Sermons & Such - Haven Berkeley Faith Community: Recent Episodes
Leah Martens, Haven Berkeley
In this Pentecost teaching, Leah wraps up the Earthly Empire and Divine Kin-dom series by tracing the Spirit’s liberating work across Scripture, history, and today. She contrasts the Tower of Babel (an empire story rooted in conformity and self-glorification) with the Pentecost narrative in Acts, where the Spirit disrupts domination by empowering diverse languages and radical community. Drawing from the legacy of William Seymour and the Azusa Street Revival, Leah lifts up the Spirit’s power to resist racism and empire while building a Kin-dom of mutuality, justice, and inclusion.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this powerful teaching, Leah explores what true greatness looks like in the Divine Kin-dom, contrasting it with the domination and hierarchy of empire. Drawing from the gospel of Mark, she unpacks two parallel stories where Jesus flips the script on greatness, calling his followers to service, humility, and care for the most vulnerable. She then weaves in the historical legacies of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, who rejected retribution in post-apartheid South Africa and instead modeled truth, reconciliation, and the African value of ubuntu: “I am because we are.” Their commitment to restorative justice echoes Jesus’ call to break down the hierarchies that divide us. Leah challenges us to dismantle the social ladders in our own communities and build a world rooted in love, connection, and Divine kinship. Greatness in the Kin-dom, she reminds us, looks like shared humanity and mutual service.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this storytelling-centered teaching, Leah weaves together three profound “scar stories” to explore how resurrection, resilience, and healing often show up bearing the marks of suffering. She begins with the familiar post-Easter story of Jesus inviting Thomas to touch his wounds, reminding us that Divine transformation doesn’t erase our pain, but honors it. From there, Leah traces the scarred journey of Pope Francis, once a young Jesuit who made leadership mistakes during Argentina’s Dirty War but emerged transformed by humility and repentance. Finally, she shares her own story from a recent post-evangelical gathering, where vulnerability, grace, and collective care opened the door to renewed strength. Through it all, she challenges us to resist Empire’s call to hide our wounds and instead live into the Kin-dom’s invitation to embody redemptive presence. Scar stories, she reminds us, are sacred stories.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
This Easter, Leah invites us to see resurrection not just as personal salvation, but as a profound act of resistance to Empire. In a time when powerful voices long for modern-day Caesars, Leah contrasts Ancient Rome with the Divine Kin-dom Jesus proclaimed: a vision built not on domination but on relational connection and justice. Through Matthew’s resurrection account, she highlights how God entrusted women—not imperial soldiers—with the first gospel message, and how those on the margins were the true messengers of hope. She also warns of how the lust for control can corrupt even the most spiritual leaders, and calls us to resist with clarity and compassion. Ultimately, Easter reminds us that Jesus didn’t return to rule with an iron fist—he rose to empower a diverse, justice-driven movement. This is resurrection with relevance. This is Divine Kin-dom rising.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this teaching of the “Earthly Empire and Divine Kin-dom” series, Leah walks us through the last, harrowing chapter of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life: his work in the German resistance, his arrest, and his ultimate execution. Amidst moral ambiguity and deep suffering, Bonhoeffer never stopped seeking Christ’s presence in the complexity of real life. Through prison letters, unfinished writings, and his haunting poem “Who Am I?”, Leah shows how Bonhoeffer called followers of Jesus not to escapism, but to deep solidarity with the suffering of the world. Anchored in the story of Jesus in Gethsemane, this teaching calls us to “stay awake with Christ”—to bear witness and resist despair with courage and presence. Leah reminds us that the true legacy of Bonhoeffer lies not in answers, but in the question he lived: “Where is Christ, here and now?”
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this next teaching on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Leah explores his leadership in the Confessing Church and his efforts to disciple Christian resistance in Nazi Germany. She shares how Bonhoeffer trained young pastors in an underground seminary, centering their faith on intentional community and the radical teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. His writings from this period, Discipleship and Life Together, challenge us to embrace “costly grace,” a faith the resists injustice rather than conforming to empire. Leah also reflects on the story of Martin Niemöller, a pastor who initially supported Hitler but later repented and spoke out, reminding us that resistance can take many forms. This teaching invites us to examine our own discipleship, the communities that shape us, and how we are called to live out faith in ways that challenge oppression.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
As Lent begins, Leah launches a special series within “Earthly Empire & Divine Kin-dom,” focusing on the life and resistance of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. She examines how Bonhoeffer’s time in New York—studying at Union Theological Seminary, worshiping at Abyssinian Baptist Church, and confronting American racism—transformed his understanding of Jesus and justice. These experiences sharpened his resistance to Hitler’s rise in Germany, as he saw faith not as mere platitudes but as a radical call to action. Leah challenges us to reflect on our own lives: How have our experiences shaped our faith? How do we discern our personal path of resistance to injustice? This teaching invites us to step into Lent with renewed awareness, courage, and commitment to the work of Divine kin-dom.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this next installment of the “Empire and Kin-dom” series, Leah examines how resistance stories have shaped movements for justice and survival. She highlights Harriet Tubman’s unwavering faith in liberation and the ways enslaved people found hope in the Exodus story. Turning to the Book of Daniel, Leah unpacks how the Jewish court tales provided strength and defiance against empire, offering a vision of divine kinship over domination. These stories have empowered communities to hold onto their identity and resist empire. In a time when authoritarianism seeks to erase and control, Leah challenges us to reclaim the stories that sustain us and imagine a different future.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Leah launches the “Earthly Empire and Divine Kin-dom” series by exploring the stark contrast between earthly power and God’s vision for community. Drawing on the story of Frederick Douglass, the warnings of the prophet Samuel, and Jesus’ proclamation of the “Kin-dom of God,” she challenges us to discern the difference between empire and divine kinship. This teaching invites us to resist systems of oppression and build a faith rooted in justice, solidarity, and love.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this powerful reflection, Leah draws upon the prophetic legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to inspire “A Time of Sacred Preparation.” She explores Dr. King’s teachings on justice, nonviolence, and hope, even in the face of profound disappointment. Sharing excerpts from his sermons and prayers, Leah challenges us to confront the realities of our time with a resilient spirit and a commitment to love. She calls us to embody practices of preparation—prayer, reflection, and grounded action—that align with the Divine’s call for justice and compassion. This teaching offers an invitation to carry forward Dr. King’s vision, cultivating a hope that sustains us in the ongoing work of healing our world.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Please note: Due to copyright restrictions, we are unable to share the audio or the video for “King in the Wilderness.” At the 24-minute mark of the audio recordings, you will experience about 20 seconds of silence. If you’d like to see the clip which is meant to go in this space, it can be found here on Youtube or on Max with a subscription. The exact clip starts at approximately 32:20 and goes until 37:50.
In this Epiphany teaching, Leah explores the Divine revelations in the story of Jesus’ baptism and how they resonate today. She unpacks three key epiphanies: the way God disrupts social hierarchies, the collaborative nature of Divine work, and the power of the Spirit symbolized by the dove—gentleness, grace, and nonviolence. Leah reminds us that these qualities require strength and are essential for justice and empathy in a fractured world. Reflecting on the challenges of our time, she encourages us to trust our inner wisdom and embrace “dove power” to bring healing and hope. This teaching inspires us to align with God’s heart and embody love and resilience in all we do.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Relive the magic of Haven’s Pre-Christmas Eve Candlelight Service! Join us as we sing traditional carols, hear a heartfelt reading of the Christmas story, a beautiful Godly Play Story shared by our Kids Director Debra, and experience the beauty of candle-lighting while singing Silent Night. Celebrate the wonder and hope of Christmas with us!
As we enter the third Sunday of Advent, Leah invites us to consider the profound message, “Do the good that is yours to do.” Drawing from John the Baptist’s bold words and the concept of a “centered set” faith, she encourages us to reflect on what inspires or challenges us, what resources we bring, and what actions are sustainable in our lives. This Advent, discover how the good you are uniquely called to do can bring light and love to the world.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Leah kicks off Advent with a reflective teaching on the theme “You Are a Blessing.” Exploring Mary’s encounter with the angel Gabriel, Leah highlights how Divine favor begins with blessing, reshapes expectations, and empowers new possibilities. Through this lens, she invites us to embrace the truth of our inherent worth and consider the agency we hold in our own sacred journeys.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this closing teaching of the “Hurt to Whole” series, Leah introduces the concept of post-traumatic growth (PTG), the remarkable capacity of the human spirit to find resilience and even transformation after trauma. She reflects on her own personal journey and draws from trauma studies, explaining how adversity can lead us to new strengths, values, and connections. By examining stories of resilience from the Bible, Leah reminds us of a Divine presence that partners with us to bring good from harm. Encouraging the community to explore “What else is true?” she offers practical steps for cultivating resilience, including a radical self-love exercise. This final session is an invitation to embrace hope, wholeness, and the sacred growth that can arise from our deepest wounds.
