Blue Ocean Church Ann Arbor Sunday Sermons
507 episodes — Page 8 of 11
12 May 2019—Times of Transition, John 21
28 April 2019—The Intersection of Faith and the Scientific Method
Our guest speaker, Mike Liemohn, a University of Michigan Professor in the Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering Department, shares his understanding of the intersection of faith and the scientific […]
21 Apr 2019—Jesus, His So-Called Friends, and the Dramas We Find Ourselves In
Ken delivers our Easter sermon, in which communion replays the drama of scapegoating in light of the resurrection, so we can recognize this baffling phenomenon when we are right in […]
14 Apr 2019—Black Jesus/White Jesus
In our Palm Sunday sermon, Emily talks about the legacy of white supremacy and the impact it has on the way we tell the story of the gospel.Find Lenten resources […]
07 Apr 2019—What’s the Meaning of the Cross & Resurrection?
Emily leads us through the story of the cross and resurrection using the lens of René Girard and scapegoat theory.Find Lenten resources and learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including […]
31 Mar 2019—Four Scenes in the Life of Jesus: The Psychology of Scapegoating
Four scenes in the life of Jesus—his baptism, introduction to the Accuser, rejection by his village, family rejection—constitute an introduction to the Psychology of Scapegoating 101. How Accusation feels and […]
24 Mar 2019—Imitating Love
We practice prayer to become more like God, imitating the desires of Love. We allow the river of the Spirit to slowly erode our ego so we become increasingly filled […]
17 Mar 2019—We Cannot Forget Joseph
Exodus 1 describes the spiritual dynamics of White Supremacy and Anti-Immigration Fever, driven by fear. Suggesting two simple actions we can consider to resist the spread of such fevers. Find […]
10 Mar 2019—What We Learn From Suicidal Pigs
With the help of René Girard’s scholarship, we take a look at the story of the Garasene Demoniac through the lens of scapegoat theory. This is the first sermon in […]
03 Mar 2019—Lent Preview: An Alternative Approach to Time
Lent is a season for shaping us toward life-enhancing connections: to God, ourselves, others, the wide world. Want to get the most out of Lent and help others do the […]
24 Feb 2019—What’s It Feel Like to Experience God? Discerning When We Can Trust Our Own Minds
Emily and Caroline talk about how we can learn to better discern our God-experiences. They also talk about what it’s like when you’re not sure you can trust your own […]
17 Feb 2019—What’s It Feel Like to Experience God? (And how might we notice it happening more often?)
We can experience love without noticing it. Same with experiencing God, “in whom we live and move and have our being.”  A look at a high intensity experience, drawing inferences […]
10 Feb 2018—What’s It Like to Experience God? Week 2
Guest Speaker Ben shares his personal experience of God throughout his life in this week’s message.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
03 Feb 2019—What’s It Like to Experience God? Small Steps in the Dark
God speaks to people in myriad ways. We integrate spiritual disciplines and practices into our lives so we learn to better discern God’s presence and nudges, as well as to better experience […]
27 Jan 2019—The Short Stories of Jesus: The Parable of the Surprising Salaries
This story allows us to enter into a world that operates on generosity rather than greed, ambition, and competition. It invites us to experience a world in which those who […]
20 Jan 2019—The Short Stories of Jesus: A Man Had Two Sons
The stories of Jesus aren’t just “about something”—they do something. This one helps us look at our rivalry addiction…and as we do, opens space for God to offer to help […]
13 Jan 2019—The Short Stories of Jesus: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
The parable of the pharisee and the tax collector is a challenging one. As soon as we begin to side with the actions of either character—believing that one is more right or […]
06 Jan 2019—The Short Stories of Jesus: Leaven Hiders & Party Throwers
What does one of Jesus’ shortest parables and the story of how the American Psychiatric Association changed its mind on homosexuality have in common? The answer is hidden in plain […]
30 Dec 2018—St. Nicholas Stories and Traditions
Many of our Christmas traditions are drawn from stories and folklore surrounding St. Nicholas, a saint from what is now modern-day Turkey, known for his concern for the poor. Worship […]
23 Dec 2018—How We Wait, Week 4: Believing and Expectant
John the Baptist grew up surrounded by neighbors who celebrated him. We all need a little of that in our lives. Ken Wilson brings us the fourth sermon in our […]
16 Dec 2018—How We Wait, Week 3: Surrounded, Worshipful
God’s blessing, and the presence of encouraging loved ones, can transform disgraced outsiders into worshipful believers who wait with hopeful anticipation for his coming justice. Emily Swan shares the hopefulness […]
09 Dec 2018—How We Wait, Week 2: Perplexed, Surrendering
The Jewish background to the angel’s announcement of Mary’s pregnancy is loaded with surprises, including a divine presence that approaches her in feminine, not masculine form. Ken Wilson references Luke […]
02 Dec 2018—How We Wait, Week 1: Wide-Eyed and Looking for Signs
Using the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah from the Gospel of Luke, we talk about how we learn to wait on God. The story provokes us to look at the […]
25 Nov 2018—Questioning the Sinner Label
It’s easy to assume Christianity is all about feeling bad about sin so we can turn to God. But Jesus often opposed labeling people as sinners, and his practice of […]
18 Nov 2018—The Widow at the Temple: A Different Lens
In her study of Mark 12–13, Emily Swan takes a less traditional approach to the familiar parable of the widow’s mite. She also offers strategies for dealing with family anxieties […]
11 Nov 2018—Bartimaeus and the Affirmation of Agency
