Deuteronomy 30:15-20- "The Light Has Changed: Who Lives, Who Dies, and a Story Worth Telling"

Synopsis:

Moses stands on a mountainside for a second time for the second retelling of the law, and the summation of the law should sound familiar to Christian ears reading backwards who know Jesus’ synopsis of all ethics: love God and love neighbor like you love yourself. Moses offers an every consequence: If you choose life, you will live long, but if you choose death you will surely die. But, the surprising twist is religion is not about rule-following, purity culture, or clean living. Religion is about our relationship with God, our fellow humans, and the earth we inhabit. Living with an ethic of love is a matter of life and death. In the alternate texts for today, Matthew speaks about the importance of reconciliation, and Paul writes about division in the church and the importances of moving beyond “teams” to the unity of the Gospel. In light of Moses’ words, it is our relationships with each other that are a matter of life and death, so let us choose lives which bring the light of love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace in all of our spaces.

Jeremiah 31:27-34 - "Into Exile: Written on the Heart"

Synopsis: God promises a new covenant to the Hebrew folk in the midst of Exile. This new covenant is not written on stone tablets or codified into law, but written on the hearts of God’s children. The law was necessary in the adolescence of faith, but after achieving maturity and the fullness of faith we discover the rules were always a precursor to the relationship with God and neighbor. As Christians reading this Hebrew Bible text, we cannot help but hear Paul’s teaching on the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit over and above the law. This freedom in Christ is the culmination of the promise to write God’s law on our hearts.

Keywords: Jeremiah, Exile, promise, law, grace, Holy Spirit, relationship, freedom, liberty, Christ, ethics, legalism, love

Psalm 67 - “Psalms, Part 4: A Boundless Benediction”

Psalm 67 speaks of word of blessing over the audience borrowing the rich, priestly blessing of Numbers 6. A benediction is, literally, “speaking good” over the life of another. We call this in the normal rhythm of our lives words of affirmation or blessing. In our own stories, the power of a well-placed word of blessing can change everything. The Psalms reminds us the power of our words to bless or curse, and we are called to bless others with our words of kindness and affirmation just like we have been blessed by those who have gone on before us.

The sermon begins with one from our church family, Nora Gardner-Sinclair, telling her story of blessing through the words and courage of her colleagues at her trauma-focused social work agency, Safe Horizon, in New York.

“An Ancient Love Story” – Ruth 3:1 - 4:12

The ancient love story of Ruth and Boaz is just like our modern love stories…messy. Here at Broadway Baptist Church, we hope in God’s vision for a world where every story matters. Life, love, and family are complicated, but the Holy Spirit dances through our stories to bring healing, redemption, and new mercies with each day.