Epiclesis

On this Sunday, Pastor Chris took a close look at Psalm 113, one of the "Hallel" Psalms, and also called the "Egyptian Hallel." Our marvelous God is both transcendent and immanent. What else can we learn about God the Father and His divine name through this psalm? Praise the Lord! And join us.

If we’re not careful, we can teach others, by the way we live, that Christianity is a means to something else. C.S. Lewis writes about avoiding a "Christianity And..." way of living-- in other words Christianity plus something else for some kind of gain.

Lewis was always arguing toward truth from "merely" Christianity. Christianity, alone, doesn’t need any additions, no matter how noble they seem.

And yet Paul writes to his young protégé Timothy about how godliness combined with contentment is great gain. Living out both of those things sound hard. So, what are some things we can do to experience that gain? Join us!

The events of the past week in the United States were shocking and sickening. The murder of innocents: Two school children, a young war refugee, a conservative activist. And that's not even the whole list. Many people are hurting and even afraid. And, it would seem, many people are also celebrating murder and reveling in extremely divisive politics.

What in the world is a Christian to do?

Pastor Chris gave a heart-felt and pastoral response to the rawness of the world by starting with a look at Moses and one of the (many) times he interceded for his nation.

Join us for what we hope will be an encouraging and hopeful message.

 

The artwork associated with this sermon/podcast is titled "Moses Pleading" by Yitchok Schmukler (viewable on the Epiclesis podcast page but not in iTunes).

Dallas Willard asks, "How many people are radically and permanently repelled from The Way by Christians who are unfeeling, stiff, unapproachable, boringly lifeless, obsessive, and dissatisfied? Yet such Christians are everywhere . . ." bearing not the slightest resemblance to Jesus.  This sermon explores the spectrum of simple to profound enjoyments Jesus knew in His life and ministry, and suggests that Jesus is not the problem, but the solution to the problem as we make Him the leader of our emotional lives.

The artwork associated with this sermon/podcast (viewable on the Epiclesis podcast page but not in the Apple app) is "Joy" by Yongsung Kim.

“Lord of the Rings, Politics, and What’s a Christian to Do?” That’s the theme for our annual Fall Retreat (October 17-18) with special guest teacher Rev. Steve Pearson.

Back for a fourth and final conversation in the series, Steve joined Pastor Chris to talk about the third movie in the trilogy, “The Return of the King.” Steve summarized the plot and characters, then he talked about themes in the movie through the lenses we’ve been using: power (the nature of); fellowship; and sovereignty and freedom.

We're hoping that these conversations are a blessing to you, and most especially you'll think about joining us for the retreat in October. Join us!

For more information about both the retreat and Steve, please go here.

Memory, and also remembering, are important parts of our faith and worship. Always have been. So, what happens when we forget? Or worse, what happens when God's people seem to have willful amnesia? This Old Testament reading in Jeremiah is a rebuke by God to His people for their willful amnesia. And they are about to be harshly and devastatingly judged for it.

One question: Where is a critical place in Christian worship where we purposefully remember? Join us and find out!

The artwork associated with this podcast/sermon (seen on the Epiclesis website posting, not in iTunes) is titled "Willful Amnesia" (detail) by Shadia Derbyshire.

We often speak at Epiclesis about our being "Ancient-Future." And being Ancient-Future brings along with it a collection of things that we think are important when it comes to recovering an historic, orthodox faith. Crucial to that recovery is worship, and central to God's big, colorful story in worship is the person and work of Jesus Christ.

So, what are some features of “Ancient-Future” worship? Join Pastor Chris as he shares three. Along the way, we looked at two passages of Scripture that show the breathtaking, Ancient-Future sweep of salvation history.

These days, it seems like everything is political. So, what's a Christian to do in such contentious and divisive times? Join Pastor Chris as he looks at Psalm 80 for some direction. Some of the observations may seem obvious. But as God’s people— People who belong to God and His kingdom— we need to hear them again.

 

 

This particular Sunday's reading from Hebrews presented us with the classic definition of faith. Can you call it to mind?

Faith is far more than a feeling. Scripture labels as faith a thing or ability that “sees” a long, long way beyond what human senses can confirm in the moment. In other words, it’s Holy Spirit-inspired perceiving/believing. Language fails, but somehow faith is a thing you can stand on and trust that you won’t fall, but at the same time it’s a super sense can gaze far into the unknown.

That's what the ancients were commended for. They never received the promised made to them while living, but they still saw them way off in the distance and waved at them. Waiving at the future. What faith!

Do you have the faith to wave at the future God has prepared for you? Join us!

"Jesus surely has a sense of humor," Pastor Chris says, "and proof positive is that He called me to be a pastor." But does Jesus really have a sense of humor, and is there any evidence in the Scripture of it? Join us for a look at a fascinating snapshot of Jesus' teaching in Luke 12 where we ponder both a question posed to him and a parable that followed. Some delightfully funny moments (at least according to Pastor Chris) show us some wonderful insights into the mind and character of Christ.

The painting associated with this podcast/sermon (visible on the Epiclesis website but not on the iTunes Podcast thumbnail) is titled "Jesus the Light of Love" by Ivan Guaderrama.