In this insightful teaching, Leah delves into the significance of sharing our untold stories as part of the “Hurt to Whole” series. She begins with a powerful quote from Maya Angelou, connecting it to the process of trauma recovery that involves safety, remembrance, and reconnection. Leah explains how the Christian faith itself can be seen as a post-traumatic tradition, rooted in the shared experiences of Jesus’ followers after his crucifixion. By revisiting the story of Jesus and Peter on the shore, she shows how safe, compassionate spaces allow stories of pain to be voiced, received, and reimagined. Leah encourages the community to build a trauma-informed culture, where healing can emerge through both spoken and creative expressions.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this special service, Leah bridges the themes of the “Hurt to Whole” series with Caleb’s renaming ceremony, highlighting the profound concept of embodiment. She speaks to how our bodies carry the imprints of trauma and, equally, the pathways to healing, emphasizing that true wholeness involves connecting deeply with our physical selves. Reflecting on the life of Jesus, Leah illustrates how the Divine chose to embody human experiences, from compassion to suffering, and how this embodied presence brought healing. By honoring our own stories and the wisdom in our bodies, Leah invites us to engage in a spirituality that is as physical as it is profound, following the example of those who live authentically in their truth.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
You can read Leah’s poem Our Bodies Hold Our Stories here.
Join Leah as she leads us into the transformative new “Hurt to Whole” series, where she explores the deep connections between trauma, healing, and spirituality. Reflecting on her father’s experience with PTSD and her own year-long study of trauma care, she sheds light on how trauma affects our bodies, minds, and relationships. In this session, Leah tackles essential questions such as what trauma is, how it shows up, and how being trauma-informed can shape our spiritual communities. With compassion and insight, she also connects Jesus’ ministry to modern trauma care, offering pathways for healing and hope. Discover how we, too, can move from hurt to whole.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Join Leah as she concludes the "Sacred Sources" series with a captivating look at biblical interpretation. Drawing inspiration from the Greek god Hermes, Leah introduces us to the art and science of hermeneutics – the practice of deriving meaning from texts. She expertly guides us through various interpretive lenses used throughout history, from early Jewish and Christian approaches to modern liberation and feminist theologies. Leah then turns our attention to Jesus' own interpretive key, found in Matthew 22:34-40, which emphasizes love as the central tenet of faith. This enlightening teaching equips us with valuable insights for reading scripture through a lens of love, encouraging a deeper and more nuanced engagement with the Bible. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your biblical understanding and enrich your faith journey.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this Sunday’s teaching, Leah starts off with a light-hearted anecdote involving a text message mix-up during an airport pick-up, highlighting the generational differences in communication. This sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the New Testament Epistles, a collection of letters that hold significant value in the Christian tradition. We delve into the context in which these letters were written, their intended audience, and the practice of pseudepigraphy, which sometimes complicates authorship. The message encourages us to discern which teachings in these ancient texts are relevant to our modern faith journey, particularly as we examine the universally accepted Pauline Epistle to the Philippians. Through this, we aim to find timeless lessons that continue to inspire and guide us today.
In today’s teaching, Leah unpacks the complexities of the New Testament Gospels as part of the summer series, “Sacred Sources.” During seminary, many students face a pivotal moment when they realize the Bible’s formation is more complex than previously imagined. This often leads to a crisis of faith, but it can also lead to a more mature and nuanced understanding of these sacred texts. In this teaching, Leah explores what the Gospels are, how they came to be, and their significance. While the Gospels aren’t eyewitness accounts or direct transcripts of Jesus’ words, they are powerful, faith-driven narratives that offer us a profound connection to Jesus. By understanding the historical and literary context of these texts, we can approach them with fresh eyes and deeper reverence, finding new ways to connect with the life and teachings of Jesus.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Discover the captivating story of the Bedouin shepherds whose curiosity in 1947 unearthed one of the most profound archaeological discoveries of our time: the Dead Sea Scrolls. Join Leah as she continues her “Sacred Sources” series, delving into these ancient texts, exploring their significance and how they shape our understanding of faith today.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Discover the transformative power of scripture in two poignant stories that span decades. From a freshman’s eye-opening Bible study experience to the unsettling rise of Christian nationalism, these tales explore how the Bible can inspire faith and compassion while also being misused to entrench bigotry and power. Join Pastor Leah on a journey through “Sacred Sources,” where she delves into the ancient, diverse, and sometimes ambiguous texts of the Bible, and learn how to reclaim its wisdom for a more just and loving world.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Join Pastor Leah as she delves into the intersection of spirituality and mental health through the lens of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). This teaching unpacks the "Wise Mind" concept, highlighting how Jesus embodied this balance of emotion and reason in his actions and teachings. Through relatable anecdotes and biblical stories, Leah explorse practical DBT skills like mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Discover how these tools can help us stay grounded, connected, and focused on what truly matters in challenging times. Tune in for an enriching journey towards deeper wisdom and spiritual resilience.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Step into a journey of discovery with Lead Pastor Leah as she shares a heartwarming anecdote about her daughter's profound insight that reshaped her perception of God. Set against the backdrop of Pride Month, Leah leads us into the realm of Queer Theology, unraveling its significance in navigating complex aspects of faith and identity. Through the lens of author Patrick Cheng's nuanced definitions and author Mihee Kim-Kort's insightful perspectives, Leah invites us to explore the multifaceted meanings of queerness and its potential impact on our spirituality. Don't miss this opportunity to engage in a dialogue that challenges conventions and fosters a deeper understanding of ourselves and the Divine.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Embark on a transformative journey of spiritual exploration with this Sunday’s enlightening discourse. Inspired by personal encounters and sacred sites like the Temple Mount, we invite you to transcend the confines of singular belief systems and embrace the richness of spiritual diversity.
Delve into "omnism," advocating respect for all religions, fostering appreciation for diverse beliefs. Challenge traditional boundaries, exploring dangers of misinterpretation and urging curiosity. Discover Hindu philosophy's wisdom in diverse spiritual approaches through "Ishta Devata" and interconnectedness. Reflect on parallels between quantum entanglement and spiritual interconnectedness.
Join us on a journey of discovery and enlightenment, where open hearts and open minds pave the way for a more inclusive and harmonious world. Embrace the boundless potential of spiritual growth and interconnectedness, as we honour the richness and diversity of belief systems that shape our collective journey toward truth and enlightenment.
Review luca’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Embark on a soul-stirring exploration with Leah as she ventures into the depths of theodicy, seeking to unravel the tangled threads of suffering and faith. Reflecting on poignant personal moments and insights gleaned from her studies, Leah guides listeners through four thought-provoking models that grapple with the age-old question: where is God in the midst of suffering? From the traditional notion of "God's Plan" to the contemporary perspectives of divine empathy and human agency, each model offers a unique lens through which to view life's complexities.
Drawing from theological giants like John Calvin to contemporary thinkers like Thomas Oord, Leah navigates the intricacies of faith with grace and candor. Through poignant anecdotes and scholarly reflections, she invites listeners to ponder their own experiences of suffering and the ways in which they encounter the divine in the midst of life's storms.
As Leah shares her own evolving journey through the maze of theodicy, she offers not answers, but an invitation to wrestle with the profound mysteries of existence. Ultimately, she reminds us of the enduring hope that threads through our tradition—a hope that one day, all tears will be wiped away, and a new order of peace and wholeness will dawn.
Join Leah on this transformative exploration, and discover where your own path intersects with the eternal questions of faith, suffering, and redemption.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Embark on a transformative journey with Leah in her thought-provoking teaching series, "Navigating the Maze: Finding God in the Midst of Complexity," where she skilfully interweaves profound insights from Colum McCann's novel "Apeirogon" with real-life narratives of hope and reconciliation.
Drawing upon the poignant experiences of Basaam Aramin and Rami Elhannan, two fathers who transcended barriers of grief and animosity to become champions of peace, Leah offers profound reflections on the power of empathy, forgiveness, and collective action. From the early Christian ethos of pacifism to the complex moral frameworks of just-war theory, Leah guides us through the historical pathways traversed by Christians in their quest for ethical engagement with conflict.
But the journey does not end with historical reflections; Leah invites us to explore the emergent paradigm of Just Peacemaking, a holistic approach that transcends traditional dichotomies and calls us to embrace multifaceted strategies for sustainable peace-building. Through engaging discussions and insightful reflections, Leah empowers us to discern our unique role in fostering reconciliation and justice in our communities and beyond.
