Ecclesia Houston on the West Side: Recent Episodes
Ecclesia Houston
In a world that primarily values commerce, the invitation to worship fully this advent season is an invitation to embrace a set of values that honor God above the market. Pastor Chris, through the book of Exodus and the story of Moses, invites us to embrace a season and life that worships God more fully.
Pastor Sean Palmer closes out our series on the Theology of the Body by discussing what it means to be the Body of Christ. Sean explains that we all have a connective call to the body of Christ that invites us to participate as our authentic selves.
Ericka Graham preached on the Mind’s role within the body, and reminded us that we all have unique minds that “come alive” in different ways. These minds were meant to be used on our Christian journey—both to imagine a Kingdom come (here on earth), and to focus our minds on the reality that is Christ. Together, we imagined what it would look like to love God with our entire heart, soul, and mind, and we recognized the ways in which these concepts are entangled (theologically) within our own bodies.
Pastor Wayne Brown continues our series around the Theology of the Body and explores the topic of sexuality. For many of us, our experience with this topic is connected to shame. Pastor Wayne aims to offer new insight and perspective for how we view our own sexuality and how we view other people.
Pastor Chris Seay begins our new series around "The Body" by asking the question "What is a Body for?" Pastor Chris explains that the body is the mechanism to express our soul and that we would enact in our bodies what God is doing in our souls.
Pastor Ryan Bien introduces us to poet & lyricist Fanny Crosby. Her prolific and influential songs and lyrics continue to impact generations of Christians and remind us that God’s response to sin is not punishment – God’s response to sin is Jesus.
Pastor Chris Seay takes a look at Communion. What does this tradition mean in our lives and the life of our community? Pastor Sean introduces us to a journalist named Sarah Miles, the founder and director of The Food Pantry. Her story leads us into a deeper understanding of Communion.
This week, Rochelle Palmer points us to the wisdom and teachings of an ancient mystic, Hildegard of Bingen (also known as Saint Hildegard). Through Hildegard’s “visions” that require an “embodied posture” towards spirituality, Rochelle uses the story of “The Good Samaritan” to remind us that we too, are called to worship our God with our entire body, and care for the entire bodies of others too—even if it means finding good in our “enemies.”
Author Annie Dillard asks this question in her book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek - “Why is there beauty?” Pastor Ryan Bien invites us into the writings and faith of Annie Dillard to urge us to go outside and become aware of the beauty around us. The pace of our lives often leaves us with little time to intentionally slow down and seek beauty.
Pastor Chris Seay continues our series looking at the voices of women of faith by looking to the words of Barbara Taylor Brown. Barbara’s words invite us to engage with the Bible by seeing ourselves in the stories of Scripture.
Ericka Graham continues our series highlighting the voices of women throughout the Christian tradition, and focuses on Elaine Padilla and her work, Divine Enjoyment: A Theology of Passion and Exuberance. Ericka weaves some of Elaine’s theology with quotes from women in the Houston area to help highlight the expansive and deep nature of joy. Ericka also points us towards some of Jesus’ words that encourages us to find joy, even in hard circumstances.
In a return to our new summer series, seeking wisdom from the stories and voices of women throughout the Christian tradition, Pastor Wayne Brown shares insights from the life and unique calling of Joni Eareckson Tada and the story of Jacob in Genesis; in both cases, journeys transformed by the reality of disability. A perspective often neglected, stories like that of Joni and so many others challenge the ableist assumptions within our culture (the church included), and are a resounding call to the vitality of vulnerability.
Pastor Chris Seay preaches from Uvalde in the wake of the deadly mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. As we process this horrific tragedy, and other recent events that have left us similarly shaken, Pastor Chris seeks guidance from the words of Jesus to prompt us into healthy and meaningful ways to respond as people of hope in the midst of such grief.
Pastor Chris Seay continues our new series exploring the vital stories and voices of women throughout the Christian tradition, inviting us to consider the tragic circumstances faced by Agnes of Rome. Through her story, and the teachings of Jesus, we are reminded that earthly pursuits do not sustain us, that time is precious, and that we worship a God who sees and joins us in places of pain.
Teaching Pastor Sean Palmer kicks off a series that we will be in for the summer where we focus on voices of women in the scriptures and the church. This week, he tells the story of Anna Spafford and how her life is a model for us on how to handle the pain and suffering we face in life.
On Mother’s Day, Rochelle Palmer shares the story of Sarai and Hagar from Genesis 16. She invites us to consider how God responds to us by expanding his love and extending his blessings and promise to everyone, everywhere.
Pastor Chris Seay teaches from Psalm 32; prompting us to look to the coming weeks, a summer unlike any we’ve experienced, as an invitation. This time of great disruption has reminded us of the gift and privilege that is our very breath, challenged many among us to repent of our part in systems of generational trauma, and encouraged us all to faithfully make steps into the work to which God has called us.
Pastor Sean Palmer continues our revisiting of the Rhythms of Ecclesia by considering the binding of Isaac, and the challenge faced by Abraham as he endeavored to faithfully Seek God. The God we seek is a God of love and promises kept, far removed from the idols and systems that ask us to sacrifice our own humanity, and that of others, at their false altars.
Though we continue to gather online in this season, it was a much needed time to be with one another following an incredibly painful week. Pastor Chris reminds us of our call as followers of Christ to live as one, with hands open in sharing God’s blessing, especially in a time such as this; asking the Holy Spirit to guide and use us in helping to mend the deep ruptures in our communities and the world.
We simply aren't used to being at home this much. As a friend of mine said, we are great at binge-watching anything but our kids. She meant that home, over time, has become a secondary place for us. After all, most of our waking hours are spent at work. But now the two have merged. And what if that's what it was all about? Not an idolization of "family," but home as the place where we learn to love as God invites us to love the world.
