Why a Woman and a Girl?

Last updated on: November 19, 2013 at 4:14 pm By Sam Alexander

Mark’s story about the healing of a woman and a girl raises a question. I get that the number 12 represents the old and new reign of God. I get that the woman was likely poor and the girl was likely rich, but why is this story about females? I didn’t find any commentator that answered it. (Though if anyone knows of one, I’d be more than happy to learn of that and read it. I read 11 but that... Read more

Legion – Symptoms of an Ailing Society

Last updated on: November 19, 2013 at 4:09 pm By Sam Alexander

a sermon about the structures of society arrayed against the power of God – complete mis-match. Also some pretty cool music at the end. Read more

On the Sea

Last updated on: November 19, 2013 at 4:07 pm By Sam Alexander

a sermon about the extraordinary pain of life and the inexplicable hold that God has at the center of it all. Read more

Is Our Faith Enough?

Last updated on: October 15, 2013 at 7:07 pm By Sam Alexander

Confessing Christianity’s Corporate Sin Against the Jewish People

Last updated on: May 10, 2013 at 12:37 pm By Sam Alexander

A supersessionist view of the Christian covenant might have made some little sense in a mythic worldview, but never made any moral sense. The time has long since come for Christians to drop such an arrogant claim. It has contributed to extraordinary suffering and eroded any moral authority we might think we have. In that sense, it never made any just sense of the work of God we’ve come to know in Jesus Christ. Confessing Christianity’s Corporate Sin Against the... Read more

Romans IX – It’s Very Close

Last updated on: April 24, 2013 at 2:28 pm By Sam Alexander

Romans IX – It’s Very Close (Audio Right Click to Download) Read more

Evolution and Faith VIII – Meet Me in Galilee

Last updated on: April 3, 2013 at 5:21 pm By Sam Alexander

Beauty and new life emerge out of the chaos of the cross. Beauty and new life emerge from the challenges and chaos of creation itself – same thing. But how are we to live into that possibility? How are we to live with hope as we develop and evolve? The entire Gospel of Mark was written to answer that question. At then end, after the cross, the women come to the tomb. They are stunned. How will they and the... Read more

Evolution and Faith VII – Death of the Church

Last updated on: April 5, 2013 at 12:41 pm By Sam Alexander

Evolution and Faith VII – Death of the Church (Audio Right Click to Download) Mark 15:33-37 The Fourth Word at the Good Friday Service When it was new, darkness came over the whole land until it was three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabbachthani,” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen he is calling for... Read more

Evolution and Faith VI–Evolution Happens in Stress

Last updated on: April 6, 2013 at 8:29 am By Sam Alexander

Evolution happens in all facets of life, but let’s take personal growth for a moment. The shame we hide – that we all hide – keeps us from the creative love we need. Evolution and Faith VI–Evolution Happens in Stress (Audio Right Click to Download) Evolution and Faith VI – Stress Drives Evolution Luke 19:28-44; 23:44-46 28 After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at... Read more

Evolution and Faith IV–Ethical Imperative

Last updated on: March 25, 2013 at 5:18 pm By Sam Alexander

The creative power of God is operating in the evolution of all things – Cultural Evolution, Biological Evolution, Spiritual Evolution, Moral Evolution, Economic Evolution, just to name a few. Spirit responds to stress or pain in a system and creates what is new out of the death of the old, transcending and including what went before. This is the same thing as the power of the cross and resurrection. This is the creative love of God. The world is in... Read more