Baptist Church of West Chester: Recent Episodes
Baptist Church of West Chester
Sermons from the Baptist Church of West Chester in West Chester, Pennsylvania. BCWC is afiliated with American Baptist Churches, USA. Evan Duncan is the Senior Pastor, but you will hear from other voices as well in this feed.
What if God’s vision for the world isn’t simply salvation from something, but restoration and repair of all things?In Leviticus 25, we encounter the ancient practice of Jubilee: a radical rhythm of Sabbath, debt forgiveness, freedom, restoration, and care for the land. Every fifty years, God’s people were called to reset: to release debts, restore land, free people, and begin again.Jubilee reveals something about the character of God: restoration and repair is God’s desire for all creation.That vision echoes through the prophets and into the ministry of Jesus. In Luke 4, Jesus announces that the “year of the Lord’s favor” has arrived. Jubilee is no longer simply an ancient practice; it becomes part of the mission of Jesus and, therefore, the calling of the church.So where do we need restoration? Where are our communities exhausted, indebted, excluded, or broken? And how might we become people who participate in God’s work of repair?As Jubilee people—as Jesus people, creatures and co-creators—what kind of world are we helping to create?
What do we do when the waters rise and God seems asleep?In Luke 8, the disciples find themselves caught in a storm, terrified and convinced they are perishing. Jesus calms the wind and waves, but then asks them a question: “Where is your faith?”Paired with Psalm 65, this story invites us to consider the chaos we face in our own lives, our communities, our nations, and our world. The God who calms the roaring seas is also the God who sends rain, nurtures the earth, and turns water from a symbol of chaos into a source of abundance and life.Perhaps faith looks like we remembering where to place our trust, making space for breathless silence and wonder, and becoming co-creators of the abundant world God desires.As we remember the waters of baptism, we are reminded that the waters that can frighten us can also become waters of new life.
In this opening sermon of our new series, Creature and Co-Creator, we explore the creation poem of Genesis 1 as a declaration of God's character. Rather than a story of violence or chaos, Genesis introduces us to a Creator who delights in beauty, makes space for life to flourish, and invites humanity to join in the ongoing work of creation.From Bob Ross to Babylon, this message reminds us that we are both creatures who need Sabbath and co-creators called to cultivate a more hospitable world.
What happens when the place you expected to find relief becomes a place of disappointment?In this message, Pastoral Resident Alicia Teet-Jeter explores how God meets us in seasons of uncertainty, transforms our bitterness into deeper trust, and reveals Godself as the Lord who heals.
How do we live as faithful wheat in a weedy world?God is the gardener. Our calling isn't to root out every weed but to become faithful wheat ourselves.Pastor Evan reflects on Jesus' parable of the wheat and the weeds.
In this message, we explore Galatians 5:13–15 alongside the complicated story of America's pursuit of liberty, asking how truthful memory, honest reflection, and Christ-shaped love can guide the way we use the freedom we've inherited.Freedom without love consumes. Freedom with love transforms.We discover Paul's declaration, not of independence, but of interdependence.
What does God require of us?In this message from Micah 6:6–8, we explore the call to "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God" alongside the powerful true story told in "Just Mercy." Drawing on the work of Bryan Stevenson and the Gospel's vision of justice, mercy, and restoration, we are challenged to consider how we treat the people society fears, forgets, and condemns.
In this week’s Sacred and the Screen, we explore Psalm 8 alongside Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life. Beneath a sky full of stars, the psalmist wonders why the God who made the cosmos would care about us at all. The film asks a similar question through one family’s experience of beauty, suffering, love, and loss.Together, Psalm 8, Job, Hebrews 2, and the story of Jesus lead us to a simple but profound hope: God is with us, and this is not the end. Even in a world marked by grief, we are invited to walk the way of grace, trusting that resurrection has the final word.
"Start fighting wolves before you know it everyone you don't understand is a wolf."In this week's Sacred and the Screen message, we explore Jesus' encounter with the woman saved from stoning (John 8:2–11) alongside Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man. Both stories challenge our instinct to judge, expose, and fight our enemies. Instead, we are invited into the difficult work of grace, repentance, and restoration.
What keeps us stuck? Fear. Self-doubt. The need to hold on to what feels safe.This week, we continue our Sacred and the Screen series by exploring Jeremiah's call alongside Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Like Miles Morales, Jeremiah doesn't feel ready for what lies ahead. Like Jeremiah, many of us wonder whether we're qualified, capable, or enough.But God's call has never depended on our qualifications. It depends on God's presence.Together we'll explore what God may be calling us to let go of, what needs to be torn down, and what God is inviting us to build and plant in our lives, our church, and our community."You won't know you're ready. It's a leap of faith."
What do we do when God feels absent?In this message from Psalm 42, we explore one of Scripture's most honest prayers alongside Pixar's Inside Out. The psalmist cries out in grief, longing for God's presence while wondering where God has gone. Rather than hiding sadness or pretending everything is fine, Psalm 42 shows us a faith that makes room for lament, questions, and hope.Drawing on themes from Inside Out, we consider the role of sadness in our lives, why we often try to suppress difficult emotions, and what it means to bring our whole selves before God. Along the way, we discover a surprising truth at the heart of the Christian story: the places where God feels absent are often the places God meets us most deeply.Through the witness of the Psalms, the suffering of Christ, and the promise of God's presence, we are reminded that there is nowhere God is not.
On Pentecost Sunday, Pastoral Resident Alicia Teet-Jeter reflected on what it means to be “Empowered by the Spirit to Meet the Moment.”From Acts 2 and Philippians 4, she explored how God meets us in seasons of waiting, fills ordinary people with courage, and offers peace in the middle of uncertainty. The same Spirit that empowered the early church still strengthens us today with joy, gentleness, prayer, and hope for the road ahead.
