Blue Ocean Church Ann Arbor Sunday Sermons

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

 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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]