Midrash Nyc

In the third week of our antidote to racism series, Rev. Josh RaderLee shares how he first became aware of his own individual privilege which opened his eyes to see racism as something that went beyond individual bias or internalized racism. But instead, we must actively let go of supremacy complexes that one way is better or normal. Remembering that deeming some people or cultures as "better" and "normal" requires that we dehumanize all those designated as "less than" and "abnormal."

Pastor Angela continues our series on The Antidote To Racism, with the topic: Cherish The Messiness (One Right Way and Perfectionism). Inspired by the movement to dismantle White Supremacy Culture, we will discuss antidotes and explore scriptures that dispel the practice of exclusion and division.

Pastor Mak kicks off our four week series, The Antidote To Racism, with the topic: Tell Me More: How Is It Racism? (Denial and Defensiveness). We are drawing from the White Supremacy Culture Characteristics and their accompanying antidotes and looking at the story of Peter denying Jesus 3 times (Luke 22:31-34, 54-62; John 21:15-17). Read more about Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture here: https://www.whitesupremacyculture.info/characteristics.html

Pastor Josh will wrap up Our Values series by highlighting how love of God, self and others informs every part of our values and theology. We will explore how we can be intentional to foster a deeper understanding of God’s love for us, so that we can grow in our love for ourselves and ultimately then extend that love to others. Many of us have been taught in fundamentalist forms of Christianity that we are inherently evil, bad, broken, and flawed. It’s hard to love yourself when you’re taught that you’re not loveable. It’s no surprise then that the same folks who are taught to believe they are inherently evil, don’t love themselves and in effect do a really shotty job loving others. Because they truly are loving others as they love themselves, which is not very much. So let's recalibrate our love this Sunday!

Rev. Josh RaderLee wraps up a series on our values by highlighting our theological distinctives as a community. Many churches and denominations have a beliefs page, doctrinal statement or creed that defines who they are. However, as an interdenominational church, we are united by our shared values not our beliefs. Under the banner of these values that gives space for a lot of different theological believes to be held at Forefront. While there are common theological distinctives that many at Forefront may hold we do not expect anyone to ascribe to those distinctives to be apart of our diverse community of faith.

Rev. Venida promotes a message of fierce, intentional, radical equity which is the result of the generous, disruptive, and unconditional love of God. The message centers a portion of the story in the Gospel of John where Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus goes straight to the place that some people would avoid, and this sermon encourages us to boldly do the same to meet needs and creating access for those who society continues to marginalize.

Denia Pérez offers an interpretation of Ruth 1:16-17 that centers platonic intimacy and suggests that it is a way to understand and grow closer to God.

With the recent SCOTUS Dobbs decision, Christians who have long been declaring abortion to be Biblically condemned rejoiced as their conservative theology was validated. But does the Bible actually explicitly condemn abortion? In her book, "Abortion and the Christian Tradition: A Pro-Choice Theological Ethic," Margaret Kamitsuka uses rigorous academic research to debunk the assumption that the Bible is inflexibly anti-choice, examining the patriarchal structure that early church leaders established and that contemporary church leaders reaffirm to oppress and dehumanize pregnant people. ABOUT MARGARET Margaret Kamitsuka is Professor Emeritus at Oberlin College in Ohio. After getting her PhD in theology from Yale University, she taught at Oberlin College for over 20 years, where she focused on courses in gender and religion. Now she does research and writing in the area of theological ethics--specifically reproductive issues. Her most recent book is titled Abortion and the Christian Tradition: A Pro-Choice

Angela Lockett-Colas, Forefront's Worship Pastor, explores what it means to Re-imagine Worship.

This sermon will focus on coming home - back to Forefront. Our church may have undergone some changes and may even have a different feel; however, it still has the same values and the same love. Exploring one of the Bible’s creation stories and the story of Cain and Abel, this sermon from Rev. Venida and Rev. Josh will be an opportunity for self-reflection as we redefine and reclaim home.

Continuing our "Coming Home" series, Jonathan Williams joins Angela Lockett-Colas and Rev. Venida Rodman Jenkins to bring a unique worship experience brings together sermon and song to convey a message of God's constant presence, comfort and grace during times of loss and grief.

Rev. Venida Rodman Jenkins continues our Coming Home Series by talking about the importance of adjusting one's life to the rhythms of the seasons in your life, and finding God for yourself in the midst of it all.

Rev. Josh Lee starts our Coming Home Series by highlighting the ways in which The Church has always been a messy progressive religion. He outlines how our views have progressed or differed throughout Scripture while also highlighting a disagreement had in the early church around the full inclusion of non-Jews. The Church of Jesus Christ has always been progressing, changing, adapting, and super freaking messy! But even amidst the mess some really beautiful things have been born when we allow ourselves to progress and embrace the mess!

In our third and final sermon of "The Path" series, Rev. Josh Lee borrows from Father Richard Rohr on how he describes our spiritual path as one of order, disorder, and reorder. This cycle is the historical Christian journey. Rev. Josh then shares 5 Things he does to reorder (reconstruct) his life and faith when it becomes disordered (deconstructed). This very practical sermon is full of helpful tools and wisdom in your journey through your spiritual path!

In our second sermon of "The Path" series, Rev. Venida Rodman Jenkins reminds us how we are confronted with a host of experiences on the path causing us to question and have doubts about how we will overcome. This sermon will be a reminder that we can come to God with our fears and concerns, and the presence and power of God can be comfort and healing, and work in miraculous ways as we journey on.

Have you at one time believed something so strongly you could hear no other perspective? But then over time you could hear what you wouldn’t before and see what you couldn’t see before? In this message Rev. Josh Lee starts our new series “The Path” by challenging us to consider where on the path do we find ourselves? Perhaps like Saul, just having recently lost our formerly held religious convictions or perhaps like Ananias being called to give sight and compassion to folks who have previously persecuted us because we remember what it was like to once be in their shoes.

Ben Dubow, co-lead pastor of Riverfront Family Church in Hartford CT, asks "does scripture really matter today? Is it still relevant?" We explore how scripture can have practical impact on our lives. By exploring what scripture is not (and what it is) we can better embrace God's Word as being relevant and powerful in our day, without becoming dogmatic in our approach to scripture.

Rev. Josh Lee continues our "What Forms Us" series with this sermon on tradition. In this series we are gleaning from the founder of the United Methodist Church, John Wesley. John believed that as Christians we should allow our thinking, beliefs, ethics, and practices to be formed by four things (experience, reason, scripture, and tradition) In this message we focus on how Miriam brought her tambourine with her as she fled enslavement in Egypt during the exodus. Miriam choosing to bring her tambourine is a reminder to us that even as we leave faith traditions that have caused us trauma and pain there are still things worth bringing with you!

Keli Young continues our "What Forms Us" series with this sermon on reason. Jesus strains our ability to reason. He was disruptive, not just to systems of oppression but to how people understood the world. but the good news is that we’re not expected to make sense of the world or our faith on our own. The disciples were always curious, constantly trying to figure out Jesus, and by extension their faith. Jesus welcomed their questions, doubts, and fears and he welcomes ours just the same!

Rev. Venida Rodman Jenkins kicks off our "What Forms Us" series with the topic "The Authenticity of Experiencing Jesus." In this sermon, Rev. Venida talks about how each and every experience has formed us -- the good, bad, and the ugly ones, and how those experiences have authenticated our spiritual journey. We can bear witness to these experiences to enlightened the lives of others.