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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