What if the way forward is down?While people are obsessed with status, success, and self-promotion, Philippians 2 invites us into the upside-down way of Jesus. Christ did not grasp for power or exploit privilege. He emptied himself. He humbled himself. He loved sacrificially.From T-ball dogpiles to Roman honor culture to our modern obsession with influence and winning, we are reminded that the Kingdom of God moves differently.
What does it look like to live with joy when life feels uncertain?In this message from Philippians 1:1–19a, we step into Paul’s letter to a beloved community navigating fear, pressure, and an unknown future while Paul himself writes from prison, facing the possibility of death. And yet, his words overflow with gratitude, love, and joy.This sermon explores Philippians as a kind of field guide for Christian living in hard times. He offers a prayer for a way of following Jesus that loves well, learns what matters, becomes whole and bears fruit.
In Acts 16:11–40, we encounter the surprising beginnings of the church in Philippi. Through Lydia, the enslaved girl, and the jailer, we see that the good news of Jesus meets people exactly where they are and sets them free in profoundly different ways. What begins as a conversation by the river, a disruption in the streets, and a song in the dark becomes something the empire could never have imagined: a new kind of community.
What if the person you’ve written off is the very person God wants to transform?This week, we explore the powerful story of Saul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1–19a). Saul is “breathing threats and murder” against the early church. Yet in a moment, everything changes. Blinded by light, undone by grace, and restored through the courage of an unlikely disciple named Ananias, Saul’s life becomes a testimony to the transforming power of Christ.In this message, we wrestle with these questions:Can God really change that person?Do we have a resurrection-shaped imagination big enough to believe in transformation?Where might God be calling us, like Ananias, to show up with courage and compassion?--Subscribe for more sermons, reflections, and conversations exploring faith, justice, and the way of Jesus.Music by falling forever https://ffm.bio/fallingforever
Rev. Prof. Dr. David P. Gushee is Distinguished UniversityProfessor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, Chair of Christian Social Ethics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Senior Research Fellow, International Baptist Theological Study Centre. He is also the elected past-president of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Christian Ethics. He also serves on the Wisdom Board of the Post Evangelical Collective. Dr. Gushee is the author, co-author, or editor of 30 books, including the bestsellers Kingdom Ethics and Changing Our Mind. His other most notable works are After Evangelicalism, Defending Democracy from its Christian Enemies, Introducing Christian Ethics, and The Sacredness of Human Life. He is widely regarded as one of the world’sleading Christian moral thinkers.In his Sunday message, Dr. Gushee reflected on the rise of Christian support for authoritarianism and how we might respond today faithfully.
The resurrection restores beauty to a world that often feels colorless, broken, or lost. In this sermon, Pastor Evan takes us with Mary Magdalene from the darkness of grief to the moment she encounters the risen Jesus in John 20:1-18.From the garden of Eden to the garden of resurrection, we see that the Gardener is still at work cultivating life, restoring hope, and calling each of us into His story.“I have seen the Lord.” — John 20:18
After Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey (not a warhorse), a group of Greeks ask to see Jesus. Initially, it seems like John forgets all about them as he moves the story forward. Pastor Evan argues that Jesus does respond to the Greeks but sharing how his death and resurrection will lead to the empowerment of his followers to show Jesus to the world.
John 19 shows us what it looks like when we choose control over the freedom Jesus offers.
“What is truth?”In John 18:28–40, Jesus stands before Pilate while the religious leaders and the Roman governor all look at the same man but see completely different things. Their assumptions about power, comfort, and control shape how they interpret what’s right in front of them.In this sermon, we explore how Jesus reveals that truth isn’t merely an argument to win, it’s a life to follow. When we see the world through the light of Christ, it reshapes how we understand power, love, and the kind of community we are called to build.
In this message from John’s Gospel, Pastor Evan describes the powerful contrast between Jesus’ courage and Peter’s denial. As Jesus stands firm before the authorities, Peter, trying his best to stay close, finds himself overwhelmed by fear. Three times he says, “I am not,” and the rooster crows.But the sound of the rooster is not just he mark of failure—it is also the sign that dawn is breaking.This sermon explores how the story of Peter reminds us that our worst moments do not define us. Even when fear wins, even when we fall short of who we hope to be, God’s grace continues to move. The light still breaks into the darkness. The same Peter who denied Jesus is later restored and called to “feed my sheep.”In Christ, failure is not the end of the story. Redemption begins even in the moment the rooster crows.
When we know who we are and where we are going, we can live differently. Insecure people cling to status. Secure people lay it down.Pastor Evan Duncan reflects on Jesus' washing of his disciples feet and how it challenges hierarchies and invites each of us to see how :You may need to lower yourself. You may need to let yourself be lifted up. And we all need to lift each other.
Can we believe that God, acting through Jesus, really has power over the course of life and death? And if so, will he use it for our good?Pastor Evan Duncan asks these questions as he guides us through John chapter 11. In it, we discover that resurrection for Lazarus means execution for Jesus. The Lord who stands at Lazarus’s tomb is the Lord who will stand in his own.And because he traded his life for his friend, death does not have the last word.
The greatest miracle in John 9 is not that a man sees the world. It’s that he sees God.Watch Pastor Evan Duncan's sermon from Sunday, Feb 15 at the Baptist Church of West Chester
Rev. Dr. Brian Ellis-Gibbs, National Coordinator for Healing and Transforming Communities at American Baptist Home Mission Societies, preaches from John 5:1-15
Pastor Evan invites us to explore Nicodemus' journey of belief across the Gospel of John. Are we willing to risk being born from above?
