Midtown Vineyard Church

Sunday Gathering March 2, 2025 Kate Houk St. Thérèse of Lisieux is considered by many one of the greatest saints to ever live, and yet during her short life she lived in obscurity. Thérèse guides us to notice how our small and quiet everyday lives are an invitation to be shaped into the image of Christ. Together, we consider how God is forming us through our everyday interactions into the people w...

Sunday Gathering March 2, 2025 Ryan Kenny (Acts 17:24-28) In a time and age in which information is constantly changing and misinformation is constantly increasing, it can be hard to know what to believe. If belief precedes behavior, then we can all agree that figuring out what we believe is crucial. Maybe we don’t need something new, but something true, to help bring clarity and purpose into our...

Sunday Gathering February 9, 2025 Ryan Kenny (Ephesians 1:15-23) In a culture of “do better, try harder,” it is easy to busy ourselves in the effort of finding more fulfillment, more purpose, more status. Yet, no matter how many times we try this, we come up empty, still missing what it seems we are truly desiring. The good news is that there is “more” for you and I, but it does not come in the fo...

Sunday Gathering February 2, 2025 Ryan Kenny (Titus 3) The call of the gospel to follow Christ in redemptively engaging with the world is a radical break from the exclusive self-concern that dominates most family and tribal loyalties, religious systems, and nationalistic ideologies. It is a continuation of the call to wider faith and focus that is at the core of Israel’s covenant relationship with...

Sunday Gathering January 26, 2025 Ryan Kenny (Matthew 6:19-24) Money is the root of all evil, something never said but often quoted. Actually, “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” The second seems to be a greater caution, as the object of money isn’t the danger, it’s our association with it. Are you aware of your relationship to money? To your stuff?  If not aware, money and posse...

Sunday Gathering January 26, 2025 David Parker (Deuteronomy 10:12-22, Luke 6:32-38) The call of the gospel to follow Christ in redemptively engaging with the world is a radical break from the exclusive self-concern that dominates most family and tribal loyalties, religious systems, and nationalistic ideologies. It is a continuation of the call to wider faith and focus that is at the core of Israel...

Sunday Gathering January 12, 2025 Ryan Kenny (Matthew 6:9-13) “Be yourself!” We are encouraged at every turn to live authentically, to not suppress our true self, and to express ourselves at all costs. While there are great benefits in this cultural moment of growing in expression of identity, what about when just being ourselves isn’t helpful, and at times even harmful? Jesus offers a way forward...

Sunday Gathering January 5, 2025 Ryan Kenny (Matthew 6:16-18) What if the very things you reach for to satisfy your cravings are the same things keeping you restless and disconnected? Fasting invites us to step away from the noise and distractions of life to confront our deepest needs and open ourselves to God’s transformative presence. In letting go, we discover that true satisfaction isn’t found...

Sunday Gathering December 22, 2024 Ryan Kenny (John 20:19-27) Most often, the quickest way to peace is for our circumstances to be or become favorable. To never get news of the diagnoses, for the relationship to magically repair, the unexpected check in the mail to erase the debt… but this isn’t reality is it? Jesus offers a reality beyond our visibility that can bring peace, even when life isn’t...

Sunday Gathering December 15, 2024 Ryan Kenny (Psalm 23) “People are in one of two categories, the haves or the have nots.” Another way of saying this, people either lack or don’t lack. But lack goes beyond whether someone possesses something or not, doesn’t it? You could have much and yet still live from lack or you could have little and actually lack nothing. Are you aware of the ways in which y...

Sunday Gathering December 8, 2024 Jess Jackson (Psalm 131)

Sunday Gathering December 1, 2024 Ryan Kenny (Isaiah 9:2-7) “Peace be with you,” a common refrain of Jesus. Sometimes, it can be hard to believe this peace is available given our unwanted circumstances and undesired challenges. Though, there has been a promise that has stood the test of time, that has changed the face of the earth and that has compelled people to live with hope and joy in the mids...

Sunday Gathering November 24, 2024 Ryan Kenny (Genesis 6-9) The story of Noah's Ark is more than a tale of floods and animals—it’s a profound critique of human wickedness, divine justice, and God's unrelenting grace. How does the ancient flood narrative shape our understanding of a God who chooses mercy over destruction, even when the human heart remains bent toward chaos?

