Pasadena Mennonite Church

On July 1st, Tim Reardon talked about Luke 18:18-30 and Luke 19:1-10 — and the difference in how a rich ruler approached Jesus in comparison to the story of Zacchaeus. What did it mean to be a wealthy ruler in Jesus’ time? How did this differ from Zacchaeus, in spite of his wealth? Zacchaeus was… Read more

On June 24th, Lisa Lockwood Thornton of PICO California (www.picocalifornia.org) talked about the lectionary passages — 1 Samuel 17:38-45 where Saul dresses David to enter battle with Goliath, Psalm 9:7-10 about God establishing justice in the the world, and 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 where through adversity Paul says they carried the weapons of righteousness — in… Read more

On June 3rd, Melissa Hofstetter spoke to Mark 2:23-3:6, beginning with the connection of baptism to census and taxation at the time of the formation of the Mennonite faith, and a move to adult baptism as a sign of discipleship—just as Jesus was baptized as an adult. Pentecost is a season when believers celebrate their… Read more

On May 13th, Rob Muthiah spoke to John 17:6-19, as Jesus talks to God within the hearing of the disciples about how they will be cared for in Jesus absence. Rob elaborates on the themes of name (character), word (truth), and world (in this case as those who do not recognize Jesus as Messiah). Read more

This week, Lisa Finlay spoke in the context of a service dedicated to the theme of healing prayer, and Matthew 11: 28-29. Lisa talked about longing for wisdom in her toughest moments as a therapist supporting others in great difficulty. She shares excerpts and responses to Kate Bowler’s book, “Everything Happens for a Reason and… Read more