Brewing Theology With Teer Hardy

The Cost of Discipleship | The Single-Mindedness of DiscipleshipMarch 23, 2025Matthew 6:24-33Lent 3Rev. Teer HardyFollowing Jesus is not an endless streaming service or a New York Times-sized menu of options, add-ons, and trans fats. This is the paradox of the Kingdom. The more we cling to our lives, the more we lose them. The more we try to control, the more anxious and exhausted we become. But when we let go, when we trust that Jesus is enough—that’s where true freedom is found. Think about the moments in your life when you’ve been most at peace. Were they the moments when you were in control? Or were they the moments when you finally let go, when you surrendered, when you stopped striving and simply trusted? That’s the freedom Jesus offers.We do not “choose Jesus” because Jesus has already chosen us. Christ has already chosen you. And in being chosen, we are free to follow the path Christ has placed before us. The path of single-minded obedience to the God who forgives, frees, and loves; a grace-filled contrast to the gods of gain and success that demand blind obedience. In following Jesus, we find life. Jesus does not ask for your five-year plan, your effort, or your ability to think strategically. The catch? The life you cling to? It’s not yours to keep anyway. So, stop worrying. Stop juggling and pretending that you can serve two masters. Hear the call of Christ; step into grace. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

The Cost of Discipleship | The CallMarch 16, 2025Matthew 4:18-22Lent 2Rev. Teer HardyThe disciples left their nets and followed. What are we still clinging to?Maybe it’s security—the need to have everything planned and figured out before you step forward.Maybe it’s comfort—the fear of stepping into something difficult or unfamiliar.Maybe it’s pride—the desire to keep control instead of surrendering.Whatever it is, Jesus is standing before you today with the same invitation He gave to the first twelve, “Follow me.”So, what will it be?That is what we are wrestling with throughout the Lenten season.Bonhoeffer reminds us that grace is not cheap—it is costly. Discipleship demands everything, but it offers even more in return. The way of Jesus is not comfortable, but it is the only path to real life.Jesus is standing before you today with the same invitation He gave to those first disciples: “Follow me.”And here’s the good news—this call is not just about loss, not just about sacrifice, not just about cost. Yes, discipleship demands everything—but it offers even more in return. It is the call to life, real life, the kind of life that can’t be measured in security, comfort, or control, but in joy, purpose, and the presence of God.It is a call to belong—to a community, to a story, to a Savior who goes before us.So, what will it be? Will we stay in the boat, clinging to our nets, waiting for a more convenient time? Or will we step forward, trusting that the One who calls us is also the One who will sustain us?Because, friends, the way of Jesus is not just the way of the cross—it is the way of resurrection.And that is good news. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

The Cost of Discipleship | The Joy of Costly GraceMarch 9, 2025Matthew 13:44-46Lent 1Rev. Teer HardyI have said it before, and I will say it again:“God loves you just as you are, but God loves you too much to leave you just as you are.”The good news—the best news—is that this grace has already been bought and paid for. You did not earn it, and you cannot lose it. It’s already yours because Jesus gave everything to make it so. His life, His death, His resurrection—this is what costly grace looks like. Once you see it, once you get even a glimpse of it, you realize there is nothing in this world more valuable.That’s what Lent is about. Not some gloomy self-denial, not a season of proving how much we can suffer, but a season of joy—joy in discovering that the grace of God is richer, deeper, and more powerful than we ever imagined. Cheap grace keeps us stuck. But costly grace calls us forward—into a new life, a better life, a life shaped by the love of Jesus Christ. In last Sunday’s Bible study, someone put it this way: “Cheap grace is about checking boxes. Costly grace means caring for the faith (through grace) we have received.” That’s the difference Bonhoeffer was getting at—cheap grace remains transactional, something we take for granted, while costly grace transforms us because we recognize the weight and worth of what Christ has done.And here’s the promise: The cost is still His. The One who calls you is the One who carries you. The grace that transforms us is not our own doing—it is Christ, at work in us, conforming us to Himself. He does not call us to change by sheer willpower. He calls us to surrender—to trust that the same grace that saved us is the grace that will shape us. The cost of discipleship is real, but the burden is His, and the promise is sure: He will finish what He has begun in you.So, as we enter Lent, we do not come with fear about what we’re giving up. We come with joy for what Christ has already given—and for what He is still doing in us. And for that, we say: Thanks be to God! Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

The Impossible Ask: I Don’t Want to Forgive My EnemiesFebruary 23, 2025Seventh Sunday After EpiphanyLuke 6:27-38Rev. Teer HardyThe truth in God reconciling all things, in making all of creation new through the mercy of God’s grace, is that when our sin could have made us an enemy of God and God could have cast vengeance upon humanity – upon you and me – God instead extended, God is extending mercy.It is downright offensive to think of God extending mercy to the person we despise the most until we realize that is how Jesus loves us, not because we deserve it or have earned it but because God does not know any other way. The merciful love of God is what enabled Joseph to forgive his brothers after they sold him into slavery. The same merciful love softened Pharoah’s heart and later inspired Hannah to pray, “God raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world.” Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

The Sermon Stands Among Us“The Savior Who Comforts the Afflicted and Afflicts the Comfortable”February 16, 2025The Sixth Sunday After EpiphanyLuke 6:17-26Rev. Teer HardyWe see this when Christian symbols are wielded in ways that justify violence, when the gospel is reduced to a tool for cultural dominance, and when faith is used to demand power rather than to serve the least. We see it when people conflate their country with the kingdom of God, as if God’s blessings are limited to one people over and against another.If our faith leads us to seek power rather than serve, if it makes us comfortable while ignoring the suffering of others, if it justifies hatred rather than love, then it is no longer the faith that Jesus preached. And Jesus has one thing to say to us when that happens, “Woe to you.”Jesus’ blessings and woes are a direct challenge to every form of Christian nationalism. Because Jesus does not say, “Blessed are the strong.” He does not say, “Blessed are the victorious.” He does not say, “Blessed are those who dominate.” He says: "Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the hungry. Blessed are those who weep. Blessed are those who are hated." Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Grace Beyond Expectations“When God’s Good News Disrupts Our Comfort”January 26, 2025The Third Sunday After EpiphanyLuke 4:14-21Rev. Teer HardyWhen Jesus proclaimed “the year of the Lord’s favor,” he wasn’t just offering comfort; he was announcing a revolution. The poor would hear good news. The captives would be set free. The blind would see. The oppressed would be liberated. And that’s not a message everyone wants to hear—because it calls us to confront our own complicity in systems of injustice, to open our hearts to people we’d rather exclude, and to trust that God’s vision is better than our own.This is the epiphany at the heart of Jesus’ message: He is the embodiment of God’s promises—God’s grace, healing, and justice come to life. Pastor to pastors, Brian Zahnd, puts it like this:God is like Jesus.God has always been like Jesus.There has never been a time when God was not like Jesus.We have not always known what God is like—But now we do. Jesus doesn’t just tell us what God is like; he shows us. And in doing so, he reveals that God’s kingdom is not built on our desires or expectations but on God’s radical love. This is good news, even when it challenges us. It means that our worth isn’t determined by what we achieve, and our salvation isn’t earned through our efforts. It is God’s gift, freely given through Jesus Christ. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

