A Conversation With Mike Yager

Welcome to The Ecclesia Podcast, a place where we share stories and conversations about what it means to live in a holistic, Christian, missional community. In this episode, Pastor Chris sits down with Pastor Mike to discuss his time at Ecclesia as he prepares to move on to a new season planting his own church in SW Houston.

At Ecclesia, our mission is to be a community that seeks to follow Jesus in all areas of life, and that includes our worship. We believe that there are many ways to worship God beyond just music and Sunday gatherings. If you're interested in learning more about our church community in Houston, Texas, please visit our website at www.ecclesiahouston.org. There you can learn more about ways to connect in small groups where you can share stories and remember together.

Thank you for listening to The Ecclesia Podcast. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more thought-provoking conversations about what it means to live in holistic, Christian community.

Remembering Recap

Welcome to the Ecclesia podcast, a place where we share stories and conversations about what it means to live in a holistic, Christian, missional community. In this episode, our teaching pastors Chris Seay and Sean Palmer sit down to wrap up the series we just finished about remembering. Remembering is an important part of worship. We remember when we read scripture, share stories, sing, gather, and more. And in this practice we remind each other and ourselves of the ways we have experienced God in our lives which serves as a reminder of the ways God will continue to show up as we go about our lives.

At Ecclesia, our mission is to be a community that seeks to follow Jesus in all areas of life, and that includes our worship. We believe that there are many ways to worship God beyond just music and Sunday gatherings. If you're interested in learning more about our church community in Houston, Texas, please visit our website at www.ecclesiahouston.org. There you can learn more about ways to connect in small groups that enjoy moving their bodies, including a running group!

Thank you for listening to The Ecclesia Podcast. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more thought-provoking conversations about living a Christian life.

Worship Through Movement

When Wayne was in charge of the movement portion of Kid's Camp in 2020, he used a very simple phrase that resonated deeply with not only the kids, but adults as well, "God made your body, and your body is good." While on the surface this is a simple concept, it unlocked a number of good conversations around Ecclesia regarding what does it mean to have a body, and what does it look like to worship God with our bodies. In this episode of the podcast Wayne sits down with Eric to have a conversation around the topic of worship through the act of moving your body. They covered things such as body positivity, what it means to embrace discomfort, and Wayne also shares about his own journey with exploring his own relationship with his body over the course of his life.

At Ecclesia, our mission is to be a community that seeks to follow Jesus in all areas of life, and that includes our worship. We believe that there are many ways to worship God beyond just music and Sunday gatherings. If you're interested in learning more about our church community in Houston, Texas, please visit our website at www.ecclesiahouston.org. There you can learn more about ways to connect in small groups that enjoy moving their bodies, including a running group!

Thank you for listening to The Ecclesia Podcast. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more thought-provoking conversations about living a Christian life.

Worship through Contemplative Practice

When most people hear the word worship they either think of a type of music, or about gathering together at a church for a service, but really worship means so much more than that. As we jump into a new season of The Ecclesia Podcast we wanted to begin with an examination of what it looks like to worship holistically, with our mind, body, and spirit, and to worship with every part of our lives. In this episode, our guests Alexandra and Misty join us to explore the topic of contemplative spiritual practices as a form of worship.

In today's fast-paced and hectic world, there is very little silence and stillness. However, through contemplative practices such as meditation, centering prayer, and lectio divina, we can connect with God in a deeper, more intimate way. Our guests share their own experiences with these practices and how they have helped them grow closer to God.

Whether you are in the Houston area or part of the larger Christian community, we invite you to join us as we dive into the beauty of contemplative practices and how they can help us connect with God, as well as the world around us. You'll learn practical tips for incorporating these practices into your daily life, as well as insights on how they can enhance your spiritual journey.

At Ecclesia, our mission is to be a community that seeks to follow Jesus in all areas of life, and that includes our worship. We believe that there are many ways to worship God beyond just music and Sunday gatherings.

If you're interested in learning more about our church community in Houston, Texas, please visit our website at www.ecclesiahouston.org. There you can learn more about our guided spiritual contemplative practice called Be Still, where we explore ways to connect with God through silence and stillness.

Thank you for listening to The Ecclesia Podcast. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more thought-provoking conversations about living a Christian life. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others who might benefit from these insights on contemplative practices as a form of worship.

Stuck Between Challenges

Pastor Sean leads us through the Exodus story and explains how God's power is not displayed by delivering us to comfort, but delivering us through challenge.

Live Teaching Podcast

Scriptures & References

Exodus: 5: 1-3

Exodus 13:1 7-18

Exodus 14: 4-14

Exodus 15: 1-5, 19-20

“The passage can be read two ways. The first is that what happened was a suspension of the laws of nature. It was a supernatural event. The waters stood, literally, like a wall.

The second is that what happened was miraculous not because the laws of nature were suspended. To the contrary, as the computer simulation shows, the exposure of dry land at a particular point in the Red Sea was a natural outcome of the strong east wind. What made it miraculous is that it happened just there, just then, when the Israelites seemed trapped, unable to go forward because of the sea, unable to turn back because of the Egyptian army pursuing them.

There is a significant difference between these two interpretations. The first appeals to our sense of wonder. How extraordinary that the laws of nature should be suspended to allow an escaping people to go free. It is a story to appeal to the imagination of a child. But the naturalistic explanation is wondrous at another level entirely. Here the Torah is using the device of irony. What made the Egyptians of the time of Ramses so formidable was the fact that they possessed the latest and most powerful form of military technology, the horse drawn chariot. It made them unbeatable in battle, and fearsome.

What happens at the sea is poetic justice of the most exquisite kind. There is only one circumstance in which a group of people traveling by foot can escape a highly trained army of charioteers, namely when the route passes through a muddy sea bed. The people can walk across, but the chariot wheels get stuck in the mud. The Egyptian army can neither advance nor retreat. The wind drops. The water returns. The powerful are now powerless, while the powerless have made their way to freedom.”

— Jonathan Sacks, Covenant and Conversation

Reflection

• “God is going to lead you, he’s not going to force you,” suggests Pastor Sean. Is there a particular place in your life and story where this hits closely for you? Whether facing a critical decision or crossroads, do you trust that God is waiting for you on the other side of it?

• Practice bringing your tambourine along with you in the coming days, with an attentiveness to name and give thanks for God’s blessing and presence as you witness and experience it.

"For the Border" | Stories of Faith, Trust, and Hope from Cucuta, Colombia

Pastor Chris guides us on a tour of Cucuta, Colombia and shares stories from our team's recent trip to visit our friends serving at Iglesia para la Frontera.

Live Teaching Podcast

Scripture & References

Galatians 6:7-9