Join Leah in this illuminating exploration of peace and conflict, where ancient wisdom meets contemporary challenges, and where each of us is invited to be a catalyst for transformative change.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Step into the realm of faith and doubt with Cara Meredith, our special guest speaker, as she guides us through a rich exploration of Thomas's encounter with the risen Christ. In this week's Sunday service, delve into the complexities of belief and disbelief, as we unpack the narrative from John 20:24-31. Discover how Thomas, often labeled "The Doubter," embodies the struggles many face in navigating the maze of faith. Through Thomas's journey, we're invited to question, doubt, and ultimately encounter the transformative love of God. Join us as we journey together, exploring the depths of doubt and rediscovering the profound truth that God finds us in our moments of deepest need. This service promises to be a beacon of hope and a reminder that, despite the uncertainties of life, the path of love and faith remains steadfast.
Review Cara’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Embark on a captivating exploration with Leah as she delves into the ancient Greek myth of Theseus, Ariadne, and the Minotaur, seamlessly weaving it into our contemporary struggles in her latest teaching series, "Navigating the Maze: Finding God in Complexity." Leah highlights the challenges of navigating modern-day mazes, addressing collective trauma and societal fragmentation while offering profound reflections on faith's role in guiding us through. Join Leah on this transformative journey as we seek hope beyond the maze, finding connection, healing, and liberation in the presence of the Divine.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Connie Barker is a white cis lesbian and former aspiring academic who has been living at the interesting intersection of Environmental Illness, Queerness, Disability and adult-onset Christian faith for almost 40 years. In this Sunday’s teaching, she shares some stories that hopefully have something to say about making peace.
Listen to or watch the teaching below.
Discover profound insights with Yu-Shuan Tarango-Sho, founding Director of Sacred Roots, as we explore "Showing up for Liberation." With inspiration drawn from Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer and Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Yu-Shuan navigates the intersection of spirituality and collective wellness, embracing the both/and paradigm.
Through Yu-Shuan's guidance, we reflect on LeaderFUL-ness, engaging with young BIPOC leaders in the global movement for liberation. Rooted in cultural wisdom and interconnectedness, we embark on a journey of healing justice, reclaiming ancestral wisdom, and fostering collective well-being.
Join us as we heed Yu-Shuan's call to interlock our roots and collaborate towards collective healing and liberation.
Listen to or watch the teaching below.
Join Leah in this thought-provoking reflection as she explores the profound tension in Jesus' teachings about peace. Drawing parallels between the fictional dystopia of Panem in The Hunger Games and the historical context of Jesus in the Pax Romana, she delves into the contrast between worldly peace, enforced by oppressive powers, and the divine peace (Shalom) that Jesus calls us to embrace. As she navigates conflicting passages in Matthew, we're challenged to be peacemakers in the truest sense—championing justice, resisting false peace, and embodying the transformative power of Shalom in a world marked by conflict. Let's embark on this journey together, seeking wisdom and understanding in the pursuit of a just and holistic peace in 2024.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Join Leah as she reflects on the events of January 6th, particularly the attack on the Capitol in 2021, and explores the concept of peacemaking in the context of current challenges. She connects the story of the Magi in the Bible, particularly their role as "religious strangers," to the idea of “holy envy”—finding beauty in other traditions without attempting to claim or conquer them. Leah’s narrative encourages a broader perspective and engagement with diverse perspectives, especially in the pursuit of peace amid various conflicts, both domestic and international. You are invited to reflect on personal experiences with "religious strangers" and consider the concept of holy envy in the context of peacemaking in 2024 with the help of guided questions and conversation.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Journey into the sacred silence of Advent with this insightful sermon as Leah explores the biblical story of Elizabeth and Zechariah. Delve into the mystery of their encounters with the divine, as Zechariah's silence and Elizabeth's voluntary seclusion unfold into profound moments of spiritual revelation. Discover the transformative power of silence and solitude during the busy holiday season, and join us in practical contemplative practices to tune into the sacred presence. This sermon invites you to reflect, find joy in the midst of weariness, and make space for encounters with the divine in your own life.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Join Leah for an engaging exploration of these thought-provoking topics and gain a deeper understanding of their relevance today as she delves into the enigmatic parables of Jesus, including a teaching story by AJ Levine—a Jewish New Testament scholar—and an analysis of a famous parable from the Gospel of Matthew. The teaching also addresses the cultural context of the parables and the significance of discussing the concept of consequences in the afterlife as a teaching tool.
(The video by AJ Levine is an excerpt from her “Jesus in Text and Context” speech at Westminster Town Hall. The exact times are Part 1: 21:35 to 24:02 and Part 2: 24:02 to 26:47.)
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Explore the unexpected wisdom in this captivating teaching series. Join the thought-provoking discussion on growing in action, inspired by Jesus' parables. Unravel the mystery of the “Dishonest Manager” as we delve into the power of generosity and building relationships that transcend worldly wealth. Listen or watch the teaching and be part of a community committed to investing in true riches.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Join us for a special collaborative discussion on Haven's identity and action steps this Sunday. Your voice matters as we build on the insights from our retreat. If you’d like to contribute your voice, watch the video or listen to the audio below and fill out the provided Google Form. Let's shape our vibrant community together!
In this thought-provoking session, we embark on a journey of self-discovery and faith activation. Starting with a grounding experience, we explore moments of pure joy and delve into two intriguing parables shared by Jesus. Join us as Leah helps us uncover the deeper meanings behind these stories and ponder their relevance to our lives today. Are you ready to find your own “pearl of great value?” Let's explore what truly matters and how it can shape our faith journey.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this engaging sermon, Leah leads us as we reflect on a recent camping trip experience and draws wisdom from the disability justice movement, biblical teachings, and the concept of “interdependence.” Explore how resisting cultural norms, serving with our unique strengths, and practicing proximity can help us build a more inclusive and compassionate community. Discover the beauty of collective care and how it aligns with our Jesus-centered faith. Watch now and be inspired to embrace interdependence in your own life.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching on YouTube.
Join Leah as she discusses the discovery of the essential components of trust. Engage in the discussion on the core pillars of trust - ability, integrity, and benevolence - and witness how they interplay in fostering collaboration and connection. Delve into the insightful journey of Jesus and Simon Peter, discovering the lessons in personal connection, partnership, and cultural understanding that pave the way for building trust within your own relationships.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Join us for this transformative teaching from Pastor Leah Martens as she delves into the powerful biblical story of Naaman's healing in 2 Kings 5. Through a captivating exploration, Leah uncovers the profound connection between humility and collaboration, shedding light on the necessary steps to foster meaningful collaboration within our faith community.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Our service this Sunday featured the brilliant guest speaker Sandhya Jha, an esteemed activist, author, and speaker. In their thought-provoking discussion titled 'A People United?', Sandhya shared insightful perspectives and powerful messages that are sure to leave all viewers and listeners inspired and motivated to create positive change in their lives and communities and ask the harder questions of themselves and their communities.
Listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this week's teaching, Leah explores the importance of listening prayer and growing in our ability to hear from God. She shares a personal story of challenges at Haven's beginnings and how the community found new life and growth through prayer and seeking direction through the Divine. Leah also delves into the biblical story of Elijah, highlighting the significance of encountering God in the quiet and gentle whisper rather than in spectacular events.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
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In this teaching, Leah reflects on the theme of spiritual connection and focuses on the character of David from the Bible, known for his robust communication channel with God through poetic prayers. She explores an incident where David brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, emphasizing David's expressive and embodied prayer as he freely communicates his heart to God. The story highlights the importance of being honest and open-hearted in our communication with the Divine, inviting us to bring our whole selves before God without holding back.
Review Leah’s notes hereand listen to or watch the teaching below.
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Starting off a new teaching series called "Dialogue with the Divine, Leah leads us in a discussion on prayer. She shares her personal journey, exploring the different forms and meanings of prayer in her life. Drawing from diverse religious contexts, Leah emphasizes the importance of communication in nurturing a relationship with God. Using the story of Hannah as an example, who prayed fervently for a child, she invites viewers to delve into biblical narratives. Through this series, Leah encourages us to deepen our spiritual connection and explore our own unique relationship with prayer and the Divine.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In her Easter Sunday sermon, Leah explores Mary Magdalene’s longing for Jesus, her persistence in finding him after discovering his tomb empty, and her exploration of the mystery of his absence and proclamation of hope that we are not alone; that our spiritual journey can be one of transformation, moving us from grief or loss to hope and acceptance.
Review Leah’s notes and listen to or watch the teaching below.
On her final Sunday at Haven, Jeanne gives a teaching on a famous passage in Mathew, often called "the Beatitudes", in which she speaks directly as a woman of color to the BIPOC folk in the room.