Pastor Chris Seay continues our series revisiting the foundational Rhythms of Ecclesia, casting a vision for Christian hospitality during a time in which it is a challenge to invite many into our homes. As followers of Jesus, we are to continue extending open arms to the world, always cultivating space for care, community, and growth.
People are experiencing and reporting higher and higher degrees of loneliness and disconnection — even as we spend more and more time with fewer people in our homes. Part of our loneliness is our general disconnection. Even before COVID-19, our lives mostly moved around one another rather than toward one another. Add to that increasing division via social media and we are not only disconnected, but contemptuous to our relationships.
This week, Pastor Sean introduces three powerful questions that the Apostle Paul revealed while he was locked away at home that will help make your relationships more whole.
Pastor Sean Palmer shares a rich and needed word on the true meaning of grace; our invitation into the deep and vibrant beauty God reveals through humble connection, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
When you're stuck at home it's easy to feel stuck. Add to that the chorus of voices in our culture saying that quarantine is the perfect time to finally write your book, launch a business, develop a new hobby, plus the opposing voices that remind us that we are in the middle of a pandemic and that just living through it all and maintaining our sanity is an accomplishment and it all equates to confusion.
But what if God is up to something powerful in the midst of us all staying-at-home? What if we are being invited to encounter the world differently, and the only way God could encourage us to embrace a great reboot was a complete shutdown?
As we celebrate the incredible women of our community and in our lives, Erica Graham offers a beautiful and personal word on the nature of God revealed not only through biological and familial mothers, but all who give tirelessly and fiercely of their protection, guidance, and nurturing care.
Mother’s Day is this weekend. And while Mother’s Day is not on the Liturgical Calendar, mothering is a calling, task, sacrifice, and surrender unlike few others. Regardless of who we are, through the hardships, joys, beauty and pain someone somewhere has mothered us. God, in fact describes God’s care and redirection as a mother. This week, we enter into mothering, a task that couldn’t be more opposite than distancing, and we see God mother us in love in the midst of it all.
Pastor Chris offers a reminder of the vitality of kindness as we face the difficult circumstances of this season. As we receive God’s kindness, and extend that kindness both to ourselves and those closest to us in this crisis, we find that it will begin to ripple outward in ways beyond anything we could expect or anticipate. Through the simplest act of kindness, you never know when and how someone may be drawn toward the heart of Christ.
If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then right now we have never been more fond of our friends. Many of us are discovering that we may have taken our friendship for granted or didn't appreciate them as much as we should. And maybe that's because friendship requires more of us than we've ever admitted. What if being a friend — a true friend — is more than hanging out and convenience, but rooted in covenant and commitment?
Pastor Chris invites us to consider honestly what God is revealing in us through the challenges of this season. Self-awareness is not self-absorption, and is vital for us to discern both the gifts God has given us, and also our opportunities to repent and renew, as together we navigate this troubled time. We hope you will continue to join us through whatever these weeks may hold. You are beloved.
Join Pastor Chris as he continues his series of conversations with friends serving around our nation and around the world, discussing the common call we share in response to this global pandemic, and exploring in depth some challenges that may be contextually unique. Today Chris speaks with Paul Unsworth, founder of Kahaila, a unique combination of cafe, church, and charity in east London.
Are you sensing that you need your friends and deeper friendships more now than ever before? Maybe you find yourself appreciating your existing relationships in ways you never thought you would. The scriptures call us to a kind of loving and relating with one another that is expansive and beyond what most people know and experience. In times of distancing, we need one another more than ever. Maybe the opportunity in this season is for you to lean in to bolder, deeper, more rewarding friendships.
As we continue to gather online, here is the weekend audio for you to revisit as we continue rejoicing in this very different Easter Season. Pastor Sean considers what jazz has to do with the story of King David, and the ways we choose to either live within or fight against God’s rhythm in the world.
Pastor Chris continues his series of conversations with friends serving around our nation and around the world, discussing the common call we share in response to this global pandemic, and exploring in depth some challenges that may be contextually unique. Chris’s guest today is David Gungor, a long-time friend of Ecclesia living in New York City.
We live - and have lived for a long while - in an age and culture of fear. Right now, with every day bringing us more and more fear-inducing news, it's almost impossible to not be afraid. But how do we approach and handle our fear? With shame? With embrace? And how do we walk the people closest to us through their fear? In this episode, we come close to the hope of Easter while living with very human fears.
We hope you were able to join us for our Resurrection celebration on Sunday. Here is the audio for you to revisit as you continue rejoicing in this very different Easter Season. Along with special messages from Sandra McCracken, Bob Goff, Propaganda, and David Gungor (& friends), we are offered an encouraging word from Pastor Chris. The truth of Christ’s Resurrection is beyond spacious enough to hold our questions and doubts; just ask believing Thomas.
Pastor Chris continues his series of conversations with friends serving around our nation and around the world, discussing the common call we share in response to this global pandemic, and exploring in depth some challenges that may be contextually unique. Today Chris talks with two friends from one of Ecclesia’s long-standing global partners.
We know more about more than ever before. We are constantly drawn to the busyness and hurriedness of life. All that busyness conspires to make us less-aware people. That lack of awareness is at the heart of disenchantment and relational distance. In the midst of a pandemic, with news constantly changing, we have never been more informed. But informed is not the same thing as aware. How often do we pause to consider what's right in front of us? What if a blessing of this really painful time is God's ability to bring forward our deep inattentiveness to the people God has given us to love and care for? What in your life would change if you were able to pay attention?
Though we remain in this season of physical distancing, we long to remain connected as a family, especially as we enter into Holy Week. On this Palm Sunday, Ericka Graham leads us with a timely word on Jesus’ not-so “triumphal” entry into Jerusalem, the faith we are called to summon in times of trial, and the ordinary acts of compassion that help us collectively to bridge the gap.
