Sermons at MCCC - Rev. Chad Delaney: Recent Episodes
Chad Delaney
Weekly Sermons from the Mantua Center Christian Church. Most offered by Rev. Chad Delaney, M.Div, from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Sometimes the traditional dichotomies and dualisms just don't work! Pastor Sarah explores these chapters of Job using Queer Theology to explore suffering and hope in our time.
Job's story is held up as the ultimate example of dealing with our grief. In Job 1-2 he takes all the suffering on the chin and doesn't have a complaint. This image is usually held up as the model of faithfulness...but is that Job's whole story? Job 7 gives us a little glimpse into Job's story and the anguish that he felt in his body, mind, and soul....and he has no problem giving God a piece of his mind. Let's dive into this story today and over the next 2 weeks...
All around are voices of passion about the current events in our world. Are we listening and learning from those affected? Are we willing to hear a word we may not want to hear? Pastor Chad explores Paul's words to Timothy long ago, confirmation bias, and how we can start talking about Racism.
The early and modern church struggles with elevating certain spiritual gifts over others. What happens though when we MINIMIZE our own gifts. Receive encouragement today to embrace your own gifts!
Pastor Sarah Smith preaches a word on a familiar passage, but whose strength and challenge we don't fully tap into. What does love really look like?
This is the audio recording of our Xplor Send-Off Zoom Worship service. Thanks to Rev. McCreight, Rev. Kluchar, Rev. Delaney, and Linda Idoine for their leadership and guidance through the program. We took time to hear from our wonderful residents - - Natalie, Heidi, and Jennifer and then sent them off with our love and prayers.
We need Unity in Christ now more than ever...but still it eludes us. what is the basis for our unity as Christians? What should we look for in the world and within ourselves?
What does it mean to offer a Labor of Love? Today we hear a bit of the context to which the Apostle Paul wrote to, but also bring the idea into the present. included in the sermon today are the perspectives of three nurses in our congregation. You will be blessed to hear what they have to say!
What would make you jump for joy? What would make it last? A child of God is healed and raised up in the Name of Jesus Christ...what is to become of him? With a little help from Monty Python's Life of Brian we explore this great story from scripture.
in this 40+ Day period of waiting and wandering, how are we spending it? How can we nurture the soul during this time? What would that look like for us?
Happy Easter! God's blessing of peace and new life be with you and those you love! Today we are talking about what the story of Easter means to who we are as people of hope and resurrection! May the the Risen Christ meet with you wherever you are in this difficult time in our nation's history.
Today is our Palms to the Upper Room Service. Today we will be listening to stories of Tables in Jesus’ life and ministry leading up to his Last Supper. Listen to and reflect on these powerful stories.
Reflect with Pastor Sarah on the real grief we feel at this time and how we can respond with Holy Community.
We explore today the wonderful passage in Mark where Jesus calms the storm. What strength can we draw from this story as we face the storm swirling around us?
We live in a time of fear and uncertainty, yet we are also reminded that God is always with us and always beckoning us toward faithfulness. We are not worshipping in the church building this week but we are coming together united in God's Spirit. Be blessed, safe, and here the Good News in this passage today.
what helps you remember loved ones lost or good times had? what stirs your memory in ways that help you remember who you are? long ago Jesus invited us to take the bread and cup to remember him by...every week we seek to honor and live our this sacred request.
This begins our Lenten Series "Around the Table." Borrowing from the World Council of Churches we explore the first of five meanings of the Lord's Table. This week we consider how we might come to the Table filled thanksgiving and ready to share God's Abundance with all.
How do we recognize our place in God's Grand Design? There are times that we may wonder what our small acts of compassionate goodness will do, but we have to keep things in perspective. we gain that perspective with alittle help from Moses, Dr King, and a Brazilian Liberation theologian.
The passage today deeply challenges the church to keep first things first. As communities we can get caught up with specific particularities of theological beliefs and ritual practice...all the while forgetting what is most important. Jesus reminds us with powerful words from Isaiah to keep to the heart of what matters most.
Why do we have disgust? What do we do with it? Certainly we understand the food and drink aspect, but what about people? Some in Jesus's time may have seen the people he speaks with as contaminants and pollutants...but Jesus doesn't. Jesus honors the value of life found in the Hebrew Scriptures and continues a radical ethic of life, love, and welcome.
Last week's sermon was about becoming fertile ground to receive the Word...how fertile do we need to be? What will be good enough for God?
We go across the sea to Gerasene country and come upon a demoniac, a herd of pigs, and some local folks. On this trip Jesus surprises us in more than one way and gives us a powerful message of love, life, and holiness.
