Podcast appearances and mentions of amy robertson

 …And Paul is the original Brandi Carlile?? Okay, that's maybe a step too far. Nonetheless, go along for this wild ride in which Pastor Megan explores why specificity matters (to Bad Bunny and to God), and how staying gentle might indeed be the most powerful thing we can do (a la Brandi and, remarkably, Paul).Sermon begins right away.Scripture: Acts 2:1-21; Philippians 4:4-7 Resources:BibleWorm podcast: Episode 742 - The Diversifying Power of the Spirit, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show, 2026Stay Gentle, by Brandi CarlileSMC Congregational CovenantImage: “Together we are America”

Paul writes an affectionate letter to the community at Philippi, making clear the strong relational bonds they share. He thanks God every time he thinks of them, and he calls them partners in God's grace and preaching the gospel. But what on earth does preaching the gospel mean for Jesus, for Paul, and for us 2000 years later?! Jesus' sense of God's good news was most certainly shaped by the songs of his mama and aunties as he grew inside Mary's womb and nursed at her breast. Mary's revolutionary song inspired his own revolutionary mission statement (from Isaiah, recorded in Luke 4). Sermon begins right away, and is missing the first minute or so acknowledging the history of slavery in this country.Philippians 1.1-18a Resources:BibleWorm podcast: Episode 740 - Proclaiming Christ, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.Philippians 1.3, in all English translations on Bible GatewayAnabaptist Community Bible, Introduction to Philippians by Ryan SchellenbergJulia Ward Howe, Mothers' Day Proclamation (originally known as “Appeal to womanhood throughout the world”), 1870.Christie Dahlin, “Who Holds Us In Our Tenderness: A Mother's Day Post,” Pastor and the Poet, May 10, 2026. Image: Photo by Val Vesa on Unsplash 

Paul is a complicated character, to say the absolute least. We get a whole range of behaviors from Paul in just this one story: from a callous disregard of one, to intimate concern for another, to a courageous act in solidarity with a whole oppressed group as he was released from prison. Through it all, the Way of Jesus is liberating love for self, other, and all. And thank God for Paul's sake (and our own!), the work of redemption to that Jesus Way is ongoing; always newly available in each moment, each encounter.Entire recording is sermonActs 16.16-40Resources:BibleWorm podcast: Episode 738 - The Best and Worst of Paul, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.Willie James Jennings, Acts, Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible, Westminster John Knox Press (2017), p. 161-169.Anabaptist Community BibleIan Maclaren, wikipedia article.Image: Nelson Mandela, quote reflecting on walking out of Victor Verster Prison on February 11, 1990, after spending 27 years behind bars, and refusing to be quietly shuttled to Johannesburg. https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1390485 

The Tuesday Early Morning Bible Study group leads a reflection on Saul's healing and baptism - and Ananais' call to heal Saul. What does it mean to be called? How do we know when we are called?Sermon begins at minute marker 3:56Scripture: Acts 9.1-19a Resources:BibleWorm podcast: Episode 732 - No King but the Emperor, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.Image: Lily Tomlin as "Ernestine" the switchboard queen

The disciples are afraid and lock themselves into a room. When Jesus appears and speaks peace to them, Thomas is not there. Thomas must be either fearless, or brave (feels fear, but has left the locked room anyway). After speaking peace into their fear, Jesus assures the gathered disciples that he sends them in the same manner as God the Parent has sent him. According to John's gospel, God the Parent sends Jesus into the world out of love for “the whole world”; sending Jesus not to condemn the world, but to offer liberation. To empower the disciples for their mission of love and liberation, Jesus breathes the Spirit into them. To extend a path of healing for the trauma they have witnessed and experienced, Jesus encourages them to practice forgiveness. Eight days later, Jesus offers the same to Thomas as well. Today, we too are offered peace for our fear, the Holy Spirit for our mission to love the world, and forgiveness as a practice and path of healing.Sermon begins at minute marker 2:07Scripture: John 20.19-31Resources:BibleWorm podcast: Episode 736 - Believing Thomas, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.Image: Pastor Megan, on Resurrection Sunday 2026, with our Easter flower cross

Pilate's sign, posted on Jesus' cross, proves a source of consternation for the Jewish leaders. They exhort him to edit its message, but he definitively cuts off any hope of debate: “What I've written, I've written.” In a variety of settings, signs may be meant to delight and connect, to inspire or provoke, to teach or to impact the behavior of the sign-reader. At the site of Jesus' execution, followers of Jesus may still be arguing about what belongs on the public notice. What is it - concisely - that landed Jesus on that cross? How do we make sense of this moment of execution, in light of Jesus' life and/or the story of resurrection to follow? How do we each make sense of Jesus' death at this point in our respective lives, and how might the collage of our signs delight, connect, inspire, provoke, teach, and impact our behavior in the world??Sermon begins at minute marker 4:18Scripture John 19.16b-22Resources:BibleWorm podcast: Episode 733 - Of Palms and Passions, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr. “At third No Kings rally in Seattle, tens of thousands decry Trump,” March 28, 2026, Seattle Times, image 21 of 31 depicts Ellen (86) and daughter Carol (68) at their first protest, “dressed in sweaters they embroidered themselves,” displaying their twin signs: “Impeach Trump. We need regime change. Love thy neighbor as thyself.”Tombolo, “a sand or gravel bar connecting an island with the mainland or another island” according to Merriam-Webster; see more on wikipedia.Kukutali Preserve, co-owned and co-managed by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and Washington State Parks, the first such arrangement in the U.S.“Swinomish Tribe builds U.S.'s first modern 'clam garden,' reviving ancient practice,” John Ryan, KUOW / NPR, September 1, 2022, https://www.kuow.org/stories/tribe-builds-united-states-first-clam-garden-in-centuries Image: mini-altar created from stones, shells, and cedar found on the tombolo connecting Kiket Island with Kukutali Preserve (the “Pulling over” in Lushootseed, canoe portage and historic winter village site for the Swinomish people, by Megan Ramer, March 2026

Both the cruelty and wondrousness of humans transcends time and space. As we read this terrible story (with great care!), it's imperative that we remember both of these things are true. May we remain eyes wide open about the complete betrayal of “We have no king but the emperor” both then and now. May we receive the miraculous gift of kinship with all who reserve allegiance for God alone; a God who is (liberating) love and whose way is (a just) peace.Sermon begins at minute marker 3:54Scripture: John 19.1-16aResources:BibleWorm podcast: Episode 732 - No King but the Emporer, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.ACLU press release: “Pentagon Releases 198 Photos Relating to Detainee Abuse in Long-Running ACLU Lawsuit,” February 5, 2016. [WARNING: while this link leads to a text only press release, some embedded hyperlinks lead to graphic images of torture in Abu Ghraib prison]Fremantle Prison and the cat o' nine tails: “Difficult convicts were often sentenced up to 100 lashes. Flogging instruments included the cat o' nine tails, a whip with nine knotted strands or cords, and the birch, a bundle of long birch twigs bound together by cord. Flogging was a brutal punishment that caused extreme pain and physical scarring. The last flogging with the cat o' nine tails occurred in 1943 when a prisoner received 25 lashes. A prisoner received 12 stokes of the birch in 1962. Corporal punishment and hard labour were finally removed from the statutes in 1993, two years after Fremantle Prison shut down.”Image: No Kings logo

