Grace and Peace

God has already begun the good work of building beloved community within us, if only we would pay attention! With Paul, pay attention to gratitude. With Nehemiah, pay attention to grief. Listen to your body and your being, because the Spirit is already pushing us towards the dream of the Gospel.

Pastor Ben Masters preached "God Has Already Begun" on July 25, 2021.

Scripture readings: Nehemiah 1:1-4, 2:1-6 and Philippians 1:1-11.

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At minute 18:26 there is an adapted meditation from Resmaa Menakem's book, My Grandmothers' Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies (Las Vegas, NV: Central Recovery Press, 2017), page 24.

To learn more about Menakem's work, listen to his interview with Krista Tippett (50 minutes) or read a short article in Psychology Today.

Content warning: Since the reading from Acts describes an attempted suicide, here's a timely reminder: Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal ideation, help is available. Call 1-800-273-8255 or text chat at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

The right time to build beloved community is now. Whether it's rebuilding the temple, saving a life, or investing in our neighbors, God's grace in Jesus Christ empowers people to reach and and say, "We're here for you."

Pastor Ben Masters preached "The Right Time is Now" on July 18, 2021.

Scripture readings: Haggai 1:1-8 and Acts 16:12, 16-34.

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Our series on the saga of David continues with famous words of grief: “Oh, my son Absalom! Oh, my son!" If only David could protect his son; if only Mary could protect hers. But Jesus is breaking into the house of the strong to heal and save, so that God's power can become perfect in our weaknesses. Then we will repeat God's words to our neighbors: "I am here."

Pastor Ben Masters preached "I Am Here" on July 4, 2021.

Scripture readings: Mark 3:20-35 and selections from 2 Samuel 18.

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We conclude our first series of the summer with an episode not many of us have heard before: the public demonstration of Rizpah, a courageous mother who moves King David to seek closure. The grace that sustains Rizpah and saves David is for us, for God's power moves through our weaknesses to make all things new. 

Pastor Ben Masters preached "Sustaining Grace, Saving Grace" on July 11, 2021.

Scripture readings: Ephesians 4:25-5:2 and 2 Samuel 21:1-14.

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CONTENT WARNING: Sexual violence

At the midpoint of our summer series, we jump from the First Scroll of Samuel to the Second, from a teenage David to a middle-aged king with tragic children. Faced with the consequences of staying silent in the face of violence, let us hear God's call and receive God's empowering grace. God's power is made perfect in weakness, in our vulnerable acts of speaking the truth in love.

Pastor Ben Masters preached "To Speak the Truth in Love" on June 27, 2021.

Scripture readings: Ephesians 4:1-8, 14-16 and 2 Samuel 13:23-39.

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Hear Anna Carter Florence share how 2 Samuel 13 has transformed how church leaders speak about difficult truths: "It Could Have Gone Differently: Repertory Readings of Texts of Terror."

Learn more about the scorched earth campaign the Clinton-Sullivan Expedition waged against the Haudenosaunee in Upstate New York: www.sullivanclinton.com

Read Adrienne Rich's 1975 essay about the perils and possibilities of truth-telling: "Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying."

Our summer series continues with the covenant between David and Jonathan. Paul's letter to Philemon illustrates how God moves through relationships, disrupting what we thought was certain. By grace we can release our clinging grip and undergo love's transformation, witnessing to neighbors that God's power is truly made perfect in weakness.

Pastor Ben Masters preached "God Changes Us" on June 20, 2021.

Scripture readings: Philemon 1:1-3, 8-17 & 1 Samuel 18:1-11, 20:1-3, 12-15a.

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Our summer series continues with the most familiar story in the David saga: the confrontation between the shepherd David and the giant Goliath. "I come against you in the name of the Holy One," David declares; how will we confront the giants of our time in the name of the Holy One? And what difference does it make that God's power is made perfect in weakness?

Pastor Ben Masters preached "Facing the Giants" on June 13, 2021.

Scripture readings: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 and 1 Samuel 17:1, 4-11, 32-49.

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We're diving into the sagas of David this summer! When God chooses the shepherd David to be king, we remember how, through ordinary people, God's power is made perfect in weakness.

Pastor Ben Masters preached "God's Choice" on June 6, 2021.

Scripture readings: 1 Corinthians 1:25-31 and 1 Samuel 15:35 – 16:13.

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On Pentecost, we celebrate how the Spirit extends holy hospitality to hungry hearts. From feeding the creatures to gifting the Word to setting a table where all are welcome, the Spirit invites us to the feast of God's compassion.

Pastor Ben Masters preached "Abundantly Alive" on May 23, 2021, the Day of Pentecost.

Scripture readings: Psalm 104:1, 10-31 and Acts 2:1-21.

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In these Sundays between Jesus' resurrection and the Day of Pentecost, we are exploring what it means to be alive in Spirit. When we are unsure of where to go or what we can handle, Jesus' promised Companion—the Holy Spirit—will guide us into a truth that bears the mark of nail and loves the whole world.

Pastor Ben Masters preached "Alive in the Spirit of Guidance" on May 16, 2021, the Seventh Sunday of Easter.

Scripture readings: Isaiah 63:7-14 & John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15.

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