University Presbyterian Church Austin: Recent Episodes
University Presbyterian Church
Progressive PC(USA) congregation in the heart of the Austin west campus neighborhood. Rooted in worship, growing through education and service, connecting to campus and community.
What mortals see just comes around again and again and again. But what does God see? The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from 1 Samuel 16:1-13, March 22, 2020, the 4th Sunday in Lent.
Signs at our sanctuary today are part of our public witness. For the sake of our neighbors and all creation, for the sake of the Gospel. We are staying home. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from John 4:5-15, Sunday, March 15, 2020, the 3rd Sunday in Lent.
As soon as we start believing one party, one candidate, a chosen one, can give us the power we need to do good, somebody else is driving. And it’s not Jesus. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Matthew 4:1-11, Sunday, March 1, 2020, Lent I.
To a church that says to women, to LGBTQIA+, trans and gender-queer folx, I'm not sure we're ready, the gospel says: Christ is risen. Fully here. Ready or not. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Exodus 24:12-18 and Matthew 17:1-9, Sunday, February 23, 2020.
The road is long and time is short. Jesus says, I'll take the scrolls to guide us. But they can't do the work. I need you, too. YOU are the light of the world. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Matthew 5:13-20, Sunday, February 9, 2020.
We are in relationship with God for the long haul, protected from greed and easy answers. No matter what you've done before, you can join in repairing the world. The Reverend Krystal Leedy preaches from Micah 6, Sunday, February 2, 2020.
Scripture and worship offer profound witness to God's presence; we also know witnesses cloaked in flesh and blood. Let us seek to bear witness to each other. The Reverend Karen Greif preaches from Isaiah 9 1-7, January 26, 2019.
God’s children, above all, are fragile. Because we are called to allow the sadness of the world to pierce our hearts and take hold of us and it does not let us go. The Reverend Rykie Marx, Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK), preaches from Isaiah 40 and 40, Sunday, January 19, 2020.
Jesus' baptism is a story of restorations, of old hands put to new use, a story of reclamations, of redemptions, of old life made new in the waters of grace. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Matthew 3:13-17, Sunday, January 12, 2020.
Real power needs no constant reminding of its power, can kneel in the presence of the divine, can yield itself to the whims of stars. And the star stays fixed. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Matthew 2:1-12 on Epiphany Sunday, January 5, 2020.
The real Christmas miracle is that we are moved to live into Mary's prophetic words by responding to Empire—when we are met with Herod and find a way to feed the people anyway. The Reverend Krystal Leedy preaches from Matthew 2:13-23 the first Sunday of Advent, December 29, 2019.
Truth is, the Gospel smells terrible, because it happens in the real world. It starts by turning off the incense, so we can smell the real world just as it is. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Luke 1:5-13, the 4th Sunday of Advent, December 22, 2019
John the Baptist has bad taste. He eats bad food. He dresses is bad clothing. He is not fashionable. He is not acceptable. Yet, this is where the Gospel begins. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Mark 1:1-8 the second Sunday of Advent, December 8, 2019.
Touch helps us remember that we are human, that we can feel warmth, that we are a part of humankind, and that we claim to be siblings in Christ. No matter what. The Reverend Krystal Leedy introduces our approach to Advent through our senses, Sunday, December 1, 2019. Text is Luke 1:24-45.
For the sake of God's people, God persistently seeks the ends of justice and righteousness, using every instrument at God's disposal. Even politics. On Reign of Christ Sunday, the Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Jeremiah 23:1-6.
People are going to lie to you, Paul says, just because they are liars. But remember, as Christians together, it takes two to lie. You don’t have to listen. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17, Sunday, November 17, 2019.
Our charge and benediction: This is a simple game. Love God. And love one another. On this hangs all the law and the prophets, and everything. Just make pitch.
The Reverend Matt Gaventa concludes our sermon series "Rooted in Worship" preaching about the charge and benediction, from Matthew 22:34-40. Sunday, November 10, 2019
When we all join in prayer together, the temporal distinctions between past, present and future, alive on earth and alive in God, all fall away. The Reverend John Leedy preaches on the Prayers of the People, All Saints' Sunday, November 3, 2019. Ephesians 6:18; John 17:1-11, 20-24
Boldly saying what we believe only matters if we leave this place and show that belief to the world. Seminary Intern Savannah Demuynck continues our "Rooted in Worship" series with a sermon on the Affirmation of Faith, Sunday, October 27, 2019.
