Blue Ocean Church Ann Arbor Sunday Sermons

TFAM Bishop Tim Wolfe gives a word about the cost of following Jesus. Learn more about Blue Ocean Church at a2blue.org. You can find recordings of past services, learn where and […]

Practicing resurrection means living as if the resurrection of Jesus already changes everything—how we treat others, how we spend our time, how we respond to suffering, how we imagine the world can and should be. It takes […]

We talk about joy and celebration as acts of resistance against despair. Shared joy rooted in memory and hope, is powerful. Celebration is a sign that the oppressed have not been […]

The shortest verse in the Bible—Jesus Wept—is one of its most profound. It is a moment of deep humanity, a moment where grief meets love, and a moment that shows […]

We talk about how practicing Sabbath isn’t about adding to our load but about rhythm and trust and believing the care of your body and your soul isn’t something you have […]

We look at the history and importance of Communion as a ritual meal that forms trails in the landscape of the body/soul. Learn more about Blue Ocean Church at a2blue.org. You can […]

We contrast the “yeast of Herod” with the “yeast of the kin-dom of God” and talk about how baptism symbolically aligns us with a story of hope, freedom, and love. […]

Using the story in John 2 about the miracle at Cana, we remember that, when the Spirit invites us to take action, we’re doing it with the abundance of God at […]

One of our spiritual tools is that we can make a pilgrimage of the heart where we can access Divine presence and peace. We talk about what it means to […]

We use the story of David blessing his son Solomon to build the temple to talk about discerning which roles are ours to take on, and which are not. Where […]

Blue Ocean intern El Costanzo draws from the stories of David dancing in worship and of his friendship with Jonathan to talk about love that transcends categories. Learn more about […]

We look at a story about King David that is both a warning and an invitation. It warns us of the dangers of unchecked power and the consequences of corruption. […]

Emily and her sister Lindsay talk about the treasures of the church and how to navigate times such as the ones in which we live. Learn more about Blue Ocean […]

Pastor Emeritus Ken connects Jesus’s “fear not“ statements with Psalm 56, a psalm David wrote under intense duress. Learn more about Blue Ocean Church at a2blue.org. You can find recordings of […]

Using stories about David, we talk about how our limits and character are tested when we meet adversity and pressure. What will we do? What kind of person do we want […]

This morning we begin a new sermon series called “The Heart of the Matter” where we’re interacting with some of the stories about King David in the Hebrew Scriptures in order to reflect on what […]

We look at the imagery of the nativity to talk about how Jesus is the new Eden—the new “home of delight,” in whom we find shelter, safety, and a place […]

As we move toward Christmas and the culmination of the season, we are reminded that love is a transformative power that shapes how we live, how we see ourselves, how […]

For the third week of Advent, Blue Ocean intern El Costanzo preaches about how the announcement of joy of the birth of Jesus was not made in the courts of kings […]

This second week of Advent we practice peace while waiting on the presence of God to show up more fully. Sometimes God’s peace enters into the chaos of our lives […]

Guest speaker Dr. Kim Robinson opens our Advent sermon series talking about the practices of Advent and learning from marginalized voices. Learn more about Blue Ocean Church at a2blue.org. You can […]

We wrap up our series on reading the Bible by talking about some guardrails for interpretation. For more information on membership, and to download a copy of our current membership […]

This week we use the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den to illustrate the Fourfold Method of Bible Interpretation. For more information on membership, and to download a copy […]

We start out our series on reading the Bible by embracing an enjoyment of the writings as literature. Many of us have been taught to read the Bible “seriously” instead […]

When others struggle to feel God’s presence, we stand beside them because it is in relationship that we know God. No one is meant to do this alone. In a world that […]

Dr. David Gushee talks about the importance of liberal democracy and addresses the need for living with others in unity, as best we’re able. For more information on membership, and […]

Three different congregants share about their personal faith journey and why they’ve made Blue Ocean their church home. For more information on membership, and to download a copy of the […]

For our membership series, we explore getting outside ourselves to connect with others. Togetherness is the antidote to loneliness. We don’t need to have all the answers or to rely […]

We use the Book of Ruth and the Proverbs to talk about care for the poor. Part of what it means to follow Jesus, part of what it means to be […]

We talk about how healthy spirituality reduces shame, and we are welcome before God in all of our humanity. Learn more about Blue Ocean Church at a2blue.org. You can find recordings […]

We talk about how the Proverbs caution us to be wary of extreme certainty, and wary of extremes in our thinking more generally. Many of the verses encourage us to be open […]

Pastor Emeritus, Ken Wilson, explores the wit and wisdom of Proverbs as field-tested advice from an oppressed people. Their experiences can help us navigate challenging situations, particularly as it applies […]

Today we explore the Proverbs as riddles. These riddle-type proverbs impart wisdom in witty or clever ways, just as Wisdom plays in the earth and delights in humankind. Learn more […]

Proverbs says everything meaningful in life has both upsides and downsides. Perhaps the most meaningful parts of our lives are enabled by the seemingly mundane things we do, day in and […]

The writer David Brooks talks about résumé virtues and eulogy virtues. The Book of Proverbs is deeply concerned with eulogy virtues—with character. It offers some guidelines that we’ll consider together. Learn […]

In the imagination of the Hebrew Scriptures, Wisdom is the fabric of the world. When we make wise choices, we have the wind at our back. Learn more about Blue […]

The catch all word for the stuff we learn that makes our lives work well is wisdom. We start a new sermon series this week on the earthy wisdom of the Proverbs […]

Habakkuk came to understand that living by faith meant that, even if he didn’t understand God’s ways or timing, he could rely on God’s character—Their wisdom, love, and reliability. Learn […]

Guest speaker Lisa Ruby talks about how we can lead responsibly in ways that reflect God’s good realm. Learn more about Blue Ocean Church at a2blue.org. You can find recordings of […]

Today, we explore Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians on belonging to one sacred body as many members in One. Remembering that we can only be as healthy or as […]

This week we wrap up our sermon series on Original Blessing by summarizing what we’ve learned and looking at it in light of the Sermon on the Mount. Learn more […]

God’s desire is for us to both trust Them and show that we can be Trusted. We’re invited to grow and mature, to become discerning of good and evil, to hold grey […]

We look at another Scriptural metaphor that can help us think about how to live lives that reflect goodness and integrity. Learn more about Blue Ocean Church at a2blue.org. You can […]

We look at how the Bible asks us if we’re able to pick up the mandate of Original Blessing. Can we humans be trusted to care for ourselves and the […]

We dwell in a good God; a good God dwells in us. Today, we’ll explore how Original Blessing can help us turn away from the arrogance of thinking, “I don’t […]

On this Pentecost Sunday we talk about the symbolism of the trees and water in Scripture, and how we’re invited to drink from the Spirit to strengthen our souls and […]

We look at the metaphor of the garden in Scripture to explore what it’s saying about Original Blessing. Learn more about Blue Ocean Church at a2blue.org. You can find recordings of […]

We talk about how the concept of Original Blessing is solving a different problem than Original Sin, which leads to a different gospel message. Instead of humans needing saving from […]

This week we take a closer look at some of the history and shortcomings of Original Sin and why it fails us. Learn more about Blue Ocean Church at a2blue.org. You […]

We’re starting a new sermon series on Original Blessing and how this idea impacts how we see God, ourselves, and our role in the world. Learn more about Blue Ocean […]