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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.
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.
Staff Meeting: The Good Shepherd - Pastor Megan Wood (02/25/2025) by Word of Life Assembly of God
Welcome to the Word of Life AG podcast! Today Pastor Megan shares how you can be rooted in God's love... If you're looking for next steps, please head to our website at https://www.wordoflifeag.org/
Your Faith Journey - Finding God Through Words, Song and Praise
Wow, here we are on another precipice. When I started back on June 26, 2013, we were on a precipice ready to jump off and start our work together. When we jump off we never know where will land. Thankfully as followers of Jesus Christ we know that we are not alone. We believe the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding us. We have been through some major changes, and they all happened within 5-6 months in 2024. Walter passed away February 16. Thankfully we had a vice president in the wings to take over. In March we began counting money at the church. Our former secretary shared with members that I would not be putting my name in to be considered for your pastor. In one week in June, we essentially had 2 staff changes. That is a lot for any system to handle. We gathered our gifts and moved forward. We had a great VBS. Thankfully we found a new secretary within a relatively short amount of time. Thus, Randy and I could give up doing the bulletin and E-news. Thanks to Mark Kadrofske for planning and coordinating youth events. Sunday School is running smoothly with our gifted education people. We needed to do some reorganization with the pantry, and it now has a steering committee where the oversight is done by a group of people. They even have a job description for their committee. The finances are being monitored, and more funding is being sought. The pantry is in good shape right now. This is not about me doing all of this work. My role was to plant seeds and support the gifted people here at Faith. The council is in the midst of restructuring the operating system of the church so that the healthiest ministry can be done. This came out of the leadership workshop that we had and the work of the transition team. Today Pastor John will be sharing some thoughts on the Parish House as well as Laurie at our annual meeting. With the new administration we are very concerned about the guys and their continued ability to stay here. Now in saying that, we know of no imminent issue, but it is a concern. Things are changing every day. Michigan Refugee Hope has begun working on a safety plan and Faith will need to be a part of this. Pastor John, Laurie and I attended a zoom meeting on Tuesday with the other refugee providers in Lansing. This is to ensure that the leaders here are as up to date on what might be coming down the pike. This is what soon to be Pastor Megan is walking into. She will need your support in navigating whatever is ahead. Remembering what we have been through since I have been here. I believe that we have moved through it together with the power of the Holy Spirit. This leads us into our gospel lesson for today. After Jesus' time in the wilderness with the devil, he returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. Jesus gave his inaugural address to the people in attendance at the synagogue. News had spread about Jesus throughout the whole countryside. He had taught in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. He returned to Nazareth, where he had grown up. He attended the service as he normally did. The hometown boy had come home. The assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where he wanted to read. As he read the passage from Isaiah, Jesus identified who he was and what his mission was. He said that God had anointed him, and the Spirit was on him. He was sent to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. As the Gospel of Luke continues we find Jesus not being liked very much. He was shaking the status quo. Neither the church leaders nor the government leaders were happy with his message through word and action. Next week the lesson would have been how even his hometown people realized they were being asked to do something that they might not be comfortable with. When I think about the fact that Jesus has asked us his followers to carry on this work, I'm just a bit taken back as were the people in his hometown. This is a great deal to do, and it has become more and more of an uphill battle. This week at the National Cathedral there was an Episcopal bishop who preached this kind of message, and she has been criticized by many people in power, even pastors. There is now a congressman who has introduced a resolution to condemn her as her message was distorted. He is saying that the sermon was not