Sermon from Sunday, April 26, 2020. Origins (Part 2). Genesis 1:26 - 2:3. Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching. That God has made us in God’s own image has often led us to think that God has intentionally elevated us above the rest of the animal kingdom and the natural world, leading to all manner of exploitation of and callous disregard for creation. Instead of being a mark of special status, the imago dei is rather a special calling. By creating us in God’s own image, God has invited us to participate in God’s creative and life-giving work in the world.

Sunday, April 19, 2020. Origins (Part 1). Genesis 1:1-25. Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching. The creation poem of Genesis 1 presents the origins of the cosmos as an orderly affair with each element of creation arriving in its proper time. And with each new addition, the Creator looks at what has been made and declares it Good. But what we often leave out of this picture are the preexistent, chaotic, primordial waters which were the raw material of God’s creative work. What does it mean for us that God chooses not to defeat chaos, but rather to shape it into something good and beautiful?

Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020. Last Words (Part 7). Acts 10:34-43 & Matthew 28:1-10. Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching. Jesus spoke his final words from the cross, but there was still a word after that: God's bold declaration that death does not have power over life.

Maundy Thursday, April 9, 2020. John 13:1-17, 31-35. Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching. Jesus shares one last meal with his disciples - a meal which reveals to them and to us the nature of God and the way that God has chosen to work in the world.

Sunday, April 5, 2020. The Last Word (Part 6). Matthew 21:1-11 | John 19:30 | Luke 23:44-46. Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching. Jesus begins the week with a triumphal entry into the power center of Jerusalem and he ends it powerless on a cross. These events reveal the very heart of the gospel and how God is at work in our lives in Christ.

Sunday, March 29, 2020. Last Words (Part 5). Psalm 69:16-21 & John 19:28-29. Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching. In the midst of all of the physical suffering that Jesus is enduring on the cross, John reports that Jesus says, "I am thirsty." These are remarkable words coming from the one who is himself the source of living water, and they tell us a lot about how the salvation of God is at work in the world.

Sunday, March 22, 2020. Last Words (Part 4). Psalm 22:1-11 & Mark 15:33-41. Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching. Jesus cries out in apparent despair from the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" In this darkest moment of scripture, we find the very heart of the good news of God in Christ.

Sunday, March 15, 2020. Last Words (Part 3). Galatians 3:23-29 & John 19:25-27. From the cross, Jesus looks at his mother and one of his disciples and redefines their relationship to one another. In so doing, Jesus redefines the way all Christians relate to one another, forming a new kind of community - which we call the Church.

Sunday, March 8, 2020. Last Words (Part 2). Luke 23:39-43. Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching. Jesus hangs on the cross between two criminals. The first criminal mocks Jesus, while the second is assured of salvation. Though they are very different, both men who died beside Jesus have something important to teach us about salvation.

Sunday, March 1, 2020. Last Words (Part 1). Luke 23:32-34a. Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching. The first of seven last words that Jesus speaks from the cross is, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." These are extraordinary words - not only do they reveal the character of Jesus; they also reveal the very heart of God.