Are we flat, rocky, thorny, or fertile soil as we receive the Word? What is the Word of God? Are we as receptive to the Word when it comes in different ways? What about a tough word from Dr. King?
Just some of the questions we think about today in the sermon...
We take a look at a pair of Jesus's short parables about patching coats and bursting wineskins in the Gospel of Mark.
The scriptures here offer wisdom about the connection of the old and the new. I tell a story about getting "OK boomered" by my brother and how the church deals with new ideas, beliefs, and practices. Do we dismiss the old or new offhand? How do we deal with the changing landscapes of congregational life and being a lively, vibrant multi-generational church?
The story of the Magi invites us to wonder: Would we have seen the star? Do we pause long enough to wonder and look for the Christ? Do we make space for God?
We are blessed to read the story of Jesus's birth and reflect on the wonder and surprise of it all. We remember that despite the turmoil and difficulty in the world, God is a God of Surprises!
What does real courage look like? We certainly can see it with Mary and Joseph...what about the shepherds? Is Courage only seen at the extremes or can there be an everyday courage God is calling us to? With a little help from Alex Honnold (free solo climber) and Dr Brene Brown (courage and vulnerability researcher) we go deeper in the story and hear the angel's call... "Do not be afraid!"
This week we explore the story of Joseph in the Gospel of Matthew. The angel comes to him telling him "Do Not Be Afraid!"...do not be afraid of what? Joseph needs to come to terms with who he wants to be and who God is calling him to be. This story may have something to say about what it means to be friend to someone in need and an ally in the cause of justice. Lots to learn from this familiar story!
The theme for this Advent is "Do Not Be Afraid.". In this first installment we look at the story of the Annunciation. The response of Mary to the angel's pronouncement gives us food for thought as we navigate fear in our own lives. How can we be faithful in the midst of our fears?
Homily on Thanksgiving Sunday. Is it possible to offer gratitude in everything?? A lesson from Brother David Steidl-Rast and the Apostle Paul.
As we consider how we might honor the future, we consider the the cultural greeting of the Maasai in Kenya and Tanzania - - "And how are the children?" within this question and our text this morning we hear a call to generosity and where we might put our faith and action to work.
With a wonderful passage of scripture and a beautiful poem by Catherine Pierce called Planet, we take time to reflect on what it means to Honor the Creation. There are many practices of sustainability we can try...but what about a very simple one we don't think of often enough....?
All Saints Day sermon - - When was the first time you remember being generous? Who inspired you to be generous? Pastor Chad tells a story about one of the Saints in his life and invites us to reflect on the same.
Revelation usually brings a lot of images to our minds - - beasts and demons and dragons, oh my! Yet, this mysterious book and its rich, apocalyptic language can share a message about faithfulness, endurance, and hope even today. Learn a little about Revelation and hear an encouraging word!
How are ready are we to change and transform into better people? Some brain science is being done to try to figure out what is going on inside the brain when it comes to shifting out cherished ideas and beliefs...there's lots of work to be done in that area. In the meantime, many religious people hold on fiercely to some beliefs...what would it take to change? The characters in our story--Saul and Ananias--both changed, but it took an awful lot. A big thanks for insight on this message from 16th century theologian St. Theresa of Avila....
A great privilege to preach with Rev. Dr. Ben Bohren--our NBA Xplor Mission Specialist and an extraordinary pastor in the DOC for over 50 years. Together we share stories of Light reflecting on John 1:1-5.
Isaac Ackerman (Xplor '18-'19) delivers a powerful sermon on what it means to be a prophetic movement in a fragmented world. Can I get an "Amen"?!
Relationships in our lives, including the church, can be complicated and challenging. What lays the foundation for an enduring relationship? The early church found ways to nurture that kind of community that would make a difference in people's lives and create a genuine spiritual partnership...can we do it too?
The story of Jesus' Ascension has an interesting feature to it...the angels in the story pointed them away from the supernatural event...what is going here? The Disciples look up in excitement but are called to shift their gaze to where Jesus called them. We also take some time to celebrate the ways our church is reaching out from our doorsteps to the ends of the earth.
This service celebrates Len's 8 years of ministry as the Associate Minister at Mantua Center Christian Church. Therebie wonderful music by Adam Petrosino and Jan Green. Pastor Len shares a good word from Colossians 3 and helps us see how we aren't a "normal" church!
We all love the Disney film story-arc of character transformation...Ariel, the Beast, Mad Madam Mim...fun, romantic, and inspiring! How does the story of Jesus' transfiguration compare? What is transfiguration for?
