Trinity Heights Church Podcast

12.11 [Sermon] To rescue us from the "lullaby effect" that comes from overfamiliarity with the Christmas gospel narratives, Eric contrasts Jesus with his contemporary and attempted assassin, Herod the Great. The latter's excessive wealth, paranoia, and brutality leads us to especially welcome Jesus as the Prince of Peace. This Advent series explores the vast implications of the birth of Christ and the resounding love, joy and peace imbedded in the story of the creator God who intervenes on behalf of his creation and stakes his claim once and for all in the reality that he has always deemed to be "very good."

12.4 [Sermon] You've probably heard, "Glory to God in the highest," especially around Christmastime. Why do we pursue fleeting glory--fame, beauty, and bliss? How would our lives be transformed by pursuing the everlasting glory of God? This Advent series explores the vast implications of the birth of Christ and the resounding love, joy and peace imbedded in the story of the creator God who intervenes on behalf of his creation and stakes his claim once and for all in the reality that he has always deemed to be "very good."

11.20 [Discussion] The Story Behind the Doctrine: Part Four - Mezzanine Discussion - Stephen and Eric recap the sermon series and discuss the four main ways doctrine tends to be  misunderstood aka 'The Four Flips'. Eric plugs the BEMA podcast and finally opens up the conversation with four questions: 1. What do you think of when you hear the word doctrine? Have you ever thought of doctrine as being rooted in story? 2. Doctrine is often misunderstood as being detached from reality. What are some ways you've seen doctrine play out in real time and in very real, concrete ways? 3. In the series it was mentioned that doctrine isn't about finding answers but is actually more about being immersed in the mysterious. How might learning to rest in mystery and paradox inform our lives for the better? 4. At certain moments in history, doctrine was used as a means of abuse and control (Inquisitions, etc…) However, doctrine's earliest origins actually have more to do with maintaining human freedom in the face of a totalitarian controlling state. How might a deeper understanding of the early origins of doctrine instill freedom, courage and wholeness within each of us?   In our present day, the idea of ‘doctrine' is often understood to be an unwavering set of rules rigidly enforced by the self proclaimed ‘doctrine police'. And so, the word itself carries with it a certain degree of baggage and may even bring to mind horrific images of historic inquisitions. But, what if we went back, stood alongside early Christians and immersed ourselves in the nuanced story of Christ? What would happen if we were able to understand how a dry word like doctrine might actually be referring to the distillation of a vast story? The story of God's intervention on behalf of his creation with the key plot points aka ‘doctrine' compelling humanity towards a greater fullness and deeper hope even amidst the chaos of our contemporary world.

11.13 [Sermon] The Story Behind the Doctrine: Part Three - Trinity - Stephen Cheung presents on the doctrine of the Trinity; the deeply mysterious state of God as three in one. Three distinct beings, yet still one God, immersed in a perpetual state of relationship. And, if we allow ourselves to view God this way, our ideas of a bearded, power hungry monad in the sky start to dissolve as we begin to understand that the doctrine of the Trinity opens up the possibility that the source of all love might actually be found within God Himself.   In our present day, the idea of ‘doctrine' is often understood to be an unwavering set of rules rigidly enforced by the self proclaimed ‘doctrine police'. And so, the word itself carries with it a certain degree of baggage and may even bring to mind horrific images of historic inquisitions. But, what if we went back, stood alongside early Christians and immersed ourselves in the nuanced story of Christ? What would happen if we were able to understand how a dry word like doctrine might actually be referring to the distillation of a vast story? The story of God's intervention on behalf of his creation with the key plot points aka ‘doctrine' compelling humanity towards a greater fullness and deeper hope even amidst the chaos of our contemporary world.

