Hearts Open to the Word

Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Religion & Spirituality
  • Weekly

Rev. Dr. Charissa Howe brings vibrant energy and deep theological insight to her preaching ministry. A Presbyterian pastor of a vibrant Pittsburgh congregation and the former Director of Chaplaincy at an urban county jail, she weaves together academic wisdom with real-world pastoral experience. Her engaging style combines thoughtful biblical interpretation with practical applications for daily life. Drawing from her diverse background in both institutional and congregational ministry, she offers fresh perspectives that challenge and inspire listeners to deeper faith and action.

  1. 6d ago

    Sustaining Beloved Community

    What is at the heart of your faith—what remains when everything else is stripped away? This Reformation Sunday, Pastor Charissa explores Matthew 22:34–46 and Leviticus 19:1–2, 15–18. When a lawyer tests Jesus on the greatest commandment, Jesus quotes the ancient Shema and Leviticus 19:18, creating an inseparable loop of grace: loving the unseen God and loving our visible neighbor are inseparable. Reclaiming "holiness" from private piety or saintly facades, this sermon reflects on how Levitical holiness means leaving "field edges" in our calendars, budgets, and hearts—viewing stewardship not as an institutional fee, but as a concrete, joyous act of neighbor-love. #SustainingBelovedCommunity #ReformationSunday #Matthew22 #Leviticus19 #ProgressivePresbyterian #PittsburghChurches #FaithInAction #LoveYourNeighbor

  2. Oct 19

    Made in the Image

    Have you ever felt like the world is constantly competing for your primary allegiance, your wallet, and your sense of self-worth? In this episode, Pastor Charissa explores Matthew 22:15–22 , where Jesus subverts a hyper-partisan "gotcha" trap posed by an unlikely alliance of Pharisees and Herodians. Asking to see a Roman denarius, Jesus poses a simple question—"Whose head is this, and whose title?"—before declaring: "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's". Jesus asserts that while stamped silver coins belong to Caesar's temporary economy, human beings bear the imago Dei—the indelible image of God. This sermon reflects on how we honor the sacred mark that God has placed on every human life.

    Made in the Image

  3. Oct 11

    Clothed for the celebration

    Have you ever experienced that hesitation before walking into an event—wondering what the dress code is, whether you're underdressed, or if you actually belong in the room? In this episode, Pastor Charissa explores how Jesus upends human standards of qualifications in the Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Matthew 22), gathering street-corner guests into an expansive feast of unearned grace. Connecting Jesus' parable with Paul's call in Philippians 4 to put on active gentleness, prayer with thanksgiving, and peace, this sermon reflects on what it means to be clothed in the mind of Christ.

  4. Sep 27

    Imposters or Imitators?

    Have you ever felt the weight of Imposter Syndrome? That persistent, quiet anxiety that you're faking it—at work, in academia, as a parent, or even at church—and that at any moment your "cover will be blown"?In this episode, Pastor Charissa explores what happens when we drop the exhausting pressure of performative religion and step into the radical freedom of Christ’s self-emptying grace. Drawing on Jesus’s confrontation with the temple authorities in Matthew 21:23–32 (the Parable of the Two Sons) and the ancient Christ Hymn of Philippians 2:1–13, this sermon contrasts the anxiety of being an imposter with the joy of being an imitator of Christ.While religious imposters rely on titles, polite promises ("I go, sir"), and decorative leaves to shield their egos, imitators of Christ know they never earned their seat at the table in the first place. Because grace is a free gift, an imitator has no cover to blow. When we stumble, we aren't exposed as frauds—we are simply forgiven and invited to pick up our tools and step back into the vineyard.

  5. Sep 22

    When Is Enough Enough?

