Ridiculous Love from Left Hand Church: Recent Episodes
Left Hand Church
Welcome to the Ridiculous Love podcast from Left Hand Church. Whether you attend our Longmont-based services, or tune in on-line, we’re so glad that you’re here as part of our funky and fully-affirming church today.
As you listen to the episodes, we hope it will be a reminder that the love of God is bigger, more inclusive and filled with more grace than any of us can imagine. There is, truly, room for us all here.
You can also tune into our live-stream services on our church Facebook page every Sunday at 5pm MST for great music and original teachings.
Join us for our 128th episode, titled, "The Soul: The Realm of Resonance, Depth and Awe."
Join us as we wrap up our Spring Progressive Theology Book Study with a special message from the author, Colby Martin.
Join us as we wrap up our dive into our Spring Progressive Theology Book Study with a community-wide read of The Shift: Surviving and Thriving after Moving from Conservative to Progressive Christianity by Colby Martin. This week, we will finish up by covering chapters 10-12.
Our Spring Progressive Thology Book Study is on The Shift: Surviving and Thriving after Moving from Conservative to Progressive Christianity by Colby Martin. This week, we are covering Chapters 7-9.
Join us as we dive into our spring Progressive Theology Book Study with a community-wide read of The Shift: Surviving and Thriving after Moving from Conservative to Progressive Christianity by Colby Martin.
We will be teaching on our book selection in four sermons from 3/19 - 4/23. Buy a book and read with us or show up and come along for the ride.
3/19: Intro - Chapter 3
3/26: Chapters 4-6
4/2: Palm Sunday
4/9: Easter
4/16: Chapters 7-9
4/23: Chapters 10-12
Join us as we dive into our spring Progressive Theology Book Study with a community-wide read of The Shift: Surviving and Thriving after Moving from Conservative to Progressive Christianity by Colby Martin.
We will be teaching on our book selection in four sermons from 3/19 - 4/23. Buy a book and read with us or show up and come along for the ride.
3/19: Intro - Chapter 3
3/26: Chapters 4-6
4/2: Palm Sunday
4/9: Easter
4/16: Chapters 7-9
4/23: Chapters 10-12
This week, we look at the story of Jephthah's daughter and the power of mourning and celebrating in community.
This week we will be covering Chapter 3 of the book "Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time" by Marcus Borg.
This week we will be covering chapter 2 of "Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time" by Marcus Borg.
We're running our Fall book study a little differently this year! Paula will be teaching on our book selection in sermons from 10/16 - 11/13.
About the Book: Meeting Jesus Again For The FIrst Time by Marcus Borg
Of the many recent books on the historical Jesus, none has explored what the latest biblical scholarship means for personal faith. Now, in Meeting Jesus Again For The First Time, Marcus Borg addresses the yearnings of those who want a fully contemporary faith that welcomes rather than oppresses our critical intelligence and openness to the best of historical scholarship. Borg shows how a rigorous examination of historical findings can lead to a new faith in Christ, one that is critical and, at the same time, sustaining.
Drawing on his own journey from a naive, unquestioning belief in Christ through collegiate skepticism to a mature and contemporary Christian faith, Borg illustrates how an understanding of the historical Jesus can actually lead to a more authentic Christian life - one not rooted in creed or dogma, but in a life of spiritual challenge, compassion and community.
In straightforward accessible prose, Borg looks at the major findings of modern Jesus scholarship from the perspective of faith, bringing alive the many levels of Jesus's character: spirit person, teacher of alternative wisdom, social prophet, and movement founder. He also reexamines the major stories of the Old Testament vital to an authentic understanding of Jesus, showing how an enriched understanding of these stories can uncover new truths and new pathways to faith.
The Elders will use our usual sermon time to talk about the church's plans and vision for the season ahead.
Join us as we wrap up our Age Old Retold sermon series. This series takes a fresh look at familiar characters and stories of the Old Testament. This week we will take a deep dive in the story of Samson.
Join us as we kick off a new sermon series entitled "Age Old Retold". This series will take a fresh look at familiar characters and stories of the Old Testament.
