Oslo International Church

Where do you go to meet with God? Where does God meet with you? As the psalmist sings of the world as a place of encounter with God, Maicon Steuernagel asks what such a spirituality of encounter might look like for us today. Welcome to Psalm 24 and to Summer in the Psalms!

Can we sing songs of joy in the face of sorrows? This week, Maicon Steuernagel ponders the need for prophetic joy and joining the song of the Moving Spirit. Welcome to Psalm 96 and to Summer in the Psalms!

Is there room for rest in a collapsing world? In the midst of the summer holidays, Maicon Steuernagel takes a look at Psalm 46's invitation to stillness, and what that might look in the middle of the chaos of living. Welcome to Psalm 46 and to Summer in the Psalms!

What comes first, fear or forgiveness? Maicon Steuernagel explores the spiritual traditions of Psalm 130 and of the Lord's Prayer and invites us to engage with a wider and deeper perspective on sin, and redemption. Welcome to Psalm 130 and to Summer in the Psalms!

From oral tradition to scrolling... finding a grounding mantra in a speeding world.  This week, Maicon Steuernagel talks about adjusting the rhythm and an invitation to tune all things, including faith and hope, to the key of Christ's love.  Welcome to Psalm 136 and to Summer in the Psalms!

Is it all for nothing? We work hard, create, build, raise children, make projects. Yet when all is said and done we have less control over the outcomes than we would like to admit. Is it all in vain? This week Maicon Steuernagel talks about Psalm 127, and what it might look like to invite Eternity into our daily strugles and hopes. Welcome to Sumer in the Psalms!

Can we sing as we choke? In a week where the pain of the world is all too obvious and present in our city of Oslo, Maicon Steuernagel speaks of singing Psalm 150 as a celebratory act of hopeful defiance. Welcome to Sumer in the Psalms!

What happens when the arid landscape of a desert well and a the poetical language of a psalm are brought together? Maicon Steuernagel officially starts summer in OiC by contempating Psalm 84, and the remarkable claims and invitation Jesus Christs makes as he talks simmultaneously into a desert geographical landscape and the poetical landscape of the tradition of book of Psalms.   Welcome to Sumer...

Tongues of fire or bread on a table? On the Sunday of Pentecost, Maicon Steuernagel looks at an alternative Pentecost story and talks about the location, temporality and presence of the Spirit of God. Welcome to the Gospel of the Neighbor!

What if the end of the world is happening right now, but it's too slow for us to notice? Better yet, what if the world is being saved and transformed, if only we know how to look for it? Jesse Ophoff discusses the appearances of Jesus after the Resurrection, the meaning of the Ascension, and what it looks like for us to live in a world that has been forever changed. Welcome to the Gospel of the Ne...

Prayer is like a widow giving injustice a black eye. Join Maicon Steuernagel as he explores a perplexing parable, a surprisingly specific greek term, and the challenge of sticking to a life of prayer in the midst of a broken world. Welcome to the Gospel of the Neighbor!

On the 15th of May Oslo International Church celebrated a service together with Hasle Congregation (Church of Norway), who's church building we share. On this episode you get to hear in on the message for that day, reflecting on the call for unity in the prayer of Jesus in St. John's Gospel. Note: the service was bi-lingual, including the preaching. The norwegian portion has been removed for the p...

Two men who lived differently, a chasm and torment. What is this parable really about? This week Lemma Desta calls us to listen to the challenge of a well known and often misused parable of Jesus, and to let it speak into our current days. Welcome to the Gospel of the Neighbor!

About a dysfunctional magic family, a corrupt manager, and betting it all on grace.  Maicon Steuernagel looks at a disruptive and disturbing parable, and talks about the power of storytelling and the (necessary) risks of listening.  Welcome to the Gospel of the Neighbor!

This week Therese Wagle Bazaard takes a fresh look at a beloved parable... and other stories about losts and founds. Welcome to the Gospel of the Neighbor!

What do we do with Jesus? This Easter Sunday, Maicon Steuernagel dives into the events of crucifixion, and the mystery of incarnation. On the hill of Calvary, an invitation to a much deeper question comes from an unlikely source. Welcome to the Gospel of the Neighbor!

How will you react when Jesus comes to town?   This Palm Sunday Jesse Ophoff looks at Jesus' passage through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem in Luke 18:35-19:10.  On a holiday all about excitement and praise, the stories of the blind beggar and the rich tax collector invite us to also consider coming to Jesus with our needs and with our shame. Welcome to the Gospel of the Neighbor!

Should we really hate those we love in order to love Jesus? This week guest preacher Po Chu Grønvold shares from a challenging text and reflects on how the love of Christ can transform our ability to love to the better. Welcome to the Gospel of the Neighbor!

When is the right time to hope for freedom? And where do we look for it? This week Jesse Ophoff looks at Luke 13:10-22, and how Jesus talks about the ordinary healing moments of his ministry compared to the "main stage" events in Jerusalem. Welcome to the Gospel of the Neighbor!

This week Kristine Tveit tackles an intriguing parable, and the difficult questions of justice. Welcome to the Gospel of the Neighbor!

The material world does not of itself flourish human life, and can destroy us by covetousness and anxiety. Jesus shows us God’s kingdom, where we can truly grow to our fullness. This week we get to hear Phuong Huyng. He's been studying theology and leadership, and doing an internship with us in OiC. Check out his reflection from last Sunday! Welcome to the Gospel of the Neighbor!

Praying the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples is a formative practice that shapes the way we approach the Father. But is that all it does? Did Jesus actually mean to say that "everyone who seeks finds"? And how much do we have to "believe" it for our prayers to "work"? This week Jesse Ophoff looks at Luke 11:1-13 and kind of faith it takes to pray the Jesus-way. Welcome to the Gospel of the N...

About hidden things and heavenly fire… This week Maicon Steuernagel reflects on some cryptic words of Jesus, and talks about the danger of keeping knowledge and power away from our hearts, and our hearts isolated. Welcome to the Gospel of the Neighbor!

What do we do with the words of Jesus when they sound like “bad news” for us? Brooke Ophoff looks into Luke chapter 6 at the blessings and woes described by Jesus in the Sermon on the Plain. Welcome to "The Gospel of the Neighbor"!

What does it entail to make oneself a guest? And what when that guest is God himself? This week Maicon Steuernagel wonders over a norwegian word in a story about death, life and compassion. Welcome to "The Gospel of the Neighbor"!