Raleigh Mennonite Church

The cure for the common community – June 14, 2026

Matthew 9:35-10:1 [https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Matthew+9%3A35-10%3A1%2C10%3A5-8] On Trey's first official Sunday as RMC's new pastor, he spoke about the radically inclusive, ever-expanding Kingdom of God. Jesus proclaims the good news not to draw people into religion, but to construct new ways of belonging. Today's passage says that when Jesus saw the crowds he had compassion for them. Compassion is not only the awareness of distress or suffering of another but the sharing of that distress. We are compassionate when we feel the distress of others in our own being and move to alleviate it on their behalf. In a world that has become increasingly reliant on artificial intelligence, it is easier than ever to dehumanize our neighbors. And it is impossible to dehumanize anyone without gradually losing touch with your own humanity. The salvation that Jesus offers is a rehumanization project in which the many ways of the world that chip away at our ability to love one another well are overcome by the herald of a new humanity.

The Spirit of Communion: May 24, 2026

Acts 2:1-13 [https://bible.oremus.org/?ql=646956667] RMC's soon to be pastor, Trey Ferguson, preached on Pentecost Sunday, reflecting on the arrival of the power of the Holy Spirit that empowered his followers to preach the Gospel to multitudes of people in their own heart languages, no Duolingo required. In the upper room their must have been a deep sense of anticipation, waiting on the arrival of God's invitation to a partnership with God in their work. This mirrors our own anticipation as we await to see the wonders God will show us in partnering RMC with Trey and his wonderful family. How will the Holy Spirit empower this community of believers and its new pastor? Raleigh today is as cosmopolitan as Jerusalem in the time of Christ, full of new people arriving from all over the world with heart cultures of their own. Trey reminds us of the truth that as a descendant of Africans, it bears witness to an act of colonization that he is fluent in English rather than Igbo. Pushing people away from their heart language separates them from their common story and culture, and cements outsider control. Pentecost is the Holy Spirit's act of affirmation of all of people yearning to commune with God, that reaches out to people in a way that makes the most sense to them, bringing them into communion with God and other believers without colonization or coercion. As RMC strives to become a multilingual and intercultural church, we sit in anticipation of what the Holy Spirit might do with our efforts to imagine a community that embodies this spirit of communion.

Extravagant Action & Extravagant Stillness – May 10, 2026

Scripture: Luke 10:25-42 [https://bible.oremus.org/?ql=480509100] Guest speaker Chris Rice [https://chrisriceauthor.com/] brought the message this Sunday. Every age has its signature affliction, according to Byung-Chul Han. Ours is the age of the burnout society. We're in captivity to our activity. The story of the good Samaritan is about allowing our lives to be interrupted by the stranger by the side of the road. The story of Bethany is about our lives being interrupted by extravagant devotion. Extravagant action cannot be separated from extravagant stillness in this time of anxiety and burnout. We need to get God's love into our bones! The Psalmist did not write, "Be busy and know that I am God."

Not Overwhelmed – May 3, 2026

Scripture: Acts 16:14-40 [https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Acts+16:14-40&vnum=yes&version=nrsv] Susan shared the story of Paul and Silas being jailed in Philippi. They were charged, beaten and imprisoned after the owners of a fortune telling demon-possessed slave girl lost their revenue from her when Paul cast out her demon in name of Jesus Christ. When you mess with people's source of money, you're asking for trouble! Even when in prison, however, Paul and his companions continued to pray and sing praises. They knew that God was still at work, even in difficult circumstances. It's a spiritual practice that we can learn from. But it takes practice and regular exercise to build that muscle.

Invitation, not Imposition – April 26, 2026

Acts 2: 42-47 [https://bible.oremus.org/?ql=644734240] Susan Scott preached on the Acts 2: 42-47 as a natural extension of the Gospel of Luke. Jesus performed many miracles in Luke, and now his followers through the power of Holy Spirit are doing the same, if a little less perfectly. The testimony of their ministry begs questions of our own walk as Christians. How much forgiveness and love should I offer to difficult people? How much money should I give away? How much risk should I take to help the disenfranchised? Am I doing all of this well enough? Instead of framing this situation as an imposition that we should try to navigate in terms of minimum acceptable performance, we should be looking at service in God's Kingdom as an invitation. Susan Scott explores these questions by looking at them not in terms of the fear that we often pose them, but rather in the context of love. How is the love of God inviting you to be a vessel for his presence in the world?