758 Bottles of Grace on the Wall “The Sign at Cana and the Grace That Never Ends”January 19, 2025The Second Sunday After EpiphanyJohn 2:1-11Rev. Teer HardyThis wedding at Cana isn’t just about what happened back then. It’s about what’s happening now. Jesus is still transforming, still pouring out His grace in abundance. And He’s inviting you to the table, to the party, to the life that only He can give.And the best part?The wine never runs out.The grace never dries up.It’s all available to you, not because of anything you’ve done, but because of what Jesus has done for you. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Epiphanies | Who Am I? Whose Am I?“Remembering Your Baptism”January 12, 2025Baptism of the LordLuke 3:15-17, 21-22Rev. Teer HardyRemembering our baptism is like hearing a forgotten song from our childhood. It stirs something deep within us. It reminds us of who we truly are. It is also an invitation to discover, over time, whose we are. God’s beloved.Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son. The son lost himself in a far-off land. One day, he “came to himself.” He remembered. “I am my father’s child. I have a home.” That memory was enough to bring him back. And when he returned home he father ran to him.On days like today, we gather as a Church to remind one another of who we are. We remember whose we are. We come to the font as we come to the table, empty-handed. We remember that we are named. We are claimed by God.Today, touch the water. Touch your forehead. Remember your baptism. Be thankful.Who you are. Beloved. It flows from whose you are. God’s. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

The Paradox of Glory“Homage at the Manger”January 5, 2025EpiphanyMatthew 2:1-12Rev. Teer HardyPaying homage to someone is no small task. As we hand our whole selves over to Christ, it can feel like a quid pro quo. We can think that before we receive Christ, we must give or do something extraordinary. After all, we live across the river from the quid pro quo capital of the world. Some might tell you that you need to pray a certain prayer, never miss a Sunday worship service or give a certain percentage before taxes before you can truly pay homage and be received by Christ. The paradox that remains is that the need to do has been done by the One who was laid in the manger.So, like the magi, in bringing ourselves – to include our doubts, fears, and failures – we can assume a posture of homage and embrace the paradox of this epiphany because the child in the manger, the messiah on the cross, the One who walked out of his borrowed grave has already welcomed you.This is not an easy task. We want our questions answered, our brokenness fixed, and our doubts erased before we can first offer praise. Still, Christ invites us to come because God has made the first move toward us through the child in the manger. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