Pastor Chris continues his series of conversations with friends serving around our nation and around the world, discussing the common call we share in response to this global pandemic, and exploring in depth some challenges that may be contextually unique. Chris’s guests today are our dear friends from the Holy Land, Elisa Moed and Christina Samara.
Ferris was right, "life moves pretty fast," until it doesn't. In the midst of a pandemic, one of the first things we notice is that life doesn't always move that fast. Maybe we've been trained to move fast, but what does that speed mean? What does it do to us? What if we have been living at a pace that fundamentally disconnects from our deeper wants, truer selves, and the people God has given us?
Pastor Sean Palmer offers a needed reminder in this season of trial and confusion as we continue to face the fragility of the structures we have built as a people. We are reminded that in this life, we are granted only a foretaste of what we believe awaits; a taste which sustains us through any hardship and heartache. We pray that it is an encouraging word as we walk this road together.
For care and connection throughout the week, visit: ecclesiahouston.org/onlinecare
This is the first installment in a series of conversations that Pastor Chris will have with friends serving around our nation and around the world. They will discuss the common call we share in response to this global pandemic, and explore in depth some challenges that may be contextually unique. Chris’s first guest is our dear brother Marcelo Robles, Pastor of La Mision Church in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Around the world governments and health experts are urging people to
stayhome, and Shelter-In-Place orders are given every day. The world is
facing a pandemic few of us were prepared to face. While we love our families, we are not accustomed to being with the same people 24/7. What if the greatest temptation is not what we think it is? What if the greatest temptation isn't being with one another, but to abandon one another even while we're in their presence?
As the world continues to grapple with the vast effects of this pandemic, we are all learning to gather and care for one another in new ways. Pastor Chris invites us to consider our identity as God’s beloved children ; trusting that we will be provided for, and the ways in which we will be a part of that provision for others.
For care and connection throughout the week, visit: ecclesiahouston.org/onlinecare
COVID-19 is presenting us all with challenges and obstacles we could never have imagined. We are now forced into new realities; relational, financial, emotional, and spiritual. For followers of Jesus, how do we hold this space with life, grace, and perhaps more importantly, peace? This week, we take a look at time, and how Israel’s greatest leader, Moses, can guide us.
Responding to the challenging and rapidly developing circumstances surrounding the spread of COVID-19, members of our family across the globe gathered largely in our living rooms as we came to worship and commune together in a new way. Pastor Chris invites us to consider how the church is uniquely called to step into this season: in the care of our neighbors, and those most vulnerable in our city and beyond.
For continued updates, stay tuned to ecclesiahouston.org/online
Pastor Sean Palmer continues our series on signs in the Gospel of John with a vital word for our family; telling the story of the blind beggar healed by Jesus, and his questioning by the Pharisees which followed. Sean unpacks how Jesus invites all of us to see the world differently.
This week, Pastor Chris Seay walks us through the story in John 8 where Jesus interacts with a woman caught in the act of adultery. He connects this story to Jesus’ “I am the Light of the World” statement, and helps us see how when we follow Jesus, we will never walk in darkness.
Pastor Chris Seay shares an update on our ongoing partnership with local churches caring for the countless many still displaced along the Venezuelan border. As we look ahead to the season of Lent; forty days of prayer and temptation following Jesus in the desert, Pastor Chris & Pastor Sean Palmer help us ask how we are called to enter into and be transformed by rhythms of fasting. Our hope is for you to join us in pulling away from our excesses, living simply, and gathering our resources to continue making a place at the table for all.
Pastor Chris Seay continues our series on signs in the Gospel of John with the story of the feeding of the five thousand. The disciples were faced with a problem to which they had no solution, but a young boy had enough faith to offer his five loaves and two fish, and Jesus performed a miracle. Instead of worrying about the future, we can learn to trust God to provide enough faith for the day in front of us and the challenges it will bring.
Pastor Wayne Brown continues our series on signs in the Book of John by leading us through the story of Jesus healing the official's son. In Jesus we receive the transforming message that we are dearly loved, powerful, and forgiven. We see that our words have the power to bring life, to heal, and to give hope.
It was a great joy to welcome our brother AJ Sherrill to teach this weekend at our West Side campus. In an age of deep division, especially this year, how is the church called to be a citizenship of healers able to point toward the ways we see Heaven and Earth converging at the horizon line?
Ericka Graham invites us into the gospel message that we are accepted as sinners and redeemed as saints because of God’s love. Join us as we follow Jesus through the Book of John and focus on the calling God has planned for each of us.
Pastor Chris leads us into the new year with Jesus‘ first miracle in the Gospel of John. Through the lens of this story, Chris takes a look at the problem of codependency and invites us into a better, more healthy way of viewing ourselves and others.
Pastor Wayne Brown continues our series on signs in the Book of John by leading us through the story of the healing at Bethesda. Jesus has great compassion for us as we navigate the pain in our lives. We learn that feeling pain is what gives us the ability to walk, and our willingness to share our pain with others allows us to walk in hope with others.
Sean Palmer invites us into the beautiful, life-changing encounter between Jesus and the Woman at the Well. Through this story, we see the way that Jesus unconditionally loves us in the midst of our shame and pain to bring freedom and a new path forward.
This week, Community Pastor Jim Doremus walks us through the difference between heroes and celebrities. Jim also invites two members of his small group to share their story as an example of some real life heroes.
In this season of expectation, Campus Pastor Wayne Brown reminds us that a baby changes everything and calls us to worship fully. Jesus’ birth changes and challenges the kingdoms of our life and calls us into transformation and humility. Also, Wayne gives an update on two important projects in the life of our church. We are joined by musical guests the African’s Children Choir, our friends and water partners in Uganda. To support water projects with the African’s Children Choir visit ecclesiahouston.org/advent.
