Christ Church Jerusalem

Episodes

• 
  The Divine in the Doing - Rev. David Pileggi 02.10.2026 39m

  As Christians, we often look to the biblical feasts to discover whether Jesus has fulfilled it, or we’re still waiting. But the Festivals of the Lord (especially Succot) have much more to teach us and this guidance is especially important for us today in our age of overwhelming anxiety and fear.
• 
  God, It Just Isn't Fair! - Rev. David Pileggi 23.09.2026 35m

  It is appropriate that in today’s readings, Jesus’ parable of the Workers in the Vineyard falls on the eve of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This story raises some questions about God’s generosity and how it can lead to disappointment and resentment, embittering our relationship with God and others. Understanding this parable in its Jewish context can help us better understand how God is at work in our lives today.
• 
  The Unforgiving Servant and Those Little Sins - Rev. David Pileggi 16.09.2026 35m

  Jesus is urgent. Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! But we tend to think that because we’re not bank robbers or adulterers we’re OK. But today, as we approach the holiday of The Feast of Trumpets, let the blast of the shofar wake us up to Jesus’ urgent call.
• 
  Beam Me Up, Scotty - Rev. David Pileggi 16.09.2026 36m

  Often in Christian teaching we focus on how to get to heaven – and until then, how we can dwell in ‘heavenly places.' But the overwhelming biblical focus is that God wants to come down! Jesus teaches us practical ways that we can live in His presence now.
• 
  God's Timing in Deliverance - Pastor Matthew Finch 07.09.2026 26m

  When Moses was 40 years old he had all of the right criteria to be used as God's instrument for deliverance. He was articulate, well educated, and zealous. However, God's timing is not our timing. By the time Moses was commissioned, he was emptied of almost everything he once was. God will indeed deliver His people out of bondage. Nonetheless, He shares His glory with no man.
• 
  Two Midwives and The Son of the Living God - Rev. David Pileggi 25.08.2026 29m

  In our lectionary today, we read about two midwives who refused to obey the Pharaoh’s death decree. How did they know to fear the living God more than a powerful tyrant who could bring them death? They are role models for us today and can teach us important lessons about being disciples of the Prince of Life in a culture of death.
• 
  There's Enough Bread to Go Around - Phil Morrow 21.08.2026 33m

  Genesis 45 sees Joseph reveal himself to his brothers, declare his good fortune in Egypt, and promise to care for them during the following 5 years of famine. Psalm 67, sung daily between Pesach and Shavuot, prompts all the nations to praise the God of Israel for making the land yield its produce. This principle—of God blessing many people through His saving work among Israel—is invoked when Jesus meets the Canaanite mother in Matthew 15. Her claim that, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs from their masters’ table,” does not insist on her (limited) rights to table scraps; rather, it insists that God’s mercy is not a limited resource. In His house, there is plenty of bread to go around.
• 
  The Tragedy of John the Baptist (Is it ours too?) - Rev. David Pileggi 17.08.2026 46m

  John the Baptist proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah. “Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” But later, he began to doubt and sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the One who is to come?” Under great duress in prison and imprisoned by his own eschatological interpretation, John was unable to see the expanding Kingdom of Heaven as proclaimed by Jesus. Like John, we too can be hampered by despair in our present circumstances, be limited by our theology, and can fail to recognize God’s agenda and the timetable of His Kingdom.
• 
  A Family Story: Mercy Received, Mercy Given - Rev. David Pileggi 12.08.2026 38m

  Jacob’s struggle with a mysterious figure was life-transforming and he walked away with a limp and a legitimate blessing gained without deceit. The encounter enabled him to courageously, yet humbly face his brother Esau and bring healing to a broken relationship. In that context we examine Paul’s understanding of the Jewish-Christian relationship found in Romans 11. That healing is facilitated when mercy overrides the dispute over who possesses the birthright and God’s blessing.
• 
  For the Birds - Rev. John Arnold 28.07.2026 38m

  ⁠God is already the Almighty King. But what does His kingdom look like on this oft rebellious earth? Drawing on the imagery of Ezekiel, Jesus reveals a kingdom that begins in humility, transforms the world, is worth more than every earthly treasure, and will one day bring both salvation and judgment
• 
  The Long Patience of God - Rev. John Arnold 28.07.2026 33m

  The kingdom of heaven isn't just some future paradise. God already reigns, but there are many who oppose Him. Why doesn't He subjugate everything to His will now? He is patient beyond our own understanding.
• 
  Good Soil Gives Plentiful Harvest - Rev. Pavel Hollmann 21.07.2026 17m