An Early Epiphany“Finding Christ Where We Least Expect”December 29, 2024First Sunday After ChristmasLuke 2:41-52Rev. Teer HardyJesus has a habit of dwelling in the places we least expect: in the manger, with shepherds, in the Temple, at a well, at the table of a tax collector. And the question we are faced with is why. Why these places? Why those people? Why us?The Good News is that while we search for Jesus, we do not have to look further than our Holy Scriptures, bread and wine, and a community where whenever two or three are gathered, He promises to be with us.May the Word that predated time, sent by the Father, that extends grace to all, dwell in you. The same Word that amazed and amazes, freed and frees. Your questions may remain, and they might even grow in number. And the Good News is that even amid questions (and yes, even doubts), if Jesus feels lost from your life, the living Word of God does not abandon. The babe laid in a manger is the One who has called us to experience the fullness of the Father’s love and the fullness of His grace. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Christmas Eve 2024, Luke 2:1-14The peace we long for is the product of God’s actions. We are experiencing peace this evening because we are acknowledging – like Mary, like Joseph, like the shepherds – that God has moved.I know not all is right in the world, that all is not right in your life. There are secrets, deep and dark, that keep you up at night. There is an empty seat at your table. There is a diagnosis that you wish you could ignore. And, when Christmas is over, you will trudge your way into the full gray of January, where the bills from December await. Every day, you are moved by forces greater than your own. I know.And that is why I say to you, like Luke, like the carols say, and like the glow of the candles reflect – I bring you good news of great joy for all people: to you is born this day… a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord… and on to all on earth, peace. Amen. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Do You Know? Following Mary's Faithful WitnessDecember 22, 2024Advent 4Luke 1:46-57Rev. Teer HardyThe question is not, “Mary do you know, but rather, do you know? Brody, Logan, and Meghan, Brett and Lauren, do you know? Do you know that his child that we celebrate on Christmas is the one who will do all of the things mentioned in the song – walk on water, heal the blind, give life back to the dead? Do you know that while being rejected and despised, Jesus extends grace to all?Do you know there is nothing you can do to outrun the hope, love, joy, and peace of God?Do you know?Through her Magnificat, Mary becomes a reflection of the church. Mary is our reflection. As she declares, considers, and makes sense of what is happening, her Magnificat becomes our song – the same old song the church has proclaimed for generations. The song declares that in and through Jesus Christ, God has done what we believed to be impossible. God does, through Mary, the inconceivable. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Mary, Theotokos: Bearer of Hope“Hope in the Annunciation”December 1, 2024Advent 1Luke 1:26-38Rev. Teer HardyMary’s “Yes” came in the face of danger and uncertainty. We know her fiancé considered ending their engagement, placing both Mary’s life and her child’s in jeopardy. With the darkness of the world before her, Mary said “Yes” to the hope of God. This is the same hope the church carries into the world's darkness. Hope rooted in the promise of God to renew every corner of creation, the promise of peace that comes as a response to the grace of God and not the tip of the sword, and the promise that when the darkness of the world feels like it is too much that we can cling to the hope of God. The promise that shines a light into the darkness and steps into the darkness. The hope of our God who promises to return and make all things new. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Breaking the Patterns of the Pilate"From Pilate to Preschool: Learning the Patterns of the Kingdom"November 24, 2024Christ the King SundayJohn 18:33-37Rev. Teer HardyIn Rome, Caesar was the ultimate symbol of that kind of power. Caesar embodied the pattern of worldly power: victory through force, glory in wealth, and security through fear. The Romans had a saying for this pattern – Pax Roma, the peace of Rome – but everyone knew that peace came at a cost. It was the kind of peace you could only maintain with legions of soldiers and the shadow of the sword.Along comes Jesus, and instead of following the same pattern, he offers something entirely different. Jesus does not ride into Jerusalem on a warhorse; he enters the city on Palm Sunday on the back of a borrowed burro. He does not wield a sword; he kneels and washes feet. He does not command armies of legionnaires; he calls fishermen and tax collectors. Jesus’s pattern for kingship did not compute for Pilate, and it only sometimes makes sense to us. Jesus does not look or act like the king we expect. He does not promise power or prestige to the church. He does not fight fire with fire. Instead, Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek," and "The first shall be last."We are so familiar with the patterns of the empire that it can be difficult for us to embrace the patterns of Christ. And still, Jesus invites us into this pattern and a life of grace that challenges assumptions of power. If we pay attention, Jesus invites us to break free from this world's patterns and step into the pattern of his grace. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Jesus, A Different King of King | Beyond Crowns and Thrones: Embracing the Lordship of Christ in a World of False PowerMark 12:38-44November 10, 2024The elephant and donkey in the room are this: when we consider the reign of God and the Lordship of Christ, our politics inevitably create conflicts of interest, tension, and outright discomfort. No matter who we vote for or who ultimately wins an election, that person will never—can never—live up to the expectations we place on them. They will always fall short of their promises of peace, because true and lasting peace can only come from God, not from the power of any earthly empire.The psalmist reminds us, “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.” [ii] Leaders, teachers, news anchors, pundits, and even pastors will come and go. The good news for the Church, for creation, is that our hope resides not in our ability to save ourselves but in the One who notices and honors the widow. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Runneth Over | No Condemnation, Only Freedom“How Christ’s Love Frees Us to Live Generously”October 27, 2024Romans 8:1-4Rev. Teer HardyNo condemnation! None! Nada! Not an ounce!For those who have heard the gospel for years, and for those familiar with wooden church pews or the consistency of the church’s liturgy, we may gloss over Paul’s declaration. But think about it for a moment: in Christ, through Christ, and because of Christ, we are not condemned. All of the mistakes, the missteps, the times we have fallen short – they are not held against us. We have heard Taylor Swift say, “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem,“ but God says that what we or others say makes us the problem - our shortfalls and failures - are no problem at all.The beautiful and strange truth of the gospel is that in Christ we are free. It is not that we have somehow earned this freedom. No, it is that we have died, our lives are now hidden with Christ.Paul is giving us the key to living a generous life. You see, the world tells us we are what we accomplish. We are measured by what we produce, by the size of our bank accounts, by the model year of our cars, by the number of people who follow us on social media, by the accolades on our CVs. But the gospel of Jesus Christ flips all of that upside down. In Christ, we have died to that way of living. We have died to the need to prove ourselves, to accumulate and hoard. When God the Creator looks at us, they do not see what we have accumulated or our failures and shortcomings. The Father sees the Son. And that changes everything. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Runneth Over | More Than a Doughnut: Living a Cruciform Life“How Everyday Acts Reflect Christ’s Overflowing Love”October 20, 2024Galatians 2Rev. Teer HardyTo live a cruciform life means our lives take the shape of the cross. Paul tells us that we have been crucified with Christ and that Christ now lives in us. This isn’t just some lofty spiritual idea or metaphor; it’s a call to live our lives mirroring the sacrificial and abundant love of Jesus. Everything we do—our giving, our vocations, our daily choices—flows from Christ, who lives and works through us.“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me,” wrote Paul. Imagine that: Jesus living in us, shaping our hearts and actions. But what does that mean for our day-to-day lives? It means that, as followers of Christ gathered from all over the world, we no longer live for ourselves. God's grace has redefined our purpose, our very existence. It’s not just about going about our business anymore; it’s Jesus at work in and through us, especially in our generosity.The generosity we’re called to isn’t something we have to muster on our own. It’s Christ’s generosity, grace, and love flowing through us. We don’t live for ourselves but for the one who died and was raised for us. The work we do, the resources we share, and the lives we live are opportunities for us to wear Christ, for Christ to wear us, work through us, and bless the world. As Jesus pours out His love through us, may others encounter Christ, finding hope and grace that overflows like a cup running over. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Runneth Over | The Weight of the Plate:Responding to God’s Abundant GenerosityOctober 13, 2024Ephesians 1:3-10Rev. Teer HardyStewardship is less about checking boxes or paying bills at the church. Stewardship is a recognition that God has already given us, given all of creation, the greatest gift of all. Only when we fully grasp this gift – the fullness of Jesus Christ and the grace that freely flows Him and overflows our cups – can we truly understand what it means to give. Giving is not our duty; it is our delight. When we give, we participate in God's Kingdom, joining a story that began before us and, by God's grace, extends beyond us.The offering plate is a means of grace and invitation to participate in a pattern of grace that begins with God. When we approach stewardship and the financial support of the church in this way, we are no longer giving out of compulsion or guilt. We are giving as an act of worship, as a way of saying thank you for what we have already received because that is what the gospel is all about. We do not leave church with a list of demands. We live with the freedom that comes from the gospel. God has already done for us that we cannot do for ourselves. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

