Peace of the City

On this Pentecost Sunday—also the second Sunday of Pride Month—Rev. Dr. Jason Storbakken invites us into the fire and fullness of the Spirit. Tracing the roots of Pentecost back to Shavuot and moving through Acts 2 and the prophecy of Joel, this sermon proclaims a radically inclusive vision of church and Spirit.

What does it mean that God’s Spirit is poured out on all flesh? What does it look like when queer teens, trans prophets, a...

In this episode of Peace of the City, Rev. Dr. Jason Storbakken preaches from John 14:23–29, exploring the promise of Christ’s peace: “not as the world gives.”

Titled God’s Home, this sermon invites us to imagine a God who does not demand perfection but chooses to dwell with us—in love, in truth, and in peace. Jason contrasts the world’s transactional, performative peace with the liberating, abiding peace of Abba. Drawing from traum...

In this episode of Peace of the City, we welcome Dr. Ashley Moyse, Assistant Professor of Medical Ethics, McDonald Scholar, and Director of the Columbia Character Cooperatives. Drawing from his work at Columbia’s medical school and his research at Oxford, Dr. Moyse reflects on the view from the 14th floor—where the city’s pain becomes quiet, abstract, and dangerously distant.

Preaching on Revelation and the Gospel of John, he remind...

In Part 2 (of 2) of our series on John 20, we return to the locked room where Jesus appears not in triumph, but in tenderness. This Mother’s Day, we reflect on Thomas—the twin, the questioner, the one who names what so many of us carry: Unless I touch the wounds, I cannot believe. But Jesus does not shame him. Instead, Christ invites him—invites us—into the liminal space where wounds meet grace.

Through Thomas’s story, and through t...

In this first part of a two-part message from John 20, Pastor Jason invites us to breathe deeply and draw near to the sacred. Through the lens of Scripture and spirit, we explore breath as both a physiological and theological gift—infused with divine presence from creation to resurrection. In a world often marked by fear and fragmentation, this episode reminds us that Jesus meets us behind locked doors, breathing peace and the Holy...

🎙️ Easter Sunday: Holy Disruption
Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship – April 20, 2025

Christ is risen—and nothing will ever be the same.

In this Easter Sunday message titled “Holy Disruption,” Rev. Dr. Jason Storbakken invites us to reflect on resurrection not as a tidy conclusion, but as a bold and unsettling beginning. We re-member the wounded body of Jesus, the brokenness of our world, and the fragility within our own faith communitie...

What does it mean to seek the peace of the city—not just for the city, but within it?

In this short reflection from Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship, one member, Eric Kanagy, shares his personal journey of faith, family, and community in New York City. He speaks candidly about the challenges of building lasting relationships in a city of 9 million, the quiet grounding found at places like Camp Deer Park and Menno House, and the unexpe...

In this Palm Sunday message, Pastor Jason Storbakken reflects on the radical act of Jesus entering Jerusalem—not on a warhorse, but on a donkey. It was a deliberate move of humility, vulnerability, and resistance without violence. Set against the backdrop of empire, crucifixion, and fear, the crowd’s cry of “Hosanna!” was not just praise—it was a plea for liberation.

What does it mean to follow Jesus today through vulnerable resista...

🎙️ Episode Title: Heroes of the Radical Reformation: Felix Manz and the Birth of Anabaptism
🎧 Guest Speaker: Jason Landsel, graphic novelist

In this special episode of Peace of the City, guest speaker and graphic novelist Jason Landsel, a member of the Bruderhof community, shares a powerful presentation from his ongoing trilogy Heroes of the Radical Reformation. Speaking at Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship, Jason brings to life the d...

🎧 Episode Title: Costly Peace

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:16–21; Matthew 5:9
Featuring the witness of Felix Manz

In this sermon titled Costly Peace, we return from retreat refreshed by the Spirit and re-enter a world aching with injustice. Drawing from Paul’s call to the ministry of reconciliation, the teachings of Jesus, and the radical witness of Anabaptist martyr Felix Manz, this episode challenges us to reject cheap peace—the kind...

Danielle Williams, guest speaker at Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship. Danielle joined @connect_nyc in 2021 as a community educator. In her capacity at CONNECT Faith, Danielle collaborates with New York City’s diverse faith communities to create and strengthen their response to gender and family violence. She has a passion or empowering diverse faith communities to live into their values of social justice and transforming the world. P...

A message from Laura Lacombe, Princeton Theological Seminary intern at Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship. There is a 5-minute musical interlude where participants are invited to use crayons, colored pencils, etc. to color and draw. This interlude was kept in this episode, so consider grabbing some crayons and paper before the sermons starts!

The disciples came up to Jesus with the question, “Who is the greatest in the kindom of h...