Waters Ave Sermoncast

In this fifth sermon from our series on the Parables of Jesus, Chris explores the story commonly called "The Rich Man and Lazarus." We discover, through some dramatically told narrative from Jesus, that in God's kingdom, the value of a life is derived from something wholly other than economic impact. From this, we are faced with the possibility of existing in a new kind of world, from which we are able to question and challenge the hierarchies that currently exist in our societies. 

Preached 9/30/18

In this fourth sermon on the parables of Jesus, Chris explores the story commonly called "The Good Samaritan." We find that rather than viewing the parable as a moral example, we find it's true power by exploring the way it disrupts categories of "good" and "bad." Through the parable of the Good Samaritan, we find that the kingdom of God is found among the people we are quick to hate. 

Preached 9/23/16

In this third sermon from our series on the parables of Jesus, Chris explores more parables of arrival to show that God's kingdom comes as a surprise that brings joy in its discovery. Through this, we uncover a way of life that is joyful, hopeful, and open to new movements and experiences of the divine life. 

Preached 9/16/18

In this first sermon from the series on the parables of Jesus, Chris looks at the way parables function - as special stories that undermine and question the world building nature of myth. He examines the book Ruth as a parable in order to demonstrate how parables function, and calls listeners to step into a position of openness so that we can be shaken again by Jesus' parables. 

Preached 9/2/18

In this sermon from our series on the book of Romans, Chris explores Romans 12 in order to help answer the question, "What do we do now?" For the church at Rome, and for many modern Christians, having a fresh experience of Christ means that we lose the circles of meaning that ground us. If natural disasters or societal unrest are not signs of God's displeasure, how do we know when God is pleased or displeased? If a religious leader can no longer be seen as an authority, how do I form an ethic for life? These were questions that faced the churches of Rome and questions that face us today. Listen in to explore Paul's answer: allowing love to flow from within you. Preached 7/15/18

In this sermon from our series on the book of Romans, Chris explores chapters 9-11 to discover that there is a wideness in the love of God that is shocking and unexpected. For many in Christianity, knowing how to relate to a religious past that no longer holds meaning is difficult. But Paul's explanation of ethnic Israel's place in the new movement of Spirit experienced by the churches of Rome, helps us to navigate those feelings, and gives everyone a place within the life of God. 

In this sermon from our series on Romans, Chris looks at the word sin and explores what it means in the context of Romans 5 and 6. We discover that a life lived in an open, trusting way leads to life, but a life lived with a closed off heart leads to lifelessness. We look at Paul's contrast of Adam and Jesus from chapter 6 in order to inform the way we should be thinking about ourselves. Preached 6/24/18

In this sermon from our Romans series, Chris looks at Chapter 5 to explore the journey that we call life. Looking forward to chapter 8 where Paul shares the hope of sharing in God's good reputation, we explore chapter 5 to find how to move through life when that hope seems too distant to even be real. Preached 6/17/18. 

In this sermon from our Romans series, Rachel explores Romans chapter 8 to find the way that Spirit moves us towards newer forms of life. We find in Paul's discussion that we are all wombs for one another, bringing each into new life through the Spirit and giving new life to the world around us. We discover that we all are called into the life of the Spirit. Rachel points out that life in the Spirit is about a call rather than a conversion. Preached 6/10/18 

In this sermon from our series on Romans, Chris explores the Apostle's Paul's statement that Jesus is a "sacrifice of atonement." We ask what that phrase would mean for Paul's context, and find that Jesus' death only matters as it stands in relation to his faithfulness, and discover what this might mean for our lives today. Preached 6/3/18