Pastor Chris Seay takes us through the years of our work with clean water and the impact we’ve been able to make with your generosity. We also hear from our brother Marcelo Robles, a pastor in Argentina, about our latest water project. After the video, Pastor Wayne Brown explains more about how the gift of clean water transcends and blesses generations of people. If you want to give to our clean water projects click here.
Pastor Chris Seay leads us as we continue our Advent journey, drawing from scripture and the wisdom of the inimitable Fred Rogers. By committing to authentic presence and intentional pace, embracing the power of forgiveness and vulnerability, and taking on our shared responsibility to care for countless of God’s beloved in need, this sacred season has the potential to transform our relationship with our coming Savior.
On this first Sunday of Advent, Pastor Sean Palmer shows us how Matthew, beginning with the lineage of Jesus, reveals much that we could easily miss in our day and age. He particularly focuses on the story of Judah and Tamar to highlight why Jesus teaches the way he does, and why he responds in many situations to show grace to people who are typically excluded.
Pastor Chris Seay offers an important update on our partnership with Iglesia Cristiana para la Frontera along the Venezuelan and Colombian border in helping to meet many needs related to the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and our continued call to our family in the region. Please watch the video if you missed it, and hear Chris’ follow-up at 26:05 of the audio. To access the most up-to-date impact report of our involvement, click here.
Pastor Sean Palmer continues our series exploring the lives and wisdom of important figures in Christian history, sharing what he has learned from the example of Henri Nouwen as he examines our relationship to power. Power sought or abused will never satisfy. It is in giving up our love of power, and taking on the power of love, that we become people that humbly give and receive rather than those who tirelessly grasp.
Pastor Chris shares wisdom and insight from missiologist, theologian, and pastor Leslie Newbigin which changed his understanding of the church and have been invaluable in shaping the ethos of Ecclesia. The Gospel is good news for everyone, calling us into the culture to share it; not to cling to the supposed “safety” of our own religious circles. God’s mission is everywhere, and you are called to be a part of it.
Sarah Seabrook shared vulnerably from her own story of battling intense anxiety, and asked us to consider the areas of our lives that may be similarly affected by living in an age of ever-increasing commotion and confusion. When we are reminded of the truth of our identity, as beloved children invited to lay our worries in the care of God, we begin to regain our solid footing.
Pastor Sean offers up the redemptive works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and shares insight into the power of our own stories. When we know and share our stories with others, it changes the way we engage with those around us.
Pastor Chris Seay uses many of the teachings of John Calvin to help us understand our role in this world. He reminds us that we are all priests and have the privilege to embody and display the love of Jesus to everyone we encounter in our work, neighborhood, family and beyond.
Pastor Sean Palmer shares a critical word from the Book of Acts and the teachings of Jean Vanier. Community is messy, and it is vital. We need one another.
This week, our sister Ericka Graham shares insights from from the Book of Jonah. The tiny book in the Hebrew Scriptures has the potential to change the way we engage the world around us, giving us the capacity to see God in everything and everyone we encounter.
Pastor Wayne Brown continues our series considering the lives of important figures throughout Christian history. The faithfulness and sacrifice modeled by Dietrich Bonhoeffer show us who the Church is called to be in the face of bigotry and injustice; a call to embody a faith of courage and empathy.
This week, our dear brother Scott Erickson shares from the Sermon on the Mount, the life of St Patrick and many pop culture images. He uses these to start a conversation about what Jesus meant when he told his followers that “he is the way.”
Pastor Sean Palmer offers a convicting challenge, asking each of us to assess the ways we are blind to, benefit from, or participate in the injustices of our world. Considering the words of Jesus and the prophets, Sean urges us to embrace our tireless call to the work of Kingdom justice, even when doing so may carry a heavy cost.
This week, Pastor Chris takes a look at the life and theology of Martin Luther. We look at formative passages and thoughts he articulated in the 16th century to help us understand how we can be the church in our world today.
As we look back two years following Hurricane Harvey, and look ahead to the ways we remain called to love and serve within the relationships that God has provided, Pastor Chris Seay shares some important updates on some of these stories. The invitation is for us all to consider how we are to continue engaging together as a community, blessing and resourcing our brothers and sisters both in Houston and around the world.
Pastor Chris Seay continues leading a conversation that will unfold through this season on the distinct nature and call of the Church. Considering the prayers of Jesus and the unique teachings of Jeremiah Burroughs, Chris suggests some of the ways we find unity and cooperation within our great diversity, that certain doctrinal differences need not divide us, and that our differences in fact enrich our family.
Pastor Sean Palmer tells the story of Thérèse of Lisieux, and the “little way” that guided her faith. He asks us to consider the unique and vital gifts that God has given each of us, and how they might be used in every seemingly small but impactful way as a blessing to the collective body of Christ.
Pastor Chris is back! Sharing insights gained from his recent sabbatical, Chris begins a conversation that will continue to form over the coming months around the identity of the Church. If the Body of Christ is truly to be God’s primary instrument of hope for the world, it will because we are not passive observers, but are actively rooted and bearing fruit as we seek instead to be the Church.
Our dear brother and friend Dr. Greg Garrett shares this week about how Jesus invites us to work towards reconciliation in our relationships. He shares specifically how prejudice and hate fracture our world, and how Jesus is actively making things whole and new and gives us the ministry of reconciliation.
Pastor Sean Palmer offers a convicting challenge, inviting us to wrestle with our relationship to the particular sin of avarice; the attachment to money and things which leaves us with a desire that is never satisfied. When we always want more, we are never content with enough, and hold all the more tightly to what we have in ways that isolate us from community and participation in God’s Kingdom.
