
Advent :: Mercy
On our last worship gathering of the year (at FCC- Resto did a year-end reflection exercise), we talk about what God wants. Given by Pastor Jon on 12/31/23 at FCC.

Advent :: Belief and Glory
On our Christmas Eve meditation, we look at John 1. What is the nature of belief and glory? Given by Pastor Jon on Christmas Eve, 2023.

Advent :: Love
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. The question is not whether we believe in God, but rather if He believes in us. Given by Pastor Jon on 12/17/23.

Advent :: Joy
Why did the angels appear to shepherds? Perhaps it was because they would recognize one of their own when the Great Shepherd of Israel came to lead His people. Given by Pastor Jon on 12/10/23.

Advent :: Peace
Isaiah gives the words that Jesus Himself uses to proclaim His identity as Israel’s Messiah. He is good news for those ready for some good news. Given by Pastor Jon on 12/03/23.

Advent :: Hope
Isaiah sees a vision of the Messiah and offers poetry to give us hope. How can we learn from those who awaited the Messiah as we await for Christ to return again? Given by Pastor Jon on 11/26/23.

Time for Joy :: Yom Kippur
Our series concludes with the highest holiday on the calendar: Yom Kippur, or the day of atonement. What does it look like when a people gathers together to tell the truth about themselves? Given by Pastor Jon on 11/19/23.

Time for Joy :: Jubilee
Our 2nd feast in the once-in-a-lifetime feast of Jubilee; a feast so extraordinary that it was probably never practiced. Why is that? Given by Pastor Shaun Wissmann on 1/12/23.

Time for Joy :: Purim
Purim is one of the annual feasts in Judaism, celebrating God’s faithfulness in the book of Esther… despite the fact that He’s never mentioned. Given by Rev. Jon MacDonald on 11/05/23.

The Beginning of Wisdom :: How to Sleep in a Storm
The disciples are in a boat in a storm while Jesus is in a deep sleep. How, exactly, can we learn to sleep through our storms? Give by Rev. Jon MacDonald on 10/29/23.

The Beginning of Wisdom :: Raising the Dead
After the death of Lazarus, Jesus moves around a crowd of grieving people, offering His tears and (ultimately) hope. Given by Pastor Jon on 10/22/23.

The Beginning of Wisdom :: Surprising Jesus
A Centurion Soldier surprises Jesus with his faith. What, exactly, is faith, and how is it distinct from our beliefs? Given by Rev. Jon MacDonald on 10/15/23.

The Beginning of Wisdom :: Give What's Yours
Jesus feeds over 10,000 people with the disciples’ resources. It’s amazing what you can do when you know who is the savior of the world (God) and who is not (us). Given by Pastor Jon on 10/08/23.

The Beginning of Wisdom :: God Responds
In the conclusion of our series on the book of Job, the story reaches its climactic moment as God speaks. And it does not go the direction one would expect. Given by Rev. Jon MacDonald on 10/01/23.

The Beginning of Wisdom :: There Is No Formula
In part 2 of our Job series, we meet his “friend” Elihu who claims to know exactly why Job is suffering. His formula is neat, clean, and completely wrong. Given by Pastor Jon on 9/24/23.

The Beginning of Wisdom :: When Bad Things Happen
Every nightmare Job ever had came true in one moment. How can we understand why bad things happen? Given by Rev. Jon MacDonald on 9/17/23.

The Beginning of Wisdom :: Fear the Lord
On our new series on the beginning of wisdom, we wrestle with what it means to fear the Lord. Given by Rev. Jon MacDonald in a joint worship service with FCC on 9/10/23.

Finding God :: Boygenius
In the conclusion of our series on Finding God in Art, we look at a line from Boygenius’ excellent album…

Finding God in Art :: The Bear
Jon gives us his favorite show of the year: the Bear. From the deep character, relentless tension that propels each episode, and the redemption found in working together to serve others. Given by Pastor Jon on 8/27/23.

Finding God :: The Downward Spiral
The story of Samson starts out bad and only gets worse. What are we to make of this story, and how can we find peace? We watched (but could not include in the podcast) the video for “Light” by Michael Kiwanuka. Given by Pastor Jon on 8/20/23.