Unbound: The Good News of Forgiveness and Release

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The Good News is Joyful
As we continue our Lenten journey, “Tell Me Something Good,” we are reminded that the gospel isn’t meant to be a burden. It is joyful, like fine wine; it grows like a mustard seed; and it sounds like laughter.

Forgiveness as “Release”
In the story of the woman at Simon the Pharisee’s house, we see a devotion that goes beyond the ordinary. Laura reminds us that the Greek word for forgiveness essentially means release.

  • To forgive is to be unhooked.
  • Your past does not have to close off your future.
  • Great love and forgiveness are available to everyone.

At Shawnee Community Christian Church, we believe this release is for you and for your neighbor—unbound and unconditional.

YouTube Chapters

0:00 – Introduction & Lenten Devotional
1:18 – Theme: Tell Me Something Good
2:08 – What is Central to Christianity?
7:07 – Love and Forgiveness Hand-in-Hand
10:45 – Scripture Reading: Luke 7:36-50
14:24 – Cultural Context: The Act of Devotion
18:43 – The Greek Meaning of Forgiveness (Release)
21:50 – Community Prayer

 

Radical Joy: The Subversive Good News of Cana

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Laura Phillips reminds us that while we often associate Lent with “giving things up,” the Gospel of John begins Jesus’ ministry with a party. This isn’t a party trick; it’s a statement about social dignity and the abundance of God’s grace. When we say “The Table has no walls,” we are inviting everyone to the celebration where the “good wine” of love never runs dry.

YouTube Chapters

0:00 – Opening: Lead Me to the Cross
0:29 – Wedding Fails & Family Stories: The Human Side of Celebration
3:21 – Context: The Gospel of John’s Fast-Paced Start
5:50 – Scripture Reading: John 2:1-11
7:30 – A Different Kind of Miracle: Blessing the Everyday
10:45 – The Social Stakes: Why Wine Mattered
12:08 – Lent: Preparing for Joy
13:30 – Radical Roots: The Latin Meaning of “Good News”
17:15 – Subversive Joy: Why the Best is Saved for Last
18:10 – Closing Prayer: A Prayer for Joy in a Hard World

 

Act Justly, Love Mercy: The Coat of Humility

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Humility is not about devaluing yourself; it’s about having an accurate view of yourself within the wider community. This week, Laura Phillips reminds us that God’s requirements for us are as practical and essential as a parent’s morning instructions to a child.

YouTube Chapters
0:00 – Introduction & Blaise Pascal’s Confession

1:30 – The Complexity of Micah 6:1-8

2:37 – Right Relationship with God & One Another

3:18 – Context: Who was the Prophet Micah?

6:13 – The Cosmic Courtroom: God’s Case Against Israel

7:48 – Scripture Reading: Micah 6:1-8

9:09 – The Audacity of Sarcasm in Worship

11:02 – The “Parental Pep Talk”: God’s Morning Routine

13:54 – Defining Humility: Is it Weakness?

15:08 – Community Reflections on Humility

17:16 – Closing Thoughts: Hope in the Practice

18:04 – A Community Prayer for Justice, Mercy, and Humility

 

Lift Up Your Head: The Radical Requirement of Mercy

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We often focus on the first pillar of Micah 6:8—Doing Justice. We talk about setting the world right and putting skin in the game. But as Pastor Tabatha reminds us this week, the prophet Micah didn’t stop there.

Two-thirds of God’s instruction remains: To Love Mercy and to Walk Humbly.

In this message, we explore the difference between simply being kind and actually loving mercy. Through a powerful story about Bishop Julius Trimble and a “pastoral confession” about left-lane drivers, we are reminded that every person we meet is a child of the Most High God—whether we like them or not.

Key Takeaways from the Message:
The Image of God: You will never meet someone who is not made in the image of God. How would our world change if we treated everyone accordingly?

Identity over Discouragement: “Lift up your head, for you are a child of the most high God.”

Ethical Relationships: Authentic faith requires us to show the same mercy and kindness that we are shown by God.

 

 

Finding Peace in the Forced Pause: A Special Snow Day Devotional

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Pastor Tabatha opens our virtual gathering by reminding us that we worship not because the world is perfect, but because the Earth is the Lord’s. Wherever you are, you are invited into this space of peace and presence.

