Peace of the City

Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship
  • 5.0 (7)
  • CHRISTIANITY

A podcast by Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship, a small, welcoming peace church in New York City. We gather every Sunday at 4 PM at the 15th Street Friends Meeting House, seeking to live out our call to peacebuilding and nonviolence through worship and witness. This podcast features sermons and sacred stories shared within our community—reflections grounded in scripture, shaped by peace theology, and rooted in the everyday work of living faithfully. Whether you're nearby or far away, we’re grateful to share this journey with you as we continue seeking the peace of the city.

  1. 09/16/2025

    Listening, Grumbling, and the Heart of God

    In Luke 15:1–10, Jesus speaks to two very different audiences—tax collectors and sinners who listen with open hearts, and Pharisees and scribes who grumble in judgment. In this message, Pastor Jason Storbakken explore how Jesus disrupts polarized categories, centering the marginalized and revealing God’s heart through stories of a shepherd and a woman searching for what was lost. These parables remind us that our worth is never diminished, no matter how hidden or burdened we may feel, and that joy erupts in heaven when we are restored. What does it mean to seek mercy over sacrifice, to remove anything that stands in the way of love, and to see the eternal value in every person?

    14 min

  2. 09/09/2025

    Counting the Cost: True Discipleship in an Age of False Loyalties

    In Luke 14:25–33, Jesus challenges the crowds—and us—with stark words about discipleship: “Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” What does it mean to “hate” family, give up possessions, and count the cost? In this sermon, Rev. Dr. Jason Storbakken explores the cultural context of Jesus’ radical call, the danger of finding identity in politics, possessions, or social status, and the invitation to reorder our lives through the costly yet life-giving way of the cross.

    15 min

  3. 06/16/2025

    Let Us Make Space

    In this episode of Peace of the City, we reflect on Trinity Sunday, Pentecost, Pride Month, and Father’s Day through a sermon titled Let Us Make Space. Rev. Jason Storbakken invites us into the paradox of honoring fatherhood while challenging patriarchy, exploring the mystery of the Trinity not as rigid doctrine, but as divine friendship and relational love. Drawing from John 16:12–15, the sermon affirms a Spirit who continues to speak and a God who parents without domination. Through themes of inclusion, power-sharing, and holy disruption, we hear a call to embody a church that celebrates all flesh, all genders, and all people. This is a word for seekers, doubters, and dreamers—a call to create space for love in all its forms. Listen in and let the Spirit make space in you.

    20 min
  4. All Flesh Means All Flesh: Pentecost + Pride

    06/09/2025

    All Flesh Means All Flesh: Pentecost + Pride

    On this Pentecost Sunday—also the second Sunday of Pride Month—Rev. Dr. Jason Storbakken invites us into the fire and fullness of the Spirit. Tracing the roots of Pentecost back to Shavuot and moving through Acts 2 and the prophecy of Joel, this sermon proclaims a radically inclusive vision of church and Spirit. What does it mean that God’s Spirit is poured out on all flesh? What does it look like when queer teens, trans prophets, and nonbinary mystics receive divine fire? And how can we be a church born not in fear, but in flame? Join Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship in this powerful celebration of Spirit, liberation, and love beyond the margins.

    16 min

  5. 05/26/2025

    God's Home

    In this episode of Peace of the City, Rev. Dr. Jason Storbakken preaches from John 14:23–29, exploring the promise of Christ’s peace: “not as the world gives.” Titled God’s Home, this sermon invites us to imagine a God who does not demand perfection but chooses to dwell with us—in love, in truth, and in peace. Jason contrasts the world’s transactional, performative peace with the liberating, abiding peace of Abba. Drawing from trauma-informed chaplaincy and nonviolent practice, he asks: What kind of God makes a home with us? And what does it mean to become a home for God’s peace? This is not a peace that demands silence or compliance—but one that tells the truth, holds sorrow and joy, and stays with us through transition and healing. In a world of temporary peace and conditional love, Jesus offers something deeper.

    15 min

  6. 05/20/2025

    Love Without Distance — Dr. Ashley Moyse

    In this episode of Peace of the City, we welcome Dr. Ashley Moyse, Assistant Professor of Medical Ethics, McDonald Scholar, and Director of the Columbia Character Cooperatives. Drawing from his work at Columbia’s medical school and his research at Oxford, Dr. Moyse reflects on the view from the 14th floor—where the city’s pain becomes quiet, abstract, and dangerously distant. Preaching on Revelation and the Gospel of John, he reminds us that God's dwelling is not above but among us. This is no promise of escape, but a call to costly presence: to see, to touch, to stay near enough to wipe away tears. With sharp theological insight and deep pastoral care, Dr. Moyse challenges us to love not from a safe height, but from the ground—with fidelity, nearness, and grief-soaked grace. A sermon for anyone wrestling with how to live—and love—in proximity to suffering.

    11 min

  7. 05/12/2025

    Wounds and Wonderment

    In Part 2 (of 2) of our series on John 20, we return to the locked room where Jesus appears not in triumph, but in tenderness. This Mother’s Day, we reflect on Thomas—the twin, the questioner, the one who names what so many of us carry: Unless I touch the wounds, I cannot believe. But Jesus does not shame him. Instead, Christ invites him—invites us—into the liminal space where wounds meet grace. Through Thomas’s story, and through the witness of all who mother from their own woundedness, we glimpse a deeper truth: that faith can emerge from doubt, that healing begins with touch, and that even our broken places can become sacred portals. Blessed are those who mother, who mend, who believe without seeing—and who dare to reach for peace. Message by Pastor Jason Storbakken.

    16 min

  8. 05/05/2025

    Sacred Breath, Holy Presence

    In this first part of a two-part message from John 20, Pastor Jason invites us to breathe deeply and draw near to the sacred. Through the lens of Scripture and spirit, we explore breath as both a physiological and theological gift—infused with divine presence from creation to resurrection. In a world often marked by fear and fragmentation, this episode reminds us that Jesus meets us behind locked doors, breathing peace and the Holy Spirit into our weary lungs. How close must we be to feel the Spirit move? Come, share a breath—and be renewed.

    12 min
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5
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About

A podcast by Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship, a small, welcoming peace church in New York City. We gather every Sunday at 4 PM at the 15th Street Friends Meeting House, seeking to live out our call to peacebuilding and nonviolence through worship and witness. This podcast features sermons and sacred stories shared within our community—reflections grounded in scripture, shaped by peace theology, and rooted in the everyday work of living faithfully. Whether you're nearby or far away, we’re grateful to share this journey with you as we continue seeking the peace of the city.

Information

  • Creator
    Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    114
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship
  • Show Website
    Peace of the City