11.06 [Sermon] The Story Behind the Doctrine: Part Two - Resurrection - Stephen Cheung explores ideas in and around the doctrine of Resurrection, tying it into last Sunday's teaching on Incarnation and reinforcing the idea that the bodily resurrection of Christ is not only central to the Christian faith but also stands as a life and creation affirming gesture as God stakes his claim to the creation he has always understood to be 'very good.'    In our present day, the idea of ‘doctrine' is often understood to be an unwavering set of rules rigidly enforced by the self proclaimed ‘doctrine police'. And so, the word itself carries with it a certain degree of baggage and may even bring to mind horrific images of historic inquisitions. But, what if we went back, stood alongside early Christians and immersed ourselves in the nuanced story of Christ? What would happen if we were able to understand how a dry word like doctrine might actually be referring to the distillation of a vast story? The story of God's intervention on behalf of his creation with the key plot points aka ‘doctrine' compelling humanity towards a greater fullness and deeper hope even amidst the chaos of our contemporary world.

10.30 [Sermon] The Story Behind the Doctrine: Part One - Incarnation - Stephen Cheung explores the doctrine of Incarnation; the mystery of the creator God who takes on human flesh and immerses himself in his own creation. A being both fully God and fully human; a paradox pointing to the question, "What does it mean to be human?"   In our present day, the idea of ‘doctrine' is often understood to be an unwavering set of rules rigidly enforced by the self proclaimed ‘doctrine police'. And so, the word itself carries with it a certain degree of baggage and may even bring to mind horrific images of historic inquisitions. But, what if we went back, stood alongside early Christians and immersed ourselves in the nuanced story of Christ? What would happen if we were able to understand how a dry word like doctrine might actually be referring to the distillation of a vast story? The story of God's intervention on behalf of his creation with the key plot points aka ‘doctrine' compelling humanity towards a greater fullness and deeper hope even amidst the chaos of our contemporary world.

10.23 [Sermon] International Justice Mission - Miguel Lau - This IJM Sunday we explore the work of International Justice Mission to end trafficking and slavery and hear from Miguel Lau. Miguel serves as Senior Officer of Church Partnerships for IJM. In this role, Miguel leads IJM's engagement with the Church globally, and guides IJM's offices around the world as they seek to develop creative partnerships with churches and Christian organizations.

10.02 [Sermon] Being Disciples: Part Four - Staying Power - Chris Lawrence wraps up our series 'Being Disciples' and explores how resilience is not in fact a gift but is a habit that needs to be learned. Or maybe it's something to be “caught” by association, from those who have found themselves pushing through threatening and painful experiences.

10.09 [Sermon] Being Disciples: Part Three - A Larger Story - We conclude our Being Disciples series on following Jesus. Our prevailing cultural mantra "As long as I'm not hurting anyone..." turns out to be a woefully insufficient rule of life. Jesus instead invites us into the grand story of devoting ourselves to the good of one another, as he did for us.

10.02 [Sermon] Being Disciples: Part Two - Knowledge and Dust - We often think of spiritual growth as acquiring knowledge or information download. But, when we look at the life of Christ we begin to understand that Jesus's own understanding of spiritual growth seems to be much more holistic and fully embodied. Jesus doesn't view his disciples as 'brains on sticks' but rather understands that true spiritual growth involves learning and growing within the context of relationship, as we follow him, learn from his actions and take on his way of 'being in the world.' 

09.25 [Sermon] Being Disciples: Part One - Come Follow Me - Join us as we explore what it means to follow and learn from the life of Christ. From the very beginning of his ministry, Jesus made very specific decisions, including the way he went about calling his disciples. These small stories, which recount Christ's first interactions with his future followers, are in fact full of meaning. So if we choose to take Jesus seriously we begin to realize that his life does count, the way he lived matters and this in turn begins to shape the way we live as individuals and as a church.

09.11 [Sermon] Thoughts on Church: Part Two - Bodies, Banquets and the Muscle Memory of Love - As we wrap up our 'Thoughts on Church' miniseries we explore what it means to gather and worship as a community of Christians and Skeptics - but this time with a twist. Because, buying into church is one thing but if we're really going to explore prevailing 'Thoughts on Church' we have to recognize that many view organized religious gatherings to be archaic, outmoded and outdated and would rather not have anything to do with something, seemingly so out of touch with contemporary reality. So, why do we still choose to meet Sunday after Sunday? What does gathering together actually do? And, how do we find ourselves shaped and changed by our decision to live and worship alongside others?

