Passing Through Jericho

Isaiah 1:10-18, Luke 19:1-10 Sara White Over the past year, it has been an enormous privilege and blessing for me to study in Minnesota, travel with the Youth Peace Travel Team, and explore policy work here in DC. Since the middle of March, I have slept in 29 different beds. I like to say that…

GOD, BE MERCIFUL TO US

Luke 18:9-14 & Jeremiah 14:7-10,19-22 Micah Bales   I was raised in an activist household. My parents had really strong political opinions, and I grew up in an environment of really intense ideology. For me, as a child, that ideology was what would today be broadly described as “progressive.” Our family was actively engaged in…

TRUSTING THE ENGINEER

Genesis 32:22-31, Luke 18:1-8 Katie Furrow I like to pretend I’m a runner. It’s an activity that I’ve been off and on with since college–I’ll spend a few good weeks lacing up and heading out, proud of my choice to take care of my body. I get excited at the prospect of being able to…

SAMARITANS, LEPERS AND US

Luke 17:11-19 Jeff Davidson When you’re reading something in the Bible and trying to figure out it’s meaning and how that meaning applies in your life, it’s often a good idea to put yourself in different positions in the Bible story. Read through it once as you are, as a Christian in the Washington, DC…

MUSTARD VS. MULBERRY

Luke 17: 5-10 Nate Hosler Our passage includes a mulberry tree. As a preacher it’s good to make some sort of illustrative connection to some part or lesson of the scripture which helps the listeners to better understand, imagine, or remember the story. So the mulberry tree. As a child I grew up on a…

Highway to Hell

1 Timothy 6:6-19, Luke 16:19-31 Micah Bales Ever since I first looked over the scripture readings for this morning, I’ve been debating with myself whether we should listen to the song “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC. I think it would be fun, but the fact that I don’t know how the sound system in here…

Strange Fruit

Amos 8; 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Jennifer Hosler (sermon adapted from Brethren Press curriculum written by the author, 2015) Next Saturday, our city and country will celebrate the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture (NMAAHC). It’s been more than 100 years in the making—first lobbied for by African-American veterans of the…

A SERMON IN FOUR SCRIPTURES

Exodus 32:7-14    Psalm 51:1-10     1 Timothy 1:12-17    Luke 15:1-10 Jeff Davidson If you look up a dictionary definition for “preach,” you will find that one of the definitions is “to give religious or moral instruction, particularly in a tedious manner.” One popular form of preaching is “expository preaching.” According to Wikipedia, this is a…

HAVE FAITH AND LEAP

Deuteronomy 31:6, Matthew 14:27-33, Matthew 17:20 Emerson Goering As a new BVSer, I have been reflecting on my life journey – from beginning to now – and I am astonished at what I have accomplished – given my previous fears. As a kindergartener, I didn’t say a word out-loud in front of my class until…

AS IF

  Luke 14:1, 7-14    Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 Jeff Davidson The two words “as if” have been standard English for a long time. Used together, they mean “as would be the case if”, for example, “She behaved as if he weren’t there.” For a little while, though, back in 1995 and for a few years after,…