Sunday Gathering November 17, 2024 Ryan Kenny (Genesis 4:1-17) The first murder in scripture, Cain gets angry and kills his brother Abel. As westerners, we may be inclined to read this story and think “well, someone was going to kill someone eventually.” Or maybe, “wow, at least I am not like Cain.” But, what if pausing to ask certain questions invites us into the story that helps make sense of ou...

Sunday Gathering November 10, 2024 Ryan Kenny (Genesis 2:3-3:24) A talking snake, a forbidden apple, nakedness and fig leaves, Genesis can seem to be a far off story in a far off land. What if the problems aren’t there to be dismissed but can give direction? Direction that brings meaning and purpose, better able to make sense of what drives us and defines us which often leads to shame, guilt and f...

Sunday Gathering November 3, 2024 Ryan Kenny (Genesis 1:1-2:3) It doesn’t necessarily tell us how, but it does tell us who and maybe even why. While written long ago, and our rational minds struggling to make sense of it all, what if the creation account of Genesis 1 was more relevant than ever? An account beyond the superficial and fleeting ways we try to find meaning, identity and purpose today.

Sunday Gathering October 27, 2024 Ryan Kenny Oftentimes, we don’t notice the current we are swimming in until it takes us away. In a political season like this one, two opposing forces are asking us to be for one and against the other. There seems to be a drift toward polarization, division and hatred as part of choosing our party. If we want to become more beautiful, peaceful and unifying people,...

Sunday Gathering October 20, 2024 Kate Houk Together we will explore the context and experiences of Julian of Norwich that led to her famous quote: “Sin is inevitable. All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” We will notice how God relates to us in our pain and how to find him in the midst of our suffering.

Sunday Gathering October 13, 2024 Brian Ross (Matthew 25:31-46) Each election season comes with polarizing commitments and promises by politicians, whether it be in regard to inflation and taxes, jobs and borders, domestic and foreign policy. Each of these commitments and promises are for your benefit, each side having a different agenda to speak to their audiences desires, needs and even core fea...

Sunday Gathering October 6, 2024 Ryan Kenny (Habakuk) “Trust me.” Have you ever had anyone say this to you and it just didn’t land? No matter how much you wanted it to be true, there was too much evidence to the contrary, that even while they may be trustworthy, all hope was lost?  As you look around the world, as you look at the political landscape in America, do you have hope that things can be...

Sunday Gathering September 29, 2024 Ryan Kenny (Exodus 20:1-7) We may only use the word “allegiance” when reciting the pledge of allegiance or maybe reading a fictional novel, but in reality, we give our allegiance everyday. Your time, your money, your affections, you are placing your loyalty regularly. Your family, your friends, your work all ask for your fidelity. Political parties and support g...

Sunday Gathering September 22, 2024 Ryan Kenny (1 Timothy 1:12-17) Just a little more therapy, a bit more success, the right amount of service, eventually we will become complete and whole people. But you’ve tried it, and yet, things still seem to be not what you sense they could be. What if, while none of these are in and of themselves bad, they may never complete us. Counterintuitively, Paul who...

Sunday Gathering September 15, 2024 Ryan Kenny (John 6:25-71) Jesus came on the scene and part of resetting all of life into its rightful order, he cautioned that the fullness of life is not found in the accumulation of more (more money, more possessions, more status), but in the contrary. In our busy, cluttered and stressful world, Jesus offers to us that finding more is actually found in less, a...

Sunday Gathering September 8, 2024 Ryan Kenny (Hebrews 13:5) Jesus came on the scene and part of resetting all of life into its rightful order, he cautioned that the fullness of life is not found in the accumulation of more (more money, more possessions, more status), but in the contrary. In our busy, cluttered and stressful world, Jesus offers to us that finding more is actually found in less, an...

Sunday Gathering September 1, 2024 Ryan Kenny (1 Timothy 6:6-19) Jesus came on the scene and part of resetting all of life into its rightful order, he cautioned that the fullness of life is not found in the accumulation of more (more money, more possessions, more status), but in the contrary. In our busy, cluttered and stressful world, Jesus offers to us that finding more is actually found in less...