Imagination
Our beloved brother Scott Erickson invited us to consider prayer, images, and identity. What will seed, grow, and flourish in the fertile space of that imagination? How will we participate in “the way” rather than submitting to what lies “in the way” of our continued call to be the enduring presence of Jesus?
Bonhoeffer and our Life Together
Luther's Theology Of The Cross
Pastor Chris Seay considers the life and teachings of 16th century church reformer Martin Luther and the critical turning point for our understanding of the Cross. When we realize that the justice God demands, he also provides, we become freed (as Luther experienced) from places of anxiety and fear, and into a deeper living faith.
Destroying Injustice
Pastor Sean Palmer offers a convicting challenge, asking each of us to assess the ways we are blind to, benefit from, or participate in the injustices of our world. Considering the words of Jesus and the prophets, Sean urges us to embrace our tireless call to the work of Kingdom justice, even when doing so may carry a heavy cost.
Betting On People
As we look back two years following Hurricane Harvey, and look ahead to the ways we remain called to love and serve within the relationships that God has provided, Pastor Chris Seay shares some important updates on some of these stories. The invitation is for us all to consider how we are to continue engaging together as a community, blessing and resourcing our brothers and sisters both in Houston and around the world.
The Other Side Of Pain
Pastor Sean Palmer shared the incredible witness of Dr. Paul Brand, who spent his life treating people afflicted with leprosy, and the story of Jesus’ early gospel encounter with a leper. Sean asked us to consider our relationship to pain; what it’s trying to reveal to us, and the ways it reminds us that we can still feel. In places of pain, we are those called to draw near with presence and touch for all those hurting.
Unity In Diversity
Pastor Chris Seay continues leading a conversation that will unfold through this season on the distinct nature and call of the Church. Considering the prayers of Jesus and the unique teachings of Jeremiah Burroughs, Chris suggests some of the ways we find unity and cooperation within our great diversity, that certain doctrinal differences need not divide us, and that our differences in fact enrich our family.
All The Small Things
Pastor Sean Palmer tells the story of Thérèse of Lisieux, and the “little way” that guided her faith. He asks us to consider the unique and vital gifts that God has given each of us, and how they might be used in every seemingly small but impactful way as a blessing to the collective body of Christ.
Don't Go To Church
Pastor Chris is back! Sharing insights gained from his recent sabbatical, Chris begins a conversation that will continue to form over the coming months around the identity of the Church. If the Body of Christ is truly to be God’s primary instrument of hope for the world, it will because we are not passive observers, but are actively rooted and bearing fruit as we seek instead to be the Church.
Peace In The Spiral
Sarah Seabrook shared vulnerably from her own story of battling intense anxiety, and asked us to consider the areas of our lives that may be similarly affected by living in an age of ever-increasing commotion and confusion. When we are reminded of the truth of our identity, as beloved children invited to lay our worries in the care of God, we begin to regain our solid footing.
A Little Bit More
Pastor Sean Palmer offers a convicting challenge, inviting us to wrestle with our relationship to the particular sin of avarice; the attachment to money and things which leaves us with a desire that is never satisfied. When we always want more, we are never content with enough, and hold all the more tightly to what we have in ways that isolate us from community and participation in God’s Kingdom.
The Space Between
Ericka Graham enters the parables of the lost in Luke 15, and invites us to consider the ways that God meets us in the midst of our longings and all that may feel less than whole. We are a people called to return home from our places of isolation, ever back into the kind of communion with one another that offers healing and belonging, and into God’s waiting and ever-present embrace.
Don't Read The Comments
Pastor Sean Palmer asks us to consider what both the Apostle Paul and Taylor Swift might teach us about living in a culture shaped by judgement. Whether the venom of words, or a viper dangling from our hand, part of growing in the confidence and maturity of our journey with God is learning how to… shake it off.
Art Of The Trinity
All The Little Children
Pastor Chris Seay looks back upon both the history and present of Ecclesia, and our call as a church family to remain a compassionate and committed presence with the youngest among us as they grow into relationship with Jesus. Chris’ daughter Hanna shares how her experience of growing up here has uniquely shaped her call, and we consider how we engage with each of the Rhythms of Ecclesia for the sake of all of our kids.
Soul Friendship
Pastor Mitzi Mak concludes our series considering the Celtic way of evangelism. She explores the concept of an anam cara, or “soul friend”, while sharing stories from her life and relationships, and the transformative power of cultivating space where people know they are loved and that they belong, even amid our differences.
Unburdened
Pastor Sean Palmer continues our series considering the Celtic way of evangelism; entering into an important chapter in the life of the early church. Just as the Jews and Gentiles of the time had to learn how to live and worship together, we continue to navigate our own differences, and the expectations and burdens we wrongly place on others seeking a relationship with Jesus.
The Ethos Is Strong With You
The Beauty Of The Ordinary
Teaching Pastor Sean Palmer continues our series on the Celtic Way of Evangelism. More than attempting to “convert” someone into a specific belief or way of thinking, it is when we commit to simple rhythms of invitation, vulnerability, fellowship, and sincere conversation that relationships are deepened and lives are changed.