Awaken Community

Awaken kicks off a new series exploring the different iterations of the people of God throughout scripture. What does a journey with God look like as a people experiencing different contexts and circumstances in history? Micah starts in Genesis 1 & 2 where humans are invited to move and work from a place of rest.

Micah provides an honest reflection on the significance of Easter and the importance of faith in a story that can at times feel unbelievable.

Trigger Warning: The content of this week's sermon references and discusses points made in The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone. Mark 15:1-15, Pilate has not always been the one sided character you may have grown up hearing about. Micah challenges and invites us to consider the origin of the cross, its use in subjugating people outside Rome, and the modern equivalent we might see or experience today.

Mark 14:66-72, We follow the journey of Peter and his walk with Jesus through the highs and lows. Micah explores the idea that we are not the sum of our mistakes or successes, but rather bear the image of God and the love the world was made out of.

Mark 14: 53-65, Jesus goes before the Sanhedrin where he experiences firsthand the at times unjust system of religious law. Micah brings forth the invitation and challenge to welcome outside perspectives, listen to voices who do not find themselves in the majority, and in doing so find ourselves experiencing an old story with new eyes.

Mark 14:27-51, The humanity of Jesus is on full display as he prays to God for relief from distress, another path that might not lead to death. Micah highlights the ways Jesus becomes our truest friend and ally in life because he entered into the deepest struggle of humanity.

Mark 14: 12-26, Micah explores the meaning of Passover and the ritual that would have been normal and habitual for a Jewish person. What is Jesus doing by deviating from the Passover script?

Mark 14: 1-11, Jesus gets anointed at Bethany by an unnamed woman. The deed is met with disdain by the disciples, but is welcomed by Jesus who recognizes the significance of the moment and his coming death. Micah sits with the questions, can you recognize the moment you are in? And how will you be remembered when all is said and done?

Mark 9:1-13, Jesus appears transfigured atop a mountain and the disciples finally see where the journey of transformation has lead. Judy Howard Peterson walks us through its meaning and translation into our lives.

Mark 8: 14-21, The previous section (ch 5-6) has 4 different stories with the number 12 in it. Why? What is so clear to Jesus that seems to be so unclear to the disciples and what do 12 & 7 baskets have to do with it? What is "leaven" and what does it have to do with the Pharisees?

Mark 3:20-34, Jesus is pursued by his family and his response carries significance in his journey to transfiguration. Any work of transformation and becoming will take us on a path that leads us right back to where we've come from with our family of origin.

Jesus has two encounters with the Pharisees and it ends with "he looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts. The pharisees are hung up on rules and obedience to rules as the pathway to holiness. Part of Jesus' transformation is that he's paying attention to the anger that he's feeling and he responds to it in a way that's healthy and not destructive. 

I Forgive You / Mark 2:1-12 / A lame man is brought to Jesus and the first thing he tells them is that his sins are forgiven. This of course upsets the pharisees because only GOD can forgive sins. But this is what Jesus is coming to know and in this moment, speaks out loud into the world what he knows to be true about himself. What does it take to get to this place of knowing oneself? What holds us back from putting out into the world what we may know to be true in our hearts?

Jesus seems to learn early on that if he's going to live into his calling and become who he's intended to be, he will need to have times of solitude and stillness where he's not DOING but rather he is BEING in the presence of the Divine.

Awaken kicks off a new series looking at the humanity of Jesus and his journey from baptism to transfiguration.

Awaken celebrates the arrival of Christ as Micah brings our focus to the melody of creation and our participation in the collective song of God.

A week from the birth of a savior, Micah discusses the nature of a kingdom that brings peace through vulnerability and servitude.

Micah discusses the song of Zechariah and what it means to receive a message of liberation in a world where we only see in part, plus a special guest performs a musical interpretation of Zechariah's song.

Micah discusses Luke 2:29-32 and what it means to hear God.

Jenna kicks off a new series on the canticles of Christmas, songs inspired by the revelation of Christ in scripture. This week Jenna discusses the Magnificat and the complexity of hope in a world where darkness exists.