Join us as we kick off a new sermon series entitled "Age Old Retold". This series will take a fresh look at familiar characters and stories of the Old Testament.
Join us as we kick off a new sermon series entitled "Age Old Retold". This series will take a fresh look at familiar characters and stories of the Old Testament.
Join us as we continue our sermon series on the fruits of the Holy Spirit with a continued look at gentleness.
Join us as we continue our sermon series on the fruits of the Holy Spirit with a look at both gentleness and joy.
Join us as we continue our sermon series on the fruits of the Holy Spirit with a look at peace.
We will continue our new sermon series this week, focused on the fruits of the Holy Spirit with a look at the "fruit" of love.
We will continue our new sermon series this week, focused on the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
We will kick off a new sermon series this week, focused on the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Jonathan Williams, our newest Teaching Team member, will speak to the active work of God in restoring, renewing and rewriting all of our stories.
This week's will be our biannual What Left Hand Means To Me service, where four members of our community are invited to speak on the faith journeys that led them to Left Hand Church.
This week's sermon will be a standalone look at the story of the prodigal son, entitled Extravagant Grace.
This Saturday we will be live-streaming from Estes Park, where some of our community is gathered for our Winter Retreat.
Our newest teaching pastor, Jonathan Williams, resumes our sermon series entitled, "Why Progressive Christianity?" with a look at sin through a progressive lens.
This Saturday we will have a special service celebrating our 4th anniversary as a church, with visiting representatives from our sister churches.
This Saturday Nicole continues our new sermon series entitled, "Why Progressive Christianity" with a look back at the progressive faith of Rachel Held Evans.
This Saturday, John will continue our new sermon series entitled, "Why Progressive Christianity" with a look at the progressive lens on eschatology.
This Saturday, Paula continues our new sermon series entitled, "Why Progressive Christianity" with a look at how we define truth.
In today’s message John talks about how to view the Gospel from the lens of a progressive Christian and how that can make all the difference in how we live our lives.
This week’s sermon from Paula Williams examines grief as a necessary emotion to be processed in community in the wake of the wildfires experienced by our community this week.
This Sunday we continue our Advent Season, an annual cycle of centering our hearts in preparation for celebrating the coming of Jesus into our world on Christmas Day.
This Sunday we continue our Advent Season, an annual cycle of centering our hearts in preparation for celebrating the coming of Jesus into our world on Christmas Day.
This Sunday we continue our Advent Season, an annual cycle of centering our hearts in preparation for celebrating the coming of Jesus into our world on Christmas Day.
This Sunday we begin our Advent Season, an annual cycle of centering our hearts in preparation for celebrating the coming of Jesus into our world on Christmas Day.
We wrap up our three part sermon series this Sunday. On the heels of our Stirring the Soul series, which focused on our callings to participate in community together, we turn to how we can live out loving God, neighbor and self generously.
Today, Kristie takes a look into the story of Nehemiah, rebuilding, and the spiritual matter of faithful giving. Some of us feel like the wider Christian church feels broken – having lost its way in rejecting its own people and placing biblical literalism above the more fundamental lesson of love. It’s in need of rebuilding, just as Jerusalem needed to rebuild its temple. And like Nehemiah, we’ve been called to help rebuild God’s church.
Paula kicks off a new three part sermon series this Sunday. On the heels of our Stirring the Soul series, which focused on our callings to participate in community together, we turn to how we can live out loving God, neighbor and self generously.
In this week's episode, Kristie takes a look at the history of Halloween, community, belonging, and the holiness of the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!
In this week’s podcast, John talks about the Hebrew worldview and focuses on shalom and creation and how these are critical concepts for post-evangelical life, and why spending our time and energy focusing on male beauty pageants may not be the wisest and best use of our time and energy.
Though the desert religions today are religions of scarcity, a look at the Old Testament story shows that God has always had a generous heart. In this podcast, we’ll look at the story of Jonah, talk about the reality that humans want to belong more than they want to know the truth, and how difficult it is to mourn loss.
