The Pilgrimage of Faith
Epiphany means “to make manifest.” This is a season in which the church celebrates the revelation of Jesus as Messiah and Lord of all people groups. In Matthew 2, this begins with the visitation of the Magi from the East. The journey of the Magi is an archetype of the journey of faith, which is in actuality a pilgrimage. This story invites to ask many important questions about our own journeys of faith, and how they can be for us…
Beyond a Flannel Graph Christmas
Far too often, the Christmas story is haunted by the lingering effects of our Sunday School, two-dimensional, “Flannel Graph” understanding of the story. We have sanitized and domesticated the story, stripping it of its politically-charged, scandalous, and awe-inspiring power. We have removed the cultural and socioeconomic dimensions, to safeguard the status quo. And we have disenchanted the story to appease our skeptical, modern minds. In this message, Pastor T. C. invites us to journey beyond a “Flannel Graph Christmas,” with…
The Way of Repentance
We conclude our teaching series, “Advent in Narnia,” with a message by Pastor T. C. on Matthew 3.1-12. The Advent season is a time of preparation for Christmastide, when we celebrate the birth of Messiah Jesus, the King and Liberator. During Advent, we take sober inventory of our hearts and lives. John the Forerunner calls us to prepare the way of the Lord through repentance. How can repentance address the needs of a polarized society like the contemporary United States?
Through the Wardrobe
This week, Pastor T. C. kicked off the season of Advent and the “Advent in Narnia” teaching series with a message about Advent as a mystery we encounter with humility and wonder, like Lucy stumbling through the wardrobe. At times, we need a spiritual wake-up call, to recapture a sense of child-like faith. Yet, Narnia isn’t a perfect world. Like our world, Narnia is caught in the crossfire of a war. Advent reminds us that Christ is the rightful King…