09.11 [Sermon] Thoughts on Church: Part One - God With Us - On the first Sunday of our Fall Schedule we explore what it means to gather and worship as a community and more specifically, what it means to gather and worship as a Community of Christians and Skeptics. And, is this even possible? Can doubt and faith actually live alongside each other? Or, perhaps Jesus' own community, his disciples, close friends, family and the crowds that followed him were in fact the very first Community of Christians and Skeptics. Perhaps they wrestled like we do and felt the same intermingled love, joy, pain, faith and doubt that we all feel. And, maybe that's actually what this whole Gospel thing - this ‘Good News' thing - is all about. Because, in the midst of that first Community of Christians and Skeptics - there was Jesus. He was with them and for them and wanted them to be with and for each other. Intro and Outro Music: "Suddenly" by Eric Marshall, performed by the Trinity Heights Worship Band

07.17 [Sermon] The Things That Shape Us: Part Five - Prayer - Lesslie Newbigin once said “The deepest motive for mission is simply the desire to be with Jesus where he is, on the frontier between the reign of God and the usurped dominion of the devil.” That desire and that consciousness is not something which just 'happens' in us. What if Christian prayer is a process of being shaped by a growing intimacy with God, which then, in turn, produces in us the longing to see the kingdom "come on earth as it is in heaven?" What if prayer learned in this way, practiced in this way, grows the desire to be on the “frontier" which Newbigin mentions? How different that sounds than just being told to “say our prayers” or being encouraged to reel off a whole list of requests to God? I hope we become praying people in the sense of being shaped by our relationship with God, and being formed into those who hunger and thirst for righteousness in our world.

07.10 [Sermon] The Things That Shape Us: Part Four - The Bible - Reflecting on the strange collection of writings that make up the Bible, Rowan Williams says, "The diversity of the Bible is as great as if you had within the same two covers, for example: Shakespeare's sonnets, the law reports of 1910, the introduction to Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, the letters of St. Anselm and a fragment of The Canterbury Tales - all within the same two covers. And remember that the chronological span of the books of the Bible is even longer than that of the examples I have just given." So the reality is that as soon as you think you know what the Bible is, you turn the page and it turns into something different. So how should we approach this book?

06.26 [Sermon] The Things That Shape Us: Part Three - Baptism - As the story goes, Jesus enters the water and as he comes up the Spirit of God descends on him like a dove and a voice from heaven says, "This is my Son with whom I am well pleased." Reflecting on this story, early Christians began to make connections with another story involving Water, Spirit and Voice. The Creation Story in the book of Genesis tells us, there was watery chaos and over that watery chaos there was the Holy Spirit hovering or a great wind blowing, or perhaps one is a sort of metaphor for the other, and then a voice speaks, saying "Let there be.." and from the watery chaos comes the world. The Water. The Spirit. The Voice. So early Christians began to associate the event of baptism with new beginnings and, like Paul, understood that the Christian life is in fact New Creation - a glimpse into the future kingdom and the coming renewal of all things.

06.19 [Sermon] The Things That Shape Us: Part One - Communion - I don't know if you've ever noticed, but as you read through the New Testament Jesus is always eating. Every time you turn the page he's eating. He eats with the Pharisees, he eats with tax collectors, he eats with prostitutes and sinners. He eats with his disciples. He feeds the five thousand with the loaves and fish. He's always eating. And if he's not eating he's talking about eating. When Jesus wants to picture the future kingdom he talks about a great wedding feast, a great banquet where the reconciled are invited. And, it's in this light that we view the fundamental practice of communion and begin to understand how we might begin to reflect the full resolution of Christ and find ourselves shaped by His commitment to the reconciliation of all people and all things.

06.12 [Sermon] The Things That Shape Us: Part One - Stephen Cheung explores the basic practices that shape and form what it means to be Christian. Historically, when we look at what the disciples and early Christians understood about allegiance to Jesus Christ, you come up with a small bundle of core disciplines that point to a specific posture and way of living with others in the world, disciplines that inform our understanding of reality and shape us in surprisingly unexpected ways .