Our culture has a way of focusing on individuals and privileging individual insight. In this sermon Melissa reflects on the ways that Truth is found in community. In a time when truth is increasingly under siege, how do we find our way to understanding the world in a truthful way? By building community while avoiding single stories, challenging our own ideas, and widening our experiences. Sometimes we fix the world by being in it, even enjoying it and the people we find here.Sermon begins at minute marker 2:40Scripture: John 18.28-40Resources:BibleWorm podcast: Episode 717 - The Light Shines in the Darkness, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.“The Danger of A Single Story” TED talk by Chimamanda Adiche Image: Communion at SMC by mkk

When the systems of the Empire fail, we may follow our impulse to reform them; to make them more just. But our salvation will never ultimately come from the systems of Empire. We may (and must!) also follow the lead from Jesus: to notice those who have been abandoned for 38 long years, to engage those beloveds, and to seek and offer healing from an altogether different source.Sermon begins at minute marker 2:28 John 4.46-5.18Resources:BibleWorm podcast: Episode 725 - Miraculous Healthcare, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr. - An especially HUGE debt of gratitude this week to Bobby (Dr. Robert Williamson, Jr.) for the content and flow of this message.Image: Luigi Mayer, Views in Palestine: Pool of Bethesda, Historic Gallery, Pall Mall, 1804, made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

Not all is as MEH as it first appears when John embarks on the story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Palm fronds and an ancient plea turned praise adorn the political street theatre of Jesus astride a baby donkey. It calls to mind the Singing Resistance happening in Minneapolis - St. Paul in these days and weeks (and increasingly: months). When things get spicier for Jesus in the Jerusalem week ahead (which spans a full HALF of John's gospel), perhaps folks look back on that moment in the streets, drawing strength and inspiration when all seems hopeless and lost. Perhaps they ponder more deeply and poignantly what Jesus meant by that grain of wheat that needs to be buried and die in order to bear fruit and live.Sermon begins at minute marker 2:52Scripture:  John 12.12-27Resources:BibleWorm podcast: Episode 336 - The Executed King, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.Josephus, ancient historian.Passover, ancient pilgrimage festival and contemporary Jewish holiday, recalling the story of the Exodus of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt.Theatre of the Oppressed, originated by Brazilian director and activist, Augusto Boal, in the 1970s. Based at least in part on…Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 1968.Singing Resistance, Twin Cities MN, 2025-2026"Hold on, hold on, my dear one, here comes the dawn," written by songwriter Heidi Wilson“On the Origins of ‘They Tried to Bury Us, They Didn't Know We Were Seeds,'” Interview of Greek media scholar, Alexandra Boutopoulou, by AX Mina, Hyperallergic, 2018 (link).Brandi Carlile reflects on livestream concert from Minneapolis, ICE, and changing your mind, in Rolling Stone, 2026. Sally Morgan, My Place, Fremantle Arts Centre Press, 1987.Isabel Allende, City of the Beasts, HarperCollins Publishers, 2002 (trans. Margaret Sayers Peden).Jesmyn Ward, Let Us Descend, Scribner, 2023.

It's another fraught healing story, so we say a few quiet parts out loud, e.g. OF COURSE SIN DOESN'T CAUSE DISABILITY! And then we notice a few key moments from the story of the man whose sight is restored by Jesus' mud. First: Jesus seeks out those who are cast out. Second: Establishment folks, observing and overhearing, wonder if they've gotten a few things wrong. As ones who seek to follow Jesus AND as religious establishment folks ourselves, our wondering about these moments may be instructive for a life of faith. May we keep our good humor and humility, and laugh our way into communities of love and liberation.Sermon begins at minute marker 5:01Scripture: John 9.1-41Resources:BibleWorm podcast: Episode 726 - Blind From Birth, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.Image: Life preserver on a ferry named Wenatchee, by Megan Ramer, 2026

Nicodemus seeks Jesus under cover of dark, and Jesus challenges Nicodemus to follow an Empire-defying Way in the light of day. When we step away from complicity with a violent and death-dealing Empire, when we emerge from the shadows of fear, when we embrace and embody God's lifegiving love for the whole darn world, we will find life abundant and eternal. And we will find that we are not alone. May it be so.Sermon beings at minute marker 4:15John 3:1-21Resources:BibleWorm podcast: Episode 723 - For God So Loved the World, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.“Carry This All,” by Alexandra BlakelyAnabaptist Community BibleImage by Pastor Megan Ramer: group of clergy in Seaside OR for a preaching conference, gathered for daily candlelight vigils in solidarity with those targeted by and resisting ICE thuggery in Minneapolis MN

One of the best known quotes about preaching has been attributed to theologian, Karl Barth. Preachers must preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. What to do when the newspaper seems to get heavier and heavier with every passing day? As the U.S. seems to descend further and further into a lawless, violent police state, terrorizing and killing its own citizens, ripping apart its families, and wreaking genocidal and military havoc around the world. On this first Sunday of Epiphany, Pastor Megan notices some things from the story of the Magi in Matthew 2: noncooperation with ill-intentioned and violent kings; God is a refugee. And then notices a couple of things from the water to wine story of the wedding at Cana from John 2: Jesus resists taking action but comes to realize that his time has indeed come to act; Jesus needs the servants as his human companions and co-creators of the miracle the world needs. And she wonders how these Epiphany stories from our Bible might read our current newspapers…?Sermon begins at minute marker 2:20John 2.1-11Resources:BibleWorm podcast: Episode 721 - Water into Wine, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.Karl Barth (1886-1968), Swiss-German Christian theologian. “[Barth] is considered…to be one of the greatest thinkers within the history of the Christian tradition. Barth gave new impulses to Protestant theology during a critical phase, reshaping it fundamentally toward a systematic theology that had to cope with the grim realities of the 20th century. As the principal author of “The Barmen Declaration,” he was the intellectual leader of the German Confessing Church, the Protestant group that resisted the Third Reich.”Matthew 2: story of the Magi & the holy family's flight into EgyptEzekiel 37: story of the valley of dry bones, and God instructing Ezekiel to prophesy to the four winds and then to prophesy to the bonesPrayer: Jesus, amplify the good; disrupt the plans of the evil; show me my place; Amen.Image: [As preachers,] “we must hold the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.” Quote / sentiment famously attributed to theologian, Karl Barth.

