Weekly teaching ministry of Epiclesis, an Ancient-Future Faith Community.
The biblical story of Ruth is a multi-faceted one, filled with deep meaning at every turn. We may know her best as being in the lineage of Jesus. But at the heart of her story are revelations of God's covenant faithfulness, both to and through Ruth and the characters who surround her. Join Pastor Ellen as she reflects on the challenges and opportunities for Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz as they chose to say “Yes” to God. What lessons and encouragement do they offer us as we seek to live out our lives, “on display” of God's love and manifold wisdom? And what might all this have to do with God's Big Story? The painting associated with this sermon is "Ruth Gleaning" by James Tissot, c. 1896.
What does the Bible have to say about life and death for God's saints? Pastor Chris took a couple of Sundays leading up to an All Saints emphasis at the end of October to talk about what Christians can expect.
How are we supposed to count something that's uncountable? Normally, we can't “know” our end, and normally we can't actually "number" our days, as the psalm say. Just what does it mean to number our days? One fascinating truth about Scripture is that very often, God calls us to count things that are NOT countable, and then He forbids us from counting things that ARE countable. What does that mean for Epiclesis church, and for you, as we go forward from here? Join Pastor Chris for a wonderful and timely teaching on numbering our days.
Does it really matter how we worship? Does it make any difference what happens in our chapel each Sunday? The early church believed it made a tremendous difference. Join guest speaker Dr. Carl Peters as he gives a delightful teaching on why the way we worship is critical to our faith.
The biblical kind of remembering is not like our usual idea of remembering where we recall an event or reflect on happier times. Biblical remembering involves bringing something from the past into the present in such a way that it does not lose any of its original meaning or power or import. It's an almost tangible way to connect past and present. So much about worship—so much about living a life of worship—is about remembering rightly. How do we remember rightly and biblically?
If you knew a storm was coming, what kind of a house would you build? Join us as we learn how to “un-frenemy” our relationship with God, and explore the radical way James views troubles and testing that are guaranteed to happen to us all. Find notes for this sermon here.
What should your goal be as a peacemaker? What is the #1 thing standing in your way of that goal? Join us as we explore the first half of James 3 and learn the S.A.F.E. way to manage conflict with the people around you. Find teaching notes for this sermon here.
Do you know where the line of the old hymn "Jesus doeth all things well" comes from? It's from a passage of Scripture we looked on this day from the Gospel of Mark. Pastor Chris began the teaching by asking what God has been up to since the Fall in the Garden of Eden. You could make a strong theological case for saying "re-creation." In Matthew 15, Jesus took His disciples to two far-flung regions. What might His ministry in those two places have to do with re-creation? Join us!
The Book of Ephesians was summed up by author Watchman Nee this way in his book by the same title: "Sit, Walk, Stand." On this final Sunday in our series on Ephesians, Pastor Chris used that phrase to recap Paul's letter. The teaching ended with a look at what Paul's admonition to "put on the armor of God" might ultimately mean.
Pastor Jay Dudley gave us a glimpse into the teaching content he shared at the Epiclesis-sponsored Trail Life troop's summer camp, June 2024. Jay serves as the troop's chaplain, and his sermon on this day explored three biblical stories of "garment gifts" that yielded insights into the meaning of salvation-- and a look at those gifts also set up a stunning backdrop for an intimate and little-known aspect of Christ's return. Join us for a masterful time of teaching.... The picture associated with this podcast post is of the actual scarf from the TrailLife camp week that Jay talked about in his sermon.
We're in part three of a four-part look at Paul's letter to the Ephesian church. This time, we're looking at chapter 5 where he says, "be careful how you walk." In fact, the construction in the original language is more like be "carefully careful." What's Paul warning us about, and what's he assuming, about the way we walk and live in the world? Along the way, we looked at two places in Scripture where Jesus Himself showed His disciples how to walk-- and how to do so even when the days are evil. Join us!
The Church needs to grow up. The Apostle Paul said so. But where did his authority come from, and just who gets to be an Apostle, anyway? In this second in the series on Ephesians, Pastor Chris took a look at those questions, plus talked about what it means for the Church to grow up.
Do you ever get a commercial jingle stuck in your head? They're catchy, and sometimes we quote or sing them without really knowing what the product is. Sometimes Bible verses can be that way-- even monumentally important Bible verses. We know the verses, but we're not sure about the original and intended context and meaning. In this first of a series of sermons on Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus, Pastor Chris takes a look at several well-known Bible verses and Paul's intention for them. In this teaching we did an overview of the first three chapters and revealed God's big mystery for the world. Join us!
Dr. Carl Peters was the guest on this Sunday and he brought a message about division-- but not the mathematic kind. We live in a day when so many are divided and mired in disagreement. Where does the division come from, and how can we heal the great divide? Along the way we also talked about the work of the devil, "two races" of humankind, and a warning sign from antiquity found on Jerusalem's Temple Mount. Join Pastor Carl as he shares some wonderfully encouraging news about the person and work of Jesus. Note: The photograph associated with this podcast is of the "Temple Warning Inscription" mentioned by Dr. Peters. The sign warning non-Jews from entering the Temple precincts was discovered in the late 19th century and is now on display in the Archeological Museum in Istanbul, Turkey.