We were blessed in worship Sunday to baptized someone in the river! The scripture and the occasion remind us that we are precious in God's sight.
This week in our nation there was quite the conversation around Emma Lazarus' poem emblazoned on the Statue of Liberty. An immigration official added some edits to it and it gathered lots of controversy. When we encounter a difficult passage in the Bible, do we want to send it to the editors room too?
Who was the Lost Son in the story? Were there Lost Sons (plural?) or just the prodigal? These are legitimate questions after a re-reading of the story with the amazing insights of Dr. Amy-Jill Levine from her book "Short Stories by Jesus.". Phenomenal, deep insights are considered to think about hard, family dynamics and what it might mean to hold the door open for reconciliation.
Zacchaeus was ready and willing to hear a tough word....would you? Would the church? Oftentimes when we're confronted with a uncomfortable truth we get in fight or flight mode. How can we learn from the example of Zacchaeus?
Our scripture today takes a look at the story of the unique healing of the blind man at Bethsaida. Jesus uses saliva and he has to do it twice to help make the man see clearly! What is happening here? As we study the story in context, we see that this story is told amongst other stories where the disciples clearly have spiritual blind spots. What spiritual blind spots might you have?
The scripture story today is full of strange things that inspire and challenge us as people of faith. Jesus the healer, friends making holes in the roof, and the strangeness doesn't end there.
The Holy Spirit can move and inspire in ways that we might not recognize or expect...and people of faith have responded in different ways to that. Some respond by refusing to believe it, trying to stop it, or ridiculing it (see Numbers 11 & Acts 2). Others are more willing and open to receive and recognize the Spirit's movement. Which are we?
I also tell a story about something a church pastor got extremely upset about and wrote to the editor about it...the church has a long way to go still in being open to the Spirit's leading....
Our Xplor Resident, Valeria Bejar, offers a powerful and fresh word on Matthew's Lost Sheep story. In Luke, the parable is about God, but Matthew story puts a challenging question before the Church that we must address.
What's more important....following the Bible or following love? Are there times when we need to put aside sacred tradition and even biblical commands to follow the law of love? In this story of Jesus sharing the ancient law of loving God and loving neighbor, he and the Scribe agree.
Looking again at the Good Samaritan Story we find a deeper conversation on "Faith without works is dead." Belief and faith matter greatly (yes!) but in this parable Jesus reminds us that what we DO has the greater impact. Talking ABOUT God, Jesus, Scripture, Love is important...but never enough. We wonder about eternal life...but Jesus suggests another question....
Over the last few months, representatives from MCCC have done life-transforming mission in the world. Hear some stories from those that went on service trips to Florida and the Midwest and how it's made a difference in people's lives.
On our annual Day of Kindness Sunday, we explore Jesus' words from the sermon on the plain. These teachings challenge our common conventions and raise the bar for how we are to treat each other as part of the Realm of God. What kind of world does God want us to imagine and create?
Happy Easter! Today we reflect on the place between despair and the rumor of resurrection. With a little help from the women at the tomb, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and a Resurrection Plant...we hear the Good News on how God calls us to be a Resurrection people.
Hear parts of Jesus's story between the Triumphal Entrance into Jerusalem and the Upper Room. In this recording there is a homily and poem about Palm Sunday, readings from scripture, and several special pieces of music by the choir, quartet, and solos. Begin Holy Week reflecting on these powerful stories that give shape to our lives of faith.
This is the closing sermon for our FLAME Lenten series.
We start with a throwback song from DC Talk called "What if I stumble?" which taps into a fear that many of us carry with us. While we may worry about whether we have what it takes to follow, Christ reminds us with a simple (yet profound) action the extent of God's love for us and a call to be an example of that love in the world...
Fourth sermon in 5-part series of FLAME - Becoming Followers, Learners, Apprentices, MENTORS, and Examples.
This week a shorter homily on the story of Jesus welcoming the little ones. Do we think of mentoring as part of our walk? Who are we walking alongside as they grow in discipleship?
The second part is hearing from our youth about three questions posed to them: (1) What do adults on the church need to know? (2) What do you hope for the future of our church? (3) What would a good mentor do in the church? It was great to hear their wisdom.
How does the story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand(+) teach us about being in apprentice of Jesus? Pastor Len explores the scriptural context of the story and what it teaches us in growing closer in our walk with Christ.
What got into the Disciple who wanted Jesus to teach them to pray? Is there something we can learn from this curious Disciple? Jesus stands at the ready for our eagerness to grow and learn...what would we ask?