In this week's sermon, co-pastor Nicole Vickey helps us celebrate our annual Animal Blessing service, speaking We'll be about St. Francis and the holy friendships that exist between humans and their pets.
In this week's sermon, co-pastor Paula Williams kicks off a new sermon series, entitled "Stirring the Soul" which examines our callings to participate in the movement of God today. This week we look at grief, and the role of community in mourning and healing.
In this week’s episode, John Gaddis talks about something that churches are pretty hesitant to talk about --- DOUBT. By focusing on Matthew 28:7, we’ll talk about how leaning into our doubt can help us live the life we’re called to live.
In today’s episode we hear from four members of the Left Hand Church community about their faith journeys and what this community means to them.
In this message, Paula talks about the three kinds of guilt most people feel – which feelings of guilt are healthy and which are unhealthy – and the role guilt can play in making us wiser and more mature.
In this week's sermon, we conclude our sermon series entitled. Left Hand's Directions with a look UPWARD, at how we celebrate all we have learned along our journey to this point and all we have to look forward to as a community.
Where are we called, and to what purpose? This week, Paula talks about what kind of a person we need to be to recognize and accept our call when it comes.
In this sermon, Paula talks about how our souls can embrace enough vulnerability to be able to live authentically with others. She’ll talk about how loving ourselves, accepting the world as it is, and accepting that part of life is lived in the swamplands, can help us become whole.
In this week’s sermon, John talks about Left Hand being the kind of church community where we’re willing to deal with the painful stuff, and where we believe that salvation and reconciliation is HOLISTIC. John also discusses his dislike of the enneagram, and…..body hair?
In this week's sermon, co-pastor Kristie Sykes continues our sermon series on the direction of our church and how community, journey, and discovery of passion all play a part in looking forward.
This week, Paula will kick off our new sermon series on Directions. Sometimes the best way to move forward is to look backwards. This week we’ll look back at the history of the church, including our own congregation, Left Hand Church, as we begin to discern where we are going from here.
In this week's episode, Paula continues taking a look at Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus, and the sixth chapter is every bit as explosive as the fifth chapter. Both have done great damage to the church and in culture at large. John dealt wonderfully with the fifth chapter last week, but we'll take a look at a foundational understanding that'll help us comprehend both the fifth and sixth chapters.
"Wives, submit to your husbands" may be the most abused and misused passage in the Bible. In this week's sermon, John will look at this passage from several perspectives and ask a hard question --- when, if ever, should we disobey scripture?
In this week's episode, Paula talks about misconceptions and responsibilities of being a Christian and a responsible citizen.
This week's sermon by co-pastor Paula Williams continues our sermon series entitled A Walk Through Ephesians, with a look at Ephesians Chapters 3 & 4. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be looking at what Paul had to say to the church at Ephesus about how to be human together. This week we examine how to live practically as followers of Jesus, including being committed to the truth, dealing with our anger appropriately, forgiving well, and empowering others.
This week's sermon by co-pastor John Gaddis continues our sermon series entitled A Walk Through Ephesians, with a look at Ephesians 2. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be looking at what Paul had to say to the church at Ephesus about how to be human together. This week we examine that Paul is writing to the Ephesians in Ephesus - which happens to be the home to the largest temple in the known world -- and flips everything on its head by talking about how God is building a temple out of PEOPLE with Jesus as the cornerstone of the temple.
This week's sermon by co-pastor Kristie Sykes kicks off our new sermon series entitled A Walk Through Ephesians, with a look at Ephesians 1. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be looking at what Paul had to say to the church at Ephesus about how to be human together. This week we focus on the idea that if you truly know that God loves you as you are, maybe you’ll stop focusing on what you do wrong, and spend more time thinking about what you do right, and how that can help the church and the world become a better place.Description: This week's sermon by co-pastor Kristie Sykes kicks off our new sermon series entitled A Walk Through Ephesians, with a look at Ephesians 1. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be looking at what Paul had to say to the church at Ephesus about how to be human together. This week we focus on the idea that if you truly know that God loves you as you are, maybe you’ll stop focusing on what you do wrong, and spend more time thinking about what you do right, and how that can help the church and the world become a better place.