Pastor Evan Duncan looks at John's account of the cleanses of the Temple by Jesus. Why did Jesus get angry? Why did John include this story here? What do we do when we are angry that things aren't the way they should be?
Jesus invites disciples to come and see from a variety of backgrounds. Will you come and see?Pastor Evan Duncan preached this sermon on Jan 4, 2026 at the Baptist Church of West Chester
Religious leaders question John the Baptizer. In his response, we see ways we may discover who we are. Pastor Evan Duncan preached this sermon on Dec. 28, 2025 at the Baptist Church of West Chester
When the angel says, “Nothing is impossible with God,” he’s not offering a blank check for whatever we want.He’s declaring that God will do impossible things as God moves towards what God wants: restoration, reconciliation, and redemption.
How could we know a God big enough to create the cosmos? Only if that God chose to reveal God's self. Pastor Evan shares about the Joy when find when God turns on the lights.
Are we ready? Are you willing to be submerged in the Spirit? What is holding you back?Pastor Evan Duncan looks at Mark 1:1-8 and reflects on how we prepare for the King who came at Christmas and is coming again.
“This passage presents us with two important Christian truths: that this seemingly substantial world is not going to last for ever, and yet the faithfulness of God and of God’s Christ will never come to an end.” - John PolkinghornePastor Evan considers Jesus' apocalyptic words in Mark 13 and how they can provide us with hope in unstable times.
How do we respond to the ruins in our lives and the lives of our neighbors? How do we respond to the ruins in our community and in our nation and in our world? Pastor Evan looks to Nehemiah story and how his burden led him to pray and fast and use his position to meet needs. However, his separatist views hindered his effectiveness. How will we respond to the burdens in the world?
What might we miss if we close ourselves off to the hospitality and community God is inviting us to be and create? Who might we miss? Pastor Evan looks at Ezra's actions against "foreign" wives and children and contrasts it Isaiah 56 and the welcome of Jesus.
What do we do with our source material?Pastor Evan looks at's Zerubbabel's attempted reforms after exile and the disconnection between his separatist position and the way described in Isaiah 56 and through the life and teachings of Christ.
Who are we when things don't go our way? Monica Kumar reflects on 2 Corinthians 3:13-18 and the idea of being thin spaces in the world.
Thanks for listening to the Baptist Church of West Chester podcast. If you have questions, want to connect, or would like to support God’s work in the world through our community, find us at bcwc.org.
Intro and outro music by falling forever https://ffm.bio/fallingforever
Pastor Evan continues to share the practice of a Rule of Life and invites us to consider how we are creating space for our own spiritual growth and the flourishing of our neighbors in our work.
Pastor Evan introduced the concept of a Rule of Life and invites us to consider how we are creating space for our own spiritual growth and the flourishing of our neighbors
"My poetry is jamming your machine …With pictures copied from a world unseen" - Malcom GuitePastor Evan reflects on John's vision of the multi-ethnic celebration at the throne of God and how God’s family is more expansive than we may believe. God’s desired future challenges our assumptions, biases, and limited experiences. The Overview Effect - Revelation 7:9-10 - World Communion Sunday 2025
Pastor Evan concludes this four part deep dive into Romans Chapter 8. In these final verses, Paul assures the church in Rome that God is for us, Christ is with us, and nothing can separate us from God's love. We explore what "us" means, how Paul ties his argument to references of stories from Abraham and Jesus, and what that means for us today.
Pastor Evan explores Paul's argument about the implications of our status as children of God for creation.
Pastor Evan encourages us to ask what we are inheriting and what we are passing on with a look at Romans 8:12-17
Pastor Evan looks at 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 and the vocation of all Christians to be reconciled and be reconcilers.
Pastor Evan reflects on the joy of healthy community and how Paul embodied joy even in prison as he remembered what God had done before, anchored himself in Christ, and looked to the future. After the reflection, Pastor Evan interviews Kyle, Donna and Craig about their stories.
Pastor Evan reflects on the Psalmist strategy for passing on faith: Story! Then, he interviews Josh and Margie from the congregation.
What is ancient love poetry doing in the Bible? Can it have anything to say to us today? Pastor Evan explores how Song of Songs helps us see how creation and our bodies our good, how love has costs, and that committed love, romantically, in community, and with Christ, is worth pursuing.
Guest Rev. Dr. Meg Biddle looks at Luke 15:1-6 with fresh eyes and challenges us to create and foster communities of love and inclusion.
Pastor Evan explores the questions of the teacher of Ecclesiastes, his assertion that all is breath, and how Jesus helps us find meaning in life when it is so short and unpredictable.
Pastor Evan explores how Proverbs speaks to us today and how we discover and apply wisdom today.
Rev. Dr. Richelle Foreman Gunter, Associate Pastor of St. Paul's Baptist Church in West Chester, preaches from Romans 8:31 and reflects on the God who still holds the world!Intro and Outro music by music by falling forever' https://ffm.bio/fallingforever
Pastor Evan shares from Ephesians 4:31-5:2 and reflects on God's Plan for Us after a great week of Kids' Camp.
Pastor Evan Duncan looks to Psalm 42 & 43 to help us navigate and reflect upon times when God feels distant.