For many, our Sunday morning bundle is the most expensive way of getting in the door. But God is doing a new thing. Our challenge? Recognize church where it happens. Jeremiah 31:27-34. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches about announcements in our continuing sermon series "Rooted in Worship," Sunday, October 20, 2019.
In the presence of the God who created all things with joy, who moves through all things with grace, who shares in all things with abundance, we don’t really make an offering of our money. We just release it. The Reverend Matt Gaventa continues our sermon series "Rooted in Worship" preaching from 2 Corinthians 9, Sunday, October 13, 2019.
The table is at the center, but we come as guests, as strangers in between the world and the kingdom of God. God puts a meal in our hands, then we get back on the bus. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Ruth 1:1-17, continuing the sermon series "Rooted in Worship." Sunday, October 6, 2019.
When we think we don’t know how to sing, when we can’t find the words, or the tune, or the breath, or the will, Paul’s gospel word is this: the Spirit intercedes. Romans 8:26-27 The Reverend Dr. Paul Hooker and Dean Eric Wall preach on the hymn as prayer, continuing the sermon series "Rooted in Worship" Sunday, September 29, 2019.
There is powerful witness when preachers get stumped. Then, the Spirit conveys to us the unimaginable vastness of God’s power, grace,and love for the the world. The Reverend Matt Gaventa on preaching, from 1 Corinthinans 15, in our sermon series "Rooted in Worship." Sunday, September 22, 2019.
We have been carrying the Bible with us in some form for as long as we have been worshiping this God.We love this book so much that sometimes it gets in the way. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Psalm 119:33-40, Sunday, September 19, 2019. "Rooted in Worship" Sermon Series
Peace can speak to the wind and waves, can silence the noise in our hearts and mind. Once you let go of anxiety, worry, and chaos, peace has got to show up. Guest preacher the Reverend Shanea Leonard continues our "Rooted in Worship" series on Passing the Peace, Sunday, September 8, 2019.
Martha, grieving, acknowledges where where her hope is placed. Recognizing our dependence on God reminds us we are to carry hope into a world bathed in grief. The Reverend Krystal Leedy preaches on the Prayer of Confession. Text is John 11:17-27, Sunday, September 1, 2019.
We set aside one day in the week to proclaim this Gospel: that we are not the bricks we make. We are children of God. No matter what. The Reverend Matt Gaventa begins our sermon series "Rooted in Worship" with the Call to Worship. Text is Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Sunday, August 25, 2019.
A great cloud of witnesses reminds us that we too can endure the the extraordinary brokenness of our age. That would be the whole sermon. But then I looked up. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Sunday, August 18, 2019.
They say patience is a virtue. But maybe we all need a little impatience. A little righteous impatience. A little holy impatience. Especially now. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Luke 12:32-40, Sunday, August 11, 2019.
When we learn about God, especially in the person of Jesus Christ, we learn what it means to be fully human. So, we teach the prayer we were taught by our God. The Reverend Krystal Leedy preaches from Luke 11:1-13, Sunday, July 28, 2019.
At Christ’s feet, we decide we will not join in that tempting competition to own the truth, but will instead strive to follow the One that is the Truth. Austin Seminary Intern Jeannie Corbitt preaches from Luke 10:38-42, Sunday, July 21, 2019.
When we gather to worship God, the stakes are unimaginably high, yet we blithely invoke the power and presence of the one who created all things. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Amos 7:7-17, Sunday, July 14, 2019.
It takes someone to open the door in response to the Good News. If hospitality is truly an uncompromising standard, if all are welcome, then we’d better mean it. Pastor Matt Gaventa preaches from Luke 10:1-11, Sunday, July 7, 2019.
When we ordain ministers, elders, and deacons, we don't segregate the hands that bless. We pass the mantle not in the former way, but as a story for all people across all barriers that the world tries to put in God’s path. The Reverend Krystal Leedy preaches from Kings I and II, Sunday, June 30, 2019.
