SERVICES
Being the Ancestors our Descendants Need
Genesis 12:1-9
November 5, 2023
Message by Rev. Brandon Johnson
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The story of the unnamed woman with a costly bottle of ointment has been a point of contention since the writer of Matthew put pen to papyrus. What is the purpose of this story? Who is she? What about Jesus’s comment about poverty? Yet, her story is told to generation after generation of Christians. She is one of our sacred ancestors and represents a voice, experience, and expression that begs us to ask, “What do future generations need from us?”
Movement Ancestors/Ancestors Who Created Community
Ruth 1:6-18
October 22, 2023
Message by Rev. Brandon Johnson
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“One of the major stumbling blocks for people connecting with any ancestors, including movement ancestors, is that although Christians sometimes talk about the cloud of saints, even the people who fought for justice were flawed….but looking for perfect, sainted movement ancestors might not be the only option available for us.” Who do we look to for inspiration, even if they are wildly imperfect?
Romanticized Ancestors
Genesis 12:1-9
October 1, 2023
Message by Rev. Brandon Johnson
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There are many reasons we have been raised with stories of romanticized ancestors,” writes Jha. “More often than not, those stories have been handed down to give us a sense of dignity and worth in a world that extracts all it can from us and in some instances tells us how little value we have. Simultaneously, though, those romanticized ancestors prop up narratives that keep things the way they are….So the work of challenging those stock stores of our powerful, royal, extinct ancestors is part of the work of getting to know our ancestors in more meaningful, more empowering, and more justice-shaping ways.” What does Abram’s (Abraham) story teach us about being honest and more justice focused in our storytelling?