“A Meal for the Ages: Celebrating Unity Through Christ’s Table”October 6, 20241 Corinthians 11:23-34Rev. Teer HardyToday is World Communion Sunday. Across the globe, Christians are gathering around tables just like ours, breaking bread and sharing a cup. We gather not just as a local church, not just as a congregation of The United Methodist, but as part of the great body of Jesus Christ – spanning nations, cultures, and generations. Christ's table of grace unites us across the barriers of geography and time. And, every time we come to Christ's table, we remember and proclaim that God has reconciled all things in and through Jesus Christ. This global unity in Christ is a powerful reminder of our shared faith and purpose.When we come to this table, we proclaim that through Jesus Christ, the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless, the insider and the outsider are one. We are one in Christ Jesus because of his faithfulness. This inclusivity of the Communion table reminds us that we are all equally valued and accepted in the eyes of Christ.Paul's call to the church is to examine ourselves before and as we come to the table. Not so that we can be perfect but so that we come with a proper heart. It is not about being worthy of this meal; it is about recognizing that none of us are worthy, yet, all are invited.We come to this table by grace, just as the generations that are now dust did and as generations to come will. The grace of God calls to us to look beyond ourselves, beyond our communities, beyond our nation, and to see the breadth of what God has done and is doing.So today, we come to the table to share a meal in unity with the body of Christ from every corner of the globe. We gather knowing that this table and meal are not just a symbol of unity but rather is the place where Christ makes that unity a reality. And as we leave, we carry that unity with us to be a people who have been changed by the love and grace of Christ in everything we do. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

One of the most troubling trends in the life of the church is the notion that we are the ones doing the searching. It is as if we have convinced ourselves that God is off in a galaxy far, far away from us. But the truth is that God has always been searching for us. The truth is God has always been searching for you. We may think that we have been doing the searching and have ultimate responsibility in this relationship, but it turns out God has been searching for us the whole time. You are not just a part of the search; you are the reason for it. You are important to God.“The Search for God: The Pursuit of God and the God Who Pursues Us”September 15, 2024Psalm 42Rev. Teer HardySeventeenth Sunday After Pentecost Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

“Fitting In or Standing Out: Following Jesus in a World of Expectations”September 1, 2024Mark 7:1-23James 1:17-27Rev. Teer HardySixteenth Sunday After Pentecost Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

“When Jesus Offends: Finding Life in Jesus' Hard to Swallow Teachings”August 25, 2024John 6:60-69Rev. Teer HardyFourteenth Sunday After PentecostWe read these verses from an ancient book and give you music you will not find on the radio or social media. Many call it “going to church” or something to check off the to-do list. But I want to call it something else. Let’s call it trying to see. Let’s call it practicing paying attention to the presence of the living God among us, here in Arlington, in McLean, in DC, and in our lives.John Wesley once said, “The best of all is God is with us.” That is the truth we are trying to hold on to, the truth that can get lost in the noise and distractions of modern life. But it is a truth worth listening to, waking up for, worth living for. People, would you pay attention? Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

“Something Happened”August 18, 2024John 6:51-61Rev. Teer HardyThirteenth Sunday After PentecostJesus brings us something that is beyond our reach; beyond our understanding. He is offering us the very life of God, revealing a God we could not imagine on our own. He comes to us before we seek Him. He comes to us before we project God upon the world. And he comes to us even as we attempt to explain him away.There is a living God who speaks and acts even while our modern world is full of ways to attempt to shut God out. God breaks through to us in God's mercy, as a means of grace. This is when the something happens.You may feel jolted, but that's OK. It is OK to find the moment when something happens unsettling and to ask, “What am I supposed to do with this bread from heaven? Eat my flesh and live. What does this mean?”Rather than dismiss or explain away, recognize this as a gift. Recognize this as God's grace for you. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

“Bread for the World: Embracing the Fullness of Christ”August 11, 2024John 6:35, 41-51Rev. Teer HardyJesus does not explain himself in terms of who he is not or high theology. Instead, he says I am bread that will sustain you. I am bread that gives you new life. I am bread for the world.Standing before the crowd, standing before use, in the flesh is the fullness of God. If you have ever wondered what God looks like, look at the altar and the bread that sustains. If you have ever wondered how God acts or talks, look to Christ, who invites all of us to taste and see what life looks like in the fullness of God.Anne Lamont wrote, “The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty.”We want our spiritual desires and theological questions answered with certainty, but instead, Jesus offers us bread. In a simple meal of bread and wine, Jesus promises to nourish and sustain the world.Jesus is the bread that the world desperately needs, even while He is the One we frequently turn from. And still, the invitation remains—to taste and see that the Lord is good. This invitation is a testament to the open arms of Jesus, always ready to nourish and sustain. The world will tell you that you must be for this and not that. Yet, Jesus tells us that he is bread, he is life for the world, and he is bread, he is life for you. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

“Satisfied”July 28, 2024John 6:1-21Rev. Teer HardyTenth Sunday After PentecostTo be satisfied is the goal of pretty much everything we do. In your professional life, if you are not satisfied with your work, you might make a move to a new employer or even a new line of work. If a vendor you are working with is not providing a service that satisfies your organization's needs, you will find a new vendor that can. We all want relationships that satisfy our needs and goals. Parents want schools that will satisfy their children's educational and developmental needs. Even in church, if a church, if a pastor does not satisfy your needs and the needs of your family, it is easy to find a church that will. Theologian Robert Jenson wrote, “Our culture's relentless pursuit of satisfaction through material means obscures the true satisfaction that comes from being known and loved by God.” “Satisfaction Guaranteed” is a phrase baked into our daily routines, so much so that we rarely think about it until that guarantee is unmet. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

“The Kingdom of Heaven is Near: Preparing the Way for Christ in a Troubled World”July 14, 2024Mark 6:14-29You see, in the face of violence, when confronting the consequences of our sin we return to the words of John the Baptist, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”“Repent, because the messiah has conquered our Sin and Defeated our death.”Christ has conquered the ways we cause harm to one another, creation, and ourselves.Christ has defeated that which separates us from God and one another.The church is the voice in the wilderness, calling for repentance and preparing the way for Jesus. Pointing to Christ in all things because the hope we hold is that with Christ present in all things, everything is being made new. And we have hope in the truth that, no matter how powerful the forces of this world may seem, Christ has already overcome, and his kingdom is here among us. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

July 7, 2024Mark 6:1-13Seventh Sunday After PentecostThe cross and resurrection of Christ are not “mighty” in the eyes of the world. The cross was a public spectacle of shame and defeat. The only way to know the cross as a mighty act is to have seen the resurrection. Yet, no one sees Jesus take his first steps out of the tomb. The resurrection is private, while the cross is public.And here is where we find the good news of the gospel. If we, as Christ's body, want to do what Jesus did and what Jesus calls us to do, then we must embrace our humanity more than ever before. Jesus’ humanity was not a barrier but the very means by which God saved the world. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, our flesh and blood can also become a means of grace through which God continues to renew all creation.Saint Paul captures this truth beautifully in his second letter to the Corinthians: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul understood that true strength lies in embracing our humanity, with all its weaknesses, because it is there that God's power is made perfect.Searching for a superhero savior misses that through our weaknesses, God’s grace is revealed, and through our humanity, God’s power is manifest. The cross and resurrection teach us that God’s might is not in superhuman feats but in the humble, sacrificial love that transforms the world. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

