For the spirit of the city

DeBorah Cannady, Richmond Hill Ministries Coordinator, shares how the classic tale of “The Good Samaritan” is so relevant for these challenging and distressing times. She reminds of us to not forget about our neighbors, but also finding ways to show care towards them.

Associate Pastor Lindsey Franklin explores truth-telling as a part of healing our city. She takes inspiration from Jesus' parable of the laborers in the field in seeking God's kingdom, here on earth.

Rev. Ben Hadley-Goggin visits the story of the Exodus, one of the most important and amazing miracle stories in the Old Testament. Against all hopes and defying all logic as the Egyptian Army is bearing down on the Israelites God makes a way for the Israelites where there seemed to be no way.

Rev. Joel Blunk looks to the Apostle Paul and Saint Benedict to model how love must first begin with our self and grow from there. The urgency to "wake up" to spiritual realities is all the more crucial in today's changing world.

It's seems like what is missing in today's world is love. Rev. Dr. Lisa Johnson begins her reflection on the biblical love between David and Jonathan (1st Samuel 18) by looking to Stevie Wonder’s "Love’s in Need of Love Today." Then she speaks on how techology can disconnect us and ends with three points on solidifying Christian love.

"Get behind me Satan!" These are rough words from Jesus (in this week's scriptures) to Peter the disciple, who was also called, "The Rock." DeBorah Cannady probes this paradox and asks what the cost of discipleship entails.

The story of 'The Canaanite Woman's Faith' (Matt. 15:21-28) is one of the most challenging biblical texts to exegete. Pastor Lindsey Franklin walks us through the scriptures presenting the question: "If Jesus changes, when presented with the suffering and astounding faith of another, than how much more should we be willing to change?"

VCU Instructor and Koinonia faculty member, Nikki Fernandes, guides us through the complexity of 'The Parable of the Sower' (Matt. 13). Fernandes looks to analogies from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 'The Great Gatsby' to Bryan Stevenson’s 'Just Mercy' to encourage us to withhold judgement and hope for God’s ultimate redemption.

This week's gospel reading is the "Feeding of 5000." Min. Anthony Gaboton suggests there are links between the disciples dismissal of the crowd and a mentality of scarcity; while exploring what wealth is beyond materialism.

This week Dr. Rev. Lisa Johnson looks to the book of Numbers and the Israelites struggle with "grasshopper mentality." She encourages the RH community to pray and work together in order to do Kingdom building.