River East Church Podcast

May 10, 2026. On this 6th Sunday of easter we are calling The Visible Lines of Joy, guest speaker Jon Brandt does a biblical storytelling of the entire book of Philippians.

May 17, 2026. On this 7th Sunday of Easter, Mary Anne explores how Philippians 2:1-13 offers a way to respond the increasing polarity of our world.

On April 26, Aaron explored the extended story of Paul's and Silas' arrest—and jailbreak—in Philippi (Acts 16:16-34). In this account, we see two disruptions of Roman institutions, but only one leads to ongoing transformation. How should we understand this?

On April 19, Mary Anne unpacked our guiding metaphor for Eastertide this year: the resurrection as a magnetic field. Using the conversion of Saul to Paul as an example (Acts 9:1-19a), we see how the twin 'poles' of Christ suffering and resurrection can create new alignment in us.

On April 12, Krista guided us through John 20:19-31, and the ways the first disciples reacted to the resurrection, and invites us to take another look at so-called 'doubting' Thomas.

On Resurrection Sunday, Aaron offered this sermon on plant intelligence, ghost forests, and Mary Magdalene mistaking the resurrected Christ as the gardener.

March 22 - John 19:1-16a. Mary Anne explores one of the meanings of why Jesus' death matters. Through a verse by verse approach she examines the story of Jesus’ trial through the lens of Violence, asking how Jesus' death helps protect us from Violence.

March 15, 2026 - John 18:29-47. Michael explores the dialogue between Jesus and Pilate and the conflict between God’s reign and this world's kingdoms.

March 8, 2026 - John 18:12-27 Aaron re-weirds the story of Peter’s denial and suggests this story of the tragedy of a commoner was maintained to confront the cosmic order of the ancient world.

On February 8, Mary Anne Isaak explores New Creation: Where Proximity is Redefined based on John 4:46 – 5:18. We ache to know that we are connected, grounded and headed toward hope and stability. We want to connect to a God with skin on.

Speaking from John 3:1-21, Doug re-imagines the implications of being born from above. January 25, 2026.

When Jesus cleared the temple as recorded in John 2:13-25, he was acting as the Banksy of Jerusalem. January 18, 2026.

Mary Anne Isaak will help us explore God's presence through the passage, John 1:1-18.

Gordon Matties explores God's presence through the passage, Ezekiel 37:1–14.

November 30, Lori Matties explores God's presence through the passage Daniel 3:1, 4-6, 8-20, 25-27.

November 16, we pray, “May We Taste Your Peace" as Mary Anne Isaak leads us through Isaiah 9:1-7.

October 26, Mary Anne reflects on 1 Kings 5:1-5; 8:1-13. Solomon's temple can be viewed as the symbol of Israel's golden era, and a sign of God being with them. However this also came with significant burdens - heavy taxation and forced labor.

October 12, Jeff Friesen, director of Leadership Ministries of Mennonite Church Manitoba, reflects on 1 Samuel 3:1-21..

October 5, Mary Anne reflects on Exodus 16:1-18, breaking the hoarder's spell, a reminder that God's abundance is sufficient for all.

September 21, Mary Anne drew our attention to the story of Jacob in Genesis 28, who, after a lifetime of scheming, had his own encounter with God. This third-generation believer's struggle highlights how God remains faithful, even when we wrestle with our own personal faith story.

September 14, Paul Doerksen spoke on the test of Abraham in Genesis 22. Earlier stories in Genesis showed that God could be trusted in the covenant he had made with Abraham, but Abraham often wavered. This time, even when faced with a deeply troubling command, Abraham trusts God completely. In response, God not only provides a resolution but also reaffirms his trustworthiness.

September 7, the start of a new series titled "God spoke first". Reflections on the idea that in the beginning, God spoke and creation followed. Today, artificial intelligence is also speaking—and creating—prompting new questions about its role in our lives. Mary Anne explores the importance of setting thoughtful boundaries around AI use, while emphasizing the need to prioritize and nurture human...

On August 24, in honour of the Season of Creation, our worship took place outdoors so we could feel the sun on our skin, take in the flowers... and experience the WIND. As such, the audio quality for this sermon took a bit of a hit, but it's still worth the listen. Here, in his last sermon before heading off on sabbatical, Aaron offers a window into the narrative themes he's noticed among Gen Alph...

Wrapping up our summer series of 'recycled sermons,' Julie Doerksen offers us a reflection by César García, General Secretary of the Mennonite World Conference. First preached at the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism, Garcia weaves together the stories of Naaman's unnamed servant girl (2 Kings 5:1-11), the early Anabaptists, and our present moment, in a call for courageous discipleship.

On August 10, Janna offered us a memorable sermon by Jeff Chu. Chu is a writer, teacher, former curator of the 'Evolving Faith Conference,' as well as a "pretend farmer," to use his own words. He wears all those hats in this sermon on the theological lessons of worms and compost.