“It Is Everywhere”June 30, 2024Mark 5:21-43We find the Good News of the Gospel in the pervasiveness of death. God, Jesus, does not leave us to ourselves to overcome this separation. “We don’t have to wait for Easter for life to intrude and death to be defeated,” writes Rev. Will Willimon.In the face of the crisis of death, Jesus says, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace,” and “Little girl, get up!”Notice that the man, the woman, and even the little girl do nothing except cry out in the face of death. This is a story about what Jesus did and continues to do today.“Jesus came to raise the dead," says Robert Farrar Capon. “The only qualification for the gift of the Gospel is to be dead. You don’t have to be smart. You don’t have to be good. You don’t have to be wise. You don’t have to be wonderful. You don’t have to be anything… you just have to be dead. That’s it.” Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

“God, Do You Care?” June 23, 2024 Mark 4:35-41 Season After Pentecost In Jesus calming the storm the temptation is present to focus on Jesus calming the wind and waves. Cosmic power resides in Mary’s boy who was present when the universe was a formless void. What a sight that must have been. Jesus asleep at the back of the boat, waking and springing into action. The disciples are saved.Here’s the thing: Jesus was not concerned with the storm. It was not the wind and the waves that woke Jesus from his slumber. Jesus’s concern lies in the cry from his disciples, those he invited into to the boat. Their cry is what wakes Jesus. It was the cry of the disciples that caused Jesus to calm the storm. Their cry, “Do you not care that we are about to perish?” is what compelled Jesus to act.Jesus cares. Jesus not only cares but acts and saves.You may have picked up on this – the story of Jesus calming the sea began with fear and the cry of the disciples, “Teacher, don’t you care if we perish?” But as the story began in fear; the story ends in terror. Rev. Will Willimon wrote, “The calming of the wind and the waves anything but calmed those in the boat. They shook in terror, asking one another, ‘Who is this? Look! Even the wind and the waves obey him’” Robert Capon, the late Episcopal priest, wrote, “(Jesus) comes to us in the brokenness of our health, in the shipwreck of our family lives, in the loss of all possible peace of mind, even in the very thick of our sins. He saves us in our disasters, not from them. He emphatically does not promise to meet only the odd winner of the self-improvement lottery. He meets us all in our endless and inescapable losing.” Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

“Caps, Gown, and Crowns”June 9, 20241 Samuel 8:4-20To be called and set apart by God is no small feat, and the calling upon each individual and community is specific to the people and community called. The ways you are called by God are different from the ways God had called me. How you have been called by God is different from how God will call your children, partner, or friends. And Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Here You Are” June 2, 2024 1 Samuel 3:1-10 Season After Pentecost The lynchpin of “Here I am!” is that someone has to first be called. And the thing is, when God calls, we have time to answer. We have time to ask questions of our mentors, like Samuel asked of Eli. We have time to discern why God is calling us and what God is calling us to do. God’s calling upon our lives in one of the ways we experience God’s grace, because you see, God does not call us when we have everything in our lives figured out. We can have our questions. We can even have our doubts. And God will continue to call us. So, here we are. Here you are. Not because of anything we have done but rather because of the One who has called and continues to call us. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Acts 2:1-21 Pentecost At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was once again set loose on creation, setting the church in motion, filling Peter with words to proclaim, setting us loose, and filling us with the cosmic-breaking power of God not so that we would retreat to the Upper Room. No, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, we, like Peter, point to the One who was present when that “wind from God swept across the face of the waters,” and there was light. Pentecost is proof that God is not silent. God is not content to leave us without a word to proclaim. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

May 12, 2024 Ascension Sunday Luke 24:44-53 Because Jesus gave the disciples everything they needed to turn their doubts and fears into praise and worship – peace, revelation, assurance, and blessing – we can rest assured that when we are in need, Christ will give us what we need. Recently, I noticed that when someone approached Jesus with doubt, he did not rebuke them. “Doubting Thomas” was not rebuked. Even those who doubted Jesus and sought to challenge him were given what was needed that they believed. “You need proof? Physical, tangible, empirical proof? Cool. Touch my skin. Feel my bones. I’m hungry. Pass me some of that fish and watch me eat.” We are here this morning not so that we will have all of our suspicions answered or to have confirmed what we already know. The stories we read, the songs we sing, and the prayers we pray are common knowledge even for those who are not here on Sunday morning. So, I ask again, why are we here? We are here because, like the first twelve, we as witnesses to Christ's works in the world. Perhaps the real test of a Sunday morning is not how or why you arrived but how you will leave. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

May 5, 2024 Galatians 3:23- 29 It is sinful to say that someone is "incompatible" because of who God made them to be. To those who have been told they and their families are “incompatible,” you have never been incompatible. It is sinful to put barriers in place to prevent or discourage those called by God from responding to their call. It is sinful to cherry-pick scripture to fit an agenda that is outside of God's grand plan for making all things new to push a political agenda within Christ's body. Because of our proclivity to sin, the truth of the matter is that all of us are incompatible, which is why the cross and resurrection are not just moments in history but rather God’s cosmic reversal. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

