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I’d Rather Not Preach On It
At the end of August, Rob Muthiah concluded our summer series on the Sermon on the Mount with Matthew 5:27-32 — a passage on divorce and adultery. Rob reminds us that the Sermon on the Mount has been important in the Mennonite tradition — as a call to whole-hearted discipleship that we are all called…
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Kingdom of Belonging
Lisa Thornton continued the Summer on the Mount series with the scripture passage Matthew 5:21-26 — which begins with the reminder of the injunction against murder historically given to the Jews, and continues with instruction on the importance of relationship. Lisa unpacks the passage as preceded by the statement that unless our righteousness exceeds that…
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Radical Hospitality: A Sunday School concerning Immigration
Starting this Sunday, August 18th, we will be gathering at 9:00 AM downstairs for a 6 week series (skipping 9/22 for the All Church Retreat!) to discuss the issue of immigration and our response as Christians. There will be videos, discussion of Scripture, and reflection time all based on a course put together by Mennonite…
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Thoughts on Environmental Collapse and Nature
Joe Bautista addressed Luke 12:13-21 this week, along with some references to Eccliastes. He began his sermon time by asking our youth about their understanding of climate change. And Joe relates that we have the highest rate of extinction in our age than any period in the history of the planet. So Joe goes to…
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Summer on the Mount: Judging
Frank Scoffield Nellessen continues our summer series from the sermon on the mount in Matthew 7:1-5 where Jesus warns us not to judge others, lest we be judged by God with the same standard — along with the description of the splinter in our neighbors eye vs. the log in our own. Frank begins with…
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Summer on the Mount: Oaths
On July 14th, Tim spoke on Matthew 5:33-37 as part of our summer series on the sermon on the mount. This week’s topic is the swearing of oaths — which many Mennonites still refrain from doing. Jesus says simply let your yes be yes and your no be no. Be people who speak truth at…
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When someone throws dirt in your lemonade
Lisa Danner talks about forgivess from the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:9-15. She begins with a story of some children from our church family demonstrating simple forgiveness that they’ve learned to do readily. Lisa notices that the final verse about forgiveness from God is contingent on our own forgiveness of others — unlike the other…
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Pure Hate, Impure Love
Eric Schnitger talks about the inherent complexity of of Matthew 5:17-20 in part of the Sermon on the Mount. Initially Jesus seems to be saying that everyone will be part of the kingdom of heaven, but some least and some great. Later, Jesus says that we must be greater than the scribes and the pharisees…
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A Biblical Rationale for Creation Care: Care for the Environment
On July 23rd, Mark McReynolds, the Eco-Pastor for the Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference, spoke to us at PMC on creation care. Mark told a story about being an exhibitor at a booth for a 6th grade science camp at a Christian camp. His display told that roughly 90% of big redwoods had been cut down,…
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Justice on the Plain: Level Living and Right Relationship
Melissa Hofstetter shared with PMC, on June 16th, thoughts on the passage of Luke 5:17-31, or the “Sermon on the Plain.” This is the Luke parallel to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. Matthew’s re-telling of the Sermon on the Mount is full of beatitudes — blessing piled upon blessing piled upon blessing. In…
Pasadena Mennonite Church 