Midrash Nyc

What does it mean to make peace in divisive times? In this final sermon in our Fruits of the Spirit series, Jonathan Williams speaks about peace. Peacekeeping is the ultimate form of gaslighting. It does nothing to address injustice and does everything to make sure that the status quo remains just that, the status quo.

Self-control: the meta-fruit empowering all Fruits Sarah Ngu makes the case that self-control is kind of a meta-fruit: it helps you do all the other Fruits well. To be able to ensure that when you are exhibiting the other Fruits of the Spirit you are doing so in a way that is rooted from within and carried out by the power of the Spirit. In Christianity, at the core of self-control is actually surrendering to the Spirit. The gift of self-control: We focus on what we can control especially in the midst of oppressive systems.

Gentleness is power under control. In this 4th sermon in the Fruit of the Spirit series, Jonathan Williams delves in to the superpower of Gentleness. We are a powerful people with potential to harm our enemies or to break down harmful systems with great care. What if being gentle is not a personality but rather a perspective?

"How can you hate me if you don't even know me?" That's the question that drives Daryl Davis' life's work and it's the genesis of the question and the pursuit of its answer that is the focus of the documentary, "Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America." To answer this question, Daryl goes straight to the source: the people that hate him. Daryl has dedicated the last few decades of his life to befriending white supremacists and Klan members in an attempt to break through their racist worldview by extending them courtesy and showing them that there is an individual human on the other side of the conversation. His work is controversial, drawing criticism, ire, and hostility from all races and even the Southern Poverty Law Center. "I've been called every name under the sun except my own," Daryl says. But undeterred, he continues his anti-racist work. ABOUT DARYL Daryl experienced most of his childhood overseas. As the son of a diplomat, he was used to being surrounded by racial diversity and it was

Speaking truth to love. The vitriol and divided discourse is at an all time high. We've lost the art of speaking truth to one another. What if speaking truth means having empathy for the pain and fear of others before anything else? Would it change our country? In this third sermon in our Fruit of the Spirit series, Jonathan Williams talks about love, the greatest fruit of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 13 1: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

What does it mean to be successful? In the book of Galatians 5:22-23, Paul writes, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Many of us measure success by the actions and accomplishments in our lives. However, it is what lies behind these, or even lies far away from these things. It is one's character. Success is really about how well you live out the fruit of the Spirit. If you consider what people would say about you at your funeral, do they speak of your character? Is what you are doing today in line with what you find is truly important? In this confronting and intense sermon, Jonathan Williams delves into these questions and in so doing celebrates the immense opportunities that lie ahead for us all.

The renewal of all things. What's the first thing you think of when you think of God? Is that word "pleasure?" Yeah, probably not. But what if that's exactly who God is? God is a pleasure hound. God is not angry, wrathful, filled with rage, but rather taking pleasure in the way that we work to bring restoration to all things and to tell stories of renewal. Pastor Jonathan Williams talks of restoration and renewal in this first sermon of our "Fruits of the Spirit" series.

Is poverty inevitable? Sarah Ngu leads our fourth and final sermon in our Work & Capitalism Series. Reflecting on Matthew 25 and 26, Sarah brings theological light to the struggles more and more of us face these days with debt, eviction, homelessness and poverty. Sadly, capitalism enables these injustices to exist. Jesus says the poor are always with you because you have made it so. Why do we insist on spending a billion dollars a year on shelters rather than placing our families in affordable housing?

Christ disrupts everything we know about work, money, and merit. In this third sermon in our Work & Capitalism Series, we welcome guest pastor, Candace Simpson. In her message we are reminded that we do not have to work for pay to be worthy of life. Christ goes out to find the people who need a day’s wage. Because everyone has to eat. Christ disrupts everything we know about work, money, and merit. Minister Candace Simpson is a sister, preacher and educator. She is a graduate of Trinity College and Union Theological Seminary. She is an associate minister at Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, New York.

Humanity wasn't destined to toil SamI Main is an accomplished life coach, media specialist and published author. In this sermon, Sami explains why our fixation on busyness, work and profession can be harmful to our spiritual health and that taking a step back to rest and to reflect on the glory of existence is not only healthy, but, perhaps even, the most important activity we can do.