Pastor Evan Duncan explores the early church metaphor for the trinity as a dance (Perichoresis)
Rev. Dr. Marsha Brown Woodard encourages us to go beyond the instructions towards the assignment God has given us. Thanks for listening to the Baptist Church of West Chester podcast. If you have questions, want to connect, or would like to support God’s work in the world through our community, find us at bcwc.org. Intro and outro music by falling forever https://ffm.bio/fallingforever
Pastor Evan looks at two of Jesus' parables in Luke 15 - the lost sheep and the lost coin. Thanks for listening to the Baptist Church of West Chester podcast. If you have questions, want to connect, or would like to support God’s work in the world through our community, find us at bcwc.org. Intro and outro music by falling forever https://ffm.bio/fallingforever
Pastor Evan Duncan explores the story of Jesus healing a women who is bent over by illness on the Sabbath and the two short parables that follow.
“Who can listen to a story of loneliness and despair without taking the risk of experiencing similar pains in his own heart and even losing his precious peace of mind? In short: Who can take away suffering without entering it?" - Henri NouwenPastor Evan reflects on John's account of Jesus revealing to the hiding disciples and showing them his wounds.
Pastor Evan reflects on Luke's account of the resurrection and why Jesus' defeat of the grave changes the world and our lives. music by falling forever https://ffm.bio/fallingforever
"Palm Sunday reminds us that Jesus rides straight into the heart of both praise and pain. He does not turn away from grief or loss but carries it all—yours, mine, the world's—on his road to the cross. And through him, death does not have the final word."Pastor Evan explores God's response to Job, Job's response to God, and how we see the God that Job saw when Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
There are things you don't know. God responds to Job in Job 38 and 39. Pastor Evan explores what Job 38:1-11 tells us about God and meaning in the world. This Lenten season we will be journeying through the book of Job. Job challenges the assumption that if you are good enough, God will bless you, and if tragedy strikes, you must deserve it. Job shows us that this is not true.Intro and outro music by falling forever https://ffm.bio/fallingforever
Where is wisdom? Is there meaning in the world? Where can we find understanding? Pastor Evan Duncan looks to 28 to see how Job wrestles with humanity's search for wisdom. This Lenten season we will be journeying through the book of Job. Job challenges the assumption that if you are good enough, God will bless you, and if tragedy strikes, you must deserve it. Job shows us that this is not true.
What do we do when things aren't the way they should be? Pastor Evan argues alongside the book of Job that we must tell the truth, protest, and look to Jesus. This Lenten season we will be journeying through the book of Job. Job challenges the assumption that if you are good enough, God will bless you, and if tragedy strikes, you must deserve it. Job shows us that this is not true.
Expressing our frustrations doesn't mean our faith is weak. It shows it is strong. When we pray out of our deepest emotions and disappointments, we confess that we believe that there is a God who can do something about them. This Lenten season we will be journeying through the book of Job. Job challenges the assumption that if you are good enough, God will bless you, and if tragedy strikes, you must deserve it. Job shows us that this is not true. Pastor Evan continues a Lenten series on the book of Job from Job 2:11-4:17.
Is it possible to do an unselfish good deed? That’s just one of many questions running underneath the book we’ll be studying during the season of Lent. Lent is the 40 days, not counting Sundays, that lead us to Easter Sunday. It’s traditionally a time of spiritual preparation - to make space for God to do something new among us. This Lenten season we will be journeying through the book of Job. Job challenges the assumption that if you are good enough, God will bless you, and if tragedy strikes, you must deserve it. Job shows us that this is not true. Good and bad happens to just and unjust people alike. Following God is not about trying to avoid bad things, but about knowing the one who is the source of all goodness, beauty and truth. Pastor Evan begins a Lenten series on the book of Job from Job 1:1-2:10.Intro and outro music by falling forever https://ffm.bio/fallingforever
Rev. Cupp is a graduate of Yale Divinity School (Master of Divinity), and the University of Pennsylvania (Master of Bioethics). She’s the author of This is How We Play and Dateable (https://carolinecupp.com/books/).
The book she said most impacted her is East of Eden (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/354458/east-of-eden-by-john-steinbeck-introduction-by-david-wyatt/)
Intro and outro music by falling forever https://ffm.bio/fallingforever
As we follow our perfecter of faith, we join in a mosaic that displays the Christ we serve.
Pastor Evan considers the word picture of Jesus as both sacrificer and sacrifice and what that means for us today.
Pastor Evan explores the preacher of Hebrews encouragement to approach the throne of grace with boldness.
God speaks through presence, reflection and action. Pastor Evan begins a series on the book of Hebrews starting with Hebrews 1:1-4.
Monica Kumar shares from Isaiah 43 & Psalm 87 about names, belonging, and the I AM who calls us.
"God cares less about how you do worship and much more about what worship does to you."
Pastor Evan compares the vision and prayer for an ideal king in Psalm 72 with Herod and Christ in the Gospel of Matthew.
Pastor Evan reflects on Luke's account of the young Jesus staying behind at the Temple.
Pastor Evan explores Luke 1:39-45, 54-55, and Micah 5:2-4. Through it, we see that love remembers, love stoops towards us, and love uncoils us to love others.
On the third Sunday of Advent, focusing on Joy, pastor Evan examines the roots of Jubilee and how that impacts Mary's song in Luke 1 and Jesus' own preaching in Luke 4.
Pastor Evan explores the second half of Ruth and asks us to consider how we are making space for others.
Pastor Evan asks how God responds to the challenges of a broken world and sees how this response might inspire our own.
Halloween a day when we get it right.Strangers come to us, beautiful, ugly, odd, or scary,and we accept them all without question, compliment them, treat them kindly, and givethem good things.Why don't we live like that?- Steve Garnass-HolmesPastor Evan explores the response of unbiased hospitality that should emerge from our worship of the God who welcomes us.