God's singular Word became human and dwelled among us, so that we might also become more fully human and dwell among God's beloveds. In other words, so that we might love and be loved. With special gratitude this week to Drs. Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr. (Amy & Bobby!) for their inspiring conversation on the BibleWorm podcast about temporary structures like tabernacles and human flesh that allow God to dwell in a particularly concentrated way, very near to God's people.Sermon begins at minute marker 2:02John 1.1-18 Resources:BibleWorm podcast: Episode 717 - The Light Shines in the Darkness, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.Rev. Fred Rogers, The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember (2003).Image: Mr. Rogers, on love.

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U -On October 3 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Kate Maddigan, Bruen Black, Amy Robertson, and Genevieve Cruz, for a special group discussion on revenue diversification for rural non-profits. Tune in for talk of circular economies, transportation, a brainstorm on creative revenue solutions, and updates from the Cortes Natural Food Co-op, CCEDA, and the Cortes Housing Society. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 3 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

In the Bible? Praise is nearly always political. Certainly in the book of Revelation where crying out “Salvation belongs to our God” is a direct affront to the Emporer of Rome who claims salvation comes soley through him and his “Pax Romana”. And a post script to our series on Revelation and Resistance: Thanks be to God for artists like John of Patmos (and countless others across time and space!) who buoy communities seeking to be faithful to the Way of Jesus in the midst of and in direct resistance to the empire.Sermon begins at minute marker 3:37ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 650 - Revelation and Resistance - Praising God, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, JrChutzpadik definition, OED: “colloquial. Esp. in Jewish usage: showing chutzpah; impudent, impertinent; audacious, very self-confident.”“ICE detains mother after legal entry,” by Tim Huber, Anabaptist World, July 2025.Donate to Iglesia Cristiana Roca de Refugio, the Mennonite congregation in San Antonio where Pastor Dianne Garcia serves.Read more about Pax Romana on wikipedia“Salvation Belongs to our God,” Petra Praise: The Rock Cries Out, 1989. William Stringfellow, An Ethic for Christians and Other Aliens in a Strange Land, Waco, TX: Word, 1973.“You, Lord, are both Lamb and Shepherd,” text by Sylvia G. Dunstan, found in hymnal Voices Together, 432.Image: photo by Alex Radelich on Unsplash (detail)

In our first of a six-week series on “Revelation and Resistance,” we step - with some well earned fear and trembling - into the wild, the wondrous, the terrifying, the evocative world of apocalyptic literature. With so much to UN-learn about the book of Revelation, Pastor Megan invites us to begin again. What IS this ancient genre of literature, why and how was it written, and for whom and what purpose? As a revelation of Jesus the Christ, named in just the first few verses of the book as the ruler of all earth's kings, we find that we've stepped directly into perhaps the original “No Kings” rally and march. The book of Revelation will take down its dominant empire (Rome) and all those who were being persecuted or seduced by the imperial cult. As we carry forward, perhaps we'll find inspiration for how to live in relationship to our own imperial cult… U.S. Christian nationalism.Sermon begins at minute marker 4:49Scripture: ​​​Revelation 1.1–20ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 646 - Revelation and Resistance - Lifting the Veil, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr“A view of resistance to oppression rather than judgement,” by Alison Forster, January 21, 2025, https://medium.com/counterarts/the-book-of-revelation-8935ac647b32 Anabaptist Community Bible, MennoMedia, 2025, including introduction to Revelation by J. Nelson Kraybill. “The Intimate Apocalypse,” hand-bound booklet by artist and writer, Jan Richardson.Left Behind (terror-inducing!) book series: wiki page.Image: by Pastor Megan, at Seattle's ”No Kings” rally and march, June 2025

“Why do you seek the living among the dead?” sounds like a chastisement. Until we remember that the only reason that ANYone knows that Jesus' tomb is empty is because a whole crew of faithful women showed up at the place of death, with the intention of attending to the dead. Indeed, it is only by returning again and again to the tombs of today's Empires that we can be gathered as resurrection communities who follow Jesus' call to “storm the gates of Hades” which shall never prevail against us. May we keep seeking (and finding!) the living (and life!) among the dead (and places of death!). May we do so until every gate to hell is crumbled and ALL are free.Sermon begins at minute marker 2:12Luke 24.1-12Resources:BibleWorm podcast: Episode 638 – Remember What He Told You, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.“Not the story we wanted: An Easter and arrest story,” an emailed letter from Chris Hoke, Underground Ministries, April 18, 2025.Learn more about La Resistencia - “No estan solos; You are not alone.”Learn more about Community of Hope Mennonite Church in Bellingham WA - with gratitude for Pastor Rachael Weasley's words, shared from a letter.Image: table turning at the Northwest Detention Center; Mennonite Action “God's Love Knows No Borders” sign visible, April 2025

Join Rita Kowats as she explores the stories of Jesus healing the blind man and seeing Zaccheus.  What lessons can we learn from (literally) blind faith and a spiritual curiosity that leads to climbing trees?Luke 18.31—19.10Resources:Link to sermon text.BibleWorm podcast: Episode 529 – Loving God and Neighbor, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, JrImage: Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

Not a single palm frond or “Hosanna” in this year's Palm Sunday reading. Luke's version of Jesus' procession toward and into Jerusalem instead records people throwing their coats on the ground. Rather than simply reaching for a fallen branch, instead those participating in Jesus' political street theatre give something of themselves that costs them a little something; the way Pastor Megan's spontaneously discarded cardigan resulted in a very cold experience of worship. Thank you to the child-prophets in the church who spontaneously responded by bringing their sweaters to throw into the center of our worship circle as well. We experientially learned just how potent this action was as the crowds moved with Jesus toward his confrontation with the powers of the Empire. In our current heartbreak, may we follow the footsteps of Love Incarnate--Jesus--the Human One, who goes before us in this holy and harrowing week, and who laments with us.Luke 19.29-44 ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 635 - What Makes For Peace, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr“Kindness,” Naomi Shihab Nye, Everything Comes Next: Collected & New Poems, 222.credit to Eric Massanari, Executive Conference Minister of Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference, and Amy Epp, Pastor of Evergreen Mennonite Church, for some of their words taken from letters written to their respective communities.More info about Mennonite Action can be found here: https://www.mennoniteaction.org/ Learn more and get involved with La Resistencia here: https://laresistencianw.org/ Lament hymn: Ya hamala Allah, sung in Arabic (trans: O Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. O Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. O Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us your peace, grant us your peace, grant us your peace)Image: discarded coats in the church courtyard, Megan Ramer Hymns: # 312, Jesus is Coming; music: Bret Hesla (USA) text: Bret Hesla (USA). Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.# 321 Ya hamala Allah; music: Yusuf Khill, Palestine/Israel text: Arabic; from Latin liturgy, "Agnus Dei" (Rome), ca. 7th c., based on John 1:29, Yusuf Khill (Palestine/Israel) Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

