Discipling Resistance

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. His writings from this period, Discipleship and Life Together, challenge us to embrace “costly grace” —a faith the resists injustice rather than conforming to empire. Leah also reflects on the story of Martin Niemöller, a pastor who initially supported Hitler but later repented and spoke out, reminding us that resistance can take many forms. This teaching invites us to examine our own discipleship, the communities that shape us, and how we are called to live out faith in ways that challenge oppression.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.

A Journey of Resistance with Bonhoeffer

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. These experiences sharpened his resistance to Hitler’s rise in Germany, as he saw faith not as mere platitudes but as a radical call to action. Leah challenges us to reflect on our own lives: How have our experiences shaped our faith? How do we discern our personal path of resistance to injustice? This teaching invites us to step into Lent with renewed awareness, courage, and commitment to the work of Divine kin-dom.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.

Resistance Stories

In this next installment of the “Empire and Kin-dom” series, Leah examines how resistance stories have shaped movements for justice and survival. She highlights Harriet Tubman’s unwavering faith in liberation and the ways enslaved people found hope in the Exodus story. Turning to the Book of Daniel, Leah unpacks how the Jewish court tales provided strength and defiance against empire, offering a vision of divine kinship over domination. These stories have empowered communities to hold onto their identity and resist empire. In a time when authoritarianism seeks to erase and control, Leah challenges us to reclaim the stories that sustain us and imagine a different future.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.

The Widest Possible Difference

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.

A Time of Sacred Preparation

In this powerful reflection, Leah draws upon the prophetic legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to inspire “A Time of Sacred Preparation.” She explores Dr. King’s teachings on justice, nonviolence, and hope, even in the face of profound disappointment. Sharing excerpts from his sermons and prayers, Leah challenges us to confront the realities of our time with a resilient spirit and a commitment to love. She calls us to embody practices of preparation—prayer, reflection, and grounded action—that align with the Divine’s call for justice and compassion. This teaching offers an invitation to carry forward Dr. King’s vision, cultivating a hope that sustains us in the ongoing work of healing our world.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.

Please note: Due to copyright restrictions, we are unable to share the audio or the video for “King in the Wilderness.” At the 24-minute mark of the audio recordings, you will experience about 20 seconds of silence. If you’d like to see the clip which is meant to go in this space, it can be found here on Youtube or on Max with a subscription. The exact clip starts at approximately 32:20 and goes until 37:50.

Epiphany

In this Epiphany teaching, Leah explores the Divine revelations in the story of Jesus’ baptism and how they resonate today. She unpacks three key epiphanies: the way God disrupts social hierarchies, the collaborative nature of Divine work, and the power of the Spirit symbolized by the dove—gentleness, grace, and nonviolence. Leah reminds us that these qualities require strength and are essential for justice and empathy in a fractured world. Reflecting on the challenges of our time, she encourages us to trust our inner wisdom and embrace “dove power” to bring healing and hope. This teaching inspires us to align with God’s heart and embody love and resilience in all we do.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.

Pre-Christmas Eve Service

Relive the magic of Haven’s Pre-Christmas Eve Candlelight Service! Join us as we sing traditional carols, hear a heartfelt reading of the Christmas story, a beautiful Godly Play Story shared by our Kids Director Debra, and experience the beauty of candle-lighting while singing Silent Night. Celebrate the wonder and hope of Christmas with us!

An Advent Word from John the Baptist

As we enter the third Sunday of Advent, Leah invites us to consider the profound message, “Do the good that is yours to do.” Drawing from John the Baptist’s bold words and the concept of a “centered set” faith, she encourages us to reflect on what inspires or challenges us, what resources we bring, and what actions are sustainable in our lives. This Advent, discover how the good you are uniquely called to do can bring light and love to the world.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.

You Are A Blessing

Leah kicks off Advent with a reflective teaching on the theme “You Are a Blessing.” Exploring Mary’s encounter with the angel Gabriel, Leah highlights how Divine favor begins with blessing, reshapes expectations, and empowers new possibilities. Through this lens, she invites us to embrace the truth of our inherent worth and consider the agency we hold in our own sacred journeys.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.

PTG Is Also a Thing

In this closing teaching of the “Hurt to Whole” series, Leah introduces the concept of post-traumatic growth (PTG), the remarkable capacity of the human spirit to find resilience and even transformation after trauma. She reflects on her own personal journey and draws from trauma studies, explaining how adversity can lead us to new strengths, values, and connections. By examining stories of resilience from the Bible, Leah reminds us of a Divine presence that partners with us to bring good from harm. Encouraging the community to explore “What else is true?” she offers practical steps for cultivating resilience, including a radical self-love exercise. This final session is an invitation to embrace hope, wholeness, and the sacred growth that can arise from our deepest wounds.

Storytelling in Saftey

In this insightful teaching, Leah delves into the significance of sharing our untold stories as part of the “Hurt to Whole” series. She begins with a powerful quote from Maya Angelou, connecting it to the process of trauma recovery that involves safety, remembrance, and reconnection. Leah explains how the Christian faith itself can be seen as a post-traumatic tradition, rooted in the shared experiences of Jesus’ followers after his crucifixion. By revisiting the story of Jesus and Peter on the shore, she shows how safe, compassionate spaces allow stories of pain to be voiced, received, and reimagined. Leah encourages the community to build a trauma-informed culture, where healing can emerge through both spoken and creative expressions.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.