Dealing with tyranny in the workplace Sarah Ngu starts off our "Work and Capitalism" Series with a deep dive into the power of "bosses" in organizations. The workplace in general is structurally set up as a tyranny where one person has the power to greatly determine the economic livelihood of another, and if you have a good boss, that’s nice but you’re lucky because that’s basically the equivalent of a benevolent dictatorship. The only leverage that workers have is that we have power in numbers, and so we can organize collectively together for fair wages, fair hours, otherwise known as a union.

Kerry Connelly believes that equity and restorative justice are possible, but first we must deconstruct the dominant identities that are a part of us and rely on the Divine because our ways of living have been so tied up in insidious systems of power and oppression. In this conversation, she talks about how white supremacy is "soul murder," which homogenizes and flattens the soul, and how white American identity needs to be explored with more imagination and then deconstructed because of how it has for so long been tied in with capitalism, patriarchy, misogyny, and racism. All of these biases must be removed because, as she asks, how can we fight for justice for a person if we are only fighting for parts of them? Interviewer: Jonathan Williams ABOUT KERRY Kerry Connelly describes herself as "Writer. Mystic. Coach." She has also dedicated her professional life to racial justice by focusing on breaking down the systems that have falsely convinced white people of their superiority. She is the author of "Good Wh

In this Sermon, we are excited to present a first: a Panel Sermon with members of Forefront Church. In this conversation, Keli Young, Denia Perez and lead pastor Jonathan Williams, bring light to the many examples that show us that a life following Jesus is also a life working actively for social justice. They examine how Jesus calls us to literally proclaim freedom for people who are imprisoned; set oppressed people free.

Rest because we haven't finished yet. Rest is a critical but often ignored part of social and spiritual movements. Listen to guest preacher, Alicia T. Crosby, as she explores how Matthew 14 highlights the role rest played in helping people move on after being profiled and losing their beloved to state sanctioned violence. Alicia T. Crosby (she/hers) is a justice educator, activist, and minister whose work addresses the spiritual, systemic, and interpersonal harm people experience. Visit aliciatcrosby.com.

Drew Hart grew up and went to school in areas with a largely white population, but it wasn't until he started attending a Christian college that he really started feeling like people viewed him as an other. It's his experience with white supremacy brought into sharp focus through the lens of the Church that he writes about in his book, Trouble I've Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism. In this interview, he talks about the historical and cultural oppression brought on by the proliferation of the image of the "whitened Jesus," how we should be responding to the truly radical love of Christ, and what hope he sees teaching young minds at the same college that opened his eyes to the insidious influence of white supremacy. Interviewer: Jim Rohner ABOUT DREW Drew is an author, a prominent voice in the discussion about anti-racism in the Church, and an Assistant Professor of Theology at Messiah University, of which he is an alum. To learn more about his work and mission, visit https://drewgihart.com/

Christian supremacy, anti-semitism, and the origins of racism. Sarah Ngu explores how white supremacy is intertwined with Christian supremacy and how this is a key example of power and principality. This sermon focusses on how the church's treatment of Jews in the middle ages paved the way for its treatment of Africans and the creation of "race" as we know it today.

The sins of our ancestors. In this 3rd Sermon in our Series, Powers & Principalities, Jubi Williams explores racism and family history. Referencing her family history having immigrated from Kerala, India, Jubi reminds us of the complex racial injustice from that country. She shares her personal journey by unpacking race in her culture, family and shines the light on how we can confront our family history to clear unhealthy racist beliefs and liberate ourselves.

The Spirit is the ultimate disrupter. The foundation of our country is built on a hierarchy of Humanity. White folks have 12.5 times the wealth of Black folks. Asian Americans are statistically less likely to be approved for home ownership. The mortality rate for Black infants is double that of white infants. The list goes on. The Book of Acts speaks to these inequities and calls on the power of the Holy Spirit to be the great "disruptor." Listen to Jonathan's sermon as he shows us how the Spirit is absolutely present today.

Shame is a lie. In this first sermon in our series, Powers and Principalities, Jonathan explains how we can be immobilized by the notion we are not valued by God. In order to bring about change to the Powers and Principalities that embrace unjust views and systems, we need to release our shame. We are loved, all are loved, no matter who we are or what we've done. When we can fully accept the never-ending, pure love of God and realize that our shame is a lie, we are able to convince others of the same.

What the David and Goliath story tells us about dismantling empire systems.