This Lukan fable has a pretty clear message: Wealth creates an impassable crevasse between humans. Wealth is only one of the many things that can create impassable crevasses between people; so too can race and religion and immigration status, to name a few more. But I have to believe the fable is ultimately meant to inspire us to bridge crevasses before it's too late. This sermon will take you to the midnight bedroom of Ebenezer Scrooge, to the summit of Mt. Rainier (aka “mama Tahoma”), to a jail cell in Durham NC, and to an Executive Board decision of some uncharacteristically speedy Mennonites. Buckle up and come along for the ride; we need one another more than ever. And please remember: I do not answer questions. I do not answer questions. I do not answer questions. We keep each other safe, beloveds.Sermon begins at minute marker 5:22Luke 16.19-31ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 633 - The Rich Man and Lazarus, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr'Crevice' and 'Crevasse': A Gap in Meaning, Merriam-Webster.Anabaptist Community BibleNew release: “MC USA and more than two dozen Christian and Jewish denominations and associations sue to protect religious freedoms,” February 11, 2025.Isaac Samuel Villegas, Migrant God: A Christian Vision for Immigrant Justice (Eerdmans, 2025), 6-8.Front Light podcast, by Mennonite Action, “From ‘quiet in the land' to suing the US Government, reflections on Mennonite advocacy with Iris de León-Hartshorn,” Season 1, Episode 4 (2025). Mennonite Action: “God's Love Knows No Borders” actions, 2025.Know Your Rights with ICE, by WAISN (Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network)Rebecca Solnit, A piece for all hard times. Excerpt: “They want you to feel powerless and to surrender and to let them trample everything and you are not going to let them. You are not giving up, and neither am I. The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything and everything we can save is worth saving.  You may need to grieve or scream or take time off, but you have a role no matter what, and right now good friends and good principles are worth gathering in. Remember what you love. Remember what loves you. Remember in this tide of hate what love is. The pain you feel is because of what you love.”Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, 1843.Image: Ladder bridging crevasse on Mt. Rainier; G310ScottS, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsHymn 149 - Forgive, Forgive Us, Holy God. Text: Shirley Erena Murray (Aotearoa/New Zealand)  Music: Barbara Hamm (USA), © 1996 & © 2016 Hope Publishing Company. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

Jesus desires our ingathering, and we so often are not willing. Jesus goes belly up, like a fierce yet vulnerable mother hen in the presence of a fox, ready to take us under the shelter of her wings. Are we willing? And what might we learn from Jesus about lament?Sermon begins at minute marker 6:00​​​​Luke 13.1-8, 31-35ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 631 – A Lament Over Jerusalem, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, JrBarbara Brown Taylor, “As a Hen Gathers her Brood,” The Christian Century.Jewish Voices for Peace action: call your reps to demand the release of student activist and U.S. permanent resident, Mahmoud Khalil, abducted by the DHS on March 8, 2025.Image: “Christ the Mother Hen,” Kelly Latimore iconsHymn 298 - What Is the World Like. Text: Adam M. L. Tice (USA), 2009, © 2011 GIA Publications, Inc. Music:  Sally Ann Morris (USA).  Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

One familiar story which contains a familiar parable flows into another familiar story. Is there anything at all new to say about the Samaritan that's called “good” or the Mary and Martha sisterly tiff? Unclear. But given our deep dive into Luke, and looking for threads, Pastor Megan notices two things: Luke is driving home that 1) we are meant to be moved with compassion, and 2) we are implored to listen to Jesus. Both are imperative in Luke's gospel, and in Luke's understanding of what it means to walk the Way of Jesus, with faces turned toward Jerusalem. Taken together, Megan wonders if there's a thematic thread of urgency. There's false urgencies that cause us to sidestep one in need (rooted in white supremacy culture), and real urgency to prepare for and engage resistance to empire (rooted in our call to collective liberation). Somehow we are invited to discern well between the Big Urgency and the little urgencies so that we can be sustained on this discipleship path taking us on a collision course with the corrupt powers of the world.Sermon begins at minute marker 4:53​​​​ Luke 10.25-42ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 630 – Two Sisters and a Good Samaritan, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, JrUrgency, a characteristic of white supremacy culturePeople's Institute for Survival and BeyondImage: this is a detail of a larger piece by artist, Dona Park, from the Anabaptist Community BibleHymn 527 - Bless the Arms That Comfort. Text: Mary Louise Bringle (USA), © 2001 The Hymn Society (admin. Hope Publishing Co.) Music: Gustav Holst (England), 1906. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

Visiting guest preacher Rachael Weasley shares about what her queer church plant is up to these days, and explores today's passage in a queer way.Sermon begins at minute marker 3:43.Scripture: ​​​​Luke 7:36-50ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 529 – Loving God and Neighbor, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jrhttps://bcmonline.org/https://www.journeywithjesus.net/Image: by Prafull Kawate on Pexels.

Fetus John the Baptist knew exactly who Jesus was, according to Luke. Adult John the Baptist sends emissaries to ask Jesus who he is. Jesus does not answer John's question, but rather instructs the question-askers to simply report what they see and what they hear. It seems that, according to Jesus, his identity must be shown, enacted, embodied for it to be real. Similarly, our Anabaptist faith has a centuries-long history of being done, enacted, embodied. Our faith is a lived faith and has traditionally been proclaimed more in deed than in word. This is why the decision of our denomination to be the named plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Dept. of Homeland Security (Mennonite Church USA et al. v. United States Department of Homeland Security et al.) is completely in line with our 500-year history of following Jesus. Because our faith IS caring for our neighbor. So when the U.S. Government tries to prevent us from doing that, the free exercise of our religion is compromised and we must resist.Sermon begins at minute marker 6:18Luke 7:18-35ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 626 – Are You Really the One?, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, JrIris de León-Hartshorn, “Our Anabaptist Witness as Mennonites,” (theological basis for legal action taken by Mennonite Church USA - see link below) February 12, 2025.“MC USA and more than two dozen Christian and Jewish denominations and associations sue to protect religious freedoms,” February 11, 2025.Mary H. Schertz, Luke, Believers Church Bible Commentary (Herald Press, 2023), 166.“Orthopraxy,” wikipedia article.Image: A valentine to Mennonite Church USA: “Roses are red | Violets are blue | You sued the President | I think I love you!”VT Hymn 428 Praise with Joy the World's Creator. Text: Iona Community (Scotland), 1985, alt., © 1987 WGRG, Iona Community (admin. GIA Publications, Inc.) Music: John Goss (England), The Supplemental Hymn and Tune Book, 1869. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