You can view Jeanne’s Paraphrase of the Beatitudes here and listen to or watch her teaching below.
In her final teaching in the "Community Evolving" series, Leah take a look at an incident in the early church, as reported in Acts 15, and invites Haven to consider the way a group can work together through a process to pursue growth and change.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
This message is the second-to-last of Leah's teachings in the "Community Evolving" series. As the series comes to a close, we're looking at a couple of connected incidents in the book of Acts, with the hope that they may serve as a kind of case study in what collective evolution can look like. This first is a look at an incident in Acts 10, as the Spirit brings together two characters in a surprising way.
Review Leah’s notes and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this teaching, Leah continues the "Community Evolving" series, considering the role tradition plays in our personal and collective spiritual evolution. Shared in the midst of Advent 2022, Leah focuses on the nativity story in Matthew, and considers how that story is part of an evolving spiritual tradition, as well as how we can continue to participate in our traditions evolving.
You can review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this third teaching in the “Community Evolving” series, Leah considers the implications of how a change in thinking impacts how we live and practice faith. We look at the way in which Jesus challenged the models of his day and encouraged his followers to be open to new ones to best serve the new things God was doing in his day, as we consider how Haven can continue to evolve our ways of gathering and practicing Jesus-centered faith.
You can review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Leah shares the second teaching in the "Community Evolving" series, considering one potential model for how people often develop in their worldviews, including their spirituality. She also looks at how we may see that same progression evident in the life of Jesus, inviting us to evolve as he did.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this new series, Leah invites Haven into an exploration of how growth and change can be an important part of our spiritual and communal life, considering the ways in which we are individually evolving, as well as the evolving we are doing communally. This first teaching introduces the topic and considers how our tradition points to a faith that grows and shifts over time, using the Apostle Paul as one example.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
This is the third and final teaching from Pastor Leah Martens in her "Liberating Return" series. This teaching on the "Return to Purpose" looks at how her summer sabbatical and recent current events have impacted her own thinking about her sense of purpose, as well as purpose for Haven. It also draws upon the story of Esther from the Hebrew Bible.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this message, Leah shares the second of three teachings on the "liberating returns" she experienced during her sabbatical. This teaching focuses on the return to significant relationships, and considers how we might adjust the quality of our presence to experience life-giving connection with others we care about.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this message, Leah shares the first of three teachings on the "liberating returns" she experienced during her sabbatical. The first is focused on the return to one's self, and how that also impacts the return to Source. The teaching ends with an exercise to help each of us connect with self and Source.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this Sunday gathering, the community welcomes Pastor Leah Martens back into the space after a 12 week sabbatical and reflects on what has been learned and experienced during the time this summer.
Deborah Small tells the story of Juneteenth in light of the Exodus, pointing to what the restoration of lost labor, wealth, and self-possession to black Americans truly involves.
In this week's talk, Jeanne discusses her liberation journey and invites haven into thinking about what a liberated spiritual community would look like, noting that,
Liberation isn't tied up in a neat bow. It's learning to change that narrative for myself. The hardest thing is that it's full of emotion, but it's a journey that I started several years ago and I commit to it.
Listen to her talk or view the teaching below:
In this week’s message, Leah reflects on singing, performance, being ourselves, and setting aside time for restoration and reconnection, as she will be doing on her summer sabbatical:
“Jesus regularly took time to separate from the group. At times he withdrew by himself. At times he brought his closest followers with him. At times he wanted to pray. Other times it seems that he just needed a break from being ‘on.’ He needed to rest, he needed to eat and drink, and have intimate time with his closest companions. We see this pattern throughout his life, including on the last night before his death. As he prepared for what was to come, Jesus withdrew to the garden, needing to separate from the bigger group, and connect with God and his three closet friends.”
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or view the teaching below:
On this Easter Sunday, Leah recognizes the "resurrection moment" we are in as we continue to recover from the losses of the Covid Pandemic, and also reflects on the complicated nature of the life after loss.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or view the teaching below.
A Traditional Russian Icon of The Good Samaritan. Anonymous artist; dated end of XVIII c. Online source here.
In this final teaching Leah's series on parables, she covers one of the most famous, commonly known as "The Good Samaritan", and considers how a deeper look may make the story more challenging and important than many of us have come to believe.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or view the teaching below.
As "A Story-Shaped Faith" continues, Leah tackles another challenging parable of Jesus, often known as "The Wheat and the Weeds". In it, she explores how we confront the evils in our time without making the problems even bigger.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching.
In this first Sunday of Lent, 2022, Leah continues our series on parables ("A Story-Shaped Faith") with a look at the story commonly known as the Workers and the Vineyard. She also invites the community to go beyond comprehension and move into practice with a set of suggested practices for the week. We will continue to offer suggested practices in services and via email throughout the season of Lent.
Review Leah’s notes and listen to the teaching or view it below.
In this second teaching in the "Story-Shaped Faith" series, Leah considers a familiar parable, "The Prodigal Son", and challenges listeners to be open to viewing it in a new way.
Review Leah’s notes and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Leah begins a new teaching series on the parables of Jesus, called "A Story-Shaped Faith". In this first teaching in the series, Leah considers how the genre of parables were intended to function in the ancient world and what the famous Parable of the Sower might tell us about their import in shaping our spirituality.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
On the first Sunday of the year, Haven meets virtually and considers together the traditional Epiphany story Matthew tells of Magi coming from the East to worship the infant Jesus.
View Leah’s notes here and watch or listen to the teaching below.
In this last teaching in the series, Leah considers what we might learn from Jesus about repairing our relationships after they've been challenged, and how that might help us build friendships that last.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
During the outdoor service on 10/17/21, Leah teaches on the story of Ruth and Naomi and the hope of friendship that might be easy to miss, as we continue our series on "Friendship Matters".
In this second teaching in the "Friendship Matters" series, Leah explores the various circles of friendship and how they are built up, and we hear a special story from four friends who have been there for each other for decades.
Review Leah’s notes or take in the teaching and story through audio or video below. (To watch only the DeWitt and Jensen story, start at minute 29.)
This is the first teaching in a new series, called "Friendship Matters". In this first gathering, we explored a little of what science, voices from history, voices in Haven, and Scripture have to say about friendship. What does "friendship" even mean? Why is it important for us to think about? Why is it challenging? And how might God interact with the whole idea?
Listen to the teaching or watch it below.
In this hybrid Sunday gathering, Leah shared her last teaching from the "Recovering the Sacred" series, inviting the Haven community to consider the practice of worship and how it might connect us with the Divine and help us experience the sacred.
After the teaching, those in attendance were invited to interact with a number of worship experiences. A couple of those experiences have been included in a virtual format on this video of the entire service.
Listen to or watch the teaching alone below.
In this teaching from our "Recovering the Sacred" series, Leah considered the ancient practice of making covenants, and how it might be useful in our day as we think now about making commitments.
Read Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this Zoom-only Sunday gathering, Leah teaches on the theme of "Sacred Texts" and considers how reordering our relationship to the Bible might be an important part of our recovering of the sacred.
Review Leah’s notes and listen to or watch the teaching below.
During this hybrid outdoor gathering, Leah and Jeanne give a joint teaching on the idea of "Sacred Space", and why it might be relevant to think about the ways that places can connect us with the Divine.
Listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this teaching from the "Recovering the Sacred" series, Leah explores how we might handle stories and texts from our sacred tradition that we find problematic, and what it might mean to "include and transcend" as we seek to rebuild and recover our spiritual practices.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Photo by Dubwise Version.
In this teaching, we continued our "Recovering the Sacred" series with a conversation around "Sacred Vision". Leah joins with Ginny Prince to consider how God might impart encouraging vision to a community, which can be vital in the work of "reorder". The gathering included a collective listening prayer practice, but that has been omitted from the video out of respect for attendees' privacy.
Listen to or watch Leah and Ginny’s presentation below.
In this teaching, Leah gives an introduction to our new summer teaching series, "Recovering the Sacred". In this introduction, she lays the groundwork for exploring the part of the Biblical narrative about how a community rebuilt after a time of great disruption, and considers how Father Richard Rohr's framework of growth happening through the pattern of "Order, Disorder, Reorder" might be instructive for us in this season.
Read Leah’s notes here and watch the teaching below.
The Labyrinth we drew at Washington Elementary.
In this hybrid Sunday gathering, Leah gave a brief teaching, reflecting on life as a journey and inviting our community into an ancient spiritual practice to invite God into that journeying. She introduced our community to the practice of walking a prayer labyrinth, which those gathered then had the opportunity to do.
Read Leah’s notes here and watch the teaching below.