Our Bodies Hold Our Stories

In this special service, Leah bridges the themes of the “Hurt to Whole” series with Caleb’s renaming ceremony, highlighting the profound concept of embodiment. She speaks to how our bodies carry the imprints of trauma and, equally, the pathways to healing, emphasizing that true wholeness involves connecting deeply with our physical selves. Reflecting on the life of Jesus, Leah illustrates how the Divine chose to embody human experiences, from compassion to suffering, and how this embodied presence brought healing. By honoring our own stories and the wisdom in our bodies, Leah invites us to engage in a spirituality that is as physical as it is profound, following the example of those who live authentically in their truth.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.

You can read Leah’s poem Our Bodies Hold Our Stories here.

Exploring Trauma and Healing

Join Leah as she leads us into the transformative new “Hurt to Whole” series, where she explores the deep connections between trauma, healing, and spirituality. Reflecting on her father’s experience with PTSD and her own year-long study of trauma care, she sheds light on how trauma affects our bodies, minds, and relationships. In this session, Leah tackles essential questions such as what trauma is, how it shows up, and how being trauma-informed can shape our spiritual communities. With compassion and insight, she also connects Jesus’ ministry to modern trauma care, offering pathways for healing and hope. Discover how we, too, can move from hurt to whole.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.

Reading Through Love

Join Leah as she concludes the "Sacred Sources" series with a captivating look at biblical interpretation. Drawing inspiration from the Greek god Hermes, Leah introduces us to the art and science of hermeneutics – the practice of deriving meaning from texts. She expertly guides us through various interpretive lenses used throughout history, from early Jewish and Christian approaches to modern liberation and feminist theologies. Leah then turns our attention to Jesus' own interpretive key, found in Matthew 22:34-40, which emphasizes love as the central tenet of faith. This enlightening teaching equips us with valuable insights for reading scripture through a lens of love, encouraging a deeper and more nuanced engagement with the Bible. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your biblical understanding and enrich your faith journey.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.

Someone Else's Mail

In this Sunday’s teaching, Leah starts off with a light-hearted anecdote involving a text message mix-up during an airport pick-up, highlighting the generational differences in communication. This sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the New Testament Epistles, a collection of letters that hold significant value in the Christian tradition. We delve into the context in which these letters were written, their intended audience, and the practice of pseudepigraphy, which sometimes complicates authorship. The message encourages us to discern which teachings in these ancient texts are relevant to our modern faith journey, particularly as we examine the universally accepted Pauline Epistle to the Philippians. Through this, we aim to find timeless lessons that continue to inspire and guide us today.

The Gospel Truths

In today’s teaching, Leah unpacks the complexities of the New Testament Gospels as part of the summer series, “Sacred Sources.” During seminary, many students face a pivotal moment when they realize the Bible’s formation is more complex than previously imagined. This often leads to a crisis of faith, but it can also lead to a more mature and nuanced understanding of these sacred texts. In this teaching, Leah explores what the Gospels are, how they came to be, and their significance. While the Gospels aren’t eyewitness accounts or direct transcripts of Jesus’ words, they are powerful, faith-driven narratives that offer us a profound connection to Jesus. By understanding the historical and literary context of these texts, we can approach them with fresh eyes and deeper reverence, finding new ways to connect with the life and teachings of Jesus.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.

Making Meaning with the Hebrew Bible

Discover the captivating story of the Bedouin shepherds whose curiosity in 1947 unearthed one of the most profound archaeological discoveries of our time: the Dead Sea Scrolls. Join Leah as she continues her “Sacred Sources” series, delving into these ancient texts, exploring their significance and how they shape our understanding of faith today.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.

It's Our Bible, Too

Discover the transformative power of scripture in two poignant stories that span decades. From a freshman’s eye-opening Bible study experience to the unsettling rise of Christian nationalism, these tales explore how the Bible can inspire faith and compassion while also being misused to entrench bigotry and power. Join Pastor Leah on a journey through “Sacred Sources,” where she delves into the ancient, diverse, and sometimes ambiguous texts of the Bible, and learn how to reclaim its wisdom for a more just and loving world.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.

(And to watch the video mentioned at the end of Leah’s teaching, click this YouTube link.)

Finding Wisdom

Join Pastor Leah as she delves into the intersection of spirituality and mental health through the lens of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). This teaching unpacks the "Wise Mind" concept, highlighting how Jesus embodied this balance of emotion and reason in his actions and teachings. Through relatable anecdotes and biblical stories, Leah explorse practical DBT skills like mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Discover how these tools can help us stay grounded, connected, and focused on what truly matters in challenging times. Tune in for an enriching journey towards deeper wisdom and spiritual resilience.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.

"What can stand in the way?" Insights from Queer Theology

Step into a journey of discovery with Lead Pastor Leah as she shares a heartwarming anecdote about her daughter's profound insight that reshaped her perception of God. Set against the backdrop of Pride Month, Leah leads us into the realm of Queer Theology, unraveling its significance in navigating complex aspects of faith and identity. Through the lens of author Patrick Cheng's nuanced definitions and author Mihee Kim-Kort's insightful perspectives, Leah invites us to explore the multifaceted meanings of queerness and its potential impact on our spirituality. Don't miss this opportunity to engage in a dialogue that challenges conventions and fosters a deeper understanding of ourselves and the Divine.

Review Leah’s notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.