The courage of five sisters from ancient Israel offers us a blueprint for navigating unjust systems today. When the daughters of Zelophehad approached Moses about an inheritance law that would leave them destitute after their father's death, they weren't just seeking personal relief—they were challenging a fundamental injustice in their society's structure.

What happens next is remarkable. Rather than facing punishment for questioning established law, God affirms their petition with surprising clarity: "The daughters of Zelophehad are right." This divine endorsement leads to an immediate change in inheritance law, creating protections for women throughout Israel. The story reveals a God who listens to the marginalized and validates their concerns, while establishing that sometimes challenging unjust laws is exactly what faithful people should do.

Drawing parallels to modern challenges, we must ask ourselves: When do we follow rules, and when do we break them? Like the characters in the children's show Bluey navigating their "Shadowlands" game, we need both those who respect boundaries and those willing to question them. The story warns against automatically assuming laws passed by "our side" are just, while those from political opponents are evil. No political party has a monopoly on harmful policies—our moral compass must be guided by justice and compassion rather than partisan loyalty.

Perhaps most powerfully, these ancient women teach us about meaningful compromise. When concerns arose about property leaving their tribe, they agreed to marry within their community while maintaining their inheritance rights. They demonstrated that standing firm on core principles while finding reasonable middle ground isn't weakness—it's essential for community flourishing. What rules in our society need challenging today, and how might we work together to create systems where everyone belongs?

Listen now to explore how five forgotten women from Scripture might guide our response to today's challenging social and political landscape.

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Who really saved the day in the Exodus story? Behind Moses stands an extraordinary lineup of women whose courage, wit, and quick thinking repeatedly preserved his life—from infancy through adulthood. This exploration of biblical heroines challenges our conventional understanding of what makes a spiritual leader.

The Hebrew midwives Shiprah and Puah kicked off this chain of resistance with their breathtaking act of civil disobedience, refusing Pharaoh's command to murder Hebrew babies. Their defiance created the possibility for Moses to be born at all. Then his mother Jochebed, facing impossible choices, crafted a waterproof vessel and set her son afloat on the Nile—not in desperation, but with a strategic plan. Standing guard was Moses' sister Miriam, perfectly positioned to suggest that Pharaoh's own daughter hire the baby's birth mother as his wet nurse! This delicious irony—Pharaoh unknowingly paying a Hebrew woman to raise her own child—demonstrates the power of subversive humor against authoritarianism.

Perhaps most surprising is Zipporah, Moses' Midianite wife. When God mysteriously attempts to kill Moses during their journey to Egypt, Zipporah performs an emergency circumcision that saves his life. With nerves of steel, she serves as mediator between God and Moses, foreshadowing Moses' later role as mediator between God and Israel.

These stories remind us that liberation never happens through a solo hero. Instead, it requires a community of brave individuals, often women, taking risks in moments both dramatic and ordinary. Their legacy offers a profound blueprint for courage in today's world, where small acts of resistance and moments of intervention can still change everything.

What might happen if we recognized that we're surrounded by such potential heroines and heroes today? How might our faith communities transform if we honored not just the charismatic leaders but also those whose behind-the-scenes bravery makes everything else possible? Listen in and discover your own calling to practice courage, compassion, and holy resistance.

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Preaching: Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing

What if everything we thought we knew about Adam and Eve was wrong? The familiar Garden of Eden narrative has been so heavily filtered through centuries of interpretation that we often miss its original meaning entirely. Like a biblical version of the Mandela Effect, we collectively misremember key details – there was no apple, the serpent wasn't explicitly evil, and the word "sin" never appears in the text.

Most significantly, this story has been weaponized throughout history to suggest women's inferiority, despite the Hebrew text suggesting something entirely different. The word used for Eve as Adam's "helper" is the same word used to describe God's divine power – hardly indicating subservience! And though artistic representations often show Eve alone with the serpent, the biblical text clearly states Adam was present throughout the entire encounter.