Jesus sees a woman and is moved with compassion to respond. But what about all the other women, humans, creatures, who also needed his compassionate response??? And what about the root causes of her suffering - Shouldn't he have fixed the systems instead??? Jesus sees a woman - really looks at her - and is moved to respond. May we who seek to follow Jesus do the same. May we, out of (legitimate!) concern for scalability and systems, never overthink our way to paralysis when given the opportunity and impulse to respond with compassion. Goodness knows, our country and our world need all the compassion that each one of us can muster.Sermon begins at minute marker 6:02Luke 7:1-17ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 625 – A Centurion's Slave and a Widow's Son, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr“A Jesus Who Troubles,” sermon on this text by Pastor Megan Ramer (sermon begins at minute 15:35), 2021."Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it." (Rabbi Tarfon, from the Pirkei Avot, 2:16)“Blessing in the Chaos,” by Jan Richardson; also appears in her book The Cure for Sorrow: A Book of Blessings for Times of Grief (79), 2016.Kate Bowler quote, from an instagram reel, February 2025.Vivek Murthy quote, taken from the Kate Bowler reel linked above.VT Hymn 647, There Is A Balm in Gilead. Text & Music: African American Spiritual. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

Sabbath was to be the fountain around which the garden of all public life and policy grew in ancient Israel. On six days the people were to work, tending that garden, ensuring its health and growth and accessibility to all people, and on the seventh day they were to participate in the proper end and fulfillment of all work: reception of the fruits of perfect sanctuary. In rabbinic tradition, it is taught that if the people observe Sabbath completely and perfectly even once, the Messiah will come. The world where the sanctuary of Sabbath is truly established is the Promised Land.Sermon begins at minute marker 5:07 ​​​​Luke 6:1–16ResourcesHeschel, Abraham Joshua. “The Sabbath”.Martin Luther King, Jr., "Beyond Vietnam": Speech at Riverside Church Meeting, New York, N.Y., April 4, 1967. In Clayborne Carson et al., eds., Eyes on the Prize: A Reader and Guide (New York: Penguin, 1987), 201-04.BibleWorm podcast: Episode 529 – Loving God and Neighbor, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, JrImage by Ilya SchorHymn 556 I Bind My Heart This Tide. Text: Lauchlan M. Watt (Scotland), The Tryst: A Book of the Soul, 1907, alt. Music: J. Randall Zercher (USA), 1965, The Mennonite Hymnal, 1969, © 1965 J. Randall Zercher. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

Three major commemorations converged last week: the birth of the Anabaptist movement, the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. (and the broader movement of which he was part, including our Anabaptist ancestors, Rosemarie and Vincent Harding), and the anniversary of the first national collective action of Mennonite Action. Thanks to the Pastoral Team for Mennonite Action, we notice a thread through these significant commemorations: “the willingness of ordinary people to take actions that simultaneously speak a no and a yes.” Another story for today: fisherfolk in Luke's gospel who leave everything (including a mountain of fish, representing a mountain of wealth) to follow Jesus. God, grant us wisdom and courage as we join these many ancestors of ours in walking a path that says NO to security and status quo and YES to the risky, uncertain, and liberating Way of Jesus.Sermon begins at 6:14Scripture: ​​​​Luke 5:1–11ResourcesThis sermon was taken whole cloth (with some of my own riffs added) from “Prayers for a significant week” from the Mennonite Action Pastoral Team, January 20, 2025.Anabaptist Community BibleEpiscopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde imploring President Trump to “have mercy” on immigrants and LGBTQ people targeted by his policies, at the end of her inaugural prayer service sermon in the National Cathedral, Washington D.C.: video clip linked here.The Movement Makes Us Human: An Interview with Dr. Vincent Harding on Mennonites, Vietnam, and MLK, Joanna Shenk, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2018Remnants: A Memoir of Spirit, Activism, and Mothering, Rosemarie Freeney Harding, with Rachel Elizabeth Harding, Duke University Press, 2015.BibleWorm podcast: Episode 623 - The Call of Simon, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jrothers?Image: covers of the two Harding books noted aboveHymn 57 Holy Spirit, Come with Power. Text: Anne Neufeld Rupp (USA), © 1970 Anne Neufeld Rupp, trans. Barbara Mink (USA), © 1988 Music: attr. B. F. White (USA), The Sacred Harp, 1844; harm. Joan Fyock Norris (USA), © 1989 Joan Fyock Norris. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

There's lots going on in this story from Luke, and also in this sermon from Pastor Megan, and also in the story of our Anabaptist roots, and also in the congregational life of Seattle Mennonite Church. It's all a bit of a mess, to be quite frank. But at the heart of all four stories (the gospel, the sermon, the history, and SMC today) is baptism and the co-creation embedded in a covenant community. Come along for the slightly wild ride!Sermon begins at minute marker 6:22Luke 3.1-22ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 621 – John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr“The Most Radical Reformers,” Valerie G. Rempel, Anabaptist World, Vol. 6 No. 1, January 2025.InterPlay practice of “I could talk about” - read a brief description here: https://atlantainterplay.blogspot.com/2014/03/i-could-talk-about.html Image: detail from the cover of Anabaptist World, Vol. 6 No. 1, January 2025 - “Fugitive congregation at worship, Amsterdam, 1569, by Jan Luyken.”Hymn 212 Comfort, Comfort O my People. Text: based on Isaiah 40:1-5; Johannes Olearius (Germany), “Tröstet, tröstet, meine Lieben,” Geistliche Singe-Kunst, 1671; trans. Catherine Winkworth (England), Chorale Book for England, 1863, alt. Music: Louis Bourgeois (France), Genevan Psalter, Octante Trois Pseaumes de David, 1551; harm. adapt. from Claude Goudimel (France), 150 Pseaumes de David, 1564  Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

When the writer of Luke's gospel litters his stories with the names of politicians and references to their political maneuverings, we are meant to pay attention. When the tale of a 12-year-old Jesus choosing to remain in the temple occurs DURING THE PASSOVER… and IN JERUSALEM… we are meant to notice. It is, after all, bookended with the story Luke will tell at what turns out to be the very end of Jesus' life, also during the Passover and also in Jerusalem. What occurs in both occasions is a potent confluence of religion and politics. And, in Jesus' very first independent decision in recorded history, he opts to stay at that confluence. Jesus chose to remain where faith was potent, consequential, and in direct conversation with the politics of his day. Perhaps we who follow in his Way are invited to do the same.Sermon begins at minute marker 4:50Luke 2.41-52ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 620 – The Boy Jesus in the Temple, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, JrMany online resources tell a version of the events that took place in Zürich on January 21, 1525. An account from the GAMEO article on Zürich. An article from the Anabaptist World in 2015, by Valerie G. Rempel: “The Birth of Anabaptism.” Much can, has, and must be said to complicate often over-simplified stories of a monogenesis of Anabaptism, and over-emphasis on this story, as well!Wikipedia article on Josephus.Image: William Holman Hunt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (LINK TO IMAGE)Hymn 223 Bless'd Be the God of Israel. Text: based on Luke 1:68-79; Michael A. Perry (England), Psalm Praise, 1973, © 1973 Hope Publishing Co. Music: George J. Webb (USA), 1830; The Odeon, 1837. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

