In Psalm 59, David recounts when he is wrongly attacked by enemies. The injustice drives him to the Lord. What will you do when attacked? According to the Psalm, we are to ask: to who and what do I turn when attacked; on what am I waiting for? And we are to “remember” what God has done for us and “sing” his praises even when we are not in a place to give thanks.
The people of God have to confront evil often, but they shouldn’t lose trust in God. Through the lens of Psalm 37, Dean Miller guides us to an understanding of justice that focuses on pursuing good rather than just avoiding evil.
In Psalm 25, the psalmist uses a Hebrew alphabetic acrostic to begin each verse and tell the reader that Yahweh, the God of Israel, hears the prayers of his people from A to Z. There is nothing in life that cannot be brought to this God. Including, as the Psalmist assures, the hardest of seasons and circumstances: Let me not be put to shame, for I have put my trust in you! he cries twice in the Psalm. He is inviting all of us to trust in God and make our cry to him in our darkest and desperate days.
James warns his readers about the dangerous power of our words. The tongue can be a spark that catches a whole forest on fire. The things we say can spread great harm and evil if not controlled. But like God who created life and beauty and flourishing by his words, the things we say can be a powerful force for love and goodness.
In James 2:1-13, James calls out the practice of showing favoritism within the church community–especially honoring the rich and looking down on the poor. Favoritism is wrong because of who Jesus is and who we are. Because of what God has done for us in Jesus we are called to a radical love of our neighbors, even those who don’t offer us anything.
In Matthew 19, Jesus encounters a Rich Young Man who wants to know what he must do to have eternal life just after he has rebuked the disciples for hindering little children from being brought to him. Jesus challenges this man: you don’t get eternal life like a possession, you enter eternal life like a journey–follow me. Have faith like a child, be willing to give up everything, and follow me.
[ Unfortunately, our usual means of recording weren’t available this week, so the audio is taken from the Facebook livestream. Apologies for the inconvenience! ]
The pursuit of the kingdom is not a waste of time. Being godly can be criticized by more modern cultures as being foolish, or not worthwhile. Jesus makes it clear for us through his parables in Matthew 13 that anyone who truly believes what he says about the kingdom should already be rejoicing in it. The promises are so full and so certain that, in the parables, people are willing to sell all of what they have for the Kingdom. To the rest of the world, the pearl might look just like a pearl, but we know that it is the secret to joy and peace.
In Matthew 8 and 9, we see Jesus in the early phases of his ministry demonstrating authority over creation to calm not only the sea but also his disciple’s fears. We see him calling the most outcast and hated of people, a tax collector named Levi (Matthew), to new life in him. And we see him offering compassion, healing, and transformation to a woman who was “unclean” for 12 years because of her illness.
In this installment of our series on CCV’s visions & values, Dean introduces a little of what it means for us to be a specifically Anglican church. Born from the reformation, it is essential to our faith that God is actively pursuing us, not just vice versa. At any time, we can draw near to the throne of God. Regardless of our shame or sin, it is always time to draw near to God and confess, and receive his love. In turn, our mission is to send God’s love into the world.
As the next step in our series on CCV’s vision and values, this week Dean takes a look at what it takes to be an extended family. As a church, Jesus wants us to recognize how big the family God is putting together really is. There will be people in the family you find shocking, people who you wouldn’t invite to God’s house. But the gospel is for every heart. Everyone needs saving, everyone needs their soul to be lifted by Jesus. Churches are meant to be places where people of all backgrounds can come together and be formed into one family.
Dean walks us through being externally focused in this installment of our new series on CCV’s vision and values. As we explore being individuals in the church, we need to investigate who are identity is rooted in. As Christians, we recognize that the healthiest way to live is by leading a life that recognizes our sin and the humility it should sow, and our forgiveness and the gratitude that flows out of it.
This episode contains today’s sermon and all the lessons and carols from the service!
God has always worked in surprising ways. It’s why, even though it was prophecied through the scriptures, Jesus’ life and death caught people off guard. Surprises have been around since the beginning, when God put order into chaos, gave a 99-year-old man and a barren woman a son, and gave a rebellious nation a king. Who God chooses to use is surprising. David was a shepherd, Joseph and Mary were nobodies, and Bethlehem was a nowhere town. God uses the people amid the chaos of the world to speak his order into it, and Jesus wants to bring order into the chaos of your life.
Revelation is a book that needs special thoughtful attention and thoughtful response. Pastor Dean examines Revelation as a whole, and this passage in its context, to help reveal a couple of basic truths: Things are not always as they seem, and the Lamb is on the throne. For us, we can recognize that living between the two comings of Jesus means that there will be hardship, but we can rejoice in the victory from the heavenly perspective given in Revelation. Specifically, that racial divides will be mended when John sees the glorious vision of a multitude full of every nation, tribe, and tongue.
Names are important. Nicknames say a lot about how you’ve been loved by those around you. Celebrities with titles like “Black Mamba,” “The Boss,” and “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business” all speak to their skills and how they want to be perceived. For us, today is Christ the King Sunday, and next week is Immanuel. Our whole calendar is framed by names for Jesus. The names God gives us, therefore, are important. Pastor Dean walks us through the beautiful names Peter calls the church in 1 Peter 2. They demonstrate how God already sees us, and who we are meant to live into being.
[Unfortunately, the audio file for this sermon was corrupted, a lower quality audio was able to be produced from the livestream. We apologize for the inconvenience.]
Like a good shepherd, Peter watches over his flock and exhorts them in the Spirit, specifically calling upon the leaders in the church to lead as he does. Dean walks through 4 methods Peter describes for effective leadership- It all begins with humility and self-discipline.