When we strip away these misconceptions, what emerges is breathtaking – a poetic vision of God's original intention for humanity. Eden represents relationships of mutuality rather than domination, a world without shame, accusation, or blame games. The breakdown occurs not when Eve eats the fruit, but when Adam responds to God with "I" instead of "we" – revealing our continued struggle with individualism over community.

In a world torn by conflict, this ancient text offers profound wisdom. "We cannot bomb our way back to Eden, but we can love our way back." The kingdom of heaven Jesus proclaimed is Eden by another name – a place where finger-pointing ceases, where shame disappears, and where we delight in God as God delights in us. Will you join in rediscovering this vision of mutual relationship, moving from a theology of "me" to a theology of "us"?

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Preaching: Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing

Meet Hagar—an Egyptian slave whose extraordinary encounter with the divine remains one of scripture's most radical stories. While Abraham and Sarah typically dominate the narrative of Genesis, this sermon shifts our focus to the woman they exploited, abused, and ultimately abandoned to die in the wilderness.

Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing guides us through Hagar's remarkable journey from nameless object to the only person in all of scripture who dares to name God and lives. When Hagar bestows upon God the name "El Roi"—the God who sees me—she reveals a profound theological truth: the divine gaze prioritizes those society overlooks. Abandoned twice to die in the desert, Hagar experiences God's intervention when human compassion fails.

This story resonates powerfully today. Hagar represents "the undocumented immigrant, the uninsured single parent, the trans person facing discrimination"—all those pushed to society's margins. Her experience illuminates how patriarchal systems pit marginalized people against each other rather than fostering solidarity. Sarah and Hagar, both victims of patriarchy in different ways, become enemies rather than allies.

The sermon challenges us to recognize how we participate in systems that dehumanize others through our language and actions. When we refuse to acknowledge someone's name, when we label groups with dehumanizing terms, we follow Abraham and Sarah's example rather than God's. But Hagar's story offers hope that divine compassion transcends human-made boundaries of nationality, status, and power.

Whatever wilderness you may find yourself in today, remember that you are seen. El Roi—the God who sees—remains especially attentive to those society forgets. In a world of division and dehumanization, may we develop eyes that see as God sees, recognizing the inherent dignity in every person we encounter.

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Preaching: Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing

What if everything you thought you knew about the Tower of Babel was wrong? Far from a story about God feeling threatened by human ambition, this ancient narrative reveals something profoundly different about divine concerns—not the height of our towers, but the heart behind them.

The Tower of Babel wasn't condemned because people reached too high, but because they built with the wrong intention: "Let us make a name for ourselves." This self-glorifying motivation stands in stark contrast to the true towers that God blesses—those built for justice, community, and love of neighbor. When humanity united to create vaccines, explore space, advance civil rights, or address climate change, God rejoiced in these ambitious collaborations because they served the common good.

Pentecost offers the counterpoint to Babel's story. Where Babel moved from unity to division, Pentecost transforms division into understanding. The Holy Spirit didn't eliminate difference but created comprehension despite it, suggesting that God's ideal isn't homogeneity but harmony within diversity. As Walter Brueggemann, whose prophetic voice was recently lost to us at age 92, wisely noted: "Perhaps the miracle of Pentecost concerns a new gift of speech. But we should not miss the hint of the text. The newness concerns a fresh capacity to listen."

Today, in our fractured world where families and communities struggle to communicate across differences, we're invited to become Pentecost people—building towers that embrace diversity rather than fear it. The divine architect has provided the blueprint in Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit as our interpreter. What tower might you help build that unites neighbors, helps instead of harms, and bridges the chasms between us? Join us as we explore how God is calling us to construct a world where justice, kindness, mercy, and righteousness reach to the heavens.

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Preaching: Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing

Walls crumbling. Shackles breaking. Prisoners singing at midnight. This powerful exploration of Acts 16:16-34 reveals how the early Christian movement turned the world upside down – and challenges us to continue that revolutionary work today.

The sermon begins by celebrating our congregation's remarkable unity in establishing an emergency summer shelter for women experiencing homelessness. Through countless volunteer hours, donations, and preparations, we've transformed our commitment to neighborliness from mere words into tangible good news. This mission embodies the gospel in its purest form.