Pastor Evan Duncan sits down with Rev. Dr. Wayne Croft. Dr. Croft is the Pastor of St. Paul’s Baptist Church in West Chester, PA & The Jeremiah A. Wright, Sr. Associate Professor of Homiletics and Liturgics in African American Studies at United Lutheran Seminary. Pastors Duncan and Croft discuss preaching, ministry, current needs, and the way of Jesus.
According to James Empereur, "The topic of worship is not only timely, it is urgent. There is a widespread sense among Christians in North America that all is not well with the church, that we need a new sense of direction, a new dynamism. In particular, we need something that will capture the imagination and enthusiasm of young adults. The institutional loyalty that many older Christians grew up with is no longer evident among young people. Many of them are walking away from the church, not necessarily because they are hostile to religion, not because they object to the teaching or standards of the church, but because they just don't sense any particular value in participating in the Christian community. They see it as an option for those who want it, but certainly not a necessity for their own lives. There is a growing sense that we need a revitalization of church life, something to convey the excitement that being a Christian involves. What we need is a new understanding of worship."Pastor Evan unpacks how building an authenic communty through the power of Christ provides a needed place of connection to God and each other in our disconnected world.
According to James Empereur, "The topic of worship is not only timely, it is urgent. There is a widespread sense among Christians in North America that all is not well with the church, that we need a new sense of direction, a new dynamism. In particular, we need something that will capture the imagination and enthusiasm of young adults. The institutional loyalty that many older Christians grew up with is no longer evident among young people. Many of them are walking away from the church, not necessarily because they are hostile to religion, not because they object to the teaching or standards of the church, but because they just don't sense any particular value in participating in the Christian community. They see it as an option for those who want it, but certainly not a necessity for their own lives. There is a growing sense that we need a revitalization of church life, something to convey the excitement that being a Christian involves. What we need is a new understanding of worship."Pastor Evan begins a series examining why we worship and inviting us to begin a new understanding of worship that centers on Christ and cultivates excitement and imagination in our contexts.
Jesus’s resurrection meets needs, illuminates scripture, and commissions us out into the world with a message of repentance and forgiveness. Our mission follows the same order.
Paul writes about his own maturity into deeper meaning and deeper care for those outside of himself. In the Christian life we will discover God, seek God, serve God again and again, we will face walls and crises and challenges, but through it all we discover an invitation of life, by the power of the Spirit, that reflects the way of love. This love shows itself in how we live and what we do. This love motivates us towards a more purposeful way of living, as we give ourselves away.Pastor Evan reflects on the Life of Love.
Our faith will face challenges. There will be days when God seems absent or silent. When the ways we practice our faith don’t seem to work. When the stress seems too great. When we numb out everything with business or distraction so we don’t have to deal with the things that scare us. What do we do when we face what some call the wall?Pastor Evan explores the stories of Jairus and the woman bleeding in Mark 5.
In this installment of Digging In, we talk to Dr. Christopher Wells about worship, music, physics, science, faith, philosophy and more.
Rev. Abner Cotto-Bonilla, National Coordinator for Latino/a Ministries for the American Baptist Home Mission Society shares about the life of discipleship.
"What is your plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" - Mary OliverPastor Evan begins a series on our stages or phases of faith as we follow Jesus. We begin with Encounter from Acts 9:9-19.
Pastor Evan Duncan explores Psalm 145 and how this prayer functions as the rudiments of praise as it extols God character and actions. How do we praise?Acknowledge God's Greatness & GoodnessBring to mind(s) what God has doneCelebrate God’s Kingdom.
Monica shares about her upcoming sabbatical from teaching and how the scriptures invites us into rhythms of labor and rest.
Malachi ends on a cliffhanger about the Day of the Lord. How can we understand the Day and prepare for it? How might the work of Korean-American theologian Grace Ji-Sun Kim help us think through applying Malachi's vision in our world today?
Zechariah uses this phrase "prisoners of hope" for an audience who knows what it is to be a prisoner. The people of Jerusalem are a people whose story is tied up in slavery in Egypt, exile in Babylon, and even returning under the rule of a foreign empire. Zechariah inspires them to imagine how they might, instead of being imprisoned by others; by fear; or by greed, find themselves captured by the Hope of God. Pastor Evan puts Zechariah into conversation with Civil Rights leader and son of West Chester, Bayard Rustin.
"Don't call me a saint, I don't want to be dismissed that easily." - Dorothy DayPastor Evan Duncan looks at Haggai and the prophet's call to the leaders of the day to rebuild the Temple after exile. What might we learn from this call today? How might founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, Dorothy Day, help us interrogate our own faith?
Creation may seem to be unraveling, but God desires to refine us, so that all creation might be united in love. It is good when things enter the light of GodPastor Evan explores Zephaniah and the images of both God's frustration and desire to be with humanity. Pastor Evan looks at writer and author Kaitlin Curtice to help us imagine some of Zephaniah's message applied to our modern world.
Pastor Katelyn puts the prophet Micah in dialogue with American Baptist pastor and theologian Walter Rauschenbusch.
Can God redeem them? Me? Pastor Evan Duncan puts Jonah in conversation with Rachel Held Evans.
Serving the God who stands with means we can't stand by. Pastor Evan puts Obadiah and priest Gustavo Gutiérrez in conversation.
Gathered worship and acts of justice and righteousness are both vital ways we orient ourselves to the character and mission of God. Pastor Evan puts Amos and activist and community leader Shane Claiborne in conversation about our call to care for our neighbors.
What do we do when we find ourselves in disaster? Pastor Evan Duncan invites us to look to the book of Joel and the life of Desmond Tutu as we think about a way forward in the midst of difficult days.