  Soil can turn good or bad, based on the care it is given, and so it is with our hearts. A good beginning does not necessarily means a good outcome. We can turn bad soil into a richly producing one with good care, time and God’s blessing. But that is only a start. There are other soils - hearts that are producing, and in the end, God’s plan is for the multitudes as we can see in nature. In our endeavour to cultivate ourselves we’re going to face enemies, and the chief ones are condemnation, and our own flesh. Our Lord dealt with one, and we are to deal with the other.
• 
  His Humbleness Carries the Burdens - Rev. Pavel Hollmann 21.07.2026 19m

  In his only self-descriptive phrase Jesus gives us a key to his ability to carry the burdens given by his Father. His yoke is easy only as and when we humbly accept our lot in life. Yes, under God’s caring hand, but nevertheless, a life full of challenges, and trials, not of our choice. Will we accept them willingly, as Jesus did?
• 
  Kierkegaard, Dylan, and the Kotzker Rebbe - Rev. David Pileggi 13.07.2026 36m

  Is it wrong to expect divine recompense for obedience? Over the centuries many have been perplexed by the binding/sacrifice of Isaac. No matter how this event is understood, it is clear that there is reward for Abraham’s obedience. We tend to think that rewards are given in return for great acts of faith, but Jesus teaches something essential about God’s economy: even the smallest act of hospitality brings blessing. The reward can be in this life, in the life of our descendants, or in the World to Come. The key is that while we can expect recompense from God, it comes in His time and His way.
• 
  The Fear that Sabotages - Rev. David Pileggi 27.06.2026 41m

  In our readings today the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar, along with that of Jesus calling his disciples, give us much to ponder. Because of that nagging (and all too natural) anxiety of committing our lives to God, we too, often circumvent His best for us. Although fear and the deceit of self-preservation can overwhelm us, God has provided a way to enable us to live faithfully.
• 
  Subject to the King: Servants, Shepherds, and Sheep - Rev. John Arnold 18.06.2026 35m

  God is a king who expects His subjects to have compassion and care for those who are sick and those who are wandering. In our hubris, we often do not completely subject ourselves before the almighty Lord and King. We may even think that the servant is above the master. God acts even when we don’t, caring for His sheep as well as bringing judgment on those who condemn and exploit those who are wandering and sick. But in Matthew 10, Jesus once again sends out shepherds with His authority to care for the sick and the wandering. There are those who will still oppose God (may we not be counted among them) and will battle against Him. If we truly are a subject of God, we may be hated—hard pressed and persecuted—but God has already won the battle.
• 
  The Healing We All Need - Rev. David Pileggi 15.06.2026 40m

  The Lord has torn us, but after three days he will heal us", so declare the people of Israel in the book of Hosea. This hope is a good beginning for looking at the healing ministry of Jesus and the overlapping realities of impurity, repentance, and the rewards of a persistent faith.
• 
  Fear and Pride Come Calling (Again) - Rev. David Pileggi 02.06.2026 36m

  Since the rebellion in the Garden, the human family has been afflicted by the sins of fear and pride. In rejecting what it means to be created in God’s image, we enter the AI age with fears of uncertainty and mortality, and along with the desire to be like gods we find ourselves on a dangerous precipice. We must respond by rejecting the false promises of technology and its dehumanization. The majesty of man is restored when we model our lives on King Jesus and put his teaching into practice.
• 
  Free Refills? - Rev. David Pileggi 28.05.2026 28m

  While the Spirit of God is given freely to all who come to faith, being regularly filled with His Spirit is another matter. Like water that always flows to the lowest place, the Holy Spirit keeps a home in those who live humbly, practice forgiveness, and strive for unity with their brothers and sisters. In today’s readings we see in the life of Moses (and more) the extraordinary power that these characteristics will bring in a believer’s life.
• 
  Love and Intimacy / Then and Now - Rev. David Pileggi 17.05.2026 42m

  The command to love God with a whole heart raises some questions: How can love be commanded? Can love be without emotion? When we understand this love as more than a theological concept, how is it expressed? Not surprisingly, in the Scriptures we find a common thread of thought and practice stretching from Deuteronomy to the Gospel of John and beyond: Love motivates obedience, leading to intimacy, and brings Joy – which leads to more love, obedience, intimacy and a Joy that overflows. Praise the Lord !!!