Open Worship - Sermon Audio

Sometimes we’ve been taught to think of the Bible as one bright light that makes clear light and shadow in our world. But the Bible is something so much more brilliant and magical — it is the library of a community, the witness of thousands of lights and conversations among God and humanity since the beginning. And the most magic thing of all: we are invited into the conversation.

In Jonathan's powerful, healing sermon, we are reminded that God has always listened to, seen, known, believed, and cared about women. Women like Hagar teach us that even when life hurts, when the brokenness of the world breaks us down, God is the God who sees you, knows you, loves you, and believes you—even if others don't. For us to be children of God, we need to start seeing the way God sees. Then we just might be able to see the message of hope being lived out by brave women.

Doubts don't disqualify you; doubts qualify you to seek. Here at Open, seekers are welcome, because embracing questions helps us grow, learn, and journey — exactly what God wants for us. Find out why we say clearly, "Seekers are welcome here."

If you've ever been to Open Worship, you know that the phrase "All Are Welcome Here" is very important to this community. In fact, we say those words together 4 times as we start the service every week! In this series, we explore what that phrase means for us and why we believe that God is (and has always been!) open to all.

Our words have weight — they have power to give life or diminish life. In a world full of negative or harmful messages, we are called to speak God's message of love to the world in all our words. Join us as we seek to learn how to use words wisely.

There is a message we speak by listening — that all people are worthy of being heard. Learn lessons from scripture and Mr. Rogers, who listened well to his neighbors, especially a young neighbor named François Clemmons. Together they teach us that listening is the beginning of love. From James 1:19

Despite what we may have heard, the story told in scripture is clear: all people are equally created in the image of God; the masculine and feminine together reflect the divine. We need all of us to know God all the more. On Mothers' Day, we honor the many women in our lives who have helped us glimpse the heart and character of God, and we renew our commitment to proclaim, empower, and cultivate the image of God in the women and girls in our community and world.

In our world and communities, there are places where the interwoven fabric of humanity is weak or torn. God invites us to be people of justice, who strengthen the world around us and repair the breaches. Learn how to be at work for justice and hear the story of someone from Denton's history who helped reweave our common fabric.

We don’t always know how to respond to the story of Easter, this amazing story about how nothing can stop God’s love. But when we find ourselves feeling far away, God responds to us with an unending, unstoppable love that invites us to simply come as we are and...have breakfast! (it will make sense once you’ve heard the message :)