“We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers” - Bayard Rustin In this summer series, we will look at each of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible and illustrate the message of each prophet with the life of a modern saint. These saints exemplify the spirit that characterized each prophet and helps us remember that God is still speaking and working through God’s people.This week, Pastor Evan Duncan looks at the prophet Hosea and the mother of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale.
God is not imprisoned by his majesty - Karl BarthPastor Evan reflects on Psalm 29, the trinity, and the surprising ending of the Psalm that points to the character of our powerful AND good God.
Pastor Evan continues a series on 1 John reflecting on our call to love with word AND actions.
Hannah Brown invites us to think about the ways our actions reflect the new family of God we've been become through Christ.
Have you ever played two truths and a lie?Pastor Evan begins a series on 1 John reflecting on the truths that God is light that God invites us to community with God and each other. Like John's audience, we also face lies that undermine how we see God and God's character.
Faith, when it comes down to it, is our often breathless attempt to keep up with the redemptive activity of God, to keep asking ourselves, "What is God doing, where on earth is God going now?"" - Willie James JenningsPastor Evan invites us to be surprised again by the implications of the resurrection in this Easter Sunday sermon.
Daniel and Nancy Nicewonger, authors of Caring Conversations, discuss navigating Dan's cancer diagnosis and treatment the vital conversations they have had and are having in the midst of disruption, and how we can love our loved ones by having caring conversations. Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Caring-Conversations-Uncomfortable-Essential-Disruptions/dp/B0C1JD7BJY
According to Barna research, 94% of Americans say they have prayed at least once in the last three months. Why do we pray? How do we pray? What do we hope comes from our prayers? What did Jesus have to say about prayer? Pastor Evan Duncan invites us to the practice of contemplative prayer and reflects on 2 Corinthians 3:18. He notices the elements of contemplation and adoration that happen on Palm Sunday.
According to Barna research, 94% of Americans say they have prayed at least once in the last three months. Why do we pray? How do we pray? What do we hope comes from our prayers? What did Jesus have to say about prayer? Pastor Evan Duncan invites us to reflect on Jesus' encounter with Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42 and how we can better position ourselves to listen to God.
Rev. Dr. Brian Henderson, Executive Director of the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB) shares about his organization and the value or persistence in prayer. You can learn more about AWAB at https://awab.org/
According to Barna research, 94% of Americans say they have prayed at least once in the last three months. Why do we pray? How do we pray? What do we hope comes from our prayers? What did Jesus have to say about prayer? Pastor Evan Duncan invites us to reflect on Jesus' teaching on prayer and how to incorporate a framework of prayer that helps us bring our full selves before God.
Kristi Young, life coach, author, speaker, & Coordinator for AB Girls of American Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware joins the Baptist Church of West Chester and Pastor Evan Duncan to discuss faith, change, and the future of the Church.
According to Barna research, 94% of Americans say they have prayed at least once in the last three months. Why do we pray? How do we pray? What do we hope comes from our prayers? What did Jesus have to say about prayer? Pastor Evan Duncan invites us to reflect on the Lord's Prayer and how to incorporate the prayers of the church and Jesus into our lives.
Rev. Michael Coles shares from Colossians 3:11 and Mark 12:29-31 as we celebrate Black History month and reflect on our stories together as the family of Christ.
Pastor Evan considers Mark's account of the transfiguration and if this text is particularly helpful in times when God feels distant.
How does Jesus respond to a lonely people? Pastor Evan invites us to learn from the healing of a man with a skin disease in Mark 1:40-45.
Pastor Evan looks at Jesus' healing of Simon's mother-in-law and his commitment to his purpose.
Works mentioned: Transitions - William Bridges https://www.amazon.com/Transitions-Making-Changes-Revised-Anniversary/dp/073820904X/ref=sr_1_5?hvadid=580635330909&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1025392&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12226604359790905801&hvtargid=kwd-1134048722&hydadcr=22567_13493270&keywords=transitions+william+bridges&qid=1706279624&sr=8-5 Falling Upward - Richard Rohr https://www.amazon.com/Falling-Upward-Revised-Updated-Spirituality/dp/1394185693/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GXEZKOMZ7A0Z&keywords=falling+upward+by+richard+rohr&qid=1706279657&sprefix=Falling+Upward%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-1 Field Notes - Sarah Bessey https://www.amazon.com/Field-Notes-Wilderness-Practices-Evolving/dp/0593593677/ref=monarch_sidesheet
Pastor Evan Duncan looks at Jesus' call to four fishermen in their boats. You are in the middle of what you are becoming. Follow Jesus and see who you become.
Pastor Evan looks at the first chapter of Mark and John the Baptist's introduction to Jesus and Jesus' Baptism.
Pastor Evan looks at Galatians 4:4-7 and how it helps us set our lives toward Jesus as we start a new year together.
How do we proclaim peace in a world of unrest? Pastor Evan Duncan looks at Isaiah's vision of a King in Isaiah 9:2-7 and how Jesus fulfills this vision. Each week for Advent, we'll look at the names of the Messiah seen in Isaiah 9:6. This week, we examine "Prince of Peace."
What do you need for Christmas? Pastor Evan Duncan looks at Isaiah's vision of a King in Isaiah 9:2-7 and how Jesus fulfills this vision. Each week for Advent, we'll look at the names of the Messiah seen in Isaiah 9:6. This week, we examine "Mighty God."
What do you need for Christmas? Pastor Evan Duncan looks at Isaiah's vision of a King in Isaiah 9:2-7 and how Jesus fulfills this vision. Each week for Advent, we'll look at the names of the Messiah seen in Isaiah 9:6. This week, we examine "Wonderful Counselor."
