In the moment of affirming the promise, God restores us. How often do you allow yourself to be amazed? Wonder is all around us—can we recognize it? As we learn how to rejoice in a weary world, can we live in a way that allows amazement and wonder to surprise us often? In Psalm 126, those who expect to reap tears are granted a surprise: shouts of jo…

In community, our joy expands. When we can’t rejoice, we can carry each other’s joy. This week we continue our Advent worship by lighting the Hope and Peace candles, finding connection with each other, and by learning how God brings peace and joy in the midst of our weariness.Av Urban Village Church

As Advent begins, we start by acknowledging the weariness, grief, rage, and hopelessness we carry—and we also affirm that we are made for joy. Sometimes weariness can harden us and prevent us from living fully. We’ve had hard journeys. Grief has left a scar on us. This is how we show up to Advent. We see how God brings joy in the midst of our weari…

The prophet Micah contrasts our expectations of sacrifice with the sacrifices that God actually calls for. Instead of vanity and punishment, God desires justice, kindness, and a relationship. This sermon explores why we think of sacrifice and giving to God as a painful experience, and contrast that with the joy that comes with giving.…

In this story, Jesus redefines how we think about giving and what God looks for in our tithing. We explore the understanding of abundance to God, and what it means to give out of poverty rather than wealth.Av Urban Village Church

The parable considers how fear and a scarcity mindset keep us from using our resources for God. This week we explored how to shift from a scarcity to an abundance mindset, and how to actually engage with the world in faith that our resources will grow.Av Urban Village Church

We can never outgive God. It often feels like giving is a tough requirement, especially when we have limited resources. However, when we give we find that God takes our giving and creates abundance.Av Urban Village Church

This Sunday we begin our Stewardship sermon, What We Give to the Church. We dive into Leviticus 27:30 as our Scripture reminds us that all things belong to God. Giving back to God is an acknowledgement of the righteousness, goodness, and the lordship of God over all creation. The need to give back also creates a just society in which serving God an…

This week we join Dr Pamela Lightsey. Our sermon series on Rest dives into Creation as not a one-time act. It is ongoing, though God rested on the seventh day. Similarly, our ability to produce this or that should not be an end goal by which we gauge when we can/should rest. Rest should be our vision for our everyday lives; part of our dreams for t…

You are made in the image of a God who rested. And maybe when God rested on the 7th day of creation, God dreamed—of you, me, and the best reality for all. What would it look like for all of us to rest and dream like God? Join us Sunday as we share from Hebrews 4:1-10.Av Urban Village Church

Rest is a form of liberation that should be integrated in our personal and societal lives. We also celebrate World Communion Sunday and celebrate liberation in God's community. Join us as we dive into Deuteronomy 5:12-15.Av Urban Village Church

This Sunday we are continuing our sermon series on rest. We have discussed God's intentions for our rest, but how do we find rest when our lives are not in line with God's hopes for us? Let's discuss how God provides rest when we are restless. See you on Sunday! This week's scripture will be Exodus 33: 12-14.…

Psalm 132 shares that Rest is anything that grounds us in God and keeps us focused on the divine task.Av Urban Village Church

On Sunday we explored the story of the Samaritan Woman whom Jesus encounters at a well. We also considered the people God invites us to meet along our journeys, and how each encounter is a chance to grow closer to God and to grow in understanding of our neighbors. Our scripture: John 4: 5-26Av Urban Village Church

Allies have the liberty (and have often exercised this liberty) to come and go as they please in the work of liberation. It’s easy enough to put up signs or wear clothing stating, Black Lives Matter. But what sacrifices are we willing to make to learn about these Black lives and to ensure their true liberation? Historically, those who claimed to be…

This week's sermon, Our Lives Matter: Reintroducing Ourselves to Ourselves, shared Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey's book Our Lives Matter. In writing the book, Dr. Lightsey had to address the fact that her understanding of herself had shifted, and she had to come to terms with who she had become. We need to take the time to reintroduce ourselves to ourse…

We shall continue to rejoice as we face hardships in life.Av Urban Village Church

This week our sermon series on Emergent Strategy, Kin-dom Come: Love and Humility, included scripture from John 13: 1-17 Brown identifies love and humility as essential tools for transformation. These virtues can help us navigate the complexities of social change and build stronger, more resilient communities. This sermon will focus on the transfor…

This week's scripture is Galatians 6:1-5 This sermon shares that we must open up to relationships and urge to be deeper rather than just conversational. We should spend time with one another, share spiritual conversations, and grow together.Av Urban Village Church

Effective strategy for social change means making tough decisions, being disciplined, and staying focused on our goals. In this sermon, we will explore how Jesus and the early church employed strategic thinking to spread the Gospel and bring about transformative change, and how we can apply these principles to our context.…

brown encourages us to practice visioning, to see and create what does not yet exist. This means imagining and believing in the possibilities beyond our current reality. As people of faith, we are called to dream big, envisioning a world where justice, peace, and love prevail. It is safe to say many of us are worried about the future. Genuine conce…

This week we will explore Romans 7:14-25 and Romans 8:1-5. We talk about the love and relationship between the law of Moses and humans. We also share the freeing of human sin through love given to us.Av Urban Village Church

Romans 5:8 shares that "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Our responsibility is to shine in this light.Av Urban Village Church

After watching over Israel for 40 years, Moses dies on Mount Nebo, not before seeing the promised land of Canaan from a distance. Moses also lays his hands on Joshua which symbolizes the transfer of authority (and spirit of wisdom and divine gifting) for leading Israel. In Deuteronomy 34:5-9, we explore rites of passage and love.…

This week's scripture reading is from John 9:13-34. In this text, we read about the miracles given to us. Pharisees react to Jesus' healing of a blind man, they seek explanations rather than accepting the faith of a miracle. Join us this week as we share our stories, our truth, and our miracles.Av Urban Village Church