God

This sermon series intends to consider, ponder, mediate upon, and wrestle with really beautiful, really important, Christian words that have been so overused or so misused or so narrowly used, that, for many of us, they have lost their meaning. The goal of this series is not to perfectly understand every word, nor is it to precisely define every word. Instead, the goal of this series is to wrestle with words in order that we might be able to reimagine their profound beauty, texture, and depth. Genesis 32 sets a narrative context for this sermon series. In this passage Jacob is blessed by wrestling with God. It is in the wrestling, not the conclusion of the wrestling, that Jacob is blessed.

Romans 3-4: Theology Proper

How do you help different groups of people with different ways of living, imagine and ultimately desire, life together? This is the rhetorical task of Paul in Romans. The revelation of Jesus as messiah leads Paul to reimagine the scriptures, people groups, salvation, and community. Unfortunately, since the medieval age and Luther’s focus on individual salvation, Romans has often been used to divide people and to debase those who do not believe specific precepts. In this sermon series, we will examine Paul’s provocative attempt to knock down walls of hostility in Jesus’ name. Furthermore, we will follow in Paul’s footsteps to consider how the messiah, as revealed through Jesus, helps us to reimagine and ultimately desire life together in a world rife with difference.