Musical Reflection: “Take My Life and Let It Be”
At 1:42, Ronette leads us in a powerful hymn of consecration. Use this time to reflect on the “impulse of love” and how we can offer our moments and days back to God.

The Devotional: Mary Oliver’s “Snowy Night”
At 5:10, we lean into the beauty of the “unknowable.” Pastor Tabatha reads Mary Oliver’s Snowy Night, reflecting on the “forced pause” that inclement weather provides. We explore:

  • How “manufactured busyness” keeps us from God.
  • The importance of noticing the “glittering and amazing creation” around us.
  • Finding grace in not having all the answers.

Open Communion
Gather your elements (any bread and drink will do) and join us at 9:36 for an open table. At Shawnee Community, all are welcome at God’s table—regardless of identity, politics, or background..

 

 

WAITING ON HOPE: Faith in the Liminal Space

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In the third week of our “Renewed Strength” series, Pastor Tabatha invited us into the “liminal space”—that precarious place of uncertainty, fear, and heartbreak where hope often feels fragile. Drawing from the moving essay by Rev. Jennifer Harris Dalt in the book Still a Mother, we explored what it means to hold onto faith after significant loss. Pastor Tabatha shared her own journey through four years of consecutive family losses, reminding us that life can often leave us “boneweary” and without words.

Through the lens of Isaiah 40, we looked at the biblical precedent for lament. The people of Israel were living in an “apocalyptic hellscape,” feeling abandoned by God. Yet, the poet reminds us that while we grow weary, God does not. Faith is found in that tension of waiting with hope in our hands, trusting that those who wait upon the Lord will indeed find their strength renewed.

 

 

GRACE IS ALWAYS NEAR: The Myth of Self-Reliance and the Truth of Grace

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In the second week of our “Renewed Strength” series, Pastor Tabatha challenged the cultural obsession with “rugged individualism” and self-reliance. Drawing from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, we explored the concept of the “Super Apostles”—leaders who boasted of their own greatness while dismissing the struggles of others.

Through the moving story of 10-year-old Cristiana, who found strength in prayer despite physical frailty, and the testimony of a 45-year journey in AA, we learned that true strength is not held individually, but collectively through God’s grace. As we look toward the new year, we are reminded that whenever we are weak, that is when we are truly strong—because it is in those gaps that God’s “grace upon grace” finds room to work.

 

 

ROOTED AND GROUNDED: Finding Strength in the “Wood Wide Web”

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Rev. Laura Phillips launched our “Renewed Strength” series by exploring what it truly means to be “rooted and grounded” in God’s love. Drawing on the scientific and indigenous wisdom of Robin Wall Kimmerer, we looked at how forest networks—the “Wood Wide Web”—ensure communal flourishing through shared resources and support. Much like a training plan for a half-marathon, a resilient faith requires intentional spiritual practices: engaging with scripture, reliance on the Holy Spirit, and participating in a community where love is practiced. We are reminded that we are not isolated individuals; we are a network of roots, grounded in a love that surpasses knowledge and sustained by a God who intends for us to flourish together.

 

 

What Do You Fear? When Fear Turns to Fuel: The Flight to Egypt

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We often stop the Christmas story at the manger, but “Chapter Two” is far more difficult: the Holy Family fleeing for their lives as refugees. Guest pastor Madison reminds us that Jesus didn’t just read about the oppressed; he was the stranger, the threatened, and the innocent. Through the lens of Joseph’s quick action and the modern-day sanctuary story of Alex Garcia, we see that fear doesn’t have to paralyze us. Instead, it can be transformed into the fuel we need to protect the vulnerable and welcome the stranger. We conclude the year not with a world free of “Herods,” but with the promise of Emmanuel—God with us, even when we are running.

 

What Do You Fear? Good News is Stronger Than Fear

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We are wired with a “negativity bias”—a survival instinct that makes us dwell on one piece of criticism or a late-night loop of past mistakes. In a culture that curates fear to keep us exhausted, Christmas Eve offers a better story. Pastor Tabatha contrasts the power of Caesar’s decree—focused on control and conquest—with the vulnerability of God made flesh in a feeding trough. We learn that joy is an act of resistance. Like the shepherds who sang on a terrifying night, we are invited to let joy overflow and witness to a light that the darkness cannot overcome.