During this virtual-only service, Leah shares a teaching inviting Haven to reflect on another element of cultivating intergenerational community: how we respond to the youth and young adults increasingly in the Haven space. She looks at what we might learn from Jesus in this area, with a story from early in the gospel John.
Read Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
As part of the hybrid service on June 13, 2021, Jeanne led a reflection with the children on the seasons of the year. Leah followed it with a brief teaching about one of the places the Bible speaks most explicitly about the seasonality of life, and led us through a prayer experience to reflect on the seasons we find ourselves in now.
Read Leah’s notes here and view both teachings below.
In this teaching, Leah reflects a bit theologically about some of the complexity of gathering in this coming-out-of-Covid season, and considers what insight some instruction to the early church might bring.
Read Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
The group gathered for our first Hybrid outdoor service in 2021.
This brief teaching from Leah was part of Haven's first hybrid service held on 5/23/2021, Pentecost Sunday.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Leah and Jeanne lead another conversation in preparation for the return to in-person services. This conversation focused specifically on what it means to build a community that is intergenerational and supports the needs of adults and kids.
Leah and Jeanne open up a community discussion about the next phase of Haven life, as we look towards beginning to hold in-person gatherings outdoors, currently scheduled to begin May 23.
In this Sunday gathering, Lead Pastor Leah Martens and Connections Pastor Jeanne Wong lead a conversation around revisiting the vision of Haven as we prepare to begin meeting in person once again.
Image by Alan Levine
In this teaching by Connections Pastor Jeanne Wong, Jeanne shares some of her story and her process in moving beyond dualistic thinking and the way it impacts the journey of faith.
Listen to or watch her teaching below.
On Easter Sunday 2021, Leah concluded our series on The Stories That Sustain Us. In this teachingLeah reflects on the way resurrection is revealed in the New Testament stories and what it might teach us about experiencing resurrection in our current circumstances.
See Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the video of her teaching below.
In this Palm Sunday teaching, Leah considers the spectacle of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and compares it to other traditions, with the hopes that we might better understand what Jesus was communicating engaging the day the way he did, and how that can sustain us now.
“Jesus Wept” by Tabitha Kaylee Hawk. Oklahoma City Memorial. https://www.flickr.com/photos/tabithahawk/14384061966/in/photolist-nV55uo-4CFZXW-pff7NE-7cf4p9-229Fs3-3VwEJ-81Gv6r-2ky5x2A-scgA6R-aYLHac-eeGMSC-23BWkof-4x5tHS-7V8K9y-9dsPvL-sd3AmR-gqXTxi-gqXzLE-e51Wer-eaLsz3-278q7bE-4iFh4w-7JJa8E-2iMtEnW-eaLqgL-eaLqBd-eaLr3L-a699p2-eaLrrm-CQhFc-LTV4x-eaLrHm-EDTAh-9y7kwb-ehBV1n-dsmDY7-8YXaNk-7aNp4M-bUadH-4d3Gs3-dKvrip-4S53DD-LTV96-4S53Cp-acqnBj-LTLpN-LTV7x-sctoM-i4P3W-5DH6d7
This is a teaching by Leah Martens to mark the anniversary of a year since the pandemic began. In this "Story That Sustains Us", she revisits a story about Jesus being present to two sisters in the delicate place many of us have been inhabiting this year between loss and hope.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Theophanes the Greek, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In this teaching, Katie Kay helps us pivot in Lent to the latter part of the Stories That Sustain Us from the gospels, by looking at one that has mystified and inspired Christians through the ages. Here she shares her thoughts on the Transfiguration, and how that story may connect with us and sustain us today.
Listen to Katie’s teaching or watch the video below.
In this teaching on another famous Jesus story, Leah looks at Matthew’s account of Jesus walking on water toward his disciples. In doing so, she invites us to consider how God might be present to us in challenging seasons, and how we might respond.
Read Leah’s notes here and listen to or view the teaching below.
In this teaching by Connections Pastor Jeanne Wong, we look at one of Jesus’ most famous parables - a parable about a sower, seed, and soil - as we consider how this story might speak to us about the beauty of faith in Jesus and the transformation it can bring.
Read Jeanne’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from Washington D.C, United States, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This teaching by Pastor Leah Martens is the next in our "Stories That Sustain Us" series, looking at the life of Jesus through gospel stores. In this teaching, Leah starts by considering the recent performance of Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman (pictured above), and then turns to the story of Jesus preaching at his home synagogue in Nazareth. Her teaching considers how that moment can inform our own understanding of Jesus, as well as what it means to "emerge".
Read Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this second teaching in the "Stories That Sustain Us" story, Leah takes a look at a famous story - Jesus' first miraculous sign in the gospel of John.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this teaching, Leah kicks off our 2021 series with a personal story and an invitation to consider together “Stories that Sustain Us” from the life of Jesus, as related though the gospels.
Read Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
Sebastiano Mazzoni, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In this last service of Advent, Leah shares the 4th and final teaching in the "Journey to Joy" series, reflecting on two different stories from different parts of the Bible that may help us frame the celebration of Christ's coming we're engaging this week.
Review Leah’s notes here or listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this second teaching in our “Journey to Joy” Advent series, Katie Kay explores the proclamation of John the Baptist, and asks us to consider what it means that the good news of Christ is proclaimed in the wilderness.
Check out Katie’s notes, or listen to or watch her teaching below.
In this first teaching in our Advent series, Pastor Leah lays the groundwork for beginning the Advent "Journey to Joy" together, even at the end of a challenging year. We also look together at a couple of the traditional texts for the first week of Advent, and consider their invitation to "look up".
Read Leah’s notes here, or listen to or watch the teaching below.
This final teaching in our series “Remembering there Collective” was given the week of 2020’s US Presidential election, and the day after Joe Biden was declared the President-Elect. In this teaching, Leah considers what healing for a divided country might look like with wisdom from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.
Read Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
In this service kicking off the 2020 Election week, Leah asks us to consider how elections function in our culture as a civic ritual, and looks to Paul's instruction around a faith ritual, the Lord's Supper, for guidance on how to engage this week.
Read Leah’s notes here and listen to or view the teaching below.
In this teaching, pastoral intern Katie Kay shares with the community a vision for how we might think about what the Apostle Paul calls “Spiritual Gifts” that might break conventional norms and let each of us live into who we’ve been made to be.
Listen to the teaching or watch the video below.
Photo by Dora Mitsonia from FreeImages
In this teaching, Leah begins a new series, called “Remembering the Collective”. Throughout this series, we’ll be considering how we hold on to a sense of collective identity, even in the midst of the physical distance the pandemic has required. This series will draw from Pauls’s first letter to the Corinthians. In this teaching, she anchors the series in an analogy Paul references about the collective centered on Christ being like parts of a body working together.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or view the teaching below.
In this final teaching in the Faith In the Exile series, Leah explores some of the ways that exile made a lasting impact on the exile community and shaped the religion that would be known as Judaism. As we continue our own 2020 exile, some of these adaptations of the ancient exiles might be instructive for us too.
In this teaching, Leah looks at some texts that come from a part of the book of Isaiah that addresses the exiles and considers how the messages delivered might speak to us too.
You can read Leah’s notes or listen to or view the teaching below.
What new insights did those in exile gain during their time in Babylon? And how might we benefit from some similar insights in our COVID exile? In this teaching, Leah continues the Faith In the Exile series by looking at a text about a unique proverb in the exile season, and considers how God seemed to be speaking into it through the proper Ezekiel.
You can read Leah’s notes here or listen to the teaching or view the video below.
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In this third teaching in the series, "Faith In the Exile", Leah looks at the practice of lament and considers the role it played for the exile community in processing pain and suffering. We look at the poem in Lamentations 3 and consider how cultivating practices for lament might be an important component in navigating faith in the pandemic exile and beyond.
Read Leah’s notes here or listen to the teaching via audio or video below.
Photo credit: H
This is the second teaching in a series called "Faith In the Exile". This series focuses on the experiences we are living through in 2020 and asks if our tradition might hold wisdom for us in the era known as the Babylonian Exile. In times of crisis, one of the ways we cope is to examine our histories and the stories that have formed us. This teaching takes a look at how that was done by our ancestors in the exile, the ways their work in that time touches us still, and in what ways we might follow their lead in our own exile experiences.
Review Leah’s notes here, listen along, or view the teaching below.
This week, Leah started a new teaching series exploring what a period of history in our tradition might teach us about enduring and finding faith in a prolonged period of crisis and disruption, like we are living through now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the struggle for racial justice, and more. In this first foundational teaching, she lays the groundwork for this new series by giving context for the period we’ll be looking to, the Babylonian Exile, and points us to a text that might help frame our own understandings of enduring exile today.