Ericka Graham enters the parables of the lost in Luke 15, and invites us to consider the ways that God meets us in the midst of our longings and all that may feel less than whole. We are a people called to return home from our places of isolation, ever back into the kind of communion with one another that offers healing and belonging, and into God’s waiting and ever-present embrace.
This week, our sister Margaret Feinberg invites us to enter into life’s struggles to find the God who suffered for us so that we can find healing. When God may not be healing us in one area, he may be unexpectedly healing us in other ways. The imagery in the Bible of food like grapes and olive oil help evoke the beautiful flavor of Christ that God desires to bring to the surface in challenging seasons.
Our dear brother Gideon Tsang joined us once again; offering a reflection on God’s creative artistry, and the needed reminder of the loving gaze with which we are seen, even as we are prone to resist God’s affection.
Gideon serves as a member of the pastoral team of Vox Veniae in Austin.
This week, Campus Pastor Wayne Brown kicks off a new sermon series called “Voices from Culture.” After taking his kids to see Toy Story 4, Wayne talks through some of the major themes in the Toy Story franchise and ties them to how we hear and know the voice of God all around us.
Pastor Chris Seay looks back upon both the history and present of Ecclesia, and our call as a church family to remain a compassionate and committed presence with the youngest among us as they grow into relationship with Jesus. Chris’ daughter Hanna shares how her experience of growing up here has uniquely shaped her call, and we consider how we engage with each of the Rhythms of Ecclesia for the sake of all of our kids.
Pastor Sean Palmer continues our series considering the Celtic way of evangelism; entering into an important chapter in the life of the early church. Just as the Jews and Gentiles of the time had to learn how to live and worship together, we continue to navigate our own differences, and the expectations and burdens we wrongly place on others seeking a relationship with Jesus.
Pastor Wayne Brown continues our consideration of the Celtic Way of evangelism, sharing a message on the logos (form), pathos (passion), and ethos (essence) that guides us in our engagement with those we are called to invite into deeper communion with God and one another.
Teaching Pastor Sean Palmer continues our series on the Celtic Way of Evangelism. More than attempting to “convert” someone into a specific belief or way of thinking, it is when we commit to simple rhythms of invitation, vulnerability, fellowship, and sincere conversation that relationships are deepened and lives are changed.
This week, Pastor Mitzi Mak continues our series on The Celtic Way of Evangelism. She explores the Celtic concept of a “soul friend” and shares from her own life how powerful it is to create a space where people know they are loved, and that they belong before they ever believe the same things we do on their journey towards faith.
Pastor Chris Seay introduces a new series on the Celtic Way of Evangelism. Through the story of St. Patrick, we are offered a glimpse of the kind of transformation and sharing of faith to which we are also called. As we meet others authentically and compassionately in the midst of their own stories and contexts, the presence of God will be revealed, and a new or renewed relationship with Jesus will be made possible.
Pastor Sean Palmer invites us to continue embodying the narrative of the Resurrection. Though there remains much that cannot be undone, there is a great deal that can be redone as we seek healing, with God’s leading, in our lives and relationships.
Pastor Chris Seay shares a message from Mexico City on our call to engagement as a church in many ways; locally, globally, and historically. Following Jesus will always lead us into places that others might deem “unsanitary”, but are where the Gospel thrives. Pastor Stephen Brown follows with an invitation into particular ways to serve alongside partners both in CDMX, and here at home in Houston.
This week, our sister Ericka Graham, walks us through how to resurrect meaning out of the mundane. To find beauty, grace, truth, and the sacred in the ordinary and how this transforms us and all of creation to be on fire with the goodness of God.
Pastor Chris Seay leads us from beside the Sea of Galilee to teach of a loving encounter the disciples experience with Jesus following the Resurrection; and then here at home to consider the Easter invitation that liberates us from shame and judgement, urging us toward lives shaped fully by God’s love. We’re also joined by our good friend, Propaganda, who shares his gift as we celebrate. Ecclesia, we love you. He is risen!
This week, Sean Palmer walks us through our last week of Lent and in our series of “In the Desert.” He guides us through some passages that remind us that God leads us into the desert and into the struggles. And he reminds us that sometimes the reason we are wrestling with God, struggling with circumstances, is because God led us there to bless us.
Pastor Chris Seay teaches from the Gospel of Luke; considering Jesus’ call for us to rid our lives of greed and anxiety and to be ready to respond at all times. He shares heartbreaking stories from the ground along the Venezuelan border, and shares the opportunity that we have to partner with efforts to address vital needs surrounding the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.
Join us as we continue engaging in rhythms of worship, prayer, and contemplation throughout this journey of Lent. As we begin to see Easter on the horizon, we consider the stillness of the desert, and are reminded that God’s love and provision is never dependent on our striving and activity. We are loved, you are loved, just as you are.
Our good brother Gideon Tsang shared this weekend with us from Exodus 3. He walked us through how we can mature and grow in this Lenten season and some practices to pick up to help us listen to our lives and the places in our lives where we need to mature.
Gideon serves the community of Vox Veniae in Austin, TX
Pastor Sean Palmer invites us to continue our Lenten journey through the desert; sharing the story of Hagar and asking us to consider that, wherever we might find ourselves in the wilderness, God sees and is with us at every step.
As we consider life in the desert, the invitation to continue in a season of scarcity and contemplation, join us in this opportunity to pray and reflect together as a community, seeking God’s guidance through this forty day journey of Lent. In the solitude, may we rest in the faith that we are never alone.
This week, Ericka Graham takes us further into the desert during Lent. In the desert, we face demons, temptations, vices and evil. And just as the Tempter left Jesus for another opportune time, we have the chance to face our temptations again and be stronger for it.
Pastor Wayne Brown invites us in this season of Lent to examine and embrace our failure with the confidence that God will restore us. Jesus encouraged Peter by letting him know that he would recover from his failure and become a source of strength for others close to him. How can we use our journey through the desert to bring hope to others?