    Scripture: Exodus 16:2–15 & Matthew 20:1–16 When is "enough" actually enough? We live in a world driven by billionaire-backed systems and cultural narratives that insist nothing is ever enough—that our security depends on endless extraction, accumulation, and building bigger barns.In this episode, Pastor Charissa explores what happens when the Gospel disrupts our culture's zero-sum scorekeeping. Drawing on the wild story of daily manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16:2–15) and Jesus’s provocative Parable of the Vineyard Laborers (Matthew 20:1–16), this sermon invites us to step off the empire’s relentless treadmill and enter God’s Economy of Abundance.We look at how anxiety and scarcity re-wire us—from the Israelites longing to return to slavery in Egypt for predictable meals, to early morning vineyard workers grumbling when the 5:00 p.m. latecomers receive the exact same daily living wage. Through the mechanics of daily manna (where those who gathered much had no excess and those who gathered little had no lack) and a generous householder who measures value by human dignity rather than transactional merit, we discover a God whose grace is fresh every single morning.Join us as we reflect on Sixth Presbyterian's legacy of stepping boldly into unpredictable futures—from becoming a More Light congregation decades ago to standing in solidarity with our Pittsburgh neighbors today through hunger relief, utility support, and radical hospitality.

  6. Sep 13

    Am I in the Place of God?

    When past trauma and betrayals threaten to lock us into an endless cycle of fear and payback, scripture invites us into a radical, redemptive reversal. From Joseph weeping before his brothers in Egypt to Jesus shattering revenge math with seventy-seven-fold mercy, Pastor Charissa unpacks what it means to step out of the judgment seat. Discover how recognizing that "everything is so much more complicated than you know it is" frees us to become an unclenched-hand sanctuary of mutual care, radical inclusion, and grace.

  7. Sep 8

    No Time for Drama

    When someone hurts us or crosses our boundaries, our immediate instinct is often self-preservation. We retreat into our "cartoon forts," hide behind passive-aggressive "fig leaves," and triangulate others into our pain. But Jesus offers a drama-free framework for reconciliation in Matthew 18: go directly and privately. Pastor Charissa dives into Romans 13 and Matthew 18 to unpack the ancient, gritty theology of "binding and loosing," showing how Christ’s real, transforming presence is localized not in our perfection, but in the messy spaces between us.

  8. Aug 30

    Barefoot Curiosity

    How often do you find yourself living on a highly efficient autopilot, keeping your head down, and navigating your days with your "shoes on"—fully protected, fully scheduled, and completely blind to your surroundings? In this episode, Pastor Charissa explores what happens when God suddenly interrupts our boring routines and pre-written scripts with what looks like wild, disruptive chaos. Drawing on the iconic encounter of Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:1–15) and Peter’s struggle to control Jesus’s messianic path (Matthew 16:21–28), this sermon invites us into the active, holy spiritual discipline of Barefoot Curiosity. Rather than viewing the burning bush as a one-time, spectacular magic trick, we ask a deeper question: What if the bush was always burning, and Moses was simply the first person who slowed down enough to notice? When we let go of our exhausting need to manage every outcome and script our own lives, we discover that God's very name—"I AM WHO I AM"—is not a static noun, but a wild, uncontained Verb of active existence. Join us as we learn to kick off our self-protective sandals, step off the paved road, and notice the divine fire already blazing in the messy, unpolished, and unscripted moments of our ordinary lives. The Autopilot of the Paved Road: How our desire for efficiency and safety often makes us blind to the sacred ground right beneath our feet.The Danger of a Closed Script: Why Peter's rebuke of Jesus represents our own fear of a Messiah who goes off-script, and how our rigid control suffocates our spiritual imagination.The Discipline of Turning Aside: Why God did not speak until after Moses stopped to look closer, and what that tells us about curiosity as an active spiritual practice.Living with Our Shoes Off: What it practically looks like to embrace the holy chaos of the everyday—from disrupted summer travel plans and lingering grief to showing up with open eyes of wonder at our local neighborhood Night Market.Worship with us: Sundays at 11:00 AM in the sanctuary or online.Learn more: Visit our website: www.sixthchurch.org

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Rev. Dr. Charissa Howe brings vibrant energy and deep theological insight to her preaching ministry. A Presbyterian pastor of a vibrant Pittsburgh congregation and the former Director of Chaplaincy at an urban county jail, she weaves together academic wisdom with real-world pastoral experience. Her engaging style combines thoughtful biblical interpretation with practical applications for daily life. Drawing from her diverse background in both institutional and congregational ministry, she offers fresh perspectives that challenge and inspire listeners to deeper faith and action.

Information

  • Creator
    Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    336
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe
  • Show Website
    Hearts Open to the Word