Tonight we’re going to be looking at Acts 3—the entire chapter. Seriously. No joke. The entire chapter. We’ve been coming together the last seven weeks to explore what it means to be a Jesus community—what it means to trust, celebrate and embody Jesus in the world. And last week we Read more…
A MIXED-UP WORLD We’re going to be camping out for just a few minutes in 2 Corinthians 5, so you can go ahead and turn there. I don’t know how the last few weeks have been for the rest of you, but my emotions and Joy’s emotions have been all Read more…
TRUST TO CELEBRATE We’re going to be reflecting on Romans 15 today, so I’d invite you to go ahead and turn there. We’re in our fourth week of gathering to worship together, and over the last few weeks we’ve been trying to explore what it means for us to be Read more…
Father, Come illuminate these words. Teach us to see your light through these ancient Scriptures, and teach us to live in your light. Illuminate our lives, we plead. We ask these things through the Light of the World, your Son, Jesus, who together with you and the Holy Spirit, rule Read more…
**INTRODUCTION ADDED ON JULY 29, 2017** This sermon has somehow drifted to the top of Google’s results for “POTTER + CLAY + SERMON” and other various combinations. If you’ve arrived that way… hello. I originally wrote this sermon as a paper seminary and subsequently adapted and delivered it to a Read more…
A PECULIAR COMMUNITY This is all a bit peculiar, isn’t it? Don’t get me wrong. This is really exciting. Church Beautiful has begun to gather. I cannot tell you how excited about about us beginning to worship together. But it’s all a little strange, right? A bit odd? A bit Read more…
THE TRAIL SO FAR Our text this morning is from the eighth chapter of Romans, so if you’ve got Bibles go ahead and turn there. This weekend we’ve been doing some reflecting on what prayer is. We started a couple of nights ago by thinking reflecting on our need for Read more…
PRAYING WITH GOD This evening we’re going to be in Matthew 6, so go ahead and turn there. Last night we began exploring what it means for us to begin to lead more whole and integrated lives that are connected with that mysterious Presence that enchants and illuminates the world. Read more…
RECONNECTING Back at the end of February—when I was asked to come and share with you guys here—I started wrestling with what we should talk about. I was hearing that Grace Camp is this unique (and really cool!) experience where the Grace Church in all its diversity and all its Read more…
Let’s pray as we begin: Father, Thank you for loving all of us and for loving this world. This is hard stuff tonight. We need your help. Teach us to love people and to love life as passionately as you do. Guide us tonight—we pray and plead. Amen. We’re going Read more…
Father, Son and Spirit, Still our hearts in this moment, silence our thoughts and center us on you. Speak and spill your life into us this evening. Ground us in what is real, what is true, what is lasting, what is beautiful. Ground us in hope this evening. Ground us Read more…
Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening. Amen. OPEN TO INTERPRETATION Well this is my fourth time getting to share with you all, and that means we’re in the fourth psalm. Last time we talked, we moved from the two-part introduction to the psalms—Psalm 1 and Psalm 2—into the the Read more…
Heavenly Father, Guide as we open these ancient words tonight. Teach us to hear you. Teach us to speak to you. Teach us to trust you. Amen. THE FIRST PRAYER We’ve been working our way through through the book of Psalms—through this collection of songs and poetry and prayers and Read more…
[Prayer] Our Father in Heaven, we ask for you to guide our thoughts tonight as we meditate on these ancient words. Our lives are often flooded with anxiety because our world seems flooded with chaos. Give us ears to hear your heart of love beating through this poetry. Teach us Read more…
THE FAIRYTALE GOSPEL Over the last seven or eight weeks, we’ve been exploring what exactly we mean when we say “the gospel.” That word gets thrown around a lot, but what exactly does it mean? For a lot of us, we grew up understanding “the gospel” as something proclaimed with Read more…