Divine power is transformative power. Because we were created in the image of God, by the Logos of God, that transformative power also resides within us. Parish Associate Karen Greif preaches from I Kings and Luke, Sunday, June 23, 2019.
At Pentecost, far-flung pilgrims get to be fully themselves, known, recognized, heard, at home, included fully in the wonderful frenetic cacophony of the Spirit. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Acts 2:1-21, Sunday, June 9, 2019.
It doesn't matter if we like the hymns we sing. What matters is what God is doing with our songs. God may very well be shaking the foundations of the earth. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Acts 16:16-34, the 7th Sunday of Easter, June 2, 2019.
We avoid peacemaking, fearing our neighbors and loved ones will disagree. But in shalom—the safety and wholeness of all in body, mind, and estate—God calls us to lean into conflict to reach the goal of peace. Reverend John Leedy preaches from John 14:23-29, Sunday, May 26, 2019.
Stories let us get out of our own way so the Holy Spirit can move through us and the world. It is through story that we know the life and witness of Jesus Christ. Austin Seminary Intern Savannah Demuynck preaches from Acts 11:1-18, Sunday, May 19, 2019.
For many of us, work is where we’re supposed to figure out who we are. But the good news for the over-worked, over-stressed, under-slept world is that God loves us, no matter what. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Acts 9:36-43, Sunday, May 12, 2019.
Not every sheep is here. Some are lost on the mountainside, terrified, alone. Some are in the valley of the shadow of death. And we go find them and speak words of truth and hope, so they see us as a place where resurrection can happen. The Reverend Krystal Leedy preaches from John 21:1-19 Sunday, May 5, 2019.
Compared to the crucifixion, Easter morning is surprisingly quiet. The Easter Gospel is that in the midst of quiet, ordinary everyday things, God brings resurrection. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Luke 24:1-1 April 21, 2019, Easter Sunday.
On Palm Sunday, the world breathes death, and instead we choose Hosannas. Don’t we know better? Like the crowd of disciples on the Jerusalem road, we do. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Luke 19:28-40 on Palm Sunday, April 14, 2019.
Despite his skepticism and profound disaffection, Nineveh turns in part because Jonah puts one foot in front of the other and steps out anyway. And you don’t do that without some kernel of hope. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Jonah Chapter 3, the fourth Sunday in Lent, March 31, 2019.
Are we being commanded to turn around? We might want to take a break from running, sit with Elijah in the cave and refine our listening skills, so we can hear God speaking in the silence, and in whispers. The Reverend Dr. Cynthia Rigby preaches from 1 Kings 19, Sunday, March 24, 2019.
Ten short commandments, cut into the rock, chiseled against the stone, over and over. You can memorize them in about 20 minutes. But maybe it takes 40 days to carve them deep enough to last. The Reverend Matt Gaventa urges us to learn as he preaches from Exodus 24 Sunday, March 17, 2019.
The story of Noah is about trusting God, and the instructions God gives us. It’s about going on a journey we can’t control, trusting the equipment God provides. The Reverend Matt Gaventa begins our Lenten journey with Noah, the flood and the ark Sunday, March 10, 2019.
Why did God show us such power on the mountaintop? Maybe the transfiguration, the revelation that brought us into community, was not for us, but to build up others. Maybe rather than building dwelling places, it was an occasion for burning down the house. Guest preacher the Reverend Brian Ellison delivers a word of challenge Transfiguration Sunday, March 3, 2019.
The faces of our enemies are already with us. We are called to love them, do good for them, bless them, pray for them in creative ways. This is our work of the people. To love and pray and do good and bless. The Reverend Krystal Leedy preaches from Luke 6:27-38, Sunday, February 24, 2019
The Gospel of the Sermon on the Plain is that the stuff we thought was a blessing has trapped us, blinded us. Woe is us. Jesus wants us to see with new eyes. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preached from Luke 6:17-26, Sunday, February 17, 2019.
