This Sunday we're starting Advent, the season which most closely reflects the posture of the entire Christian life. We are people who live "in between" - between the first and second comings of Jesus, between the promise made and the promise fulfilled, between grace and shalom. Advent is a training ground for our entire life in Christ.

This Sunday we’ll be looking again Matthew 5:13-16, which speaks of Jesus' calling on his people to be agents of renewal and restoration in the world- a calling that endures in any and every circumstance we find ourselves in.

Next Sunday we will dive more deeply into the two key metaphors Jesus employs in this teaching: salt and light. But this Sunday, we'll focus on verse 15: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

We're going to spend one last week in the beatitudes, but this time we're going to look at them as a complete whole.

We look at the last of the eight beatitudes this week and explore what persecution meant in Jesus's time and what it could mean today.

This week we'll continue in our study with the 7th beatitude, "Blessed are the peacemakers."

This Sunday, we'll look at two beatitudes about being merciful and pure in heart. What do these concepts mean today, and how are they related to each other? Join us as we explore those questions together.

This Sunday we'll turn to the next beatitude, “Blessed are the meek…” 9/15/24 Sermon Sources: - "What does righteousness mean?" Become New Podcast, Jan 23, 2024 - Rowan Williams, Passions of the Soul - John Stott, The Sermon on the Mount, Bible Speaks Today commentary - Dale Bruner, Commentary on the Book of Matthew, volume 1

This Sunday we'll turn to the next beatitude, “Blessed are the meek…” 9/8/24 Sermon Sources: - Opening illustration from Greg Thompson, "A Community of Meekness," preached at Trinity Presbyterian Church. - Rowan Williams, Passions of the Soul - John Stott, The Sermon on the Mount, Bible Speaks Today commentary - Dale Bruner, Commentary on the Book of Matthew, volume 1

This week we'll continue to explore the upside-down Kingdom of Jesus through the lens of the beatitudes. This Sunday we'll look at the second beatitude, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” 9/1/24 Sermon Sources: - Sermon outline was used with permission from Robert Cunningham. See Robert Cunningham, "A Community of Lament." Sermon preached at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 6/14/2020 - Nicholas Wolterstorff, Lament for a Son - Francis Weller, The Wild Edge of Sorrow - Rowan Williams, Passions of the Soul - John Stott, The Sermon on the Mount, Bible Speaks Today commentary - Dale Bruner, Commentary on the Book of Matthew, volume 1 - "The Guest House," by Jallaludin Rumi.

In this special podcast episode, listen in as we explore how Christians can think about the upcoming election, and how we might contribute to healing of our society's political polarization.