April 28, 2024 John 21:2-18 Easter 5 The light of the resurrection pulls us out of shame and guilt and invites us into a new life in Christ. Jesus did not repeat his line of question to Peter to shame the Rock upon which the Church would be built but rather to be crystal clear that not only has Peter been absolved of his sin but also that shame and guilt are no longer necessary. In the face of Peter’s public denial, Jesus gives Peter a great responsibility – “Feed my sheep.” A moment for which many of us would prescribe guilt or shame, Jesus prescribed grace. The resurrection of Christ is not just a historical event; it is a living reality, the living hope that continues to transform lives today. Through the faithfulness of our resurrected Lord, the burden of shame and guilt has been lifted from our shoulders. No longer do we need to wallow in self-condemnation, for in Christ Jesus, we find forgiveness, restoration, and a fresh start. When we return to our fishing nets after the Easter celebration, we can hold fast to the truth that our worthiness of love and belonging is not determined by our past mistakes or present imperfections. Instead, it is rooted in the unconditional love of God, demonstrated through Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection. The burdens of shame and guilt are lifted, knowing that our gracious Savior truly loves, forgives, and accepts us. And we now live in the light of resurrection hope, let us respond to Christ's call with joy and gratitude, eagerly proclaiming his love to a world in desperate need of redemption. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Brewing Theology is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Psalm 23When I saw that the Revised Common Lectionary assigned Psalm 23 this week, I thought, “Challenge accepted!” For many of us, Psalm 23 is reserved for funerals and memorial services. Every funeral and memorial service I have officiated has included Psalm 23. The other readings might vary, and the preacher may not even include the psalm in their sermon, but Psalm 23 stands as a bulwark in our times of grief. The psalmist assures us that our dearly departed family or friend “shall dwell in the house of the Lord”[i] while we dwell in grief.But does the psalm more familiar to mid-week and Saturday memorial and funeral services provide us with a glimpse into the good news of the resurrection? Does Psalm 23 have anything to say to us today when we do not find ourselves gathering to grieve but instead are gathered to proclaim Christ resurrected?“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures; The Lord leads me beside still waters, The Lord restores my soul.”[ii]Our physical bodies require more attention and resources than we realize. I was shocked to learn this week that in 2022, in The United States, we spent $4.5 trillion, or $13,493 per person, on healthcare.[iii] This money was spent on keeping us healthy and alive: flu shots, appendectomies, in-grown toenail removals, and heart bypasses. When it comes to cosmetic procedures, we spent over $26 billion on being nipped and tucked.[iv] Add on gym memberships, visits to the barbershop, cosmetic products, and other odds and ends; we spend a fortune on ourselves.The physical nature of your body is just one way you were created in God's image. God cares about the image you were made in more than the amount of money we spend maintaining or attempting to “perfect” what God deemed “good” long before we discovered Botox, facelifts, and hair dye. After hearing myself preach for nearly seven years, I can hear where it might be easy for some to say that I would argue that God has little interest in our physical wholeness. After all, I can sound like a broken record preaching the same old song of God’s grace. Yes, God loves you just as you are right now, but God loves you too much to leave you just as you are. The beauty of God’s grace is that God is unwilling to leave us as we are. God is interested in everything, whether our soul or physical body. Your whole self is what God loves, not this piece or that piece of you.John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, emphasized the importance of holistic well-being, advocating for a balanced approach to spiritual and physical health. He believed that the pursuit of holiness encompassed spiritual disciplines and stewardship of our physical bodies. It is easy to think of the Church as only concerned with the eternal care of our community, but the reality is that because we proclaim that the Kingdom of God is already here, our physical bodies matter as much as our souls. Wesley’s words echo through the ages, urging us to embrace a lifestyle that nurtures both body and soul.Nadia Bolz-Webber, a contemporary theologian, beautifully articulates the intrinsic worth of every human being in the eyes of the Divine. She reminds us, “What God claims to love, do not deem unworthy of that love. What God has called good, do not call anything other than good. What God has animated with God’s breath and endowed with a soul and God’s image, do not treat with anything less than dignity.”It is easy to think that we are the only ones worried about the physical nature of this life. We spend so much time and effort on ourselves that we can forget that the Lord indeed cares for us.Psalm 23 makes clear – through green pastures, still waters, and overflowing cups – that God is not only interested in making sure our physical bodies are raised when we claim the promised resurrection but that our bodies matter today.You’ll remember from Sunday school and our communion liturgy that God provided for Israel when they wandered in the desert, wondering if the Lord had abandoned them. When the bread of heaven fell to the ground, the Israelites asked Moses, “‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.’”[v] the Lord did not abandon the physical needs of Israel.The signs and miracles performed by Jesus addressed the spiritual needs of the people and, at the same time, addressed physical ailments that had been neglected or deemed not treatable.The Gospel of Mark tells us, “And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better, she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I

April 14, 2024Romans 12:1-10 Look, I get it; change is difficult. Renewal is even harder. But I am thankful that God has not left me with the faith or theology I had when I was younger. I give thanks every day that God is renewing my faith. God makes me see people in my midst, truly see them in ways that my prejudices would otherwise prevent. Because Christ’s Grace and faith are reckoned to me, my understanding of others is transformed. This is a transformation of the church as a body. Through the renewing of our minds, God is inviting us to a spiritual transformation. Spirituality is not a some product that can be marketed or consumed. Not a yoga retreat and not by the church. Not even ours. Instead, spirituality is a new life, a transformed life. It is a human response to seeing “the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror.”Practices like prayer, worship, the study of the scriptures, and other spiritual disciplines are all ways God nurtures us as an act of spiritual transformation. Being conformed and transformed by God, is part the spirit of our Methodist DNA. John Wesley was engaged in spiritual renewal within the Church of England. Wesley upset many in the church, but he always viewed his work as being part of the established church, being part of Christ’s body, not apart from it. To be “metamorphosized into God’s image,” as Paul writes, is not something we do. There are no intellectual accomplishments by which you can make this happen. The transformation we experience is something God is doing to us. It is the byproduct of being encountered by the living God. How good is the news that you are transformed, redeemed, and saved by the Risen Christ? Why would you want your mind to be conformed to this world when you could experience Christ’s transforming grace? Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

April 7, 2024Genesis 1:26-31Psalm 139:13-16Easter 2The resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for our whole selves – our bodies, minds, and souls.Who we are - every part of our being - is wrapped up in being created in the image of God and is tied up in Christ's life, death, and resurrection.From the beginning of humanity, we have been declared “good” by God. Do we always act “good?” Certainly not, but God called what God created, you, “good,” so you are good regardless of what you or others may say about you.You are “good” regardless of your actual or perceived flaws.You are “good” regardless of what others may say about you.You are “good” regardless of what you say about yourself.In a world that often demands that we filter ourselves through the lens of what popular culture demands, God says you are good to go. This is because we know that God loves you just as you are and that God loves you too much to leave you just as you are. When I say, “God loves you too much, leave you just as you are,” I am saying that God is making you more and more like Christ.Is God making us into the Saviors of the world? No. We already have one of those and live our life, died our death, and in his resurrection, we find hope for not just eternity with God but for the fullness of physical life.The promise of bodily resurrection is the continuation, a divine “Amen!” from the One who created us and declared us to be “good.” Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