As we consider life in the desert, the invitation to enter into a season of scarcity and contemplation, join us in this opportunity to pray and reflect together as a community, and to seek God’s guidance as we enter this forty day journey of Lent. In the silence, may our ears be tuned to hear God in new ways.
Pastor Chris invites us to participate in a few rhythms that can lead us toward healthy change in this Lenten season. In preparation for Easter, we are remembering the words of the Prophet Isaiah, who reminds us that God is preparing something new, a way through the desert. How might God be leading you to lean into examining your rhythms this week?
Pastor Sean Palmer leads us this weekend as we reflect on the roadmap towards reconciliation. What does it look like to forgive someone when they have sinned against us, offended us, or done something wrong?
It can actually be a good thing to have disagreements, but sometimes the temptation is to not have conflict about things that matter. How we handle conflict demonstrates how we love and if we love.
Join us as we learn to embrace the call to reconcile, redeem and seek those we shall forgive.
Continuing our series on Love, Pastor Chris provides the context for the most popular and well known verse in the Bible, John 3:16. On the heels of being in the Holy Land for several weeks, Chris shows us how Jesus very intentionally always loved the outsider and taught us to do the same.
It was a great joy to welcome Dr. Richard Beck to our West Side campus, who asked us to consider Jesus’ encounter with a leper in which the “unclean” man was met with a love that reached across boundaries; an encounter in which the promise of relationship preceded healing. We’re called to name the places of disgust and contempt that lead us to create an other, and ask God to help change our hearts into a radically different way of loving.
Pastor Chris Seay continues our series of conversations on love; exploring love as the antithesis and antidote for fear. When we truly receive God’s love and embrace in faith that the saving work of Christ has liberated us from shame and condemnation, our hearts and lives open up to love vulnerably, boldly, and courageously.
Pastor Jim Doremus leads us to consider the willingness of Jesus to cross barriers to love people for who they are. In order to do this well, we should consider taking time to pray, place others first, and be committed to listen well. How might God be inviting you to take a risk to love someone for the sake of the gospel?
Pastor Sean Palmer continues our series that will unfold in the coming weeks as we consider our call to greater love, directed by the love we first receive from God. In a world that views many Christians as a core part of the problem, in a culture shaped by “me first”, the only solution is the tireless commitment to love first; even and especially when it’s not easy.
Ericka Graham invites us into a conversation on the rhythms of God’s expansive love. Our compassionate and loving God knows us, empathizes with us, and chooses to include us. In our most challenging moments, God lowers himself to join us. How can we choose empathy this week to fuel connection with a loved one?
As we prepare to enter into a new year, Pastor Wayne Brown invites us to remember that we can bring our authentic self before God and that he can forgive us and make us whole again.
God speaks to us saying, “I love you, I set you free.” As we reflect on the ups and downs of this year, what rhythms will help us grow closer to God?
On this final Sunday of Advent, Pastor Chris Seay teaches from the first epistle of John, and our call to live with a pattern of gracious love for all; evidenced by way we care for those in need. Whether in Argentina, Zambia, or here in our own city, and everywhere in between, we are to be the hands and feet of our Savior; the active presence of a love that has no boundaries. If you’re accessing this via our iTunes podcast feed, please view the full video portion at ecclesiahouston.org/liturgy
During this final week of Advent, we invite you to join us in a rhythm of pause and reflection as we continue to consider our call to be radically changed by the arrival of Jesus into the world. Join us as we reflect on what it means to love all; to widen our tables to reflect the expansive love of God and the incarnate example of our Savior. We pray that this collection of music, prayer, and meditation will be a blessing and encouragement to you this week.
Pastor Wayne Brown leads us in our continued journey through Advent as we anticipate the coming of Jesus. As we consider what it means to give more in this season, we are invited to remember that the best gift we can give is to show up and be present. When was the last time you were physically present, but your mind and soul were not?
Pastor Sean Palmer leads us into an Advent season of great expectation as we anticipate Jesus’ coming and seek to worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all. Sean invites us to consider how we might spend less in this season, to ask ourselves what is “enough”, and to commit to rhythms of limitation and simplicity that allow us to share even more as a family with communities in great need from the abundance that God has provided.
As this sacred season of Advent continues, we invite you to pause and join us in rhythms of reflection on the coming of our Savior. Over the coming weeks, we will consider our renewed call to be radically changed by the arrival of Jesus into the world. As we seek to spend less, may we embrace the identity of a people of abundance, and not scarcity. We pray that this collection of music, prayer, and meditation would be a blessing and encouragement to you this week.
Pastor Chris invites us to consider what true worship looks like in this season of Advent. In this season as we welcome the birth of Jesus, join us in putting the focus of back on our Savior.
What are a few tangible things that you can praise God for in this season?
As we prepare for the sacred season of Advent, we invite you to pause and join us in rhythms of reflection on the coming of our Savior. Over the coming weeks, we will consider our renewed call to be radically changed by the arrival of Jesus into the world; a divine interruption. We pray that this collection of music, prayer, and meditation would be a blessing and encouragement to you this week.
Our beloved brother Gideon Tsang joined us once again, asking the question of what it means to be rooted. As Christ remains (roots) in us, we must ask: Where are our lives rooted? With whom are we rooted? What resistance do we feel towards planting ourselves fully where God has placed us? May God speak to you uniquely through this invitation to stillness, contemplation, and participation.
Gideon serves the community of Vox Veniae in Austin, TX
Pastor Chris Seay continues our conversation from last week; sharing stories of hope from the migrant caravan in Mexico City, and looking ahead toward what we pray will be a deeply transformative season of Advent. As we seek to be a people who worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all, what might we rediscover as we give ourselves fully to the invitation of these sacred weeks of anticipation and longing?