Description: In today's sermon our co-pastor Paula Williams looks at how the Spirit started something in Jerusalem: the Church, and what Jesus said it should be. The church is the place where we do good deeds to leave the world a better place than we found it. It is a place we work out together the meaning of life. And it is the place we learn how to be human together.
In today's message, our co-pastor Paula Williams hosts several church members speaking on what our church has meant in their lives.
In today's sermon our co-pastor Nicole Vickey celebrates and examines Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles in a great wind with tongues of fire. Pentecost is the kept promise of Jesus, as he ascended to Heaven, that he would send the Holy Spirit to live with us and guide us.
In today's sermon we conclude our Unlocking Parables sermon series. Our co-pastor Paula Williams reexamines the parable of the prodigal son. The sermon focuses on the father’s grace, even though neither son acted with much love toward the father.
In today's sermon, John Gaddis looks at how our upbringing can impact the way we view the physical world and the spiritual world, and the work that we're called to do to bring those worlds together.
In this week's sermon, Paula Williams teaches us that the kingdom of God is a dragnet that pulls up everything, our strengths and weakness, hopes and fears, joys and sorrows. Jesus is the one who helps us sort through the junk and heal the open wounds.
In today's sermon, John will talk about how the Kingdom of God is, first and foremost, a reality to be experienced. It's not a conquering hero defeating his enemies. It's more subversive than that --- it's slowing down and listening with new ears, or seeing with new eyes.
In today's sermon, our co-pastor Paula Williams continues our new sermon series, Unlocking Parables.
This week's sermon is the first sermon in our new sermon series, Unlocking Parables. In today's sermon, our co-pastor John Gaddis turns the parable of talents on its head and believes that the true message of the parable is to participate in the absurd, over-the-top abundant grace of Jesus.
This episode features our Easter Sunday sermon by our co-pastors Paula Williams and John Gaddis. In this special sermon, we look at this past year and the the darkness of pandemic we have each experienced. We ask ourselves: Does death have the last word? Even in the depth of our losses, death is not the end of the story. Resurrection, though, says the last word hasn’t been spoken.
This episode features a Palm Sunday sermon by our co-pastor Kristie Sykes entitled "It's all about the Palms & the Passion". In this sermon, we explore that idea that there is no quick or easy resolution to the palms and the passion. There is only the tension of the day. It’s a difficult place to be. The palms and the passion together are the reality of our world, the reality of our lives.
God says “love your neighbor.” Over and again, we choose loving power instead. Why? Well, the line between good and evil runs straight through the center of the human heart. Because of that unfortunate reality, we need continuing reminders that power corrupts, and love wins.
John concludes our Exodus and Exile sermon series by focusing on the universalities of the Babylonian Exile, and the pain of singing without joy.
In today's message, we continue our sermon series on Exodus & Exile with a sermon from our co-pastor, Paula Williams.
As humans in groups, our tendency is to take care of our own and create enemies of everyone else. God instructed Israel to love its neighbors. Israel had a hard time taking in that message. Jesus brought it home even more. But still today, we have a hard time loving God, loving our neighbors, and loving ourselves. Yet, it is the hope of our species.
In today's sermon, we start to work through one of the primary narrative driving scripture: the theme of Exodus that runs throughout human history. Our co-pasor, John Gaddis, will discuss how crying out inaugurates history, and how Jesus is bringing about a New Exodus.
In today's message, we follow up on a lesson from our previous sermon series: the importance of applying wisdom to reimagine ancient traditions for today's world. Our co-pastor, Nicole Vickey, leads us in a look at the tradition of Lent, and how we might adapt this tradition to make it a more meaningful season for our community.
In today's message, we conclude our sermon series on How The Bible Actually Works with a look at the letters of the New Testament. Twenty-three of 27 books in the New Testament are letters, written to other people in other times. Reading them is like reading someone else’s mail - we don’t really understand exactly what was going on. And yes, those letters also need to be reinterpreted over time and matched to our understanding at the time. The Bible is a history and book of wisdom, not a rulebook to stay out of hell or an encyclopedia of facts.