It is when I run out of my strength that God shows up. In this sixth and final of the series on 2 Corinthians, Pastor Chris shares a beautiful treatment by the late theologian Marva Dawn on a pivotal passage in chapter 12. We took a close look at some of the Greek text, but the main focus was on another, refreshing possibility of a translation that puts even more emphasis on God's power showing up in our lives. And here's a hint: weakness is the very place that Jesus tabernacles. We also talked about weakness being the way forward for Christians especially in a time of contentious politics and potential societal unrest. Note: The artwork associated with this podcast recording is "The Good Shepherd is On the Way" by Kevin Carden.
The Bible is full of examples of weakness-- and the way that God shows up in and uses weakness. Why is it that we Christians are still beguiled by worldly power and those who wield it? Join Pastor Chris for the fifth in a six-part series in 2 Corinthians as he lays a foundation of weakness by listing some of the many examples in Scripture where human weakness ends and God's begins. Note: The work of art associated with this post is "Too Weak to Climb" by Jacqueline Hoebers.
Dr. Dianne Collard, along with husband Glenn, was on hand on this Sunday morning to give us an update on her life in ministry. Epiclesis has long been a supporter of Dianne Collard and her ministries through the arts, which include “Montage International” and “Meraki Connection.” Dianne is the Europe Director for “Artists in Christian Testimony, International,” the author of I Choose to Forgive, and is a veteran missionary and intercultural trainer. Dianne herself is a montage of many experiences, abilities, and roles, including being the wife of Glenn, a mother of three, and grandmother of five. She's been a missionary and intercultural trainer since 1986 and is a well-traveled speaker and writer and spiritual mentor to many artists. She holds degrees in speech and communication, intercultural studies, and missiology. Join Dianne as she talks about her story-- and three callings.
In this part four of a short series on 2 Corinthians, we find Paul once again defending his ministry and mission. In commenting on what he's been through and how he's responded to challenges, Paul shows us the marks of a true apostle. Join Pastor Chris as he continues a look at the second letter to the church in Corinth.
Where do we go when we die? Are we going to get new bodies? Who do we live for in the meantime? Paul's second letter to the Corinthians is full of very practical theology. It's also full of a lot of plain, personal talk from Paul. In making his case for the ministry and mission that Christ gave him, he's taking on what must have been serious charges from some detractors in Corinth. In this teaching from our series on 2 Corinthians, we hear from Paul about our future home and body, the Spirit's work in us, death, judgement, and living for Christ in the meantime. The photo posted here is of ruins of ancient Corinth and comes from Theodoros Karasavvas.
We're in the middle of a little series on Paul's second letter to the church in Corinth. There are plenty of places in this very personal letter where Paul is primarily defending his ministry against Corinthians detractors. But there are also plenty of places where that plain, practical language breaks out into beautiful theology-- even foundational theology. Our focus in this teaching is the promises of God met in Christ, our being like jars of clay, and speaking the truth because we believe. Join Pastor Chris as he takes a look at spots in 2 Corinthians 1, 3, and 4. The artwork associated with this posting is "St. Paul the Apostle Writing His Epistles" and is attributed to Valentin de Boulogne (1591-1632).
Pastor Chris began a series looking at the second of Paul's letters to the church at Corinth. Along the way, he shared some treasured excerpts from letters he had received many years ago from his parents, and also shared a curious passage about a mythical archaeological dig. What might any of those things have to do with Paul's correspondence with a Greek church long ago? Join us! The map of the Mediterranean and Corinth that Pastor Chris referred to can be found here, and the humorous "archeological drawing" from Motel of the Mysteries can be found here. The photo attached to this podcast post is a detail of the "Papyrus 46," an early third century Greek New Testament manuscript. This particular fragment is part of a folio that contains a portion of 2 Corinthians 11.
The familiar story of Jesus' nighttime conversation with the Pharisaic leader, Nicodemus, centers on the “birth from above,” a birth that allows us both to see and enter the Kingdom of God. Audible whispers of the One True God as Triune echo throughout the conversational exchange. Although the Church's teaching on the Trinity is so deeply rooted in the Scriptures and the deepest theological reflections of the Church, and although trinitarian teaching is one of the most foundational and distinctive teachings of the Christian faith, it is a doctrine that, while surely acknowledged by orthodox believers, is avoided and neglected. The doctrine of the Trinity is thought to be merely abstract and philosophical, largely detached from day-to-day living. But trinitarian thought is at the center of God's Being, as the God who “loves [us] and gave himself for [us]“ (Gal 2:20). God is love [agape]” (1 John 4:7), and agape love requires an “Other” to whom and for whom One offers Oneself in self-giving, humble, Other-centered service. This God of eternal, loving, communion is the One who gives us new birth, into the kingdom of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and into a new family of brothers and sisters in Messiah Jesus. The image associated with this podcast is "Jesus and Nicodemus (a study)" by Henry Ossawa Tanner.
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