06.05 [Sermon] Pentecost Sunday: Spirit of Presence  - What do Christians today believe about the mystery of the Holy Spirit? AND, what do we do with these beliefs? How does this stuff play out in real time? Do we behave as if the Holy Spirit exists, works and moves? OR, do we actually rely more on the power of our own efforts?

05.22 [Mezzanine] I Will Give You Rest: Reflections on the Sabbath - Part Five - At the end of each sermon series, rather than pushing on to the next thing we intentionally take time to rest and reflect on what's been said. This time around we speak with Mark and Mara and hear how Jesus' invitation into Sabbath rest has recently entered their lives in a new way and continues to inform the rhythm of their week as they work from home and raise two small children in New York City.

05.15 [Sermon] I Will Give You Rest: Reflections on the Sabbath - Part Four - Stephen reminds us with the creation story that the Sabbath is an invitation to live freely, and concludes with practices that bring us into the pleasant experiences of rest.

05.08 [Sermon] I Will Give You Rest: Reflections on the Sabbath - Part Three - Reclaiming Sabbath isn't always easy especially as we swim in the waters of hurry, efficiency and empire. Chris Lawrence suggests that we might find our way back to true Sabbath rest by following Jesus and adopting His 'unforced rhythms of grace."

05.01 [Sermon] I Will Give You Rest: Reflections on the Sabbath - Part Two - Stephen Cheung reminds us to welcome the Sabbath as our Beloved. In the Sabbath, God grants us permission to rest, to cease from striving. Creation is good, and Sabbath is "very good." Stephen suggests four practices for us to lean into Sabbath delight: Start where you are with the pleasures at hand. Introduce one slow meal in the week. Introduce an entire day in your week where you rest. Make Sabbath possible for everyone within your sphere of influence.

04.24 [Sermon] I Will Give You Rest: Reflections on the Sabbath - Part One - Stephen Cheung reveals how American culture has slipped away from the restorative gift of Sabbath rest. He reminds us that the Sabbath is integral to Creation, not an addendum - the practice that restores our relationships with ourselves, others, and all creation.  Stephen suggests four practices for us to lean into Sabbath presence: Fight the urge to check the phone first thing in the morning.  Put your phone into Airplane/'Do not disturb' mode when meeting with people. Don't bring the phone to the bedroom. Turn off the phone for 24 hours once a week. 

04.17 [Sermon] Easter Sunday - When we look around at the people in our lives: children, family, lovers, friends - all the ones we hold dear - and realize that death works to divide and separate us all, it's then that it becomes clear that, 'It is love that believes the Resurrection."

Palm Sunday: A Triumphal Entry of Sorts   04.10 [Sermon] Palm Sunday - Historically, it's thought that there were two dramatic processions that entered Jerusalem that day. The Roman parade of governor Pontius Pilate - a true display of power and military might. And, the entry of Jesus - riding on the back of a donkey. Glitz and glamor on the one hand. Humility, meekness, gentleness and love on the other. 

04.03 [Mezzanine Panel Discussion] Mountain of Salt, City of Light - With our study in the Sermon on the Mount complete, we take a step back and spend some time remembering what's been said. Stephen, Eric, Ben and Mercy all reflect on the series. *Feel free to refer to the questions below as they correspond to the two parts of the group discussion.   Part One:   Question 1: Over the course of Mountain of Salt, City of Light what things jumped out to you as being new ways of understanding the Sermon on the Mount? Question 2 : How have you felt yourself leaning towards escapism as opposed to pressing into reality? What practices have you adopted to root yourself more firmly in the world as it is? Question 3: The old Arabic phrase says, “There is salt between us” meaning two people are committed to each other. How do you see yourself as being salt and light binding people and God together? Question 4: If all of the plot lines of human history converge in Jesus, then what happens next? What is God's “new and unexpected future for humanity?” And, how do we fit into that story?   Part Two:   Question 1: In what ways have you found our cultural context to create a conflict between your inner and outer life?   Question 2: Who do you think your enemies are? And, how does the call to love them make you feel?       Question 3: Before this sermon series had you ever thought about the Lord's Prayer being a revolutionary prayer?