Jesus says, "Put out into deep water. I know it’s scary, trust me. Go all in, be who I made you to be. You are my chosen and beloved. From now on, you will catch people. I want you in this with me." Pastor John Leedy preaches from Luke 5:1-11, Sunday, February 10, 2019
Nobody gets to have church entirely on their own generational terms. Except for the Holy Spirit, who seems convinced that every generation has to be here for church to work. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Luke 2:22-40, Sunday, February 3, 2019.
Paul is not about to let a good crisis go to waste. Not when it gives him the chance to proclaim the Gospel. So what is our response to the crises of today? The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, Sunday, January 27, 2019.
The USA Network used to have this slogan, “Characters Welcome.” But John’s Gospel tells us that, it’s not just characters welcome; it’s “Characters Necessary.” The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches on the wedding at Cana, Sunday, Janaury 20, 2019.
At your baptism, before a breath was taken, before the water was even poured, before your name was spoken, we all held our collective breath, because we were surrounded by thousands of saints, but we still felt at home. The Reverend Krystal Leedy preaches from Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 Baptism of the Lord Sunday, January 13, 2019
Prophetic voices guide us home to God, and Mary, a prophet who is the Godbearer, is the perfect candidate to remind us of the Good News. Light is coming into the world. How will we respond? The Reverend Krystal Leedy preaches from Luke 1:39-55, the fourth Sunday of Advent, December 23, 2018.
There is one Biblical figure who interprets Jesus coming into the world as a justification for the giving and receiving of gifts: John the Baptist. Jesus is coming. Time to exchange presents. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Luke 3:1-18, Advent II, December 9, 2018.
God's unfolding kingdom needs you, not just today but tomorrow and the day after that, which means: be on guard that your hearts are not weighed down. Jesus loves you dearly and needs you to stick around. So for God’s sake, don’t let the breaking news break you. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from the Gospel of Luke on the first Sunday of Advent, December 2, 2018.
Revelation speaks of God who is not yet done. Jesus Christ is coming to make all things new. Be thankful to God for the unfolding of things that have not yet come to pass. You can be thankful and restless at the same time. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Revelation 1:4b-8 on Reign of Christ Sunday, November 25, 2018.
In water from a rock, tablets on the ground, tearing apart the sea, ripping the heavens open, in the temple curtain making way for new people to enter God's Kingdom: God has never stopped breaking Godself open, breaking open new meaning - breaking us open. The Reverend Krystal Leedy preaches from Hebrews Sunday, November 18, 2018.
The real challenge of stewardship is that some of your support will go to things you may never see. The widow gives everything she has to the church that should be, and could be, and will be, for God’s promises that unfold in their own stubborn time. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Mark 12:38 through 13:1-2, Sunday, November 11, 2018
Job's story doesn't end the way we'd like it. And yet Job has faith, despite all of it. Faith doesn't repair the cracks, provide the answers, or put the world back together. At best, it’s a patch job. But maybe it’s exactly what we need.
Matt, Krystal, and John share what's coming up this weekend in this 5 minutes minicast.
What can we learn from the storm? This country is in the grip of a hatred that can absolutely consume us. At some point we must move in a different direction. Reformation Sunday, October 28, 2018, the Reverend Matt Gaventa continues sermons from the Book of Job.
Matt, Krystal, and John share what's coming up this weekend in this 5 minute minicast. Music by https://www.soundcloud.com/ikson
Job wants to be angry with God. But what he’s really scared of is being known. Once he starts to think about it, he realizes that maybe he’s not ready for that kind of intimacy. It’s not wrong to be angry with God. God is big enough to take it. But if you go looking for God in anger, you might find God. In fact, you might find God looking for you. The Reverend Matt Gaventa continues the sermon series on Job, Sunday, October 21, 2018.
The question embedded in the introduction to Job is not just “Why do bad things happen to good people?” The question is, "What happens when the universe itself doesn’t play by the rules? What is this capricious mystery wherein we can do everything right and still the recipe doesn’t work?"
The Reverend Matt Gaventa begins a 4-part series on the Book of Job, Sunday, October 14, 2018.
Matt, Krystal, and John tell you what's coming up at University Presbyterian Church Austin this weekend.