Review Leah’s notes here or you can listen to the teaching or watch the video below.
In this fourth and final teaching in the “Resurrecting Hope” series, Leah talks about jigsaw puzzles, eschatology, apocalypse, and future hope in the midst of so much grief and disorder.
You can read Leah’s notes here, listen to the teaching, or watch the video below.
In this teaching, Leah continues our series on “Resurrecting Hope”, looking at the story of Peter and Cornelius, and considers how the Spirit comes into situations that may seem impossible with new possibilities. In the midst of pandemic life, that is something I think all of us can appreciate.
Review Leah’s notes, listen to the teaching, or watch the video below.
Francesco Trevisani / Public domain
PC: Michael Coughlin
In this teaching given by Haven Teaching Team member Katie Kay, Katie tackles the question of how hope functions, and what it means to have hope without certainty. She explores another kind of resurrection story found in the New Testament that engages these questions, and invites us to consider hope in a helpful new way, in the midst of all the coronavirus uncertainty.
View Katie’s notes here, listen to the teaching, or view the video below.
On Easter 2020, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Leah began a new teaching series “Resurrecting Hope”. In this teaching she looks at the resurrection, as recorded by John, for some clues about what resurrection really is, and what it might tell us in terms of how hope might be present with us in a season of crisis.
You can read Leah’s notes here or listen to the teaching through audio or video below.
Emil Nolde - Crucifixion (1909) Hope found here
On Palm Sunday 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Leah shares the final teaching in this series on the work of Girard. In this teaching she takes a look at how the scapegoating mechanism plays out in the final days of Jesus life, as well as shares insights from a personal scapegoating experience.
You can review Leah’s notes here or listen to the teaching or watch the video below.
In this teaching, Leah continues the conversation about Girard and his scapegoating theory, by turning to the life of Jesus and examining how he responded when he found himself in the middle of a scapegoating event playing out. How does Jesus respond at an attempt at stoning? This is the first teaching preached from home in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in it Leah considers how Jesus’ response to scapegoating might also inform our own responses to this crisis.
The audio and video also include a 5-minute practice at the end that might be helpful in connecting with yourself and God in this time.
Look at Leah’s notes here, or you can listen to the teaching or watch the video below.
Why do humans have such a violent streak, and why is it often targeted in such cruel ways at innocent people? In this second teaching in our Lenten series, Old Stories, New Lenses, Leah lays out the heart of René Girard’s theory on human behavior: the “scapegoat mechanism”. Here she explains his take on how violence is expressed in human societies and then uses that framework to look at the story of Joseph and his brothers in Genesis. This teaching provides the heart of the ideas we’ll be exploring through the rest of Lent.
Review Leah’s notes or listen to the teaching below.
Photo credit: www.quotecatalog.com
What might the perspective of a 20th century Academic who studied literature, anthropology, philosophy, and more tell us about human behavior and Jesus-centered faith? This is the question we’ll be exploring over the next several weeks throughout the season of Lent, as we look at our ancient biblical narrative through the lens of Rene Girard. It’s a new teaching series called “Old Stories. New Lenses.” First up, this week Leah explored Girard’s foundational insight that pops up in the first chapters of the Bible, having to do with why humans want what they want. It also might give you a clue about why it’s so hard to stop scrolling through that instagram feed.
Read Leah’s notes here or listen to the teaching below.
In this third teaching in the “Habits for Health” series, Leah considers a habit that might help order our connection with the Divine. By looking at the teaching from Jesus to his followers about prayer, including a puzzling parable, we consider together Jesus’ philosophy of prayer, and how growing in the practice might impact our holistic health.
Review Leah’s notes here or listen to the teaching below.
As children we begin to express ourselves by holding tightly to things that we perceive belong to us. In this teaching Leah considers a parable of Jesus and what it might tell us about how we hold on to our things (or other resources) later in life.
This teaching also considers the local story regarding Moms 4 Housing in Oakland. Find an update here from after the teaching was given about the victory achieved as a result of their advocacy.
Listen to Leah’s teaching below or review her notes here.
In this teaching, Leah kicks off a new year (and a new decade) considering some habits of health for our life of faith that could be good to revisit, or learn for the first time. Here she focuses on the tradition of Sabbath practice as a means of bringing order to our relationship with time.
Listen to the teaching below or review Leah’s notes here.
Image by Lauren Wright Pittman from Sanctified Art LLC
In the last teaching of 2019, Leah reflects on why Mary sings the joyful song she does when she encounters her cousin Elizabeth (depicted above), what her song tells us about her character, and how revolutionary and relevant her song rings today.
Listen to Leah’s teaching below or review her notes here.
“Simeon and Anna Recognize the Lord in Jesus” by Rembrandt
On the first teaching in our Advent series, Leah looks at a passage from the end of the Christmas narrative to give us inspiration on how we prepare and participate in the coming that Advent marks. How might two elders of faith give us insight on how to live into the crying out for breakthrough in our time?
Listen to Leah’s teaching below or read her notes here.
Yu-Shuan Tarango-Sho of Sacred Roots
Pastor Erin Edwards of Live On Purpose Church
This Sunday, in our last teaching in the “Home We’re Building Together” series, Pastor Leah introduces us to two speakers representing organizations that are in some way partners in the work Haven is engaged in. Yu-Shuan Tarango-Sho shares about the organization she leads, Sacred Roots, that provides sanctuary housing and other resources to low-income people of color in Oakland, and Pastor Erin Edwards of Live On Purpose Church in Vacaville (aka LOP) talks about the importance of partnership.
Check out the recording of what each of them shared below.
Our time of interactive worship with adults, kids, and youth.
Jeanne Wong shares a vision for intergenerational community.
On this special Sunday, we continued our series on “The Home We’re Building Together” by considering what it means that the spiritual home Haven is building is for kids and youth, too. Jeanne Wong shared a brief message, sharing what this might look like as Haven grows, before we welcomed the kids back into the space for a gathering that brought us all together through a Godly Play story and other interactive activities.
Hear Jeanne’s teaching below or read her notes here.
As we continue our Fall Series, “The Home We’re Building Together”, Leah shares about what Peter had to say about building a spiritual home, and considers how that might apply to us. How might the ways each of us has been shaped in our life be a part of what God is doing in the building of Haven?
Check out Leah’s notes here or listen to the teaching below.
Those gathered at the Installation of Ordination Ceremony at our 2019 Haven Retreat.
The week after Haven’s retreat, which ended with the Haven community celebrating an Installation of Ordination service, Leah shares her reflections on what took place at the retreat, and where they as a community are at, five years from when the Martens arrived in Berkeley to begin the project that would become Haven. This “pastoral letter” is the second teaching in our series, “The Home We’re Building Together.”
Listen to Leah share her teaching below or read Leah’s notes and the text of the letter here.
Haven at Oakland Pride, September 8, 2019
QT Haven Member and Pride Sunday Panelist Melani Tiongson Sharing Announcements on Pride Sunday, September 15, 2019
A week after we marched through the streets of downtown Oakland for Oakland Pride, the Queer-Trans Haven Group (QT Haven) brought the spirit of Pride back to our worship space, kicking off our new fall series, “The Home We’re Building Together”. At this special service, QT Haven led a packed Haven house in our first Pride Service, vulnerably sharing stories from within our community of wounding and resilience, and inviting all of us into an open conversation around what finding and creating spiritual "home" really means. For those of you who missed it, we include here recordings of two of the featured elements of the morning: both the thoughtful and authentic panel discussion, as well as the original poem that was shared (written by Phoebe Au-Yeung and inspired by the QT Haven group). The poem begins near minute 30. You can also read the text for the poem below.
“To Haven
We bring our stories.
We were pushed away but we held on.We know depth—
Because we were thrown down wells
And had to claw our way up
and out
Into the sun.We are warriors—
Who fought for our faith and won it
Because we didn’t get to walk away from ourselves,
We didn’t get to take a break from our lives, from theWhen are you bringing home a boyfriend?
Are you a boy or a girl?
How do you know you’re not straight if you haven’t tried it?
Isn’t it just a phase?
I want you to know I’m praying for you,
How is your walk with God?
We love you but we don’t agree with your lifestyle,
It’s not a sin to be gay—just to act on it.
Love the sinner, hate the sin,
You made a choice,
Just don’t tell your grandparents,
You can’t bring your boyfriend,
We prayed about it and decided not to come to your wedding,
You don’t have to flaunt it in our face,
What’s your real name?
These pronouns are just too confusing,
What are you doing in this bathroom?
Are you saying God made a mistake?
Adam and Eve,
The Bible is clear,
Have you asked Jesus to change you?