03.27 [Sermon] Mountain of Salt, City of Light: A Study in the Sermon on the Mount - Part Nine - As we wrap up our Mountain of Salt, City of Light series, we explore the "Parable of the Builders" and the final metaphor used in the Sermon on the Mount: the metaphor of a house. Two houses actually, one built on sand and the other built on rock. But why does Jesus use this image of a house right at the end? To find the answer, we look back over the entire sermon series and remember that a mountain isn't just a mountain, salt and light aren't just salt and light and a house isn't just a house.

03.20 [Sermon] Mountain of Salt, City of Light: A Study in the Sermon on the Mount - Part Eight - Many of us have grown up with a secretly held view that much of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is hopelessly optimistic and needs to be replaced by a more realistic ethic. After all, many say, we are on a suicide mission if we take to heart what Jesus says about loving enemies, turning cheeks, and refusing us the right to judge people who upset us. Or perhaps, maybe, we are intoxicated by a presumption that “the world must be made right by might'' - "violence is necessary." So we have a huge hammer and everything standing in our way resembles the head of a nail, to be swiped at. When children in bomb shelters are dying every day our blood boils. How do we hear what Jesus says and find in these words, the words of life? We can love even (or especially) in a time of war.  

03.13 [Sermon] Mountain of Salt, City of Light: A Study in the Sermon on the Mount - Part Seven - Brandon reviews and recaps the territory we've covered in the Sermon on the Mount over the past few months, focusing on some of Jesus' key teachings and offering practical insights into how we might go about reading Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7.

02.27 [Sermon] Mountain of Salt, City of Light: A Study in the Sermon on the Mount - Part Six - Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, says "Love your enemies" and Etty Hillesum did just that. Born a Dutch Jew, Etty ignored all advice from friends and, completely of her own volition, went to work in the hospital at the Westerbork Transit Camp - the final German outpost in the Netherlands before Auschwitz. She was able to provide care to the prisoners and show love and kindness to everyone there, even the German guards. But, before long, Etty found herself to be an inmate and writing from the camp she said, "There must be someone to live through it all, to bear witness to the fact that God lived, even in these times." She went on to write in her diary "Now is the time to put into practice - love your enemies." Finally, when Etty found herself on a train to Auschwitz, her own death at the hands of her enemies looming, she threw a note from the train that read, "Let them know, we left singing."

02.20 [Sermon] Mountain of Salt, City of Light: A Study in the Sermon on the Mount - Part Five - In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says six times, "You have heard it said... but, I say to you..." and each time He repeats this phrase He attaches it to a unique moral teaching. "You have heard it said... 'You shall not murder...' but I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment..." At first glance it appears that Jesus is intensifying the law but when we look closer we realize that what he's actually doing is presenting a new kind of wholeness. He's pulling together our inner and outer worlds and reconciling the posture of our hearts with the actions of our bodies. 

02.13 [Sermon] Mountain of Salt, City of Light: A study in the Sermon on the Mount - Part Four - Jesus says that He has "come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets," but what does this phrase mean? Is Jesus the ultimate rule follower or does He mean something else? 

02.06 [Sermon] Mountain of Salt, City of Light: A Study in the Sermon on the Mount - Part Three - One way to interpret Jesus' use of the metaphors of "Salt and Light" is to understand them as a direct calling on the lives of Christians to "add flavor" to a bland world and "light the way" in a world full of darkness. But, when we begin to understand the metaphors of "Salt and Light" within the cultural context of Jesus' day we begin to come closer to understanding their original meaning which we find to be deeply rooted within the ancient customs surrounding Covenant, Commitment and Promise.

01.30 [Sermon] Mountain of Salt, City of Light: A Study in the Sermon on the Mount - Part Two - When we hear Jesus repeat "Blessed are those" again and again in the Sermon on the Mount, it's easy to begin to feel that Christ is presenting a list of ways we might each be "blessed" and find individual favor with God. But, when we look closer and begin to realize that Christ's list is actually embracing the posture of the weak, voiceless and suffering we begin to realize that this is a list more concerned with justice and the flourishing of humanity as a whole.

