The Naked Sermon

Disciple Discussions

This week Josh and Jesse dive into John 1:29-42 - where John the Baptist proclaims Jesus to be the lamb of God and then Jesus acquires his first disciples. Jesse gets nerdy with the greek and breaks down the language and Josh shares about one of his favorite biographies. They talk about what it means to be a disciple and encourage us to “launch off and do our own thing.” 

• Josh Kingsley is Pastor at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Milwaukie, Oregon.
• Jesse Christopherson is Pastor at Milwaukie Lutheran in Milwaukie, Oregon.

Mysterious Magi

Anna and Rayah talk about the visit of the Magi in Matthew 2:1-12. They explore this well known story and go over the traditional interpretations of the story and what parts are assumed. These “Three Kings” have a lot of unknowns about them and the dominant traditional theology around them has given us a very specific narrative that is built on a lot of presumptions. They invite us to look at the story with curiosity and reimagine some of our long held beliefs about this story and all stories we come into contact with. 

• Anna Hoesly is a Co-Pastor and Organizer at Storyline Community in Milwaukie, Oregon.
• Rayah is a local community member and theology nerd in Milwaukie, Oregon.

The Reason for the Season?

Today’s reading is Luke 2:1-14 (or any of the Gospels!). Stori and Rayah talk about Christmas in a more general way - their personal christmas histories, The War on Christmas™, capitalism, and traditions. Stori reads an excerpt from “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” by Barbara Robinson.
They ask us to think about what the phrase “Jesus is the reason for the season” means and consider whether the way we celebrate Christmas reflects the life and love of Jesus Christ. Not to shame, but to breathe life and creativity into a season in which many of us feel pressured to celebrate a certain way. 

• Stori Long is a Pastor and Social Media Organizer at Storyline Community in Milwaukie, Oregon.
• Rayah is a local community member and theology nerd in Milwaukie, Oregon.

The Next Most Faithful Step

Julia and Jesse examine Matthew 1:18-25, when Joseph decided to divorce a pregnant Mary and then dreamt of an angel and changed his mind. They discuss dreams and visions during ancient times vs now and how much the social acceptability of having visions has changed. They ask us to consider - where are you being asked to step into the tension between external pressure and what your heart is telling you is right? What's the next most faithful step?

• Julia Nielsen is a Pastor and Sacred Organizer with Leaven Land and Housing in Portland, Oregon.
• Jesse Christopherson is Pastor at Milwaukie Lutheran in Milwaukie, Oregon.

The Magnificat

Today Dez and Marshall discuss Luke 1:46-55 - The Song of Mary. Otherwise known as “The Magnificat,” it is the longest dialogue by a woman in the entire New Testament. Together they explore what it might have been like to have been pregnant and giving birth under the control of the empire. Dez sees parallels in Mary and the woman giving birth in Revelation 12 and Marshall reflects on the divine feminine. They talk about mercy and hope during not only this season before Christmas, but for all time. 

• Dez Valdez is a Seminary Student at Claremont School of Theology and the Youth Ministry Coordinator at Prince of Life Lutheran Church in Oregon City, Oregon.
• Marshall Wattman-Turner is a Pastor at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Milwaukie, Oregon.

Protein, Carbs, and Baptism

Today Anna and Dylan dig into Matthew 3:1-12. In this passage, John the Baptist is baptizing people with water and prophesying about the one who would come after him and baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. Dylan shares about John’s history and the possibility that he may have been raised by the Essenes, a separatist movement in the desert, and brought the practice of baptism from there. Anna talks about the barriers that John broke down and they discuss how that radical access to the divine caused disruption and upset those who were previously in control of the public’s access to God. 

• Anna Hoesly is a Co-Pastor and Organizer at Storyline Community in Milwaukie, Oregon.
• Dylan Hyun is the Pastor of Oak Grove United Methodist Church in Oak Grove, Oregon.

The End of Days at the Beginning of the New Year

This week is the first Sunday of Advent so Julia and Josh take us into Matthew 24:36-44. They reflect on the way it seems odd to begin a new lectionary calendar with a passage that seems to be talking about the end. Julia talks about the cyclical nature of the rise and fall of empires and societies. Josh talks about how for every beginning or new thing, an old thing has to end. They both find hope in that while this passage talks about the end, it also makes way for a new beginning. 

 

• Julia Nielsen is the executive organizer of the Leaven Land and Housing Coalition in Portland, Oregon.
• Josh Kingsley is Pastor at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Milwaukie, Oregon.

Though the Earth Should Change

Today Dez and Rayah take a walk through Psalm 46 - a Psalm with strong visuals about a chaotic earth and the refuge we can find in God. They are both struck by the connection to climate change and the increasingly violent response of nature and how we might contend with nature and find hope in these times. The other scripture on the lectionary for today was Jeremiah 23:1-6 which we encourage you to check out!

( a little bit on Psalm 94: https://medium.com/cbuworship/psalm-46-762d0b3f4556 )

• Dez Valdez is a Seminary Student at Claremont School of Theology and the Youth Ministry Coordinator at Prince of Life Lutheran Church in Oregon City, Oregon.
• Rayah is a local community member and theology nerd in Milwaukie, Oregon.

The Importance of Listening

Jesse and Marshall discuss Isaiah 65:17-25, which is a prophetic vision of a new creation. Marshall lays the groundwork and gives the context of Isaiah. This passage talks about how the workers will reap the fruits of their labor, rather than laboring endlessly on projects that they never enjoy the benefits of. They talk about how that relates to the workers who labor here in our own country and around the world but cannot afford to enjoy the kinds of work that they do - people building grand houses for others but going home to rundown apartments, or picking organic vegetables and only being able to afford boxed mac and cheese. Jesse and Marshall talk about the importance of listening to the experiences and voices of people in these positions and finding hope there. 

• Jesse Christopherson is Pastor at Milwaukie Lutheran in Milwaukie, Oregon.
• Marshall Wattman-Turner is a Pastor at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Milwaukie, Oregon.

Plowshares to Swords and Back to Plowshares

Today Stori and Anna talk about Isaiah 2:1-5 and Joel 3:4-12. Specifically how Joel instructs people to turn their plowshares into swords and Isaiah says to turn swords into plowshares. They discuss the tension they feel about both holding our weapons, which are at times a source of liberation, but questioning if that may be Empire wisdom and perpetuating cycles that are destructive or is it just existing wise in the world as it is? They both have an inclination toward wanting a clear answer - to use the sword or transform it - when in fact maybe both can be held as your orient yourself toward a horizon that is imagined in Isaiah.

• Anna Hoesly is a Co-Pastor and Organizer at Storyline Community in Milwaukie, Oregon.
• Stori Long is a Pastor and Social Media Organizer at Storyline Community in Milwaukie, Oregon.