Pastor Evan explores the story of the church community's generosity in Acts 4 and the example of Barnabas.
Pastor Evan explores the story of Zacchaeus from Luke's Gospels and invites us to consider how the first step of stewardship may be repentance.
Yeah, but could God speak to me?Pastor Evan Duncan explores how the dreams in the Gospel of Matthew might tell us about who God chooses to speak to and how that might encourage us to listen for God at the margins. Dreams come to Joseph, the Magi and Pilate's wife. This sermon is for the Baptist Church of West Chester and our series "Dreams."
How often do we have the dream, the moment, the encounter, the inspiration, but no follow through? Pastor Evan Duncan explores how the dream of Solomon and the story of Bartimaeus gives us a trajectory to follow. This sermon is for the Baptist Church of West Chester and our series "Dreams."
Listen to this conversation with Paul Isenberg, the Co-Founder and CEO, of @bringinghopehome (BHH), a non-profit dedicated to providing “Unexpected Amazingness to local Families with cancer through financial and emotional support.”In the Fall of 1983, Paul Isenberg was a senior at West Chester University when he met the love of his life, Nicole Makowski. Paul and Nicole dated for a few years and married in 1991. They had their first child Christopher in 1995 and shortly after, Nicole became pregnant with their second child, Gabrielle. During her pregnancy with Gabby, Nicole wasn’t feeling well and finally decided to go to the doctor to see what was going on. Nicole then heard three words that changed her life forever: “you have cancer.” While she was nine months pregnant, and at the age of only 32, Nicole was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.Soon after her diagnosis, Nicole gave birth to a healthy baby girl and immediately started intense chemotherapy. Not only were the Isenberg’s faced with a whole new set of challenges with raising a newborn and a toddler, they now needed to make sure Nicole was getting the best treatment possible…all while still making sure the bills were somehow being paid. Even though this was an extremely difficult time, the Isenberg’s were astonished by the love and support from family, friends, and strangers alike. They felt so blessed to have such great people in their lives.Nicole endured six years of intense chemotherapy and two bone marrow transplants. Her fight ended in 2003 at the young age of 39, but her legacy lives on through the special work BHH does in her honor.Paul is determined to make an impact in the lives of Families battling cancer. Every day he upholds his late wife Nicole’s vision of delivering Unexpected Amazingness to local Families with cancer through financial and emotional support. Paul Isenberg is the most enthusiastic person you have ever wanted to meet. His passion and dedication for BHH is contagious, growing HOPE Nation with every person he meets.
Are we dream killers or dream encouragers?Theologian Karl Rahner said the Christian of the future will be a mystic or not exist at all. Christian scripture includes all these stories of God bumping into humanity. Does that still happen? Did it ever? Can we believe it?Pastor Evan Duncan explores some of these ideas with the preaching series at Baptist Church of West Chester starting Sunday called "Dreams." Part 2 looks at Joseph's dream in Genesis 37.
Theologian Karl Rahner said the Christian of the future will be a mystic or not exist at all.
Pastor Zach Wooten concludes our series on Loving God & Neighbor on World Communion Sunday with a look at Luke 22:14-20.
Pastor Evan Duncan continues our series on Loving God & Neighbor and the Gospel of Luke with Luke 16:1-13 and looking at how our relationship to resources can help or hinder how we love.
Pastor Evan Duncan continues our series on Loving God & Neighbor and the Gospel of Luke with Luke 11:37-54 and asking how we can miss loving God and neighbor by obsessing over religious practice.
Pastor Evan Duncan continues our series on Loving God & Neighbor and the Gospel of Luke with Luke 7:36-50 and asking how we love or lack love with our bodies.
Pastor Evan Duncan continues our series on Loving God & Neighbor and the Gospel of Luke by asking how we can love our enemies.
Pastor Evan begins our series on Loving God and Neighbor and the Gospel of Luke by asking how we might imagine neighboring in 2023.
Pastor Evan Duncan and Rabbi Elyse Seidner-Joseph discuss Esther, Purim, and what to do with the power we rise to.
Rev. Dr. Marie Onwubuariri, Director of Intercultural Ministries with American Baptist Home Mission Societies shares from Esther chapters 5 & 6 and the gradual and sudden work of God in our midst.
The Book of Esther reminds us that God never stops working, even when God seems absent.
Pastor Evan continues our series on the book of Esther with a look at Esther chapters 3 & 4
The Book of Esther reminds us that God never stops working, even when God seems absent. Pastor Evan begins our series on the book of Esther with a look at Esther chapters 1 and 2.
Pastor Zach Wooten concludes our series on Galatians with chapter 6 and the good news that you belong.
Pastor Evan Duncan examines Paul's instructions about works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.
Pastor Evan Duncan takes up Paul's strange allegory in Galatians 4:21-5:1 and explores how it invites us to remember the family we've become part of us and stand up to those who would seek to divide it.
Pastor Evan Duncan looks at Galatians 3:19-29 and how Paul helps us read the Old Testament law and remember who we are made to be.
Pastor Evan Duncan continues a look at the book of Galatians and invites us to see that we are welcome to the family of God by our faith and the faithfulness or Christ.
Pastor Evan Duncan looks at the story of Pentecost and how the Spirit of God animates all of creation with a life worth living.
Pastor Evan reflects on Ascension Day, 1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11, and how the one who is raised raises us.
On Mother's Day, Pastor Evan invites us to think about how our faith is lived out in the midst of relationships. We look at the letter to the Ephesians and see how, by placing Christ in charge of our lives, all other relationships are shaped by sacrificing love.
In the New Testament, four Gospel writers give witness to the life and teachings of Jesus. Each writer has a unique perspective, voice and emphasis that they bring to their work. This week, Pastor Evan Duncan looks at the Gospel of John which shows us that Jesus is fully God.