reflective of the faith community at large. As of today, I do not speak on behalf of Faith. I challenge you to consider what this means and where you stand. Is the bishop's message in line with the welcoming statement? We can easily get bogged down in what we can't do instead of focusing on what we can do. This was something the bishop felt she was called to do. I understand she also offered the National Cathedral as a resting place for Matthew Sheppard. I cannot cover all of these points Jesus outlined for himself in one sermon. What I would like us to briefly look at is preaching good news to the poor. You may tell me that you are not preachers and that is my job along with a few others. The Greek word for preach in this passage is euangelizō which means announcing, declaring, or telling the good news. This is for all of us including foreigners. It is what we say and do. It is the message that we present to others through our words and actions. Thus, this is what Jesus is calling all of to do in order to continue his ministry. In this passage from what we believe to be 2nd Isaiah, which is after the exile, they are reflecting on the destruction of Jerusalem and having to rebuild it. Even though the restoration has been promised it is frustrating project. A great deal of conflicted feelings are probably being felt. Could it be that Jesus was reminding the people in the synagogue what had gotten the Hebrew people that Isaiah was prophesying what had gotten them into exile? The people had been looking for a leader to bring them more power and control through acquiring more land. It was a very self-centered way of thinking and greediness. This way of thinking excluded people who were different from them. I have said it before and I am saying it again, history repeats itself if we don't learn from it. God has been bringing the message to God's people that God includes everyone. This is what RIC Sunday is about. It is a reminder that this is the good news that all of us have been called to announce. The good news is for all people. In my first sermon here, I thanked you for welcoming me. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. Faith has welcomed our refugee brothers in the Parish House. We welcome people to come and take food that they need in order to live. This is sharing or announcing the good news. In going forward, Jesus calls you and I to continue sharing the good news. You may hear voices and see things done that do not model good news. Please allow the Holy Spirit to continue guiding you. This beloved community is called to share this good news regardless of these voices. Do your best in this place and this community to not let history repeat itself. Remember the Holy spirit has led us to this day and will lead you and myself forward to continue sharing the good news where we are! Let us pray: Gracious Spirit, thank you for bringing us together to share your good news. We continue to rely on you to lead us forward and to discern how and where to share your good news, regardless. In Jesus, Name. Amen
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.
PASTOR MEGAN ALAMOCROSSROADS GMCWASHINGTON, IL
Jesus for All | Pastor Megan Chondrogiannis by Highlight Church
Welcome to the Word of Life AG podcast! Today Pastor Megan brings us a special message for the Christmas Season. If you're looking for next steps, please head to our website at https://www.wordoflifeag.org/
Staff Meeting: Crucial Conversations - Pastor Megan Wood (12/03/2024) by Word of Life Assembly of God
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For more information on Radiate Church and what God is doing in our community through this ministry, please visit linktr.ee/radiatechurch
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.
Welcome to the Word of Life AG podcast! Today Pastor Megan Wood shares the second message in our series simply entitled, “Build and Belong”... If you're looking for next steps, please head to our website at https://www.wordoflifeag.org/
Thanks for checking out this week's Podcast. This week we heard a great message from Pastor Megan as we continued our series titled “Summer in Psalm 23” If you're looking for next steps, please head to our website at https://www.wordoflifeag.org/
Finish The Work | Pastor Megan Chondrogiannis by Highlight Church
Staff Meeting: Striving vs. Striding - Pastor Megan Wood (07/16/2024) by Word of Life Assembly of God
Welcome to the Word of Life AG podcast! Today Pastor Megan kicks off our Summer in Psalm 23 series looking at "The Shepherd"… If you're looking for next steps, please head to our website at https://www.wordoflifeag.org/
Today's message comes from Founding Pastor Mike Lewis and Lead Pastor Megan Turner. To learn more about Cathedral, like service times or how to get connected with a small group, visit WeAreCathedral.com.