March 31, 2024 John 20:1-18 Whatever the reason you came here this morning, our risen Lord is calling you by name, calling you to you in the midst of your grief or doubt. Calling you in the middle of joyous laughter and fun with onlookers says your behavior is inappropriate for the location. Calling you, just as he called the disciples away from their nets, calling you to a new life of following him, a life that promises new life. The grace of God, the love of God, is all around, especially on days like today. We all arrived here this morning in our Easter, best looking for one thing or another, and like Mary, we find that our risen Lord has plans for us that do not match what we had planned for ourselves. And that’s the good news of this day, is it not? No matter how we found ourselves here or for what reason, Christ still calls out to us by name. Calling us by name, like Mary, Jesus is inviting us to new life is only possible through God‘s grace. “Whom are you looking for?” Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

March 24, 2024John 12:12-29In our procession of fools, we miss that there is so much more to this story.In each stop between the Mount of Olives (Palm Sunday) and The Skull (the cross), Jesus is gathering all of humanity into him, the very best and the very worst we have to offer. No prayer or ritual must first be spoken or performed on our part. And that is grace.If Jesus calling Lazarus from his tomb last Sunday was the prelude to Holy Week, then Palm Sunday is Act One of a larger story. A story that we all have been baptized into, Soraya included. Fleming said it best, “the testimony of the four evangelists (gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), the testimony of the Christian church, is that in this event, in this godforsaken death, the cosmic scale has been conclusively tipped in the opposite direction, so that sin and evil and death are not the last word and never will be again.”There is so much more to this story. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

March 17, 2024John 11:1-44Jesus is calling each of us to “come out!” Now, I know what you are thinking. If God speaks to you or someone tells you, “God spoke to me,” the temptation to take a step back or to think the person chased their drinks from happy hour with a shot of NightQuil. But (and you know how I feel like big buts), the truth is that God is speaking to us today – in subtle and not so subtle ways – just as God has been speaking to the saints before us.To step out of the shadow of death – the shadow of things that attempt to create a separation between God and us – and into new life through the grace of God. We are invited, through this story, to, like those who first witnessed what they could have believed was a dead man walking, to faith in Christ and faith to leave behind the things that cause us to believe that death is the only thing that waits ahead of us. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

February 24, 2024John 11:7-15Lent 2When we lump a group of people in a category like “the Jews,” “the Muslims,” “the Russians,” “the Ukrainians,” “the Americans,” “the Mexicans,” “the Palestinians,” or the “Israelis,” we risk an attempt at reducing the imago dei[ix] – the made in the image of God-ness – of those people into a caricature that fits our prejudices and ignores the rich diversity of the group of people. If we learned anything from the Holocaust, if we are learning anything from what is happening in Gaza today, it is that once a group of peoples’ identity has been reduced to the “other,” the group responsible for the ills of another group, the removal of those people is much easier.Murder and genocide are much easier to sell when the humanity of “the other” has been removed. In recent years Christians in the United States have been coming to grips with the church’s role in the dehumanization of Indigenous populations of North America along with those forcibly moved to North America throughout the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Which led to what James Cone describes as “the lynching era” when “white Christians lynched nearly five thousand black men and women in a manner with obvious echoes of the Roman crucifixion of Jesus.”Why do you think misconceptions about Jewish people exist within the church? Take this question a step further and consider why misconceptions about Muslims, Jews, other religions, and even “other” Christians exist within the church. Share that with the people worshiping around you this morning.In his letter to the church in Galatia, Saint Paul put an end to the us vs. them “othering” that was occurring in the church. He wrote, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”The labels and prejudices we use to “other” one another were torn down on the cross. Christ, in taking the sins of the world upon himself, put an end to us versus them. This is where we find the Good News of this portion of the story of Lazarus: even while John uses problematic language, the grace of God remains. Lazarus, a Jew, was raised. Jesus, a Jew, will be raised. And the promise holds true for you and those we deem anything other than God’s beloved. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Lent 1John 1:1-6The following sermon is the first in a five-part congregational study of the raising of Lazarus. In addition to the Gospel of John, we will be using James Martin’s book Come Forth: The Promise of Jesus’s Greatest Miracle as a guide for our study.Set aside the good and bad of what the world has to say about you and know that You are God’s beloved.Consider for a moment what it means to be God’s beloved. Looking back on your life, what enables you to believe this?James Martin writes that we know Lazarus’s name because the early church knew it.[ix] Before the Gospel of John was written, Lazarus was raised, and thus, Lazarus’s name was known. And here’s the thing: he did nothing to earn fame. Lazarus, “God has helped,”[x] “he whom you love,”[xi] is known and celebrated as the recipient of Jesus’s greatest miracle, and his only act was to walk when called upon. “Lazarus come out.”The world may not know who you are. You may feel invisible throughout the day, or the world's attention is always on you. None of that matters to God when it comes to your belovedness. Your belovedness, you being one whom the Lord Jesus loves, like Lazarus, has nothing to do with your accolades and everything to do with the One calls us to “come out,” to come and see the goodness of God’s grace. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Ash Wednesday 2024Matthew 6Isaiah 56:1-12The fancy theological term for Ash Wednesday is “repent.” You will be impressed to know that the Greek word metanoia means to turn away or reorient. Today is when we, as Christ’s body, repent, with the help of spiritual disciplines, God’s grace, and the power of the Holy Spirit to turn away from our sin and back toward God. And it is in repenting that we find the Good News of this day.It is not that we repent on our own. If it were entirely up to us, we would not need to repent because we would be unable to see that we are indeed caught in the snares of sin. We would be unable to see how we have sinned against God and one another. We would not be caught off guard when Ash Wednesday and Lent appear on the calendar.The grace of God repents us. God’s prevenient grace – grace that goes before us – helps us to begin to see where and how our sin is at odds with God’s cosmic plans for creation. God’s grace is at work in your life even when days like Ash Wednesday sneak up on you. The season of Lent – through the adoption of a Lenten practice and heeding the words of Christ – is one of the ways God is repenting us, pulling us from the snares of sin, and sanctifying us, making us more and more like Christ. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