Agency is the capacity to make choices independently, without outside interference. It’s a key to being human in the image of God…and there’s room in our connection with God for […]
04 Nov 2018—Reflections on the Feast of All Saints
Contemplating death and what comes next can be stir up a range of emotions and thoughts. Emily shares from her personal experiences and reflections and how they have shaped her […]
28 Oct 2018—Reintegrating Our Faith Stories
Blue Ocean is about re-integrating faith with an identify under assault from toxic religion. We are called to the spiritual-ally disciplines of humility, non-defensive listening, and expanding our hearts. This […]
21 Oct 2018—My Journey to Becoming Affirming
Guest Speaker Liz Dyer shares her journey from a conservation Christian background to affirming her gay son, supporting other moms of LGBTQ children, and becoming an ally and advocate for […]
14 Oct 2018—Self Care as an Act of Resistance
Is our current political climate, or other life situation, causing you ongoing anxiety and/or feelings of hopelessness? Emily Swan looks to the Old Testament prophets, and the return of the […]
10 Oct 2018—Allies: The Way of Love From the Beginning
In an era of backlash against the full equality of women, people of color, sexual minorities, and immigrants, we are called into the dignity of our original human destiny—to be […]
30 Sep 2018—Reclaiming Christianity for Jesus, Justice, & the Common Good
In Bible times, people were labeled as sinful based on physical or mental conditions and excluded from religious practices. In today’s society, people are often labeled or excluded based on […]
23 Sep 2018—Navigating the Hard Questions: The Praying-for-Things Dilemma
Ken Wilson on navigating the problems we encounter when we pray for specific people and needs—like does prayer “work,” is it fair, and why do I sometimes feel so frustrated […]
16 Sep 2018—Navigating the Hard Questions: Interfaith Jesus
“Christianity hitched to power-seeking agendas is poisonous.” This is just one of many thought-provoking statements Emily Swan makes in her sermon, “Navigating the Hard Questions: Interfaith Jesus.” She also offers […]
09 Sep 2018—Navigating the Hard Questions (Like Hell)
We read the Bible, things are going great, then boom! we run into an icy patch. Like the hell sayings. So what’s up with Hell? How did we get from […]
02 Sep 2018—Navigating the Hard Questions: Patriarchy in the Bible
Reading the Bible can be especially challenging if you don’t subscribe to heteronormative gender roles. In this week’s sermon, “Navigating the Hard Questions: Patriarchy in the Bible,” Emily Swan suggests […]
26 Aug 2018—A Transgender Interpretation of Esther
Guest speaker, and seminary student, Andy Deeb looks at the story of Esther from a transgender viewpoint, challenging us to use our power and privilege compassionately in support of LGBTQ […]
19 Aug 2018—Esther is Burlesque: Part 3
In the final act of the saga of Esther, this dark comedy is revealed as a story of strength and hope for an oppressed people. A story that we, too, […]
12 Aug 2018—Esther is Burlesque: Part 2
What traits or circumstance lead to corruption of the human spirit? What does it take to respond with integrity in the face of persecution? Emily Swan explores these questions, and […]
05 Aug 2018—Surprising Abundance from a Meager Offering
We go through cycles of scarcity and abundance. The scarcity phase always feels bleak. In this week’s sermon, “Surprising Abundance from a Meager Offering,” Ken Wilson looks at what it means […]
29 Jul 2018—Esther is Burlesque
Have you ever thought of the story of Esther as historical fiction, or, more specifically, as a burlesque comedy? Emily Swan explores this view, based on the teaching of Jewish […]
22 Jul 2018—How to Handle a Bully: Jesus v. Herod
We all have experience with bullies—and now we have national leaders using old-fashioned bullying tactics. Jesus resisted bullies and his resistance to Herod is a primer on how to do […]
15 Jul 2018—Comfort: When Thoughts & Prayers Are Not Enough
Jesus, of all people, was most justified in offering bromides like “everything’s gonna be all right.” But when his friends were in the shock of grief, he mourned right along […]
08 Jul 2018—The God Who Sees Me
Guest Speaker Cristy Starkweather tells the story of hosting an immigrant mother, separated from her children at the border, on her way to find them in NYC. In the process Cristy […]
01 Jul 2018—Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Were Asylum Seekers
Thousands of asylum-seeking children have been forcibly separated from their parents at the border, a policy rooted in Scripture, according to our nation’s Attorney General. We would better consider the […]
24 Jun 2018—The Power of Faith and Acceptance in Transition
Guest Speaker Lilianna Angel Reyes, trans Latina woman and Interim Executive Director of Affirmations in Ferndale, shares from her personal journey of transition—including obstacles and support, rejection, acceptance, and hope—in her message, […]
17 June 2018—The 12 Steps for Anyone: Helping You is Helping Me (Step 12)
What is a “spiritual awakening”? Not the flash of light, but the result of real steps taken. Contemplate this, and more, as Ken Wilson brings us the next sermon in our […]
10 June 2018—The 12 Steps for Anyone: Improving Conscious Contact (Step 11)
What would such a thing feel like, anyway—conscious contact, that is? And what simple things can we do to improve our conscious contact? What do the six steps that mention […]
27 May 2018—Tested to Become Diamonds
In her message, “Tested to Become Diamonds,” guest speaker Rev. Dr. Renee Jackson challenges us to view ourselves as diamonds in the rough, believing that God is refining us through […]
20 May 2018—The 12 Steps for Anyone: Daily Amends (Step 10)
The Spirit of Love frees us from fear through every step of the 12 steps—including the time we take to reflect on our interactions with others through the day. Wouldn’t […]