Pastor Sean Palmer invites us to consider what it means to respond in hope, focusing on the model of Jesus to be known for what we are for and not simply what we are against.
We also hear from Pastor Chris Seay, who shares stories and a message of hope from Mexico City, where thousands of migrant travelers rested on their journey to escape violence and oppression in Central America. As Ecclesia answers an invitation to show hospitality and love to these brothers and sisters, where are the places in our lives where we can enter in and bring hope into the darkness?
Pastor Chris Seay continues a conversation we began last week on the vitality of hope in our journey with God and one another. When we have a living hope, we can trust in God’s plans even in times of difficulty and despair, gain vision for a long and unfolding story, and open our hearts in greater gratitude and worship as God meets and sees us where we are.
Pastor Sean Palmer offered a message on the vitality of hope in a time of inescapable anxiety. In facing the inevitability of loss, death, and disappointment, will we be a people who are ruled by fear and anxiety, or will we find rest in a hope that is living and expectant; in the confidence that our God truly cares for us?
Pastor Wayne Brown taught from the story of God encountering Moses in a burning bush. As Moses draws closer, God calls Moses by name and calls him into a new adventure with a promise that he will never leave him. In similar fashion, Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit on his disciples with the new mission to boldly forgive the sins of others. Where might God be calling us to encounter Him this week?
Rachael Clinton invited us to consider the great lengths to which God will go to bring us peace and comfort. God longs to meet us in the difficult spaces of our life. He desires to meet us right where we are. As God comforts us in our troubles, He can give us the strength to comfort others as well.
You can find more resources from the team at The Allender Center HERE
Pastor Chris Seay taught from the story of King David, and shared about many of the ways God has provided in abundance as we have sought to eliminate the debt at our Downtown campus. This freedom allows our family all the more opportunity to seek God’s will in serving our city and communities around the world. In times such as these, we are called to jubilant celebration.
Pastor Sean Palmer invites us to consider our view of leadership, and what it requires to become someone whose example is worth following. As we learn from Moses (and Black Panther), leaders are driven by burden rather than bluster, leaders are called to choose courage, and that each and every one of us is called to embrace the unique responsibility of leading in our circles of influence.
Pastor Chris Seay (with assists from Schindler’s List and Dr. Maya Angelou) asked us to consider what a life is worth. When we truly see ourselves as God has declared us to be, the way we care for our bodies, the ways we work and give, and the ways we are called to remind others of their importance to this world are all radically changed.
Pastor Sean Palmer reminds us that God's story is, and always has been, a love story. Sean shares the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, and pieces of the film based upon their marriage, to illustrate the kind of patient, tough, and expansive love to which we are called as a people in Christ.
This week a year ago, Hurricane Harvey devastated the city of Houston. In this message, Pastor Chris Seay leads us in reflecting on the many ways Ecclesia responded to love our city in the midst of its pain and trauma. Throughout the stories of our community, we are able to witness the local church be the hope of the world. Ecclesia, may you go out this week knowing you are rescued and beloved by our Father.
Ericka Graham shared with us a truth-telling story from her life about accepting the grace that comes with being part of the Kingdom of Heaven. Grace can often be humbling to accept because it means that we are accepted for who we are today by our Creator who chooses to have a relationship with us. We are received by grace not when we have things figured out, but today in our brokenness. Anne Lamott writes that, “Grace meets us where we are, but does not leave us where it found us.” Ericka reminded us that when we receive undeserved love, we are more likely to give it.
Pastor Chris shared reflections on one of his favorite films, Steven Spielberg's Amistad, and asked us to reconsider how we engage with scripture. Are we reading the Bible solely to learn "facts", or are we immersing ourselves in a rich and living library that is overflowing with story, poetry, and shared history? Through his word, God tells us who we are, and invites us to embrace our truest identity as beloved children, that we would faithfully live out our part of the story.
This weekend, Sean Palmer led us into a discussion of power and love through the lens of Paul’s letter to Philemon. Onesimus was a former slave of Philemon who had run away. Onesimus met Paul while he was in prison and becomes like a son to Paul. Paul appeals to Philemon to treat his former slave as a brother in Christ. Are we willing to change our worldview in order to see people how God sees them?
Pastor Chris Seay shared his reflections on the film and story of Les Misérables, which depicts God's welcoming arms and loving mercy with truth and beauty. We are recipients of radical and undeserved grace. Will our hearts harden in shame like Javert, or like Jean Valjean will our lives be transformed as we turn our will over to God, humbled by the enormity of this gift?
This weekend in our gatherings, teaching pastor Sean Palmer reminded us of the importance of community and how we are not meant to follow Jesus in solitude. Our invitation is to know others and be known by them, allowing the depth of our relationship, service, and hospitality to grow. May we all accept this invitation to greater communion with one another.
Our sisters from Spring Spirit shared their mission and vision and invited us as a community to participate in mutually transforming mentoring relationships. Learn more at their website.
Our sister Stephanie Hruzek shared on the mission and vision of Family Point Resources and invited us as a community to participate through holy play, encouragement, and mentoring. Learn more at their website.
Pastor Sean Palmer taught us on theological foundations about prayer and our relationship to God, as reflected in the film Bruce Almighty. In the Scriptures we find that we are called to relate to God as Divine Friend. Prayer is the means by which we honestly communicate with the Divine Friend, and line up our wishes ever more with God's wishes.
Pastor Titus Benton continues our conversation about loving our neighbors by directing our attention to the immigrant and refugee populations among us. He reminds us that throughout time, God has overseen the great migrations of His people. In a city where so many diverse groups of people being brought to the church's doorstep, how we will respond in a way that Christ calls us to?
Pastor Titus Benton casted vision for us this week about what it may look like for us to love our neighbors in West Houston. He encouraged us that faithful servants are those who know what they have, know it isn't theirs, and pour it out for the good of others. Titus suggested that in order to be faithful servants, we need to be ready to relationally investand seek diversity.
