In a world that measures our value by what we’ve earned compared to our neighbor, Jesus tells a story about a landowner who pays the workers hired last the same as those hired first. The all-day workers aren’t cheated; they’re offended that others were made equal to them. In this first sermon of our series Ancient Faith, Modern Questions, we ask what is fair, what we have earned, and what we are owed, and then a harder question: what do we owe our neighbor?

In a sermon on All Saints Day (the reason Halloween aka All Hallows Eve exists), Dr. Tom Robinson speaks on Hebrews 11:1 - 12:3, and how faith is not always rewarded. But neither was Jesus rewarded for His sacrifice, He did it because of faith. So too then should we as Christians follow our faith and keep our eyes on God.

Is “staying above the fray” really the faithful choice?

In this reflection on Mark 3:1–6, Carl Garrison looks at the scene in the synagogue. A man with a withered hand is suffering, and the religious leaders stay silent to protect the order of things. Drawing on Joy DeGruy’s Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, Carl explores how survival habits passed down through generations can become a kind of faithfulness we never question. Keeping our heads down, avoiding conflict, and calling silence “peace” are some of those habits.

This is a challenge for conservatives, progressives, and everyone in between. The alternative to political tribalism isn’t neutrality. It’s courageous, compassionate witness.

“What suffering are we willing to tolerate in order to preserve our image of being good?”