Sermon from this morning
Is there a particular formula you need to become a follower of Jesus? Do you need to invite Jesus in your heart? Have a strong faith? Repent to receive God's grace? Our scripture today disputes the absolute codification of all three of those ideas. Check out the story of the calling of Simon Peter.
Sermon from this morning
Ever feel stressed out, strung out, burnt out? Run out of juice? Sometimes it's easy to forget to go to the source of our strength and spirit. Jesus could have started his own string of wineries...but instead there is very Good News for all when he turns water into wine.
This was our last Sunday in our Month of Compassion and we had the great joy of receiving a word from JT Buck on his last Sunday as Music Director. He talks about where compassion comes from and retells some wonderful ancient stories.
Liz Meeker's wonderful sermon sharing the stories behind our community ministry--Kid's Weekend Meals. Compassion is a gift we give that is too often hampered by our prejudice and pre-judgments. We are challenged to give generously and willingly without being judgmental. How do you judge who needs your help?
Sermon from Ally Hurd.
What is the difference between sympathy and empathy? What is the importance of being proximate to the problems in the world?
Ally shares inspirational stories about her work and how compassion can make all the difference.
Everyday we encounter temptations that distract us not just from what we are supposed to do but also who we are called to be. What does it look like for you to face temptation prepared in prayer and fed by the word of God? What does it look like when not? Being people of Compassion isn't just about DOING, but preparing ourselves spiritually to face the world
Sermon from this morning
My personal story of struggling with Racism and Repentance. I thought racism was just about personal interactions...but a learning experience helped me see a bigger picture. The story of Jesus' baptism further helps me deal with the dynamic of personal and communal Repentance and Racism and to see a path forward or change and transformation. As a white person in America I have a lot of learning and listening to do....
A sermon from Martin Luther King jr. weekend from 2010.
We join a world on the ramparts asking God why there's so much chaos, war, and pain. What is God's answer to the prophet? What might we notice about the nature of human existence and how we might respond together? With help from the scripture and Dr. King.... God is speaking to us!
Did you know there's a story in the Bible about how Mary and Joseph lost Jesus when he was 12? Have you ever heard of the doorway effect? Have you ever walked into a room and forgot why you went in there to begin with?
All the doorways, transitions, and thresholds of our lives make a difference to how we experience the world. Maybe it can work against us but the scriptures (and our Jewish brothers and sisters) can teach us something that can help us who we are and whose we are.
Ever headed into Uncharted Territory and have a million "What if..." questions go through your mind? A little bit of story about our trip out west, our building renovation plan, and how the story of the wisemen gives us some insight on how to journey into the uncharted territories in our own lives
Mary is the only one who stayed with Jesus his whole life, yet she is invisible to many people...are there other invisible ones in history and even with us now? Are there those who wonder if they are welcome to come see Jesus? Mary's Magnificat helps us reflect on such questions...
Sermon from this morning
Paul said, "If at all possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all"...what does he mean?
We all long for the peaceable kin-dom where the lion lays down with the lamb...but sometimes the lamb isn't so sure how this might go.
Peace is a challenge. Peace is hard. Peace is risky.
Someone is coming to you this Advent season...in and through them will be revealed the One we are waiting for. Will you recognize him? Will you see her? Will you make room?
This morning we hear a personal testimony and story of gratitude from our Xplor Resident Valeria Bejar.
Full Thanksgiving Service with our Xplor Residents--Isaac, Katherine, and Valeria serving. So blessed to hear Val's personal testimony.
Sermon from this morning
The book of Ecclesiastes is all about realism. It's not Rosy tinted and it's not defeatist...but it is what it is. There are seasons of chaos and turmoil, joy and celebration, and everywhere in between...but too often we just chase after the wind when coping with the ups and downs of life. Instead of chasing after the wind, we need to invest our lives in the things that endure...
Sermon from this morning
Josh forgot his lunch and it put me in a parenting and existential crisis...consequences or forgiveness? Accountability or grace?
The prophets help us wrestle with the nature of God's relationship with us...conditional or unconditional? Both?
All Saints Sermon
What does it mean to be "Christian" in name only? How do we continue the legacy of saints in the past, building a Christ-like community?
Sermon from Sunday
The Prophet Amos challenges the people of God to prioritize the caring of the immigrant, the poor, the widow OVER the pious acts of worship. We are called to pull closer to the hurting, rather than "push the afflicted away." This was a challenge in Amos' time and our time.
What are some example of people being pushed out today? What is so hard about drawing closer? What does the life & ministry of Jesus teach us about pulling closer? Do I have to do it alone?
Sermon from this morning
Jonah receives God's grace and forgiveness with the gift of Dry Land...now what? Does this experience transform his heart and mind to extend God's love in the world? Or does it...well....do nothing much?