In the New Testament, four Gospel writers give witness to the life and teachings of Jesus. Each writer has a unique perspective, voice and emphasis that they bring to their work. This week, Pastor Evan Duncan looks at the Gospel of Luke which shows us that Jesus the king of all people and for all people.
In the New Testament, four Gospel writers give witness to the life and teachings of Jesus. Each writer has a unique perspective, voice and emphasis that they bring to their work. This week, Pastor Evan Duncan looks at the Gospel of Matthew which shows us that Jesus the king who brings fulfillment.
In the New Testament, four Gospel writers give witness to the life and teachings of Jesus. Each writer has a unique perspective, voice and emphasis that they bring to their work. This week, Pastor Evan Duncan looks at the Gospel of Mark which shows us that Jesus is the true king and stronger one who conquers through suffering.
Pastor Evan Duncan looks at Luke's account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and how this story reveals to us how a new king is reigning, a new people are welcome, and a new future is possible.
Pastor Evan explores the first 11 verses of Acts and how Jesus prepares us for the world we live in now and the life to come.
Pastor Zach looks at the prophet Ezekiel and what his words and actions can show us about God and ourselves.
Pastor Evan looks at 1 Kings 19 and Elijah's flight to the wilderness and the God who meets him in the sound of sheer silence.
Pastor Evan looks for the green in the wilderness. How does worship help us remember God's might and character?
A Conversation with Jim Layton, Boyd Myers, and Evan Duncan on gluttony, self control, and how we care for our bodies.
This month’s topic is philosophy, science, and religion. Our guest is Dr. Matthew Pierlott, an Associate Professor of Philosophy at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. He primarily teaches courses in ethics, including issues of agency, moral responsibility and leadership. He also teaches courses on philosophy of science, philosophy of religion, and the relationship between religion and science. He has presented and published on a variety of topics in the field and is committed to promoting accessible, inclusive and meaningfully applicable philosophy. He earned his B.A. in Philosophy and English from Scranton University in 1997 and his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Marquette University in 2006. He currently is the co-director of the Interfaith, Meaning-Making and Spirituality Project, which supports the efforts of students, faculty and staff to create interreligious dialogue and support those navigating their religious identities on campus.
Pastor Evan reflects on Jesus's testing of his very identity and how we also hear voices that tell us we are not "beloved."
Rev. Dr. Richelle Foreman Gunter shares about Jesus' encounter with a Samaritan woman at the well from John 4:27-29, 39-42.
Pastor Evan Duncan discusses intimacy and a healthy view of sex with author Sheila Wray Gregoire.Find Sheila's work at https://baremarriage.com/
Pastor Evan explores our root desire for intimacy as seen in the Genesis story, and how we can respond unhealthily with lust and healthily with sexual wholeness.
Pastor Evan explores the root desire for justice and fairness in us all and the vice response of wrath vs. the virtue response of gentleness.
Pastor Evan Duncan explores the vice of greed, the virtue of generosity and the underlying root desire for security and freedom that we all have.
Former BCWC intern Kristen Buck shares about serving in Honduras and at the US-Mexico Border.
Pastor Evan explores the historical vice of sloth, how it is often misunderstood and the Christian call to diligence, "a commitment to love."
Pastor Zach explores the vice of envy, the root need for honor and worth, and the Christian response of kindness.
God gives us better and healthier responses to put on to root desires than we’ve had before. This helps us become more like Christ in how we live. Pastor Evan explores the vice of self-seeking, the virtue of selflessness, and the root desire of both: acceptance and recognition.
Pastor Zach Wooten preaches about epiphany and how God is at work in times of before and after from Matthew 2:1-12
Pastor Evan Duncan looks at Mary's role in the Christmas story and what that tells us about Jesus.
Pastor Evan Duncan asks what the inclusion of Bathsheba in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus tells us about this Christ we celebrate at Christmas time. Texts: Matthew 1:1-6; 2 Samuel 11:1-15, 26-27;1 Kings 1:28-31
Katie Jackson asks what the inclusion of Ruth in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus tells us about this Christ we celebrate at Christmas time.
Advent Devotional from the Junia Project:
https://juniaproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Junia-Advent-Devotional-Ebook-2014.pdf
Pastor Evan Duncan asks what the inclusion of Tamar in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus tells us about this Christ we celebrate at Christmas time. Texts: Matthew 1:1-6, Genesis 38:11-26
Evan Duncan explores the encounter at Mt Sinai in Exodus 19 between Israel and God and how it helps us image how we might live in the world after we've encountered God.
Erin’s website:
https://www.erinraffety.com/
Get Erin’s book, “From Inclusion to Justice”
https://www.baylorpress.com/9781481316941/from-inclusion-to-justice/
Pastor Evan Duncan explores how the rescuing God recreates through liberation in the Exodus story.
Pastor Zach Wooten talks with Dr. Nate Stucky, Director of The Farminary Project at Princeton Seminary, about wrestling with rest, Sabbath, and creation.
Pastor Evan Duncan looks at examples of Unbiased Hospitality that emerged from the early church in the book of Acts
Evan Duncan shares how the Spirit of God gives us a new family - the family of God. This family has its own stories and its own vocation.
Pastor Evan Duncan looks at Jesus' teaching in his farewell discourse to the disciples about the coming Holy Spirit and what it means to have the Spirit as our guide and advocate in a murky world.
When was the last time you said "Wow?" Pastor Evan Duncan explores Psalm 97; a story about Jesus, Nathanael, and a fig tree; and the prayer of "Wow."