01.23 [Sermon] Mountain of Salt, City of Light: A Study in the Sermon on the Mount. Stephen Cheung explores the rich meaning and symbolism in and around the longest continuous discourse of Jesus found in the New Testament. 

01.16 [Sermon] Chris Lawrence speaks on "Cana Grace" John 2:1-11 - The Art of Making That One Cup of Water Go a Long, Long Way - We are still just beginning a new year.  Are we going to live 2022 deeply, live it with rich purpose, enjoy times which will be appreciated and looked back on in years to come with special fondness? That's really setting the bar very, very high isn't it? Maybe we are worried we will just scrape through in survival mode, languishing - that's one of the most common complaints from people who feel they have missed out, or things have gone all very insipid and colorless. Jesus makes water become wine. Can he do that again? Or is that just a bedtime story to tell the little ones?

01.09 [Sermon] Christ in the New Year - On this first Sunday of 2022, Bryant Parsons speaks on anchoring all of our New Year's Resolutions, hopes and good intentions in a power greater than ourselves: a power that changes us, a power that works in us and through us and even in spite of us, to bring about the renewal and redemption of all things. Trinity Heights Church

12.19 [Reflection] Advent - Part Four: Angels, Shepherds and the Lamb of God - On this fourth and final Sunday of Advent, Eric Helvie reflects on the moment when the angels appeared to the shepherds, proclaiming the birth of the Messiah while also shining the light of heaven down upon them. It's as if heaven is pointing directly at the shepherds, their lives, livelihood and culture and saying there's deep significance here.

12.13 [Update] News from Myanmar and End of Year Giving - On Sunday we had the privilege of hearing from Health and Hope about the refugees flooding in from Myanmar on the India border. Afterward, Richie Ledo and Eric Helvie had a brief conversation explaining the reach of your generosity to the world as we continue to finance peace-making in those places which need it most desperately. Please take a listen for an update on our global giving and our financial sustainability as a congregation in New York. And please prayerfully consider supporting the ongoing work of Trinity Heights.

12.12 [Sermon] Advent: A Season of Hope and Expectation - Part Three - On this third Sunday of Advent, Brandon Epting speaks on the merging of Justice and Righteousness. These two things go hand-in-hand and when taken together we see that the outcome is, in fact, Peace. 

12.5 [Sermon] Advent: A Season of Hope and Expectation - Part Two: Mary and Elizabeth - On this second Sunday of Advent, Chris Lawrence of innerCHANGE speaks on the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth in the hill country just north of Jerusalem. Both are "with child" and beginning to understand the world altering importance of their parallel pregnancies. The story of their meeting is brimming with significance as it hones in on the importance of relationships, the need for peaceful places in our lives and the cultivation of patience as we invest in the people around us.  Trinity Heights Church

11.28 [Sermon] Advent: A Season of Hope and Expectation - Part One - On this first Sunday of Advent we look with hope and expectation towards the birth of Christ, as it sets in motion a sequence of events that tug at the fabric of creation and begin to pull all things towards their ultimate renewal, redemption and resurrection.    Stephen Cheung preaches on Matthew 1 and the long list of names at the beginning of Matthew's gospel. A clumsy list, easy to rush through, and yet when we begin to look carefully, we realize that these are not names of pedigree or prestige but rather a list of second sons, prostitutes and the powerless. The genealogy of Jesus is a list that questions our notions of earthly power and authority and forces us to understand that the power and authority of Christ is something altogether different. 

11.21 [Mezzanine Panel Discussion] Colossians: Violence Progress and Peace - With our seven part sermon series in Colossians complete, we take a step back and spend some time reflecting on what's been said. Stephen Cheung, Eric Helvie, Raf Landeiro, Chase Chumchal and Jesse Thorson all reflect on the series. *Feel free to refer to the questions below as they correspond to each of the three parts of the group discussion.   Part One: Question 1: In your own life, what might it look like to embrace capital “P” peace as opposed to inner peace or “Serenity Now?” Question 2 : In what very real ways have you seen the peace of the Gospel place a question mark over “American Peace” or “Pax Americana?” Question 3: Why is war very rarely part of the conversation, even during conversations specifically about the problem of violence?   Part Two: Question 1: If God's providence isn't about Him making things happen to you, but rather, is about Him sustaining and moving all things towards his goals, how does that make you feel?  Question 2: In your experience where have you seen someone embrace/choose peace instead of violence?    Part Three: Question 1: In what ways have you experienced people pushing for agreement inside and outside of the church? Question 2: What do you think it looks like to put your own ideas and identity aside in order to love the person in front of you?