You just haven’t prayed hard enough.In the span of a life, it doesn’t take long
For a house to go from home to an empty shell.
Once you board it up and put chains on the doors,
It becomes a condemned building.We stayed as long as we could,
Some longer than was good.When they wrote us out of the story,
We created new narratives.We had to—
There was living water inside of us
And water needs to flow,
needs someplace to go,
thirst to quench,
gardens to revive.When the foundations of the church crashed down on us,
We grew roots and bloomed from the rubble and ash.The light shining through the stained glass turned us into a rainbow,
making the colors of the Kindom visible.We couldn’t deny God in our queer lives.
Christ was not lost in our freedom.
We present ourselves to you as part of your body
and not as tokens, symbols, or burdens.Here are our hands.
They are your hands.Look at our faces.
They are your faces in the mirror, asking,
Are we safe with you?
Will you celebrate us?We are children of God
And Haven is our home.”
— by Phoebe Au-Yeung
King Josiah responding to the idolatry in his nation.
Over the last several weeks, we've been on a journey of exploring the way our culture idolizes certain points of view, or human constructs. In this final teaching in the series, Leah returns to the Hebrew Bible to consider how King Josiah responded when he recognized that his culture had grieved the heart of God through its idolatry. This teaching led into a time of creative response in which each participant was invited to creatively express one of the idols that they have participated in.
If you missed this Sunday and would still like to participate in this exercise, consider printing and artistically interacting with any of these images below that you find provocative, or draw your own, and write a sentence or two about how you have directly participated in that idol. Following that exercise, be thinking and praying about how you might embody something different to turn from the idol in the future. If you are coming to the Haven Retreat, bring your "idol" with you and we will symbolically destroy them together.
Review Leah's notes here or listen to the teaching below.
Idol images: Androcentrism 1 and 2, Heteronormativity 1 and 2, Whiteness 1 and 2, Evangelicalism 1 and 2, Nationalism 1 and 2, and Capitalism 1 and 2.
Is Jesus a capitalist? How well does his economic vision match the economic vision of capitalism? And if they don’t align, what might any of us do about it? These are some of the questions Leah explores with the final “idol” of this teaching series.
Listen to the teaching below or read Leah’s notes here.
Image Credit: AK Rockefeller
How are followers of Jesus supposed to think about our relationship to the state? What is its connection to the life of faith? Particularly for us in the United States, a nation that has often drawn on Judeo-Christian imagery in its civic life, but also codified some separation between church and state, the question can feel murky. So what do we know about how Jesus thought about our commitment to our country? These are some of the questions Leah explores in this next teaching in the “Smashing Idols” series.
Listen to Leah’s teaching below or review her notes here.
Throughout this series, we've been considering the way that we create idols today: not through carvings and statues, but through human constructs, or ways of viewing the world. If this can be true for constructs such as androcentrism, heteronormativity, and whiteness, then it also can be true for our faith frameworks, as well. In this deeply personal teaching, Leah considers the framework her faith was formed in, evangelicalism, doing the hard work of looking at both the beautiful and ugly parts of her faith-family-of-origin's history. In doing so, she considers questions all of us, from any background, may find relevant: What happens when we find ourselves at odds with the folks we have known as family? How do we follow Jesus in that place?
Look at Leah's notes here or listen to the teaching below.
One of the images from Leah's youth that she shares at the beginning of the teaching (that’s Leah in the wedding dress). Picture from “Into the Woods”, San Diego Junior Theatre, circa 1993.
What does it mean to be white? What does it mean that white people have such a hard time engaging conversations about race? And how can we, as a faith community, create safe spaces for a diverse group of people, if we aren't willing to acknowledge the ways that our socialization into Whiteness distorts the way all of us see reality, see one another, and see God? These are the tough questions Leah engages personally and invites Haven into collectively as we consider the "Idol of Whiteness".
Listen to the teaching below or read Leah's notes here.
In this teaching, Leah examines human sexuality and the distinct categories that it includes: biological sex, gender, and sexual orientation. She begins by exploring the lens cultures, as well as faith communities, have often viewed these aspects of sexuality through: heteronormativity. Do these traditional ways of viewing sexuality in the church and the broader culture match the complexity of these topics? If not, how might our faith actually inform a change in perspective?
Listen to the teaching below or read Leah's notes here.
While presumably most folks attending a church pastored by a woman are not interested in upholding patriarchy (the oppression of women as a group), are we aware of what lies behind this ancient system of oppression? In this teaching, Leah explores how the way our cultures have historically thought about masculine and feminine, feeds patriarchy and shapes our understanding of many facets of reality, including God.
Listen to the teaching below or download the notes here.
Leah kicks off our new late spring and summer series by considering how the way we view the world, and privilege certain points of view over others, might keep us from experience authentic connection with God. In this introductory teaching, she explores how our frames and lenses for viewing the world may be understood as "idols", and what we might learn about the insidious power of idolatry by looking back at our ancient ancestors of faith.
You can listen to the the teaching below, or review her notes here. Want to take the learning further? Check out the post on our “Beyond Sunday” blog for additional reflection.
In this final teaching from the Vulnerable Together series, Leah considers the resurrection story through the lens of vulnerability. What happens to Jesus’ human vulnerability after he is raised from the dead? How do we encounter the Easter story when we are still suffering?
Listen to Leah’s teaching below or read her notes here.
How do we show and experience love in the midst of pain? How does God show love to us? In this passage Leah looks at a passage that shows Jesus communicating care to two women in a painful situation: the death of their brother, Lazarus. Also, beginning at minute 39, our own Ginny Prince shares her vulnerability story.
Review Leah’s notes here or listen to the teaching below.
Public domain.
In this teaching, Leah explores questions about healing, sharing a framework that defines healing as broader then cure. She asks questions around how this understanding might help the church do better when ministering to persons with illness or disability, and looks at the story of Jesus healing a person with leprosy. Also, our own Connie Barker shares her vulnerability story about the intersection of being queer, female, and living with a disability. (If you just want to hear Connie's story, listen beginning at minute 35.)
Listen to the teaching below or review Leah’s notes here.
PC: Bill Dickinson. Learn more here.
On this Sunday before the official beginning of Lent, Leah introduces us to the theme. Haven will be inviting folks to consider throughout the Lenten season: the vulnerability of being human. What if the most true thing we can say about the human condition is that it’s vulnerable? What might that tell us about the significance of God’s choice to reveal God’s self by becoming a vulnerable human? How might reflecting on the vulnerability of Jesus shape our Lenten journey? Leah considers these questions and more as she looks at the story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness.
Listen to the teaching below or read Leah’s notes here.
Image Credit to Alan O’Rourke for this image.
In this third and final teaching from our series, “Hearing Through Noise”, Leah examines the role that outside influences play over how we think and what we might be able to hear from Jesus. In addition to insights from Jesus*, Leah looks again at how the work of 20th Century Philosopher/Anthropologist/Literary Scholar Rene Girard might help us think through these questions.
*Please note that Jesus’ critiques mentioned here of some specific 1st century Jewish leaders should not be understood as critiques of all Jewish leaders or Jewish people, either in ancient or contemporary contexts. Rather, these critiques apply to leaders in any group context, including Christian, who would use their influence in rivalrous ways.
Listen to the teaching below, or check out Leah’s notes here.
When trying to sort through what we might actually be hearing from God, a classic quandary is the question “Is that God or is that me?”. As Leah points out in this second teaching on discernment, a first step in answering that question has to do with understanding ourselves better, so we are more aware of what our own voice actually sounds like. This teaching includes a look at Jesus’ journey growing in self-awareness. It also considers what tidying (via Maria Kondo) and the Enneagram typology (via Richard Rohr and Christopher Heuertz) might teach us about ourselves.
To learn more about the Enneagram, check out the following resources:
Books -
The Road Back To You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stable
The Sacred Enneagram by Christopher Heuertz
The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective by Richard Rohr and Andreas Ebert
Podcasts -
The Liturgists “Enneagram” Episode (Episode 37)
The Road Back to you Podcast
Listen to the teaching below or review Leah’s notes here.
In this message, Leah starts our first teaching series of the year exploring the theme of discernment. “Hearing Through Noise” will explore how we make space to tune into the voice of the Divine, even when life has a lot of noisy things screaming for our attention. This first teaching in the series starts by exploring what Leah thinks has to be foundational - committing to carving out time for stillness. Includes insights from Henry Nouwen, Pico Iyer, Blaise Pascal, Mary Oliver, and Jesus.
Listen to the teaching below, or review Leah’s notes here.
In this first teaching of Advent 2018, Leah considers the traditional lectionary text for this Sunday from Luke 21, in which Jesus gets apocalyptic. But that might not mean what you think.
