Sermons & Such
In this storytelling-centered teaching, Leah weaves together three profound “scar stories” to explore how resurrection, resilience, and healing often show up bearing the marks of suffering. She begins with the familiar post-Easter story of Jesus inviting Thomas to touch his wounds, reminding us that Divine transformation doesn’t erase our pain, but honors it.
This Easter, Leah invites us to see resurrection not just as personal salvation, but as a profound act of resistance to Empire. In a time when powerful voices long for modern-day Caesars, Leah contrasts Ancient Rome with the Divine Kin-dom Jesus proclaimed: a vision built not on domination but on relational connection and justice.
In this teaching of the “Earthly Empire and Divine Kin-dom” series, Leah walks us through the last, harrowing chapter of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life: his work in the German resistance, his arrest, and his ultimate execution. Amidst moral ambiguity and deep suffering, Bonhoeffer never stopped seeking Christ’s presence in the complexity of real life.
In this next teaching on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Leah explores his leadership in the Confessing Church and his efforts to disciple Christian resistance in Nazi Germany. She shares how Bonhoeffer trained young pastors in an underground seminary, centering their faith on intentional community and the radical teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
As Lent begins, Leah launches a special series within “Earthly Empire & Divine Kin-dom,” focusing on the life and resistance of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. She examines how Bonhoeffer’s time in New York—studying at Union Theological Seminary, worshiping at Abyssinian Baptist Church, and confronting American racism—transformed his understanding of Jesus and justice.
Leah launches the “Earthly Empire and Divine Kin-dom” series by exploring the stark contrast between earthly power and God’s vision for community. Drawing on the story of Frederick Douglass, the warnings of the prophet Samuel, and Jesus’ proclamation of the “Kin-dom of God,” she challenges us to discern the difference between empire and divine kinship. This teaching invites us to resist systems of oppression and build a faith rooted in justice, solidarity, and love.
Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