Pastor Chris Seay shares with us about the importance of embodying our six Rhythms of Ecclesia globally. As a church we believe in being a community in Houston that is real, kind, seeks God, seeks beauty, serves others, and is hospitable. Pastor Chris shares stories with us about the ways Puerto Rican brothers and sisters are living out the Rhythms in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
Pastor Sean Palmer taught on the "Hero's Journey", and what Batman has to do with spiritual formation. God has given his people a call to action and to discipleship; modeled to us by a Savior who came to us incarnate in a most unassuming and unremarkable form.
Pastor Chris Seay leads us in a reflection on The Princess Bride and Christ's words about loving our enemies. Christ teaches us the only way to end the cycle of violence in the world: choosing forgiveness over revenge. When we choose revenge, we find not only that we continue the cycle in the world but also in our own hearts, as retaliation is futile method in finding peace.
Pastor Chris Seay leads us in a history of Ecclesia and casts vision for us as a West Houston Holistic Christian Missional Community.
Pastor Chris Seay calls upon all in our Ecclesia family to serve in some particular ways as we continue to grieve with all those touched by the shooting at Santa Fe High School. We are called to respond as those covered in the grace and mercy of our Savior, to transform shame, especially in the lives of young people in vulnerable circumstances.
Pastor Jim Doremus closed our series in Exodus with a moving message about the legacy of Moses' life. We each carry a "backpack" with us, holding all the pieces of our lives — faith, family history, failures and successes. If, like Moses, we learn to submit to God in humility, we’ll find God weaves all of these threads together more remarkably than we could have imagined.
Pastor Chris Seay continues our series in the Exodus as we examine how we can miss out on life by hardening our hearts to God. When we allow our lives to become routine, we do not stop to mourn or celebrate and we lose empathy. Our call to action is to rely on God daily, pursue daily adventure, live well, chase our passion and feel the joy & pain of others.
This week, it was a treat to have Dr. Craig Detweiler, president of the Seattle School, with us. Craig talked about the profound impact that technology has had in the life of God's people since Creation, and the tension we face of it being both a beautiful gift and a dangerous curse. Craig encouraged us to embrace technology to expand the church's horizons, while also learning the power of powering off.
Pastor Sean Palmer returned to our ongoing series in the Exodus. He invites us to consider the excuses we make and the ways we settle for just "good enough", when God is calling us to more; the true promised land that can only be entered when we're willing to commit through the inevitable hardships along the way.
This week, Pastor Chris Seay reminded us of the importance of a grateful heart and the danger of an ungrateful one. When we focus on what we don't have and complain about what we do — like the Israelites in the wilderness grumbling about manna — we undermine our belief that God knows what is best for us. Instead, the call is to be present to what God has given us with a joyful spirit. Only then can we find true peace.
Pastor Chris Seay shares a message from the home of our World Champion Houston Astros; casting vision for the season ahead, and the opportunities we have to cultivate and deepen relationships as we provide hospitality and invite others into the stories that God is writing in our midst.
Pastor Titus Benton continued our Exodus series into this Easter season with a striking message about the book of Exodus: The book isn't so much about an exodus as it is about God's presence. God is not only beside us but God, like in the tabernacle, dwells inside of us in the Holy Spirit. God is always with us.
Pastor Chris Seay offers an Easter message from Magdala on the Sea of Galilee about the vital roles of women in the Resurrection narrative. What do the experiences of Mary the Mother, Salome, and Mary Magdalene have to teach us about strength in trauma, the support offered by women in our own lives, and our call to pass on our stories of faith? We're also joined by writer/speaker Amena Brown, who shares a story of an important woman in her life, and the profound gift of her spoken word poetry.
Pastor Chris Seay continues our Lenten series with a message about our forgetfulness. As we return to the Eucharist, tell our stories, and mark our lives and surroundings in remembrance, we are reminded of God's unfailing love and deliverance. Our sister Erika Graham followed up with a message about the reality of being spiritually awake: when we're awake, any work we do is sacred and serves as a reminder of the living God.
Pastor Titus Benton reminded us in this Lenten season that God's rules aren't so much strict moral guidelines as they are an invitation to a transforming relationship of freedom. God's people have a choice — either take no other gods, or choose to be enslaved by whatever else they worship.
Guest preacher Nancy Ortberg shares a much needed word on the unique witness of the Church in a divided world. When we truly embrace our unity in and under God, stop comparing, and simply serve one another, lives are transformed in ways that we can never predict or anticipate.
Pastor Chris Seay continued our Lenten series in the story of the Exodus; sharing an important and heartfelt word on God's desire for intimacy with us. We've been raised to merely follow rules, when what God truly wants from us is relationship.
Pastor Titus Benton kicked off the first Sunday of Lent by challenging us to take the first step in moving from captivity to freedom. Like the Israelites at the shores of the Red Sea, we must choose to break camp and move forward from the destructive patterns of sin that often enslave us.
Pastor Chris Seay begins a conversation that we pray will guide us through the upcoming season of Lent. Chris challenges us to make the weeks ahead an exodus from the pharaohs that have taken hold of our hearts and lives. Pastor Jim Doremus followed up and encourages us that we are wired for growth, armed and able with the Holy Spirit and a community of support.
This week, our brother Jack Wisdom reminds us that loving enemies is not merely a part of the Gospel; it is the Gospel. As we seek to follow in the Way of Jesus, we must learn to make a daily practice of forgiveness.
Pastor Chris Seay closes our study of Nehemiah, inviting us to lives of full worship. When worship is not a daily rhythm enlivened by honest and consistent practice, we begin to view it as merely a sequestered section of our life. We don't have a religious life and a real life; we only have a life.