As we wait for God's “Big L” Liberating Love to be fully realized, we are called to BE God's love of ourselves, for one another, and for all creation. We enter the story of Mary, and then Mary with Elizabeth, to see how this love begets more love and eventually changes the whole world.Sermon begins at minute marker 5:41.Luke 1.26-56 ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 617 - The Annunciation of Mary, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr“Continue” by Maya AngelouImage: Henry Ossawa Tanner (American, 1859-1937) The Annunciation Hymn 221 - The Angel Gabriel Called Mary Blessed:  text: Sarah Kathleen Johnson (Canada), © 2019; inspired by Basque carol “Birjina gaztetto bat zegoen,” paraphr. Sabine Baring-Gould (England), “The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came,” University Carol Book, 1923. Music: Basque traditional; harm. attr. C. Edgar Pettman (England), University Carol Book, 1923. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

Advent is a home for our longing that is at once ancient and new every day. We join our longing for the full inbreaking of God's justice, peace, and liberating love to the longing of our forebears in the faith. Like them, we continue to wait while also being called into embodying our hope. Not because the conditions seem optimistic, but - in the face of any and all circumstances, with broken hearts - we “nevertheless / even now” enact our collective hope in the world around us.Sermon begins at minute marker 3:58Scripture: ​​​​Joel 2.12-13, 28-29ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 615 – Rend Your Hearts, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, JrImage: Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash Hymn 216 - Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming. Text: stanzas 1–2 anon., “Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen,” (present-day Germany), 15th c.; Alte Catholische Geistliche Kirchengasäng, 1599; trans. Theodore Baker (USA), 1894; stanza 3 Friedrich Layritz (Germany), Liederschatz, 1832; trans. Harriet K. Spaeth (USA), The Hymnal, 1940, alt. Music: German traditional, 15th c.; Alte Catholische Geistliche Kirchengasäng, 1599; harm. Michael Praetorius (Germany), Musae Sionae VI, 1609. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

What does it mean to sing “Holy holy holy is God” NOT to God, but to one another? Might Isaiah's magnificent and poetic imagery of the seraphim singing their praise of God's holiness TO one another be received as an invitation to do the same?Sermon begins at minute marker 4:11 Scripture: ​​​​Isaiah 6.1-8 ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 612 – Here I Am Send Me!, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.“Before I Was a Gazan,” Naomi Shihab Nye, from Everything Comes Next: Collected & New Poems (2020), 100.“A Few Rules For Predicting the Future,” Octavia E. Butler (2000), 7-15.“Schrödinger's Seraphim,” Vija Merrill.Releasing friend of SMC met through the One Parish One Prisoner program of Underground Ministries.Image: Seraphim in Hagia Sofia, in Istanbul Türkiye, photo by Pastor Megan Ramer.Hymn: Voices Together 156 - There's a Wideness in God's Mercy. Text: Frederick W. Faber (England), Hymns, 1861. Music: Lizzie S. Tourjee (USA), Hymnal of the Methodist Church with Tunes, 1878. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

Jonah sought to protect his own people when God's compassion and mercy were to extend to the repentant beyond Israel's borders. Fairness, justice and truth are to be balanced with compassion and mercy by God's definition and ways rather than our limited vision of who is repentant, when and how. Universal Saving expands when our small actions, reflections and words join together in a chorus of abundant love for all, which is no guarantee of outcome. Sermon starts at minute marker 5:34Scripture: ​​​​Jonah 3.1-10ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 611 Jonah and the Compassion of God, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, JrImage by Adam Krypel on pexelsHymn: Voices Together 283 - Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore. Text:  Spanish; Cesáreo Gabarain (Spain); trans. composite Gertrude C. Suppe (USA), George Lockwood IV (USA), Raquel Gutiérrez-Achon (USA), Willard F. Jabusch (USA), alt.  Music: Cesáreo Gabarain, 1979, Dios con nosotros. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

What happens when a raven and a prophet form a little community of care? How about a Hebrew man and Phoenician widow - across religious and political divides? According to our storyteller, the needs of all are met, and the storyteller calls this God's provision. Might this tale of unlikely dependencies be just the sort of good news we need in these tense and teetering days?Sermon begins at minute marker 3:20​​​​1 Kings 17.1-16ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 610 – Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, JrConsider the Birds: A Provocative Guide to Birds of the Bible, Debbie Blue (Abingdon Press), 2013.“If you think you can hold a grudge, consider the crow,” Thomas Fuller, NYT, October 28, 2024.Beef, by Lee Sung JinThe Birds, by Alfred HitchcockHeckling, by an opinionated SMC birder

Solomon sets out to build a house for God, as people across time and place have done over and over again. But even in the dedication prayer, Solomon acknowledges that God cannot be contained by a building, regardless of size or grandness or even how delicious it smells. Just as Pastor Megan's delicious-smelling cedar chest could never contain her bounty of beautiful quilts, so too Solomon's cedar temple could never contain the enormity of God. Houses for God have never been about or for God, so much as they are for a people, seeking to create sacred spaces for living in relationship with one another and God; a people seeking to recharge their spiritual batteries.Sermon begins at minute marker 5:421 Kings 5.1-5, and 8.27-30, 41-43ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 609 – Dedicating the Temple, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, JrRainer Maria Rilke, “Ich bin, du Ängtlicher. Hörst do mich nicht,” from Rilke's Book of Hours: Love Poems to God, trans. Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy, 66.Image: rendering of quilts stacked at SMC during our Jubilee celebration, 2018.Voices Together Hymn 647 There is a Balm in Gilead. Text & Music: African American Spiritual (USA) Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

Whether in tents or temples, God is present and abiding with the Israelites and their descendants. God's living promise is a loving extensive, generational commitment/covenant among, between and with us just as we are: the only tabernacle God needs. Sermon begins at minute marker 4:47.2 Samuel 7:1-17ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 608: I'll Build You a House, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, JrImage: Comet traversing twilight sky Hymn 748 Take, O Take Me As I Am Text: John L. Bell (Scotland)  Music: John L. Bell Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