In today's message, our co-pastor John Gaddis continues our sermon series entitled How Does The Bible Actually Work. He talks about how the process of adapting the past and reimaging God is something that we actually see happening in the Bible itself. This sacred responsibility -- to imagine God in light of the present moment, in light of our faith in Jesus as God's Messiah -- now falls to the followers of Jesus today.
In today's message, our co-pastor Paula Williams continues our sermon series entitled How Does The Bible Actially Work. Her sermon looks at the Bible not just as a history of how Israel and the followers of Jesus understood their relationship with God, and a book of wisdom - but also as a history of how the followers of God, throughout history, defined their understanding of the very nature of God - right down to and including our attempts to do the same today.
In today's message, our co-pastor Paula Williams hosts several church members speaking on what our church has meant in their lives.
In today's message, our co-pastor Paula Williams shares the second sermon in a new series called "How Does The Bible Actually Work" with a sermon entitled "The Bible As History & Wisdom".
Is the Bible an encyclopedia of facts? Is it a rulebook? It is neither. It is a history of how the people of Israel understood their relationship with God and a history of how the followers of Jesus understood their relationship with God. It is a book of history and wisdom and as such, is a great source for us today.
In today's message, our co-pastor John Gaddis shares the first sermon in a new series called "How Does The Bible Actually Work".
In our first-ever outdoor Christmas Eve service, from the lawn outside Left Hand Chapel, hear seasonal sermons from both John Gaddis and Paula Williams.
So, why did Jesus come to earth? One of the main reasons was to show all of us that the human body is good - all of it - not a message we’ve heard enough from the church. In this message, our co-pastor Paula Williams talks about why the human body is good.
In today's message, our co-pastor Paula Williams shares a sermon about hope. Hope comes from the outside, while perseverance and persistence come from within. In between the two lies the most important decision of all - learning to say yes to hope.
In today's message, our co-pastors Nicole Vickey and Kristie Sykes tag team a sermon that takes a closer look at Mary & Joseph's journey to Bethlehem and beyond, and what we might learn from that towards finding peace and presence on our own hard journeys.
Join us for a chat with Chief Left Hand author Margaret Coel, originally recorded during our November 2020 Left Hand Church Book Study Group. Learn about the history of the Arapaho nation and the great chief for whom so much in this area of Boulder County is named.
In today's message, John Gaddis looks at the generations of people that prepared the way for Jesus, and what these people can tell us about living a spiritual life in 2020.
Our co-pastor Paula Williams preaches on the early followers of Jesus, and their journey towards confidence despite trials, and what we can take from that on moving forward in the midst of a pandemic.
Our co-pastor Paula Williams preaches on the question of how to stop yourself from being decieved? By looking back while moving forward. The 8th through 10th chapters of Acts provide guidance in navigating these difficult times.
Our co-pastor John Gaddis takes us through Acts 17. In today's teaching we talk about Paul's speech in the intellectual capital of the world, where he answers a fundamental question that many of us have asked ourselves -- how do we look for God?
Our co-pastor Paula Williams takes us through Acts 12. It's also a look at the rich human history of searching for meaning, and in that search finding the answers to the human condition, and a compass for how to live.
Our co-pastor Paula Williams talks us through closing our nation's divide through narrative and proximity, with a look at Act 11.
This is our second sermon in the sermon series on Acts, entitled "After Jesus, The Church," given on Sunday, 10/18/20 by our co-pastor, John Gaddis.
Jesus has just left Earth and his followers grapple with "What Next?" They find their answer: community. And how are we doing at this community thing 2000 years later? We'll discuss that, and the physics behind community, in today's teaching.
This is the first sermon in the sermon series on Acts, entitled "After Jesus, The Church," given on Sunday, 10/11/20 by our co-pastor, Paula Williams.
Have questions about Left Hand or this teaching? Contact john@lefthandchurch.org. You can also tune into our live-stream services on our church Facebook page every Sunday at 5pm MST for great music and original teachings. If you’d like to financially contribute to our church and our partners, you can text any amount to 84321.