Thanks for checking out this week's Podcast. Today Pastor Megan answers the question "What Is Freedom In Christ?" If you're looking for next steps, please head to our website at https://www.wordoflifeag.org/
Dealing with Difficult People | Pastor Megan Chondrogiannis by Highlight Church
Staff Meeting: Lessons From Nehemiah - Pastor Megan Wood (05/21/2024) by Word of Life Assembly of God
When the pains and challenges of life come crashing in, it can be hard to truly trust God and cling to His promises in the midst of life's processes. However, I'm reminded that God often loves using our moments of powerlessness to draw us closer to and to reveal the character of His heart. Today, we are joined by a very special guest who is no stranger to adversity in this life, but someone who has chosen a unique perspective in the midst of her pain. Joining us today is disciple, mom, hope sharer, joy spreader, and proclaimer of Christ, Megan Fate Marshman. Megan is authentic, compelling, selfless, and determined to use her life to spread hope, share truth, and celebrate others. She also happens to be the Best-selling author of several books including the Beautiful Word Bible study: John, Meant for Good, SelfLess, and what I believe is a for sure soon to be Best-Seller and the topic of our conversation today, her upcoming release titled, Relaxed: Walking With the One Who is Not Worried About a Thing. My friends, our prayer through this conversation is that no matter what season of life you may find yourself in, that you would realize that relaxed should never be goal, but instead can be a wonderful byproduct from spending time in His presence! Preorder Relaxed Today: https://www.amazon.com/Relaxed-Walking-Worried-about-Thing/dp/0310358272 Megan's Website: https://www.meganfate.com/
8000 Promises: Saying Yes to God's Promises for your one beautiful and precious life.
In this episode of the 8000 Promises Podcast, host Adi Tilford, invites her friend and spiritual director, Megan Babayco, to discuss the significance of desires, longings, and dreams in spiritual formation. Megan shares her journey from dreaming of becoming an astronaut to actually becoming a pastor, highlighting how her underlying desire to make a difference manifested in her spiritual calling. They delve into the misconceptions about desires within the church and emphasize the importance of aligning desires with God's will for personal growth and fulfillment. Megan introduces practical spiritual practices, such as the prayer of examen to help listeners discern their deepest desires. She also explains the role of spiritual direction in guiding individuals on their spiritual journey. The conversation concludes with advice on finding a spiritual director and the positive impact of community in spiritual development. 00:00 Welcome to the 8000 Promises Podcast: A Conversation with Megan 00:42 Exploring Spiritual Direction with Megan 01:51 Megan's Childhood Dream and Its Impact 07:57 The Essence of Spiritual Direction and Its Personal Journey 17:20 Understanding Desires, Longings, and Dreams in Spiritual Formation 24:50 Exploring Spiritual Desires and Practices 25:37 The Journey of Spiritual Formation 26:22 Embracing and Understanding Our Desires 26:54 Daily Delights: A Practice of Gratitude and Connection 27:44 Spiritual Practices for Deeper Connection 28:11 The Prayer of Examine: Reflecting on God's Presence 31:05 Discerning Our Desires in Light of God's Will 42:23 The Role of Spiritual Direction in Intentional Living 45:00 Closing Thoughts on Gratitude and Spiritual Practice Keywords spiritual direction, desires, longings, spiritual formation, self-awareness, discernment, Christian faith, desires, spiritual formation, prayer of examen, discernment, spiritual director, gratitude You can find me on Instagram at AdiTilfordWrites, Facebook at AdiTilford-Author and at my website AdiTilford.com. Are you loving what you hear and want to help financially support the production of this podcast? You can contribute through this link: https://anchor.fm/adi-tilford/support You can now subscribe to my monthly newsletter for the pod and fun tips for saying Yes to God's promises for your life. Harvest Reflection Guide: Printable PDF Resources Mentioned:Parker Palmer- Let Your Life Speak Transforming Center Practicing the Way - John Mark Comer Sacred Rhythms - Ruth Haley Barton The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook - Adele Calhoun The Bema Podcast - Episode 96 List of spiritual directors Get ahold of Megan or watch her preach Monument Presbyterian Church --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adi-tilford/support
Thanks for checking out this week's Podcast. This week, Pastor Megan Wood presented the message titled… “The Church & the Community of God.” If you're looking for next steps, please head to our website at https://www.wordoflifeag.org/
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.
