind of spiritual

disciplines that help us to go deeper in our own relationship with God so

that we would grow in our capacity to contribute toward the flourishing of

others.

Pastor Chris Seay guides us in revisiting the formation of the church in

Acts 2. In a time of continued challenge and disruption, often gathering in

new ways, it is all the more important that we are faithful in listening

for ways to care for one another and to root ourselves in a environment

where we can flourish. Church is not a place we go, but a people we are.

Concluding our summer sermon series in collaboration with our friends at

Good Shepherd NYC, Pastor Drew Jackson offers a powerful word from the

Prophet Joel on the vitality of repentance — a changing of our minds — to

imagine a world beyond injustice, and how we might “wake up” to our part in

God’s movement of restoration for all people. Drew serves as Lead Pastor of

Hope East Village in New York City.

Ericka Graham continues our summer sermon series with friends at Good

Shepherd New York, in which we have been reimagining various dimensions of

faith and community in light of the lessons learned from Covid and the

opportunities and challenges of returning back to rhythms of physical

gathering. We pray that these weeks have been a formative blessing. Ericka

invites us to shift our assumptions of power over the other to the kind of

power modeled by Jesus: a power that is with and for others, lain down in

humble love, that others may be lifted up.

Pastor Sean Palmer continues our summer teaching series in collaboration

with friends at Good Shepherd New York. Sean teaches from the “Christ Hymn”

in Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi; inviting us to consider sung

worship as just one example of the spiritual practices which are amplified

as we participate in them communally. Following a year of such isolation,

how will we recommit to the richness of the kinds of practices that are

best engaged together?

Continuing a summer series in collaboration with our friends at Good

Shepherd New York, dear brother and guest preacher Pastor Michael Rudzena

invites us to consider how the challenges of the past year have altered our

relationship to togetherness and isolation. Jesus is forever our model for

a rhythm of life shaped by solitude and prayer, genuine community, and love

taking action. Join us as the series concludes over the next few weeks.