Final installment in our teaching series, Embodied.

In our Embodied series, we explore the mystery of God taking on flesh and dwelling among us. In this teaching, we reflect on what it means to be the body of Christ—united in diversity, breaking down divisions, and embodying Jesus’ presence in the world. Together, we are called to practice wholeness, belonging, and renewal, offering a tangible sign of hope and healing.

This second Sunday of Advent, we continue our series, Embodied, exploring the profound implications of God taking on flesh. The incarnation—the arrival of Jesus as a vulnerable child—reveals not only the nature of God but also the beauty and complexity of our humanity. Through three moments from Jesus' life, we see the power of presence, the process of growth, and the tension of living in human bodies. Jesus' embodiment shows us the significance of physical connection, the permission to embrace change, and the hope we hold in the midst of limitation and loss. Advent invites us to follow our "older brother" Jesus with compassion and hope, embracing our lives as deeply human and sacred.

As we begin the Advent season, we enter the story of Jesus’ birth with a new sermon series, Embodied. This week, we explore the profound mystery of the incarnation: God taking on a human body. Through John 1:1-18, we see how Jesus, the divine Word, reveals who God is, what God cares about, and where God is leading us. The arrival of God in flesh reminds us that every part of creation matters and calls us to live incarnational lives, joining in God’s work here and now.

There are certain characters in the Bible with bigger than life stories. People like Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt, or David who became king, or Elijah who was a wild and honestly very strange prophet. These stories are captivating and inspiring, but they are also marked by seasons of mundanity, isolation, & wilderness and it’s in these regular moments that God meets us, shapes us, and prepares us for the road ahead. 

In In Unseen Spaces – Ezekiel, we explore Ezekiel’s story as a prophet in exile, encountering God’s presence in a profoundly unexpected way. Ezekiel’s vision by the Kebar River, amidst personal and national dislocation, challenges his understanding of where and how God operates. This experience redefines his faith, shifting from temple-bound rituals to a boundless vision of God’s presence, even in Babylon. Through beauty and imagination, Ezekiel learns to see anew, embracing the call to share a renewed vision of God’s work among his people. His journey invites us to ask difficult questions, unravel our limitations of God, and embrace a faith that expands in unseen spaces.

*there was a bit of technical difficulties at the beginning of the audio that cut part of the the introduction but the rest of the teaching is there*

In our series "In Unseen Spaces" series, we are exploring how God meets people in unseen, quiet places to do deep, formative work. Following Jesus’ wilderness experience and Moses’ time in the desert, we now look at the prophet Elijah, whose story unfolds in a tense period of Israel’s history. Facing the corrupt rule of Ahab and Jezebel, Elijah tirelessly contends for justice and faithfulness. After a powerful showdown against the prophets of Baal, Elijah finds himself fleeing for his life, exhausted and despairing. Here, God meets him with tenderness, not rebuke, tending to his immediate needs and inviting him to listen. In a moment of intimacy, God whispers instead of wielding force, showing that rest and nearness can heal where power cannot. This journey teaches us that times of exhaustion and anxiety often call for rest, not action, as God uses unseen spaces to draw us close, helping us return to our lives whole and renewed.

In this teaching, we explore the often-overlooked years Moses spent in the wilderness, away from his dramatic encounters with Pharaoh and the Exodus. These forty years, filled with the quiet work of shepherding, were crucial as God transformed Moses, helping him shed Egypt’s influence and learn patience. In these unseen spaces, Moses found that true faithfulness is less about dramatic moments and more about showing up in the everyday, letting God work in the quiet. Join us as we consider how God forms us in similar ways today.

In our new series "In Unseen Spaces," we explore moments where life unexpectedly slows down, leading us into hidden, quieter places—just as it did for biblical figures like Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. Beginning with Jesus' time in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), we delve into the tests of identity, anxiety, and control he faced, revealing a deeper purpose behind these trials. These unseen spaces, though challenging, offer us the opportunity to be formed by God's love in ways that prepare us for what comes next. Join us as we discover how Jesus invites us to walk through the wilderness at the unhurried pace of love.

Guest Speaker Christie Penner Worden shares on hope, faith, and wonder from her new book The Me I was Made to Be.