11.14 [Sermon] Jenn Petersen - International Justice Mission - It's always a privilege to hear from our dear friend, Jenn Petersen who serves as Director of Church Mobilization in the Northeast for International Justice Mission, coming alongside churches as they seek to partner with God's heart for biblical justice and join Him in the renewal of all things. Trinity Heights Church is pleased to be in partnership with IJM as we commit to help fight Cross Border Trafficking in Asia Pacific. As a church, we are dedicated to aid in the efforts to end human trafficking and it's an honor to be partnering with Jenn and IJM as they continue to work on behalf of the innocent, abused and enslaved.

11.7 [Sermon] Colossians: Violence, Progress and Peace - Part Seven - One of our mantras here at Trinity Heights Church is, "There is no idea or identity that is more important than loving the person in front of me." And, we believe this is what Jesus was saying when He said, "Love one another as I have loved you." Jesus isn't calling us to agree with each other, He isn't asking us to all come to the same opinions. That would be impossible. The good news is Jesus doesn't ask us to do the impossible. He asks us to love each other and cultivate a posture of love to all of those around us. 

10.31 [Sermon] Colossians: Violence, Progress and Peace - Part Six - The question, "What does it mean to be human?" shows up in Colossians in the form of a very curious but very significant phrase, "The Image of God." This phrase appears twice in the letter, once in chapter one to describe Jesus as "The Image of God" and again in chapter three saying, "we are to grow in our knowledge of The Image of God." So here we have a definition of humanity, to be fully human is to reflect God's image. This is our calling, this is our vocation. To reflect God's image, to reflect God's love and joy and peace, to reflect God's patience, kindness and goodness, to reflect God's faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, hospitality and generosity.

10.24 [Sermon] Colossians: Violence, Progress and Peace - Part Five - "What is violence?" At first glance, it may seem like a strange question and yet the word "violence" is very important for our culture and in recent years has acquired a much broader usage. Many things other than direct bodily harm are often labeled a form of violence.   So when we contemplate the idea of violence, whether we prefer a wider or more narrow understanding of the word, we must come to grips with what it means to do violence to something. And, we begin to understand that when order, time, love and care have been invested into anything whether a person, an artwork, a garden, a system, etc... Only then can any one of these things fall victim to violence. If nothing is ordered to anything, then it is impossible to do violence to anything.

10.17 [Sermon] Colossians: Violence, Progress and Peace - Part Four - It's easy to misunderstand the nature of the providence of God and only ever allow the idea to exist in the realm of miraculous parking spots, trains caught on time and the good luck of a fortuitously packed umbrella in an unexpected downpour. But, God is not a puppet master and we are not his marionettes.    Rather, the providence of God is responsible for creating, sustaining and moving everything toward his purpose. All creation, including humanity, are moving toward his goals. In other words, everything is going somewhere and it is God who faithfully sustains everything and "progresses" everything along in the ultimate direction of His will.  

10.10 [Sermon] Colossians: Violence, Progress and Peace - Part Three Often we need to remind ourselves that it is normal for the church to operate in the margins of society. So how much power do we need? As a fringe community the answer is of course: none. When we strive to embody Jesus our focus shifts away from power, prestige and position and instead turns towards grace and peace, and a far-reaching harmony that permeates and characterizes all of our relationships.

10.3 [Sermon] Colossians: Violence, Progress and Peace - Part Two Our hope this season is that we might be a church that embraces community first. A community that narrates the story of Jesus. A community that proclaims Peace in a world reeling under the weight of its own violence and brokenness. We're here, finally in-person, as a community of Christians and Skeptics, and we proclaim that “We stand for life against death; and instead of war, we stand for peace”