Listen to Leah’s teaching below or read the notes here.
In this fifth and final teaching in our “Reconstructing Faith” series, Leah considers the benefits and challenges to navigating faith with others in spiritual community. Kim D. also shares some of her story regarding deconstructing and reconstructing faith alongside others, beginning at minute 5:30.
Listen to the teaching below or check out Leah’s notes here.
In this “Reconstructing Faith” teaching, Leah tackles the topic of musical worship, considering what role it might play in a community like Haven that sees to be safe, diverse, and Jesus-centered. Alisa Winkie also shares her story of deconstructing and reconstructing musical worship and worship leading in her journey of faith (beginning around minute 6:30).
Review Leah’s notes here or listen to the teaching below.
Photo credit: Coen Peppelenbos found here
A critical piece for many of us in regards to Jesus-centered faith seems to do with how we think about the Bible. In this teaching, Matt Silas shares some of his journey of deconstruction around the Bible (beginning around 7 minutes in), and Leah opens up a conversation around some of the ways we might think about reconstructing a healthy relationship with this set of texts the Christian faith calls sacred.
Review Leah’s notes here or listen to the teaching below.
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photocredit: johnfinn564 http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnfinn64/3278505071/
In this teaching, Leah tackles deconstructing and reconstructing our understanding of the Identity of God, and Izek Champ share’s his own story on topic. (For Izek’s story, listen at 9 minutes.)
Listen to the teaching below or review Leah’s notes here.
In this teaching, Leah kicked off a new teaching series, called “Reconstructing Faith”, exploring the journey of deconstructing and rebuilding our spiritual frameworks and practices. Here she explores where the journey often starts, and looks at a character who appeared in the life of Jesus that seemed to walk a similar path.
Listen to the teaching below or check out Leah’s notes here.
Ancient Egyptian Art that May be Relevant to the Exodus Story
In this final Origin Stories teaching, Leah explores the Exodus story, looking at what it spoke to Ancient Israel and how that might inform what it might speak to us.
Look over Leah’s notes here or listen to the the teaching below.
The late Rene Girard.
In this teaching, Leah considers the story of Joseph from Genesis, and what it tells us about envy, rivalry, and how God might consider those things, with the help of the late anthropologist/philosopher/literary critic Rene Girard.
Look at Leah’s notes or download the teaching below. (Please forgive the first two minutes of sub-par audio quality. It does improve.)
In this teaching, Leah explores a story from the life of Abraham; one that centers Hagar, a woman caught up in the story of the Ancient Patriarch. In doing so, Leah considers what the inclusion of Hagar's story in Genesis might tell us about God's heart and the importance of our own stories in the community of faith we're building.
Listen to the teaching below or check out Leah's notes here.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Language_topic_image_Breugel%27s_Tower_of_Babel.jpg
On this special week, guest speaker Rabbi Dorothy Richman opened up the story of the Tower of Babel, challenging the traditional Christian interpretation through a look at Jewish perspectives on the story.
Listen to the teaching below or review Dorothy's notes here.
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Michelangelo's Creation of Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
In this teaching, Leah begins a new series re-examining the stories at the beginning of the Bible and what kind of questions we should actually be asking of them. She begins the series by looking at the first two chapters of Genesis and the Creation Tales they tell.
Listen to the teaching below or look over Leah's notes here.
In this last teaching in the series "It's Complicated", Leah considers how we go about building Jesus-centered community that's both safe and diverse.
Listen to the teaching below or review Leah's notes here.
On this Pentecost Sunday, Leah continues her series on complexities of Jesus-centered faith, "It's Complicated", considering the complicated nature of the Holy Spirit and what it's meant to lead us into.
Listen to the teaching below or check out Leah's notes here.
Why did Dr. King and Mother Teresa have such different experiences of hearing from God? Why are some people reportedly healed when prayed for, while others aren't? If God is still active in the world, why are thing so broken and unjust? These are some of the questions Leah wrestles with theologically in this week's teaching from the series, "It's Complicated".
Listen to the teaching below or review Leah's notes here.
In this second teaching in the "It's Complicated" series, Leah reflects on navigating both the opportunities and challenges involved with human systems, and what Jesus might say about all of it.
Listen to the teaching below or review Leah's notes here.
There’s a phrase that’s become a go-to in media and social media, when recognizing that not all questions can be answered in a concise way. “It’s complicated”. In this new series, Leah will be exploring some of the complexities of the life and faith, and consider how leaning into the paradoxes and tensions can actually bring freedom and greater insight in the journey. In this first teaching, she explores the complexity at the heart of the Easter story: the complexity of resurrection.
Listen to the teaching below or review Leah's notes here.
What is fidelity? It’s kind of a word that’s fallen out of fashion these days, but the dictionary definition says it means something like “faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support”. Often to contemporary ears, that means talking about marriage or long-term partnered relationships, but in this teaching, Leah considers how fidelity can impact all of our significant relationships and what Jesus, who was never married, might have to say about it.
Listen to the teaching below or read Leah's notes here.
In this teaching, Leah continues the Character Matters teaching series exploring how we balance concerns for caring for our own needs, with caring for the needs of others. How should we think about generosity and altruism? When does it cross the line into foolishness? What might Jesus have to say about these questions?
Listen to Leah's teaching below or read her notes here.
We’re living in a moment where misinformation is all around us; where it feels increasingly difficult to nail down what’s true, what’s false, what’s real, what’s not. Maybe we feel like giving up on trying to know the truth altogether. Believe it or not, the temptation to misrepresent information has been with us a long time, and Jesus had some things to say about it.
In this second teaching in our Lenten series, Character Matters, Leah considers the impact of dishonesty, and how Jesus' perspective on it might help us in our present moment.
Listen to the teaching below or review Leah's notes here.
Do broader public conversations leave you wondering if matters of personal character or integrity have any value any more? Over the next four Sunday services, taking us through the season of Lent, we'll explore the relevance of character development in our contemporary world, and how Jesus might helps us to navigate the cultural confusion in a way that brings life, freedom, and joy.
In this first teaching in the series, Leah tackles the question of how conversations around personal character might be relevant, and why character seemed to matter to Jesus. Oh, and we talk about Mr. Rogers.
Listen to the teaching below or review Leah's notes here.
On the first Sunday of the year, Leah shared the invitation she is sensing form God to consider this a year of "re-form"ing, both in terms of our own identities as human beings, citizens, and people of faith, as well as a "re-form"ing of our community at Haven. She shared a picture of the Haven community as a grove of trees, some of which look mismatched, but which are being carefully chosen and tended to by God, as they grow into an organized system, whose roots are intertwined, and which nourish one another as they grow.
In this two week series, Leah will be considering how even in an age where many suffer spiritual PTSD, and fear the abuses of religious institutions, there is still a profound power in gathering regularly with fellow spiritual sojourners. Please join us as we consider the importance of belonging in Sacred Community, and how we can experience more of it at Haven.
Listen to the teaching below or review Leah's notes here.
Aert de Gelder [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Leah begins 2018 by reflecting on the Traditional Celebration of Epiphany, a celebration that many Jesus-followers in the United States have long forgotten. What might be gained by considering the "appearance" or "manifestation" of Divinity in Jesus afresh, through the stories many Christians in the past around the world have found fruitful to reflect on this time of year? In this second of two teaching on Epiphany, she focuses on the Epiphany story reflected on in the Eastern church, the Baptism of Jesus.
Listen to the teaching below or review Leah's notes here.
James Tissot: The Magi Journeying (c. 1890), Brooklyn Museum, New York City
Leah begins 2018 by reflecting on the Traditional Celebration of Epiphany, a celebration that many Jesus-followers in the United States have long forgotten. What might be gained by considering the "appearance" or "manifestation" of Divinity in Jesus afresh, through the stories many Christians in the past around the world have found fruitful to reflect on this time of year? In this first of two teaching on Epiphany, she focuses on the Epiphany story reflected on in the Western church, the Arrival of the Magi.
Listen to the teaching below or review Leah's notes here.
Advent is Latin for "coming" and has traditionally been understood by the church as a time to prepare our hearts, spirits, and minds for the remembrance of Jesus' first coming at Christmas, as well as the coming we look ahead to. This year, Leah will be asking what it means in this present moment, the Bay Area in late 2017, to experience God's "coming" in practical terms, along with the gifts that coming brings.
This third Sunday of Advent, Leah considers the traditional gift reflected in the first Sunday of Advent: the gift of Joy. What did "joy" mean to the writers of the Bible? What was it connected to? How was it expressed? And how might Jesus' coming connect with this concept and joy and give us an invitation to connection, particularly in a world marked by loneliness.
Review Leah's notes here or listen to the teaching below.