Root + Branch Church

Worry & Anxiety - October 2020

All of us (most of us?...some of us?) want to help turn the tide amid the panoply of awful things going on. But there is such an overwhelming volume of (often contradictory) instruction on what we should do or not do, say or not say. Then there’s the constant debating, gaslighting, and public judgement on the interwebs to deal with. You have the anxiety of all the things mixed with the anxiety to try and fix all the things, and it's sometimes hard to imagine any of this getting better, or our efforts being of any use. 

But, there is another way to live and experience this whole thing. This is where we turn to that age old question: WHAT THE F*** WOULD JESUS DO? Join us for our next series as we try to ask W(TF)WJD in earnest, exploring teachings and truths that just might restore our hope and make us more effective agents of change and transformation.

Speaker: Tim Kim

Complex People - October 2020

In order to address the question “W.T.F.W.J.D.”, we need to get clear on who this Jesus guy actually was. That’s not so easy though when some people make Jesus seem like a gun-toting beer-drinking bro, and others describe him as a radical anti-capitalist, anti-war hippie. More often than not, we may be tempted to co-opt Jesus to our cause. But, that’s not the way of Jesus' followers. Instead, we are asked to let him and his teachings — in all of their complexity, intensity, beauty, and even internal contradiction — challenge and change us. This week we are going to try to get a more complex picture of who Jesus was so that we can get a bit more serious about following his unusual and life-world-mind transforming path.

Speaker: Virginia White

WTFWJD - October 2020

Intro sermon for our WTFWJD sermon series. 

Speaker: Tim Kim

Pandemic and Protest - Sin

As we try to navigate a time of real upheaval, it is worth wondering what the spiritual dimensions of all this might be. We ask such a question not just because we are a church community, but because the diagnosis and cure for all that a pandemic and racism bring to the surface must also speak to the deeper truths of our humanity. In a strange way, we are often comfortable talking about our own spiritual lives, yet find it uncomfortable to speak of the spiritual life of a community, or city, or country. Why is that? 

Prayer Pod Ep. 2 - Lament & Confession

Prayer Pod is a short, guided prayer session of meditative practice, poetry, and music. Prayer can be hard! We hope this makes it a little more accessible and immersive. As our country reckons with its deeply embedded history of racism and violence, this episode reflects on lament and confession.

Put on some headphones (this episode in particular will sound weird without them) and give it a listen. 

Episode 2
Poem: Untitled by James Baldwin, A Memory by Saeed Jones
Music: Original

The Cry of Black Blood

Guest Preacher, the Reverend Elijah Zeyhoue (Calvary Baptist, DC) reflects on the history of racism against black people in America through the lens of the Cain and Abel story in Genesis 4. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain asks. For far too long White America’s answer has remain unchanged.

Prayer Pod Ep. 1 - Elegy

Prayer Pod is a short, guided prayer session of meditative practice, poetry, and music. Prayer can be hard! We hope this makes it a little more accessible and immersive. Put on some headphones (you should really use headphones!) and give it a try. 

Episode 1
Poem: Elegy by Aracelis Girmay
Music: By Tim Kim

God Breathes Again and So Do I

Easter 2020. On a resurrected Christ who comforts those who mourn.

The Temptation of Lent

Lent begins with what else but a reflection on temptation and sin.

Practice Changing the World

Pastoral Intern, Aneesah Ettress, on how spiritual practices help us do work in the world.