Isaiah 46: 1-13

Melissa Florer-Bixler invites us to consider the question, "why do we come to church every Sunday?" as she preaches on Isaiah's message about idols. Isaiah mocks the idols of Israel's former conquerors, now laid low and unable to even help themselves from falling over. In last week's sermon, Melissa stated that we become what we choose to love, and now she adds that when we put our hope into idols that cannot help, we in turn become helpless. Tech giants, political figures, possessions, and all the other trappings of the world offer no more hope than the worthless idols that Isaiah decried. We come to church to kindle the hope we so greatly need by remembering together the stories of how God has loved and nurtured us from the beginning of creation.

Isaiah 11: 1-9

Melissa Florer-Bixler preaches on Isaiah's vision of the lion laying down with the lamb and reminds us, rather appropriately on World Communion Sunday, to consider more deeply in that context how we address the multitude of intractable conflicts occurring throughout the world. Naturally, we cannot rely on willpower alone to overcome the worst "carnivorous" parts of our nature that inflame these conflicts. Rather, it is through the transformative gift of Jesus that we are remade in the image of God and can then work to build real peace. We invite you to listen and join our congregation as we discover how a children's book, Wild Robot, can demonstrate the heart of this transformative process and point us towards practical ideas to implement peace-building.

Isaiah 9: 1-7

Merry Christmas everyone! We know it's only September, but Raleigh Mennonite Church took a moment this Sunday to sing Christmas carols and reflect on the birth of Christ during a season far less busy and distracting than the end of December. Melissa Florer-Bixler's sermon reminds us to take time and examine the coming of Jesus, made flesh, without the holiday sentimentality that can undermine the innately powerful political message embodied in the humble beginnings of Jesus. Not political as we see it today, with everyone looking to a figurehead in one party or another to correct the world's ills. Rather, we must look down into the manger to see Jesus' message of hope to the world that binds all of God's creation together in lovingkindness. It is truly dangerous to the powers and principalities that seek to divide us for a hope to exist that transcends fear and hatred. This politics of hope inexorably calls us to acts, confounding to others, that bring about God's Kingdom. We invite you to remember the Christmas message of hope embodied in Christ anytime the world seeks to make you feel afraid and alone.