February 11, 2024Mark 9:2-9Peter had a glimpse into the mystery of our faith: that God became fully human so that humanity might become righteous. The Good News, the hope contained in the Transfiguration of Jesus, is not the message to come down the mountain and serve the poor – a message many would affirm without ever knowing Jesus. The Good News is that God became like us, like you and me.The light that beamed from the transfigured Christ is the same light that said, “Let there be…” The same Light that the creation waits for with sighs too deep for words. The same Light that will one day make all of creation a blaze like a bush with God’s glory, but not consumed.The light that beamed was a glimpse into the eternity that is the fullness of the Kingdom of God.The disciples received a kaleidoscopic preview of what we proclaim at the end of the Nicene Creed: “We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.”[viii]There is no way we can jump from the proclamations of Jesus as Lord – Peter declaring Jesus to be the “Messiah of God” or the people of Jerusalem shooting sweet hosannas as Jesus entered the city on Palm Sunday to the excitement of the resurrection (Easter) without going through the Holy Week. It is not that the wrath of God had to be paid by Jesus to reveal God’s love for humanity. Instead, through Jesus taking on the violence and despair humanity threw at him, the goodness and mercy of God’s love would reveal the lengths to which God would go to save us.Glimpses into the eternity of God come and go for all of us as we continue to grow in our faith and have our own encounters with the resurrected Messiah. And each glimpse is like a kaleidoscope, revealing something new to us about the fullness of who Jesus is. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

January 21, 2024 Mark 1:21-28 The story of Jesus Christ is a story of interruptions. The announcement of his birth by the angel Gabriels interrupts Mary's life and her plans to be married to Joseph. The silence of Christmas night was interrupted when angels announced the birth of the Messiah to shepherds who watched their flocks by night. John the baptizer was interrupted when Jesus stepped into the Jordan River to be baptized. The lives of the first twelve disciples were interrupted when Jesus called them away from their nets and families. Jesus's sermon is interrupted by a man with an evil spirit. We can jump ahead in the gospels and see that the victory Sin and Death thought they had grasped was interrupted on Easter morning when the crucified Messiah left his burial clothes behind, and walked out of his tomb. God’s interruptions reveal to us not only God’s grace but also the authority God holds over our lives. So, we gather, and we worship praying that God will interrupt the status quo. To become a follower of Jesus means that we can welcome these interruptions, viewing them not as inconveniences but rather as moments of grace breaking into our lives. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

January 14. 2024John 1:43-51The calling of the disciples, the calling of anyone by God, to “Come and see,” is about more than saying “yes” so that the Lord can send us out. Philip, Nathaniel, Andrew, and Peter were not called and immediately sent. Their sending will happen three years after their calling. After three years of seeing what Jesus was doing, they would be sent to make more disciples, to baptize them, and to teach them to follow what Jesus had taught the first 12.Before Jesus called his followers “disciples,” they were called “beloved” because of who created them. We are only who God says we are: no more and no less. So, no matter what number we might be in the Enneagram, no matter what four-letter Myers Briggs designation we receive, we are who God says we are: beloved. You are beloved before you are anything else. You are beloved before you are sent out to do anything in the name of the Lord who saw you sitting under a fig tree, on a barstool when you were at your wit's end, or in the car because you could not face the people inside the house with the news you had to deliver.For Samuel, the first 12 disciples, and us, the Good News is that Jesus’s preexisting messiahship (where all of the best qualities are of God and the result of who God is) is not dependent on us saying “yes” to God. Instead, it is a sign of God saying “yes” to us, “yes” to creation, and “yes” to seeing to it that the kingdom of God is fully realized. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

January 7, 2024Baptism of the LordMark 1:4-11Jesus enters the water of the Jordan River, and as his head breaks through the surface of the water, the heavens open up, and a voice calls out, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you, I am well pleased,” and the Holy Spirit descends like a dove. Emmanuel, God with us, entered the same water where many had left their sins behind so they could turn back toward God. The Son of God entered the murky waters of creation, taking upon himself the sins of the world so that what we have mucked up is made clean. The unclean becoming clean. The unrighteous made righteous. The mucked up unmucked.Jesus did not need to repent.Jesus did not need to be baptized.But Jesus, in his first act of ministry, getting into the waters of John’s baptism, is just one example of how God is not reigning from a golden chair high above creation. Through what happened in Bethlehem, through the Wise Men traveling from outside the covenant God made with Israel, and through Jesus getting down and dirty in the Jordan River, God is showing us time and time again how God is not willing to allow us to be in the muddiness of life on our own.When we are baptized, because Jesus entered John’s baptism, we are buried with Christ, exiting the waters clothed in new life in Christ. Baptism is not limited to our yes or parents’ yes on behalf of their child to Jesus. Our baptism is God’s yes to us. Your baptism is God’s yes to you.With Jesus’s baptism located on the coattails of Christmas on the church calendar, it is easy to take for granted what happened in the murky waters of the Jordan River. What Jesus did in the Jordan River was an invitation to all people.When Jesus invites us to the waters of our baptism, it is an invitation to all people.The invitation of baptism is to be made new in the light of God’s grace.All are invited to the waters of baptism because, as we will see in the weeks ahead, Jesus is unwilling to allow anything to stand between you and the love of God. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

“The Season of the Great Resumption"Luke 2:22-38December 31, 2023 - First Sunday After ChristmasSimeon and Anna were both filled with expectations. For both, their expectations rested not in the cycle of the Temple but rather in the promise made by God to Israel – to raise up the messiah through the line of David. So, Simeon and Anna waited. Anna waited in the Temple for the coming of the Lord. Imagine spending day and night here in the Chapel, waiting for the Lord to be presented, not knowing what to be on the lookout for. Simeon relied on the Holy Spirit to tell him when he might go to the Temple to find what. A mighty warrior? A well-skilled politician? A baby enters the Temple for the first time so the child’s parents can offer “a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord.”We read that the child’s parents offered “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” signaling to us that the family presenting Jesus was not of extravagant means. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe

Christmas Eve Luke 2:1-14 We want joy in our lives. When the world jerks us around, we look for ways to push back and fight back. That’s our story. But (and it’s a big but so you know it does not lie) the story that drew you in tonight is not a story of our initiative against the world's problems. We might find temporary relief in our story, but it rarely leads to the joy we feel tonight, the joy that was laid in a manger. Deep, abiding joy is the result of what God does. Mary sang. The shepherds danced their way back to the fields. We are joyful. We can sing this evening because God has moved and is on the move. God is active in the world, confronting the ways of the world that are not the ways of God. Get full access to Brewing Theology with Teer Hardy at teerhardy.substack.com/subscribe