Oakhurst Baptist Church

We do it every day…with a click, a sideways glance, a step to the other side, a numbing of our own selection…we choose to acknowledge some things and not others. What does Jesus’ story about Lazarus and his side-stepping rich acquaintance have to say about our choices? Listen as Pastor Lauren Colwell takes a look at Jesus’ story and how we are called to notice truth and act in love.

Sunday, September 22, Pastor Paco Rodés from Cuba preached on the church’s call to be a community of healing. How does Jesus’ healing of people model how we can heal ourselves and help others heal? We also celebrated 15 years of relationship with our Cuban siblings and recognized how our partnership has healed us and contributed to the healing of our churches and our nations.

On Sunday, September 15, Karen Bryant Shipp offered her own words of confession regarding her ancestral role in racial terrorism. During worship, we encouraged those who identify as white to offer their confessions as well as part of an ongoing journey to eradicate racial terrorism and bring about justice.

In our Oakhurst Baptist covenant, we promise to know and love one another and be willing to be known and loved by others, too. How does knowing one another influence how we grow together in faith? How does it affect how we teach and how we learn from one another? Listen as Pastor Melanie Vaughn-West and long-time teacher and mentor Mark Bumgardner reflect on knowing and being known at Oakhurst on Christian Education Sunday.

“Who’s invited!?” We receive the Evite and scroll through the list to see who else will be there. How many people? Do we get along? Are they fun? Are these the right questions? Listen as Pastor Melanie Vaughn-West takes a look at Jesus’ invitation list.

Is Jesus the founder of the Christian religion? Or is he the model for spiritual-but not-religious people? Or are those even the right questions? Listen as David Rensberger searches for the right question.

Through the Exodus story, our youth helped us examine the various roles we play in our lives and assured us that no matter our choices, God still chooses us. Listen as Annabette Vellines encourages us that God will still seek out and use our stubborn, shady, reluctant selves.

It is nothing new to say that “God is Love” and that Jesus is God’s Love incarnate. But what is this Love we’re talking about? A warm and fuzzy feeling? The subject of countless popular songs? In our world, and in our churches, Love is given lip service, but, in practice, is usually seen as weakness. And yet a New Zealand Prayer Book prayer reads, “…you reign in the glory of the power that is love….” What is this power inherent in Love? Listen as Minister of Music Karen Bryant Shipp explores the Power that is Love.

When we discuss prayer we are quickly hip-deep in a sucking bog. The Rev. David Lose, pastor of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, writes, “Prayer is not only at the heart of the Christian life, it is also at the heart of a lot of Christian frustration, misunderstanding, and even pain.” (Working Preacher, David Lose, 7/18/2010) Listen as Rev. Bob Duvall attempts to walk us through what can be the muck and mire of prayer.

We knowingly distract ourselves with many things, giving them acceptable names like work, service, responsibility, and relationship. And then, there are the distractions we don’t recognize at all. What keeps us from listening to ourselves? Or from hearing the loving voice of God call us by name? Listen as Pastor Lauren Colwell wrestles with these questions.