diversity

Perseverance, Patience, Joy (video)

Perseverance, Patience, Joy (video)

I was invited to share a sermon for Intercultural Church Sunday on a shared worship experience for congregations of the Presbytery of New Brunswick - Presbyterian Church, USA (the presbytery in NJ that serves Mercer Co. and parts of Hunterdon, Middlesex and Somerset Cos.). This was also during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in which faith communities had to find new ways of being church in worship and witness. And even in times of pandemic, the Holy Spirit calls the church to be in relationship with others, especially those we were taught to consider as “other”. What if those relationships were to change us? What is needed to be faithful in pursuing those relationships? What does love look like for all?

Of the City, By the City, For the City

Of the City, By the City, For the City

“Presence and witness in urban settings must be of the city, by the city, and for the city.” I share with you this “story in progress” from the Plainfields as a way to narrate the complexity (and outright difficulty) of ministry in urban contexts. Not only does every interested party has its own understanding of what the city is and what kind of Christian presence is required, but it sometimes feels that many congregational leaders in cities (or interested in doing urban mission) think that being aware of demographic data, socioeconomic situations, and development potential is enough to develop a “strategy” for the city.

Would you be a Neighbor? (video link)

Would you be a Neighbor? (video link)

When preaching on the story commonly known as "The Good Samaritan” we often miss that this parable is in response to an intense conversation between Jesus and an expert in religious law. I had the opportunity to preach this sermon during the opening worship service of the 2019 Big Tent (video link), the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s biennial learning and fellowship gathering. I preached it originally in, both, Spanish and English.

Unexpected Acts: Called to Shop at the Local Bodega

Unexpected Acts: Called to Shop at the Local Bodega

Rules and regulations. Social expectations and theological interpretations. For many these are all but set in stone. Allowing ourselves to engage with another that is different to us can (and should) change to shifting idiosyncrasies and keeping biases in check. And if more deeply, engaging the other can change one life and witness all together.

I preached this sermon to the congregation of the First Presbyterian Church in Albany, NY.