Zao MKE Church

It can be so hard to reach understanding among people with different identities, perspectives, languages and cultures. But what if that’s part of God’s design? Difference is a gift, and it can bring us closer to holiness - if we learn to trust each other and God.

Just a few short chapters after the creation story, The Flood comes crashing down to wipe away most of humanity. How do we make sense of this? Did God really just etch-a-sketch creation?

So the first big plot point after humanity's expulsion from the garden is... fratricide. This story is coming in hot with drama, but what does it say about the nature of people? Are we doomed to be violent from the start?

We think we know the story of The Fall, right? Adam, Eve, Snake, Apple, Bummer Town. But how many different ways are there to interpret this story?

The Bible starts out with one creation story (in the beginning...) and then the next chapter, we etch-a-sketch and start again. A new creation story, with a different order of events, characters, and vibes. What gives? And how do we trust the Bible when it can't agree with itself from page one?

Every great story starts with a great first line. But after that, Genesis can get a little... complicated. Buckle in as we spend some time in the first book of the Bible, making sense of the stories we tell about who we are, who God is, and why we'll be okay - even when things get messy.

Should my faith be simple and easy? The support that comforts me during difficult times? Turns out that a relationship with God is just like other relationships. It can be a source of comfort, strength, joy, and connection - but it takes work to build all of that, and you get out what you put in.

Conflict is not a fave for most of us. But our faith calls us into uncomfortable space and gives us everything we need to conflict our way to deeper, more connected, more trustworthy community. We've got this - together.

We're taught that being cool means being aloof, a touch cynical, and generally above all of...this. So how can we have an earnest, eager faith, one that hopes genuinely in the Good News? Forget being too cool for school and become the faith powerhouse you long to be.

Sometimes we can feel all alone, forging our own path towards liberation from scratch. But there have always been radical followers of Jesus heaven-bent on liberation and love. Come celebrate the people who made your radical faith possible and reclaim the generational wisdom of the underground church.

It's pretty obnoxious when someone is unshakebly certain but also obviously wrong. And once you start to notice nuance in your faith, you see it everywhere - Christians who are CERTAIN about things that just... aren't totally black and white.   How can you pursue a faith that is both bold and humble? Confident, but not so *certain*?   You're not alone. Let's figure it out together.

What if we're wrong? Is it foolish to place our hope in love? Learn to lay down your fear and fully embrace your faith.

How can we be bold in our faith when we don’t want to be anything like the “Christians” we see in the world around us causing so much harm? Come hear about how true Jesus followers have always been subversive and countercultural, and proudly reclaim that powerful lineage.   Note: Due to technical issues, the audio for the scripture reading and the first two minutes of the sermon was not captured....

What do the Bible, campus protests, and queerness have in common? They are radically reimagining the world as it could be, and the establishment can't stop whining about it. Come catch the vision and faithfully queer the future with us.

Intimacy is something most of us long deeply for, but feel deep shame about. Come hear about the queerly intimate community Jesus cultivated while on earth, and what it means for us as his followers.

Generational curses like rejection, queerphobia, and shame, can replicate immense harm among parents and their children. This Fathers Day, come hear about a father who got it wrong, a father who got it right, and how generational blessings can make curse-breakers of us all.

Boys in princess coats, women Uhauling off to Bethleham together, men making out in fields in the dead of night - there's a lot of really gay stuff happening in the Bible. After generations of straightwashing, let's celebrate the queers of scripture and usher them back out of this closet!

Chosen family, claiming new names, and discovering all new and deep belonging in community? Sounds gay. I'm in!

It’s time for another round of No Stupid Questions, where Pastor Jonah answers 20 questions from the community in 30 minutes or less!

God doesn't have the future laid out like a paint-by-numbers kit. We're invited to create the new future with God, given the tools to do so, and entrusted with the kingdom.   Come make a mess and be a part of the new thing that God is doing!

God kicked off a creative collab with, "Let there be light," but it was never supposed to end there. Each of us was given creative gifts to iterate on what God is doing, seeing God's creation and responding not only with "Yes!" but also adding our own "and..." while remixing what God gave us into something new.   Not sure you have anything to contribute? All it takes is some courage, tapping into...

Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.   Wait, what?   So many of our creative impulses are crushed by expectations of perfection. But even God needed to experiment before declaring human beings to be "very good". So let's get creative, and follow the divine lead by doing things, sometimes badly, with all the passion and creativity we can muster.

Do you feel like a creative person? Well, you are. No, really.   Many of us have been alienated from our creative instincts, but each person is made in the image of our divine creator - which makes us all creators, too. Come discover what is hidden in you, and unleash a torrent of creative power in your life and in the world.   Introducing Created to Create, a sermon series at Zao MKE Church from...

Resurrection isn't just for Jesus - it's for you, me, and all of creation. So what does it look like to experience resurrection in your own life?

When you've been through hell, resurrection is right around the corner. Lucky for us, Jesus showed us the way - not only to the cross, but to new life on the other side. Come celebrate the victory of life and liberation over death, violence, and empire.