Urban Village Church

UVC, Drew Jones (Pastoral Intern), 12-13-20, “God’s Promises in the Dark” (Matt 2:9-15)

This winter, some of us may be feeling the fear and anxiety of shorter days and longer nights. But it is in the darkness that we find some of God’s greatest, most nurturing gifts. This Advent we’re looking back on Christmas stories and finding in them the places where darkness holds us, loves us, guides us, and liberates. 

UVC Pastoral Intern Drew Jones reflects on God’s promises in the dark. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus relied on God’s nurture and care to flee oppression and violence in the night. The magi depended on God’s faithfulness during the nights to be led to Christ through astrology and science. In these stories, darkness brings loved one and chosen family together, protects, and shelters! The realities of this season are hard, but we remind ourselves that we are not alone. God holds promises in the darkness. 

 

CCLI # 3211711 / CCLI Streaming #20104183

Urban Village Church: Getting to Know Site Pastor D'Angelo Smith

Join UVC's Teaching Pastor Hannah Kardon and Executive Pastor Emily McGinley as they discuss scripture, formation, and God's bold, inclusive, and relevant love with new Site Pastor (Hyde Park-Woodlawn / Wicker Park) D'Angelo Smith!

UVC, Sam Coker (Pastoral Intern), 11-29-20, “Treasures of Darkness” (Isaiah 40:1-5, 45:1-7)

This morning, UVC Pastoral Intern Sam Coker reflects on the prophet Isaiah who anticipated destruction and exile yet prophetically claimed a hope for a new way and a new expectation. Through Isaiah’s message of consolation, we are invited to reimagine the ways we think about darkness, the dichotomy of light and dark, and how binary ways of thinking lead to exclusion and division opposed to an inclusive, bold, and relevant love. All of what God has created is good, and in darkness there is beauty, nurture, and life!

 

CCLI # 3211711 / CCLI Streaming #20104183

UVC, Myron Krys Florence (Interim Site Pastor), 11-22-20, “The Chain Reaction of Giving” (2 Cor. 8: 2-10)

Continuing our series “the gifts that keep on giving,” we look towards Scripture which consistently resists the myth of scarcity. We recognize scarcity leads to segregating us from our community and our neighbor. The Bible is clear about this attitude: it is sin. Pastor Myron Krys preaches that although our resources do not belong to us, we do not put our faith in our abundance, but the Giver of abundance. Giving is a holy act, a resistant act, and it leads to life! You are enough, your gifts are enough. Join us in worship!

 

CCLI # 3211711 / CCLI Streaming #20104183

UVC, Chan Ik Choi (Site Pastor – Edgewater|South Loop), 11-15-20, “Making the Decision to Give” (Mark 12:41-44)

In Mark 12 we read a story of Jesus condemning the systems and structures that exploit and do not protect, that restrict and do not liberate, by honoring the giving of the poor widow.

The text says she gave everything with her whole being and whole existence, reflecting Jesus’ commandment to love our God and neighbor with *all* our heart, *all* our mind, *all* our soul, and *all* our strength. The widow who radically gives her offering fulfills God’s greatest commandment, and Christ’s honors her. We too are presented with this same decision: how can we contribute our whole selves to God’s radically inclusive, boldly liberating, and incredibly necessary work in the world? Please join us! 

 

CCLI # 3211711 / CCLI Streaming #20104183

UVC, Teaching Pastor Hannah Kardon, 11-1-20, “Let Us Run” (Hebrews 12:1-4)

This has been a year! A year of grief, a year of politics, and a year of activism. What are these to the Christian, and what do they have to do with each other? Today we celebrate All Souls Day by taking time to remember those who have died and the ways in which, in Christ, we are all, even still, one community. With the names and memories of our collective “cloud of witnesses" who brought us this far, we honor those witnesses, and are strengthened in our own witness. 

Join us as we honor those who have come before us and how we can gird our hearts for whatever comes next. 

CCLI # 3211711 / CCLI Streaming #20104183

UVC, Pastors Emily, Hannah, Christian & Trey, 10-25-20, “Thy Kingdom Come”

UVC turns 10- wahoo! This morning, pastors Christian Coon (Pastor of Emerging Ministries), Emily McGinley (Executive Pastor), Hannah Kardon (Teaching Pastor) and UVC co-founder Trey Hall (Director of Evangelism and Growth at Methodist Church London, UK) share about this deeply radical and ancient idea that God loves us, so we can love others. This is what has shaped UVC the last decade. This is also a message that has sustained faith communities for thousands of years, and while UVC may be giving different language to this idea for “such a time such as this,” we get to find fresh language again and again to invite, plant, transform, co-create, and bear good fruit! 

CCLI # 3211711 / CCLI Streaming #20104183

UVC, D'Angelo Smith (Pediatric Chaplain, Guest Preacher) 10-18-20, “Upside Down”

UVC turns 10- wahoo! As we enter our 10th  year, we're living in a time defined by fear and sorrow, skepticism and suspicion. Even so, we continue to boldly trust in – and live by – God’s vision for UVC: to be bold, inclusive, and relevant.

 

This morning, guest preacher D'Angelo Smith centers in on UVC's second "ingredient" for community: being inclusive. Although God’s wisdom may seem foolish to the world, it allows faithful communities to turn oppressive structures upside down! God’s wisdom does not strengthen harmful hierarchies, but instead calls us to examine who in the body is celebrated and what parts of the body need to be celebrated more (1 Corinthians 12:12-26). 

UVC, Emily McGinley (Executive Pastor) 10-04-20, “God Math”

As we enter our 10th year, we're living in a time defined by fear and sorrow, skepticism and suspicion. Even so, we continue to boldly trust in – and live by – God’s vision. Executive Pastor Emily McGinley reflects on how BOLD it was to start UVC and how that boldness continues to call us forward into a new and abundant future. We believe in the resurrection of Christ! Part of what resurrection does is rattle our logic and complicate our foregone conclusions- that's why "God math" is necessary essential. We aren’t afraid to imagine and claim that resurrection is here for us today and tomorrow. (1 Cor 15: 12-20)

UVC, Christian Coon (Pastor of Emerging Ministries) 09-27-20, “Seekers of Wisdom & Understanding”

Christian Coon, pastor of Emerging Ministries, leads us to reflect on God-given wisdom and discerning humility in how we apply that wisdom to our lives. We were empowered to believe our call as people of faith is to use our minds to deepen our faith - and like Dr. George Washington Carver - do so humbly. Our intellect is not meant to be put on a shelf to admire, but used for the benefit of others. This week, consider how you will use these gifts - the world needs it!