The Kingdom of Heaven is like... Scattering Seeds

For the last six months we participated in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, which culminated in theological concepts such as ascension, pentecost, and trinity. Now, for the next six months, the church calendar invites us to intentionally exist in a season known as “Ordinary Time.” During this season of the church we are invited to grow and to cultivate life in the world. To use Jesus’ language, we are invited to participate in a kingdom like heaven. But what exactly is a kingdom like heaven? This series will observe several parables in the book of Matthew in which Jesus likens—rather than defines—a kingdom called “heaven” to the complexity and mystery of human activity such as scattering seed, resting in trees, finding treasure, and casting nets. By exploring these parables it is our sincere hope to encourage a community that more fully embodies a kingdom like heaven, which gestures toward the mystery of God and life of Christ in this world.

The Kingdom of Heaven

For the last six months we participated in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, which culminated in theological concepts such as ascension, pentecost, and trinity. Now, for the next six months, the church calendar invites us to intentionally exist in a season known as “Ordinary Time.” During this season of the church we are invited to grow and to cultivate life in the world. To use Jesus’ language, we are invited to participate in a kingdom like heaven. But what exactly is a kingdom like heaven? This series will observe several parables in the book of Matthew in which Jesus likens—rather than defines—a kingdom called “heaven” to the complexity and mystery of human activity such as scattering seed, resting in trees, finding treasure, and casting nets. By exploring these parables it is our sincere hope to encourage a community that more fully embodies a kingdom like heaven, which gestures toward the mystery of God and life of Christ in this world.

Pearl's Work

Today Pastor Mike shares about the work of Pearl, which is to express a sacred story, extend a common table, which animate life by divine love.

Trinity Sunday

Today, the first Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate Trinity Sunday, a feast day the universal Church has commemorated since 1334 A.D. In one sense, every Sunday is a festival of the Trinity because the whole Trinity is at work in every moment, brooding over chaos and calling forth life, catching creation up into the dance of renewal and transformation. Co-equal, self-giving, mutually loving, the ancient picture of the Trinity as a dancing circle, perichoresis, invites all humanity into the all-inclusive feast of belonging.

Images referenced in the sermon can be found here

Feast of Pentecost

The Feast of Pentecost (from the Greek pentekoste, meaning “fiftieth”) is the culmination of our Easter celebration. On the fiftieth day of Easter, God sends his Holy Spirit to empower human beings to embody Jesus’ loving way of life in the world. The risen and ascended Lord is no longer present to the Church in the body of his flesh; the Church is now to be the new body of Christ, filled with his life through the gift of the Spirit. Today, we celebrate the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church.