What do WE do with the gift of dry land?
Sermon from Sunday morning.
Thoughts and prayers gets a bad rap...sometimes fairly...sometimes not. For some it's a way of eschewing responsibility...but for Daniel, prayer directly confronts the powers. What is the role of prayer for people of faith in the world today?
Sermon from this morning
If you ever thought you had to be happy and all together to be a person of faith...you haven't met the Prophet Jeremiah (the Weeping Prophet). Jeremiah is called by God to speak a word in a difficult time and place and though he did trust God to be with him, he also goes through a lot of personal stuff. Jeremiah is not afraid or ashamed to speak to the heights of his delight and the depths of his despair. As we come to the Table we, too, bring both our faithfulness and our Brokenness. Be you and give it all to God who loves you and welcomes you.
Sermon delivered at our joint World Communion service by the Director of NBA Xplor, Bonnie Osei-Frimpong. We were blessed to hear her encouraging and challenging message about moving forward even if we know not where we are going.
My sermon from Sunday morning.
Last Sunday we celebrated my 10th anniversary at the Mantua Center Christian Church and I took that time to share a little bit about my personal call story and my call to Mantua Center. We have been abundantly blessed to serve this wonderful community for the last 10 years and I wanted to take time to give thanks.
Esther is a wonderful story of a young woman who makes an incredibly brave decision. There comes a point in time we need to go from fear to courage...but how do we do it?
Sermon from this morning
How much did the Queen of Sheba make an impact on Solomon? What is the connection between questions and wisdom? What is the role of questions in our Journey of faith? How many questions did Jesus ask in the gospel? What do Makeda and Solomon have to teach us?
Baptism Homily on a beautiful Sunday when seven children of God were baptized in water and Spirit.
Sermon from this morning on David and Goliath.
David & Goliath, Ancient Slingers, Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch... How do we deal with the giants in our lives? Maybe take a Sling and a Prayer....
When you look at people, neighborhoods, the world around you...what do you see first?
When Samuel was looking for the one he was to anoint as King...what did he see first? What does God see first? Why does it matter?
Does what we see first say something about who we are?
Sermon from this morning on Samuel and Eli
most of the time we see this story from Samuels side, but what about Eli? Within the story is heard a commentary on what we do with the power we have and how we respond when we hear a tough word. What kind of implications does this have socially, politically, religiously? What kind of difference does this make at home or with those we engage with on a daily basis? Eli's example is a tough one to follow.
Sermon from this morning.
The Hebrew word for Ruth means "friendship." How important are friendships in the community of faith? Why bother? What does "friendship" have to do with "doing church" and "being church?" Many thanks to my 3-year old niece Laney who inspired the sermon!
Sermon from this morning on one of the 10 Commandments: What does it mean to take the Lord's Name in vain?
What does The Fumble have to do with this scripture? (Yes, Browns fans I brought it up)
Is the commandment about refraining from saying OMG? Or is it like my Hiram Professor said when he claimed we couldn't even take the Lord's name even if we wanted to!
What does it mean to "take the Lord's Name in vain?
What does Liberation look like? The Exodus story shows beautifully and deeply that liberation is so very often not a smooth and beautiful process, but filled with difficulty, pain, and demands a great amount of courage.
Who in the world today is looking for liberation but between the Red Sea and the Chariots of Egypt?
Moses first says, "Here I am" then once he finds out its God speaking to him through the Burning Bush he says, "Who am I?" But...for what reason?
Perhaps it's feelings of worthiness...but perhaps he wonders if it's his fight to fight. If it doesn't directly affect us, do we feel like we have to get involved? This is an important question in our day and time as the church wonders about getting involved or not meddling in other people's affairs. So church...what's it going to be?
This morning sermon about Baby Moses and the extraordinary women of God who helped in the redemption of God's people.
2 different stories about babies floating down river? What does it mean for the church to go upstream? What is the difference between charity and justice?
In this sermon, Mary Taylor reminds us that this Sunday is a transition Sunday in the liturgical calendar, we also have many transitions in our lives. She reminds us that God is with us through all of it
Have you ever had something amazing...but didn't know what you had? For many of us the Holy Spirit is a nebulous "other", but the Spirit is still at work today in you and in me and in the church. What gifts has the Holy Spirit given you for ministry today?
Melissa is one of our Xplor Residents this year and brought her home church worship style to Mantua Center Christian Church. She is from San Benito, TX and goes to FCC Raymondville where her mom Rosie is the pastor. Here worship songs, prayers, and poetry as we celebrate moms and experience a new way to worship.