Hannah's Song, often referred to as The Magnificat of the First Testament, is a collection of Hannah's utopian dreams. She sings of a world where the bows of the warriors are broken and where God lifts the poor from the ash heap and sits them with princes. This sermon explores Hannah's life and story, from which her dreams grew, and it follows the flow of Hannah's dreamsong as it cascaded down through the centuries, inspiring Mary of Nazareth and inspiring us. “Hannah's Dreamsong” was delivered by Tyler Merrill, who is currently in candidacy for Seattle Mennonite Church's Pastor of Faith Formation position. It also serves in part as Tyler's self-introduction to the congregation.Sermon begins at minute marker 5:371 Samuel 1.9-11, 19-20, and 2.1-10ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 529 – Loving God and Neighbor, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, JrThe Poet, The Warrior, The Prophet. Collection of essays in theopoetics delivered by Rubem A Alves at the University of Birmingham in 1990.Image: Mary: Love Forever Being Born Icon by Kelly Latimore, used with permission. kellylatimoreicons.com

The Hebrew people grow weary of their supposed leader leaving them behind, and - in Moses' absence - they ask for a symbol to represent God? Replace God? Hold them together as a community in a very destabilized time? Unclear, but even as we seek to empathize with a people who long for SOMEthing to keep them together, God and Moses are nonetheless displeased. And set about bickering over whose people they are. In the midst of this squabble, Moses appeals to God's reputation: “What will the Egyptians say about you if you choose destruction?!” Preparing ourselves to participate in another sacred symbol on this World Communion Sunday - bread and cup with all who seek to walk in the Way of Jesus - we wonder how our public actions and presence (or lack thereof) contribute to God's reputation in the world.Sermon begins at minute marker 7:09Exodus 32.1-14 ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 605 – The Golden Calf, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr“End Game,” lyrics by Taylor Swift.Mennonite Action - A movement of Mennonites taking action, explicitly AS MENNONITE-CHRISTIANS, to stop war and end the occupation of Palestine.Song: A Recitation of Psalm 40, in IsiNdebele (a language of Zimbabwe), sung by Bongiwe Ncube.Image: Small statue of the Golden Calf, Louvre museum (Paris, France), Wikimedia Commons.Hymn 717 - Renew Your Church. Text: K. L. Cober (USA), 1960, alt., © 1960 K. L. Cober, renewed 1985 Judson Press Music: American traditional (USA), 1842; adapt. Sacred Harp, 1844. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

A sermon about a 25 chapter novella, in three parts: 1) Joseph actually had an amazing technicolor princess dress, and isn't that both telling and fabulous?! 2) Love unevenly distributed produces division, resentment, and - in this story - the hate-filled action of a band of brothers who traffic their beloved brother into slavery, and it's that terrible?! 3) If (or when) you go through hell, don't come out empty-handed, and isn't it tricky to say anything at all about suffering and the good we sometimes wrest from it?!Sermon begins at minute marker 8:03Genesis 37.3-8, 17b-22, 26-34; 50.15-21ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 603 – Evil Made Good, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr“Don't Come Out Empty Handed,” Kate Bowler's podcast, Everything Happens, interview with Rabbi Steve Leder.“Good Grief,” Kate Bowler's podcast, Everything Happens, interview with Thomas Lynch.Image: “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Tulane Public Relations, CC BY 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Hymn 205 - Light Dawns on a Weary World. Text: Mary Louise Bringle (USA), 2001, © GIA Publications, Inc. Music: William P. Rowan (USA), © 2000 William P. Rowan (admin. GIA Publications, Inc.) Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

Abram longs for a child that he believes God has denied him. God meets Abram in that specific need, but then leads him to a more expansive - even cosmic - view. This is a story that might be easier for aunties like me to understand: I absolutely don't have one or two or three children. I either have zero children, or I have children that number the stars. I choose the latter, and in this story God seems to agree. As a church, we claim all our children as belonging to all of us. And we explicitly bless those who devote their time and their energy to the education, mentoring, care, and love of our kids when we gather together on Sunday mornings.Sermon begins at minute marker 4:24Genesis 15.1-6ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 602 – Trusting the Promise, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr“Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story,” Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton.Image: Photo by note thanun on UnsplashHymn: Voices Together, 175, Planets Humming as They Wander. Text: Heather Josselyn-Cranson (USA), alt., © 2010 Heather Josselyn-Cranson Music: Sally Ann Morris (USA), 2009, © 2016 GIA Publications, Inc. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

We start a new Narrative Lectionary year at a very good place to start: In the beginning… We begin with the genesis of all things, and it doesn't take long for everything to devolve into deception, messing up, shame, hiding from God, and scapegoating. If our ancient Hebrew forebears in the faith told this story because they - like us - knew their overwhelming capacity to screw up royally, then I think it's telling to back up a few steps and see how they START that story. Despite what some may have you believe, their story (and ours) does not originate with sin, but with the tender shaping of soil, the intimate breathing of life, and holy belovedness.Sermon begins at minute marker 6:22​​​​Genesis 2.4b-7, 15-17; 3.1-8ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 601 – The Knowledge of Good and Evil, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, JrWikipedia article on the doctrine of “Original Sin” and Augustine's shaping of it.“Beloved Is Where We Begin,” blessing by Jan Richardson, also published in her book, Circle of Grace.Image: Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash Hymn: 531 Holy Presence, Holy Teacher. Text: Shirley Erena Murray (Aotearoa New Zealand), alt., © 2008 Hope Publishing Co. Music: C. Hubert H. Parry (England), 1897. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