All are welcome at Christ's table, without exception. It fills us to bursting with the joy of celebrating all that is good, just, beautiful, and hopeful. But don’t think for a moment that all this abundance comes cheap. When we extend our hands to receive a piece of bread, we hear the server say, “The body of Christ.” The Reverend John Leedy preaches from I Corinthians on World Communion Sunday, October 7, 2018.
Forgiveness isn’t a virtue in and of itself, but goes hand in hand with grace and truth. It’s a God-given tool that we use for the building-up of God’s kingdom. It flows from people with power to those without it. When power demands forgiveness from the powerless, forgiveness is weaponized, in opposition to the Gospel. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Matthew 18:21-35, Sunday, September 30, 2018.
As the disciples argue over who is the greatest, Jesus makes the disciples - and us - pay attention to a child, perhaps a servant or slave serving the meal, who no one noticed until Jesus pointed them out. Do we pay attention to the ones that could just as easily be written out of the story? Austin Seminary Intern Caroline Barnett preaches from Mark 9:30-37 Sunday, September 23, 2018.
The truth is I’m not sure the church has figured Jesus out at all. And if the church is truly supposed to be the body of Jesus Christ in the world then the question, "Who do you say that I am?" is an indicting one for us today in 2018. So, what is the Good News? The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Mark 8:27-38 Sunday, September 16, 2018.
The unnamed woman is passionately doing the hard work of advocacy. When Jesus snaps, she responds with empathy; seeing this situation from Jesus’ perspective. She picks up the rubber band of Jesus' humanity, ties a knot in it, and hands it back with a smile and a witty retort. And Jesus' whole world expands.
The Reverend Krystal Leedy preaches from Mark 7:24-37, Sunday, September 9, 2018.
In John’s Gospel, the crowd has been bingeing on bread and fish, as far as the eye can see. Jesus sees them stuffing themselves with food that perishes. Jesus knows they are hungry for something else, for something more satisfying, hungry instead for God's presence, for God's promises, for God's deliverance. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from John 6:24-35, Sunday, September 2, 2018
When Jesus tells the lakeside crowd to gather up the pieces, they understand the reference to manna in the wilderness But Jesus isn't just talking about daily rations, or God’s abundance. Jesus insists on gathering the fragments: fragments of bread, fragments of fish, fragments of people - all the broken pieces. The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from John 6:1-15, Sunday, August 26, 2018
Mark says “they fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid,” full stop. All of a sudden, Mark doesn’t have any more words, like the sentences aren’t sufficient to carry their own weight, like the story itself bursts its own boundaries. The Reverend Matt Gaventa concludes the series "God's Promises Unfolding: Sermons from the Easter Vigil Texts" with an Easter sermon from Mark 16:1-8. Sunday, August 19, 2018
Staring at these holy words in this holy book, we ask the question the church has been asking itself for 2,000 years,"How is this story saving us?" It’s a great question, but perhaps it’s not the first question. First, we have to ask, "What do we need saving from?" Pastor John Leedy preaches from the Easter Vigil text Isaiah 55:1-11 August 12, 2018
You cannot rely on the empire to tell you how to live. You have to decide on your own values. When put to the fire, the steel is forged. When put under pressure, the diamond emerges. And when surrounded by your closest friends and in the presence of God, under pressure and in the fire, your identity is solidified. The Reverend Krystal Leedy preaches from Daniel 3, Sunday, August 5, 2018
The community of Israel had given up hope of ever again being a chosen nation of God and heard only empty promises based on false possibilities. Perhaps the Lord is asking us today the same question: “Mortals, can bones of apathy find renewed energy?” Guest Fred Morgan continues the series "God's Promises Unfolding: Easter Vigil Texts, preaching on Ezekiel 37:1-14, Sunday, July 29, 2018.
