Sermon Series
September & October:
The Beatitudes in Matthew 4:23 – 5:12
Sundays, Sept. 6 – Oct. 25th
The Beatitudes are praised in churches, mostly ignored in practice, and occasionally framed as gifts to be hung on the office wall of the minister’s office. The Beatitudes are Jesus’ description of an upside-down Kingdom, that He calls the Kingdom of God, where we live out God’s dream of compassion and justice. The Beatitudes turn the world’s values upside down. What is true for those who live in the power of the Kingdom of God is a flat reversal of what is considered to be true in the culture at large. The Beatitudes declare that the poor, the meek, and the peacemakers are the ones who are truly blessed. We live in a world, however, that pronounces the benediction over the self-sufficient, the assertive, and the power brokers. The people whom the world would see as pitiful, as mournful, as persecuted, are the very people Jesus claims are blessed.
November:
Our Money Story
Sundays, Nov. 1st – Nov. 22nd
We all have a money story, whether we recognize it or not. Perhaps we are living from a money story of fear, shame or guilt. Or a story that our choices will not have an impact. Or a story that we do not have enough. In times of health and crisis, we all need opportunities to both give and receive. Giving is a human need. It connects us to a larger purpose and weaves us together in community. What is your money story? What is Emmanuel’s money story? What do we really believe? What do we need to release? How can we embody the stories of who we are and who we belong to in our money stories?