Rick Howard, The CSO, Chief Analyst, and Senior Fellow at N2K Cyber, discusses the current state of MITRE ATT&CK with CyberWire Hash Table guests Frank Duff, Tidal Cyber's Chief Innovation Officer, Amy Robertson, MITRE Threat Intelligence Engineer and ATT&CK Engagement lead, and Rick Doten, Centene's VP of Information Security. References: Amy L. Robertson, 2024. ATT&CK 2024 Roadmap  [Essay]. Medium. Blake E. Strom, Andy Applebaum, Doug P. Miller, Kathryn C. Nickels, Adam G. Pennington, Cody B. Thomas, 2018. MITRE ATT&CK: Design and Philosophy [Historical Paper]. MITRE. Eric Hutchins, Michael Cloppert, Rohan Amin, 2010. Intelligence-Driven Computer Network Defense Informed by Analysis of Adversary Campaigns and Intrusion Kill Chains [Historic Paper]. Lockheed Martin Corporation. Nick Selby, 2014. One Year Later: The APT1 Report [Essay]. Dark Reading. Rick Howard, 2023. Cybersecurity First Principles: A Reboot of Strategy and Tactics [Book]. Goodreads. Rick Howard, 2020. Intrusion kill chains: a first principle of cybersecurity.  [Podcast]. The CyberWire. Rick Howard, 2022. Kill chain trifecta: Lockheed Martin, ATT&CK, and Diamond. [Podcast]. The CyberWire. Rick Howard, 2020. cyber threat intelligence (CTI) (noun) [Podcast]. Word Notes: The CyberWire. Kevin Mandia, 2014. State of the Hack: One Year after the APT1 Report [RSA Conference Presentation]. YouTube. SAHIL BLOOM, 2023. The Blind Men & the Elephant [Website]. The Curiosity Chronicle. Sergio Caltagirone, Andrew Pendergast, and Christopher Betz. 05 July 2011. The Diamond Model of Intrusion Analysis. Center for Cyber Threat Intelligence and Threat Research.[Historical Paper] Staff, n.d. Home Page [Website]. Tidal Cyber. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Struck by Mark's mention that Jesus sits across from the treasury box in the Temple, observing HOW each person gives their money, Pastor Megan ponders what Jesus might observe in how SHE lives with her own money (and for this Way walked together, how WE live with ours). Would Jesus be glad that the widow gives her last mite and has nothing to live on, or might Jesus be praising the widow for revealing - by her courageous and some might even say confrontational act - the baked-in injustice of the system that leaves a widow with only a mite in the first place? And what does love of God, self, and neighbor have to do with it all?Sermon begins at minute marker 6:38Mark 12.28-44ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 529 – Loving God and Neighbor, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.Image: Melissa KellyVT 552 "As a deer…"  #10783 Words: Psalm 42  Music: Louis Bourgeois, Genevan Psalter. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is a deliberate act of political confrontation with the Roman Empire's powers-that-be. After casing the mostly deserted late evening Temple, he makes plans to return the next day to make a royal mess of things; to disrupt business as usual. The Way Jesus walks, the Way that Jesus calls us to walk (together!), is a Way lined with palms that leads to confrontation with Empire.Sermon begins at minute marker 5:03Mark 11.1-19ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 531 – The Triumphal Entry, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.Ched Myers, “Palm Sunday As Subversive Street Theatre,” posted on Radical Discipleship, 2021.Marcus J. Borg & John Dominic Crossan, The Last Week: A Day-to-Day Account of Jesus' Final Week (Harper, 2007).Image: Melissa KellyVT 146 Lord Jesus, Come and Overturn #99565 words: David Gambrell music: Klug's Geistliche Lieder ©2015 GIA Publications, Inc. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

The cries of the suffering are not always polite. When we are suffering, can we let loose and trust our community to hold us? When our neighbors are suffering, can we build our resilience in the face of their screams for justice, for relief, for healing, for mercy?Sermon begins at 6:41ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 527 – The Healing of Bartimaeus, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.Image: Melissa KellyVT 610 Precious Lord, Take My Hand #73682 Words: Thomas Dorsey, Music: George Allen ©1938,1966 Hal Leonard Corporation. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

Jesus' guide for discipleship invites us to rethink our expectations of what discipleship means and who disciples are. Embedded in the invitation is a deep look meeting the soul of our being with enduring love and perpetual hospitality  to embrace the next steps of faith-filled following the Jesus Way. Sermon begins at minute marker 5:37Mark 10:17-31 ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: ⦁ Episode 526 – The Eye of the Needle, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.Mark: Believers Church Bible Commentary, Timothy J Geddert; Herald Press, 2001.Narrative Language Lectionary: 570 First Last and Last FirstTricia Hersey, Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto; New York: Little, Brown Spark, 2022Richard Rohr, “The Need for Mysticism”, Daily Meditations, August 2, 2020. Image: Nagara Oyodo on unsplashHymn VT 758 Who Will Speak a Word of Warning text: Richard Leach, © 2000 Selah Publishing Co., Inc. music: Alfred V. Fedak, 1988, © 1989 Selah Publishing Co., Inc. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

I can talk about a woman who experiences a minimum of three healings in one healing story. The first is busting through all sorts of internal and external barriers to step out her door and into a crowd. The second is reaching for the hem of Jesus' cloak to seize a cure for her illness. And the third is - with one word - being restored as family, reclaimed as belonging. I can talk about Jesus making a powerful one wait in order to give his full attention and presence to a marginalized one. And I can talk about - especially in a moment of big transition or uncertainty - never underestimating the power of food.Sermon begins at minute marker 4:06Narrative Lectionary, Year 3ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 522 – Healing Interrupted, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.Image: Photo by William Farlow on UnsplashHymn VT 519: God, Give Me Faith Like A Child. Text - Adam M. L. Tice, 2012, © 2013, GIA Publications, Inc Music - Sally Ann Morris, b.1952, © 2013, GIA Publications, Inc. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

Imagine a life where you could utilize the healing power of crystals, harness the wisdom of animal spirit guides, and totally transform your life with conscious breathing. This is no fantasy; Amy Robertson, a meditation practitioner, shares her inspiring journey from chronic pain to healing, all through the mystical world of meditation and mindfulness. She brings a practical perspective, emphasizing that even one minute of mindful breathing a day can have a significantly positive impact, and that meditation is an accessible practice for everyone.Step into the captivating realm of rock energies as we journey with Amy into the world of crystals, gemstones, and their unique properties. We learn how to communicate with these earthly treasures and 'assign them a job' to support our personal growth. If you've ever been curious about animal spirit guides, you're in for a treat. We unravel the profound messages they deliver and how they can assist us in our personal evolution. Finally, we touch upon future manifestations, the importance of following the energy of our hearts, and the role of crystals in supporting mental health. Amy sheds light on some specific crystals that can help with PTSD and postpartum depression, as well as how mantras can help break negative mental loops. We wrap up with a compelling discussion on the healing power of certain crystals for pain relief and how journaling can be a powerful tool for personal growth. Join us for this enriching exploration into meditation, crystals, and spiritual growth. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themalliardreport.com

Suffering from chronic pain myself, I found solace in meditation which eventually led to a breakthrough in my healing journey. In our latest episode, I share this personal experience with Amy Robertson, a fellow meditation practitioner, who echoes similar sentiments. Together, we unpick the power of meditation and mindfulness, underlining their distinctions and how even one minute of deep, conscious breathing can make a world of difference.  Our journey continues as we navigate the mystical world of crystals, gemstones, and rocks. Amy's insights into the unique qualities of these elements and how to harness their energies lead us to a conversation about animal spirit guides, an intriguing concept that promises profound messages. We also reflect on our personal experiences with these guides, who take various forms from the fierce wolf to the graceful dolphin. In the latter part of our discussion, we delve into the future and how to manifest success by following the energy of our hearts. Amy discusses how crystals can support those struggling with mental health issues, such as postpartum depression and PTSD. We also explore the power of mantras and their ability to disrupt negative loops in our minds and the universe. As we conclude, we touch on specific crystals that can assist with pain relief and the significance of journaling. We even find time to chat about our favorite protein-rich breakfasts, reminding us all to fuel our bodies as well as our minds. So, join us in this enlightening exploration into meditation, crystals, and spiritual growth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices