Seattle Mennonite Church Sermons

Joseph and his brothers are at an inflection point. Their father has died — maybe their only glue given the immense harm and hurt between them — and now they stand at a threshold, about to cross over into the rest of their lives. There was a “before,” and now begins an “after.” What comes next for them? Most of us have stood at similar monumental thresholds, having experienced harm and brokenness...

What if everything really comes down to love? What if the only thing we are meant to do is to love, then love again, then love some more? Can it actually be that simple? (Albeit, not necessarily easy!) We aren’t meant to love in the precise way that Dolly or Wendell loved, and it isn’t ours to have the same size or scope or shape of impact of such public giants. But perhaps we could muster the boldness of the Psalmist a...

The kingdom of God - it should first be said - is NOT a kingdom. Jesus makes that pretty clear with his many dozens of “kingdom” parables eschewing crowns and rulers for seeds and bread. It was always a cheeky and politically provocative move for Jesus to use the language of “kingdom.” Some days we might lean into the subversiveness of cheeky kingly language, and some days (like today’s sermon) we deci...

Are we the soil, the seed or the sower? Traditional teachings of this parable often cast people as the soil and Christ as the seed. What if we are being called to be sowers? Extravagant sowers who do not need to be concerned with the quality of the soil. Join Beth Miller Kraybill as she reflects on how this parable relates to her calling.

Sermon begins at minute marker 3:52

Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23

Image by Dr Photographer on pexels
<...

Join us as Tyler, Beth, Melissa, Ken and Deren share what happened at the annual PNMC meeting in Albany, Oregon. There was humor, financial reports, connections between generations and with Mennonites we only see once a year or so. There were workshops and inspiring services, shared meals and service.

Scripture:  Luke 6.17-31

Resources:

• A Call to Christian Discipleship Amidst a Culture of Christian Nationalism, a resolution p...

Jesus says we shouldn’t store up earthly treasures. In the same breath, Jesus instructs us to store up heavenly treasures, and some of those heavenly treasures are also defiantly earthly. So go ahead and get yourselves the best treasures that earth and heaven can offer: treasures that may be truly groan-worthy, treasures that redistribute, treasures that are tended well and freely shared.

Sermon begins at minute marker 1:42

Scr...

Conference Pastor, Eric Massanari, calls us to examine how we define what it means to be human and how that affects our interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount. If we are by definition fundamentally fallen and flawed, the call of the Sermon seems impossible. What if we view humanity as potentially redeemed by Christ? That leaves the Sermon as a call for the redeemed, for a chosen portion of humanity. But, who are we humans if we ...

Jesus taught in the Sermon the Mount that God loves completely, and that we ought also love completely. What does that mean in a culture of pervasive and rising Christian Nationalism? Along with our Menno kin across the conference, we have pledged ourselves to “Christian Discipleship” in the midst of Christian Nationalism. We are meant to follow Jesus, to love completely, to cause no harm. We are meant to resist, disrup...

 …And Paul is the original Brandi Carlile?? Okay, that’s maybe a step too far. Nonetheless, go along for this wild ride in which Pastor Megan explores why specificity matters (to Bad Bunny and to God), and how staying gentle might indeed be the most powerful thing we can do (a la Brandi and, remarkably, Paul).

Sermon begins right away.

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21; Philippians 4:4-7 

Resources:

• BibleWorm podcast: E...

Paul writes an affectionate letter to the community at Philippi, making clear the strong relational bonds they share. He thanks God every time he thinks of them, and he calls them partners in God’s grace and preaching the gospel. But what on earth does preaching the gospel mean for Jesus, for Paul, and for us 2000 years later?! Jesus’ sense of God’s good news was most certainly shaped by the songs of his mama and ...

Paul is a complicated character, to say the absolute least. We get a whole range of behaviors from Paul in just this one story: from a callous disregard of one, to intimate concern for another, to a courageous act in solidarity with a whole oppressed group as he was released from prison. Through it all, the Way of Jesus is liberating love for self, other, and all. And thank God for Paul’s sake (and our own!), the work of rede...

The disciples are afraid and lock themselves into a room. When Jesus appears and speaks peace to them, Thomas is not there. Thomas must be either fearless, or brave (feels fear, but has left the locked room anyway). After speaking peace into their fear, Jesus assures the gathered disciples that he sends them in the same manner as God the Parent has sent him. According to John’s gospel, God the Parent sends Jesus into the worl...

Pilate’s sign, posted on Jesus’ cross, proves a source of consternation for the Jewish leaders. They exhort him to edit its message, but he definitively cuts off any hope of debate: “What I’ve written, I’ve written.” In a variety of settings, signs may be meant to delight and connect, to inspire or provoke, to teach or to impact the behavior of the sign-reader. At the site of Jesus’ executi...

Both the cruelty and wondrousness of humans transcends time and space. As we read this terrible story (with great care!), it’s imperative that we remember both of these things are true. May we remain eyes wide open about the complete betrayal of “We have no king but the emperor” both then and now. May we receive the miraculous gift of kinship with all who reserve allegiance for God alone; a God who is (liberating)...

Our culture has a way of focusing on individuals and privileging individual insight. In this sermon Melissa reflects on the ways that Truth is found in community. In a time when truth is increasingly under siege, how do we find our way to understanding the world in a truthful way? By building community while avoiding single stories, challenging our own ideas, and widening our experiences. Sometimes we fix the world by being in it, ...

Not all is as MEH as it first appears when John embarks on the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Palm fronds and an ancient plea turned praise adorn the political street theatre of Jesus astride a baby donkey. It calls to mind the Singing Resistance happening in Minneapolis - St. Paul in these days and weeks (and increasingly: months). When things get spicier for Jesus in the Jerusalem week ahead (which spans a full HALF ...