Staff Meeting: Committing to Stretch: The Character Edition: Trustworthiness - Pastor Megan Wood by Word of Life Assembly of God
Staff Meeting: Commit to Stretch: Character Edition: Forgiveness - Pastor Megan Wood (02/06/2024) by Word of Life Assembly of God
Tempted to avert our gaze from the mention of “evil spirit” or “demon”, instead Pastor Megan chooses to hold this story's gaze and look for what may be true… then and now. What is true? What binds humans is indeed legion. What liberates humans is indeed Jesus. Who liberates humans is indeed us. Whew. Buckle up as we explore what makes demons tremble.Sermon begins at minute marker 5:05Mark 5.1-20ResourcesIntersectionality: In the sermon, I credit the origin of intersectionality to the women of the Combahee River Collective. In fact, Kimberlé Crenshaw should be credited with the origination of the term, in a pair of essays from 1989 and 1991. The work of the Combahee River Collective, particularly their work on ‘simultaneity' in the 1970s, laid a foundation for Crenshaw's development of the concept of ‘intersectionality'. But credit for coining the term and more fully developing the concept of ‘intersectionality' belongs to Crenshaw!BibleWorm podcast: Episode 521 – Making the Demons Tremble, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.Frank Peretti wrote a series of fiction books depicting demons, angels, and ‘spiritual warfare' for a largely Pentecostal and more conservative evangelical Christian audience through the 1980s and beyond. I'm still recovering from the images his terrifying books emblazoned on my young impressionable brain.Ruth C. Duck hymn text published in Voices Together 642, “Healing River of the Spirit” verse 3: “Living stream that heals the nations, make us channels of your power. All the world is torn by conflict; wars are raging at this hour. Saving Spirit, move among us; guide our winding human course, till we find our way together, flower homeward to our Source.”Image: Photo by Tony Rojas on UnsplashHymn: VT 285 - Cast out, O Christ. Text: Mary Louise Bringle (USA), 2002, © 2006 GIA Publications, Inc. Music: William Tans'ur (England), Harmony of Zion 1734 Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-726929. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to receive our latest messages: https://hlch.cc/oyu To support Highlight and help us continue to reach people wherever they are: https://hlch.cc/invest If you've just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE: https://hlch.cc/contact We exist to shine the light of Jesus, so that people find true life. This is the vision of Highlight Church, led by Pastor Joshua & Kaira Redding and based in Gaithersburg, MD. ____ Stay Connected: New Here?: https://hlch.cc/newhere Website: https://hlch.cc Highlight Church Facebook: https://hlch.cc/fb Highlight Church Instagram: https://hlch.cc/ig Highlight Church TikTok: https://hlch.cc/tt
Thanks for checking out this week's Podcast. This week, Pastor Megan Wood continued our Sermon Series “Heaven”. If you're looking for next steps, please head to our website at https://www.wordoflifeag.org/
seed of the word by Pastor Megan
Pastor Megan contemplates modern day child prophets and the purposefulness of God coming embodied as a lowly infant. She shares the story of young girls from our community acting on their convictions and their callings. Sermon begins at minute marker 6:12 Luke 1.5-25, 57-80Image: by Anastasia Shuraeva on pexels Hymn: Hymn 223 - Bless'd Be the God of Israel. Text: based on Luke 1:68-79; Michael A. Perry (England), © 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 with license #A-726929. All rights reserved.
12-10-23 BTB The Seed Of The Word Pt. 2 With Pastor Megan Tucker by Pastor Darrell Morgan
12-3-23 BTB The Seed Of The Word Pt. 1 With Pastor Megan Tucker by Pastor Darrell Morgan
Thanks for checking out this week's Podcast. This week, we continued our Mission, Vision, Culture Series with a message from Pastor Megan Wood titled “Living On Mission”. If you're looking for next steps, please head to our website at https://www.wordoflifeag.org/
Staff Meeting: God's Mission - Pastor Megan Wood (09/26/2023) by Word of Life Assembly of God
Subscribe to receive our latest messages: https://hlch.cc/oyu To support Highlight and help us continue to reach people wherever they are: https://hlch.cc/invest If you've just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE: https://hlch.cc/contact We exist to shine the light of Jesus, so that people find true life. This is the vision of Highlight Church, led by Pastor Joshua & Kaira Redding and based in Gaithersburg, MD. ____ Stay Connected: New Here?: https://hlch.cc/newhere Website: https://hlch.cc Highlight Church Facebook: https://hlch.cc/fb Highlight Church Instagram: https://hlch.cc/ig Highlight Church TikTok: https://hlch.cc/tt