Against this backdrop of community service, we dive into Scripture's account of Paul and Silas imprisoned in Philippi. Despite their chains, they had the audacity to sing praises to God at midnight – so fervently that an earthquake shook open their prison doors. The jailer, terrified and expecting punishment, nearly took his own life before receiving salvation instead. In a stunning reversal, this former oppressor washed the wounds of his prisoners and was baptized with his entire household.

Yet amid this celebration of liberation, a troubling omission emerges: what happened to the unnamed slave girl whose exploitation sparked these events? After Paul freed her from the spirit that made her profitable to her owners, she disappears entirely from the narrative. Her absence challenges us to ask: Who remains invisible in our celebrations? Whose liberation remains incomplete?

True discipleship requires noticing who's missing from our table. We are fed so we can feed others, freed so we can participate in others' liberation. As we break bread together, let's commit to seeking those still in chains – for where they are, there too we will find Christ.

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Preaching: Dylan Lewellyn

Standing at the crossroads of faith and action, this sermon challenges us to examine our unconscious biases against people experiencing homelessness. As Guilford Park prepares to welcome homeless guests, we confront that instinctive reaction—"Pastor, you've lost your mind"—which reveals how deeply society's prejudices have influenced even the most compassionate hearts.

What does someone's housing status have to do with their character? This powerful question cuts through our conditioned thinking. Through a moving story about a Mason who gave money to a homeless man without judgment, we learn a profound lesson: "I will not be judged whether he buys food or liquor. I will be judged because I gave when I was able to." This perspective liberates us from the need to control outcomes and invites us to embrace the simple act of giving when we can.

The sermon weaves together Psalm 109 and Jesus's healing at the Pool of Bethesda to illustrate God's special concern for those who suffer. The psalmist, experiencing scorn and abandonment, finds hope in God who "stands at the right hand of the needy." Similarly, Jesus approaches a man who had been ill for 38 years—not waiting to be sought out, but actively seeking to help. When Jesus tells the man to carry his mat on the Sabbath, he prioritizes human dignity over religious rules, challenging us to reconsider what truly matters in our faith.

Though we cannot perform miracles, we can offer kindness, resources, and presence to those in need. Every smile, every meal shared, every moment of dignity restored creates ripples of healing in our broken world. As our church opens its doors to shelter those without homes, will you join us in extending not just helping hands, but open hearts? Together, we can embody Christ's compassion in tangible ways that transform both our community and ourselves.

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Preaching: Tony De La Rosa

Dreams and visions have the remarkable power to transform not just individuals, but entire communities of faith. When Peter dreamed of a sheet filled with "unclean" animals and heard God declare "what I have made clean, you must not call profane," it revolutionized early Christianity. This pivotal moment expanded the faith beyond its Jewish origins to embrace Gentiles, fundamentally altering Christianity's trajectory and allowing it to become the global religion we know today.

Similarly, when John of Patmos experienced visions during Roman persecution, he glimpsed "a new heaven and a new earth" where God would "wipe away every tear" and make "all things new." These promises sustained early Christians through terrible suffering and ultimately proved prophetic as Christianity outlasted its oppressors. Though imperfectly realized, this vision continues pulling us toward God's promised future.

The Presbyterian tradition particularly embodies this visionary spirit through our commitment to mission. By balancing love of God with love of neighbor, we constantly reimagine how faith communities can meet unmet needs. Our congregation's summer sheltering program represents this commitment in action, addressing homelessness as fundamentally "a failure of community." When we open our doors to those without basic shelter, we restore the essential human need for belonging.

Sometimes divine inspiration comes through unexpected channels—even through innocent mix-ups like confusing a Star Wars-themed youth service with another congregation. But perhaps such "mistakes" contain deeper truths. After all, both our scriptures and our mission efforts offer what the beloved film saga proclaims: a new hope. By creating community for those who have lost theirs, wiping away tears, and working toward God's vision of renewal, we participate in making all things new. Will you join us in this mission to refresh thirsty souls?

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