The whale swallowing Jonah was an act of God caring about Jonah enough to not let him drown, forcing him into a moment where he had to ponder what he was doing with his life. He took time to reflect, and he also took time to pray. The Reverend Krystal Leedy continues our series "God's Promises Unfolding" with a sermon on the call of Jonah. Sunday, July 22, 2018
Woman Wisdom represents the persistence and insistence of God’s order, coming into a deeply disordered world. Her message is about truth, and the hope we have in God who will yet insist upon the order at the heart of creation. The Reverend Matt Gaventa continues our series "God's Promises Unfolding:Sermons from the Easter Vigil Texts." Text is Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21, 9:4b-6. Sunday, July 15, 2018
Before the Israelites reached the Red Sea, Moses practiced with his staff. He knows he can raise it up and God knows what will happen. Now, with water on one side and death on the other, God says one last time, “Raise up your staff.” The Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Exodus, continuing our summer sermon series "God's Promises Unfolding." Sunday, July 8, 2018
The story of Abraham and Isaac is the very bedrock of our ethical imagination, the worst story we can imagine. The very least we can do is not offer up our children as sacrifice. Yet, we live in a world where children are sacrificed all the time. The Reverend Matt Gaventa continues our summer sermon series, "God's Promises Unfolding: Sermons on the Easter Vigil Texts." Scripture: Genesis 22:1-8 Sunday, July 1, 2018.
We must get into the boat with all of creation, and see the Creator within them. The rains are going to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous, and people of God, we have shelter. We have a sanctuary from the storms of life. The Reverend Krystal Leedy preaches from Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18; 9:8-13 in our summer sermon series "God's Promises Unfolding". Sunday, June 24, 2018
Creation is a story about love. It’s a story about the delight God takes in a creation God calls good. It’s a story about God loving us so much that God made everything. Matt Gaventa begins our summer series "God's Promises Unfolding" preaching from Genesis 1:1-2:4a, Sunday, June 17, 2018.
We fear our demons not because they are beyond our understanding, but because they control us. But the Good News is that, as strong as these demons are, Jesus is stronger still. Reverend Matt Gaventa preaches from Mark 3:20-35, Sunday, June 10, 2018.
God promises that the words of Samuel, who barely knows how to speak, will be God's truth no matter how poorly expressed. And that promise, as we work to speak the truth and do God's work together, is ours to claim as well.
Pastor Matt Gaventa preaches from 1 Samuel 3:1-20, Sunday, June 3, 2018, at the ordination of UPC deacons and ruling elders.
The Reverend Krystal Leedy preaches from Isaiah 6:1-8 on Trinity Sunday. What is the prophetic nature of the Trinity calling us to do?
The Gospel is, everybody matters here in God’s house. And for all of you who raise your hands to help the house, we see you. We thank you. You are in the book. Pastor Matt preaches from the first chapter of Acts, Sunday, May 13, 2018.
We are Christ’s friends. He died for his friends, not because of who we are, but because of who God is. The Church says if you are Christ’s friend, then you are also mine. May 6, 2019 the Reverend Krystal Leedy preaches from John on Graduate Recognition Sunday.
Peter thought, “I’ve got a better plan than Jesus. I'll get out of the boat.” What did Jesus do? Put him back in. Trust Jesus to get you through the storms. The Reverend Dr. Alan Krummenacher preaches from Matthew 14 Sunday, April 22, 2018.
Our righteous anger is especially tenacious. Which is why I need Opening Day. It holds anger and hope in tension. And I believe maybe this time will be different. Pastor Matt Gaventa preaches from Acts 3:12-19 Sunday, April 15, 2018
Jesus, himself scarred, meets people who need healing, and believes them when they say they are in pain. He asks us, just as he asks Thomas, to believe as well. Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary Intern Caroline Barnett preaches from John 20:19-31, Sunday, April 8, 2018.
Easter declares all the life that should be. The whole world is God’s garden; God sees life even in dead places, and holds us all to a resurrection standard. Matt Gaventa preaches from the Gospel of John Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018.
The moment right before the tables turn, before Jesus tells us to love one another, before we hang him on the cross to die, is, in every way, the easy part. Pastor Matt preaches from Mark 11:1-11, Palm Sunday, March 25, 2018.
“When I am lifted up,” Jesus says. “I will draw all people to myself.” Being welcoming, means opening yourself to change. And that’s never easy. Pastor Matt Gaventa preaches from John 12:20:33, Sunday, March 18, 2018, the fifth Sunday in Lent.
The church is supposed to be life giving. And then we break it. People come to church looking for Jesus; they find us wielding the cross against the powerless. Matt Gaventa preaches from John 3:14-21 Sunday, March 11, 2018.