New Community Church is a neighborhood church located in the heart of Menlo Park. Join us on Sundays @ 10 am.
Website: ncc.church (https://www.ncc.church/)
Livestream: vimeo.com/event/25076 (https://vimeo.com/event/25076)
Instagram: @anewcommunity (https://www.instagram.com/anewcommunitychurch/)
YouTube: @ncc.church (https://www.youtube.com/@ncc.church)
When God is Distant: The Silence | Josh Jewell-Horton
In this sermon, Josh Jewell-Horton continues the "When God is Distant" series by tracing Joseph's thirteen-year journey and his reunion with his brothers, where Joseph finally sees that God was at work even in the silence.
CHAPTERS
[00:00] - Welcome & Series Recap
[02:12] - True Colors & Spiritual Wall
[03:40] - Nouwen's Canyon Image
[04:30] - Silence Is Your Native Tongue
[06:22] - Joseph's Thirteen Years
[07:26] - God Hidden, Not Absent
[08:47] - Famine & Brothers' Journey
[11:18] - Joseph Tests His Brothers
[12:20] - Judah Steps Forward
[13:19] - God Was There All Along
[13:54] - Militant Patience
[15:22] - Hope Versus Optimism
[16:58] - God Sent Me
[18:17] - God's Work in Silence
[19:00] - Patience Is Communal
[20:03] - Rolled-Up Sleeves Hope
[20:47] - From Wall to NCC
[22:23] - Mary Oliver's Poem
[23:22] - Closing Challenge & Prayer
REFERENCES
[00:11] - James 1:2-4 (The Message) (https://www.bible.com/bible/97/JAS.1.2-4.MSG)
[01:24] - The New Testament in Modern English by J.B. Phillips (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Testament_in_Modern_English)
[07:26] - Kathleen M. O'Connor, Old Testament scholar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_M._O%27Connor)
[08:47] - Genesis 42 (read chapters 42-45) (https://www.biblestudytools.com/genesis/42.html)
[11:18] - Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilgrim_at_Tinker_Creek)
[13:19] - The Scandalous Message of James by Elsa Tamez (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/78007)
[15:22] - Not Optimistic: A Theology of Hope by Miroslav Volf (https://www.christiancentury.org/article/2004-12/not-optimistic)
[17:26] - Genesis (Interpretation commentary) by Walter Brueggemann (https://www.wjkbooks.com/bookproduct/0664234372-genesis/)
[21:24] - Saint Frank Coffee (https://www.saintfrankcoffee.com/)
[22:23] - I Go Down to the Shore by Mary Oliver (https://www.themarginalian.org/2020/09/18/i-go-down-to-the-shore-mary-oliver/)
12 Oct 2026
When God is Distant: The Pit | Josh Jewell-Horton
In this sermon, Josh Jewell-Horton walks through Joseph's story to discover how God meets us in our deepest pits of despair. Josh reveals that Christian hope isn't optimism about our circumstances; it's trust in God's character and presence even in darkness.
CHAPTERS
[00:00] - Opening & Personal Context
[00:06] - The Problem of Pain
[00:39] - When God is Distant
[01:39] - Introducing the Pit
[03:01] - Joseph's Family Dynamics
[04:26] - Favoritism & Hatred
[06:49] - Embracing Nuance
[07:48] - The Scheme & Pit
[10:06] - Slavery & Deception
[11:09] - God's Absence
[12:39] - Moltmann's Theology
[14:03] - Tension & Faith
[14:30] - God Enters Our Pain
[15:04] - Cancer Testimony
[16:36] - Finding Jesus
[18:16] - We Are Wanted
[19:53] - Hope Fatigue
[20:55] - Joseph's Journey
[22:04] - Hope vs. Optimism
[22:29] - Holbein & Resurrection
REFERENCES
[00:39] - The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Problem_of_Pain (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Problem_of_Pain))
[01:39] - The Critical Journey: Stages in the Life of Faith by Janet Hagberg and Robert Guelich (https://www.janethagberg.com/stages-of-faith-descriptions.html (https://www.janethagberg.com/stages-of-faith-descriptions.html))
[02:35] - Dark Night of the Soul by Saint John of the Cross (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Night_of_the_Soul (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Night_of_the_Soul))
[12:39] - Theology of Hope by Jürgen Moltmann (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%BCrgen_Moltmann (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%BCrgen_Moltmann))
[13:21] - The Crucified God by Jürgen Moltmann (https://www.fortresspress.com/store/product/9781506402956/The-Crucified-God (https://www.fortresspress.com/store/product/9781506402956/The-Crucified-God))
[22:29] - The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb by Hans Holbein the Younger (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Body_of_the_Dead_Christ_in_the_Tomb (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Body_of_the_Dead_Christ_in_the_Tomb))
5 Oct 2026
When God is Distant: The Wall | Dave Peterson
Today, Dave Peterson explores how spiritual doubt is not a sign of failure but a doorway to deeper intimacy with God.
CHAPTERS
[00:00] - Opening & Relationships
[00:01:04] - Why Relationships Matter
[00:03:28] - Spiritual Journey with God
[00:05:17] - Personal Relational Wounds
[00:07:04] - COVID & Church Disconnection
[00:08:06] - God's Silence & Absence
[00:09:09] - Saint John of Cross Quote
[00:10:19] - Biblical Examples of Silence
[00:10:54] - Job 23 Scripture
[00:12:41] - Why God's Distance Hurts
[00:13:58] - Research on Spiritual Patterns
[00:14:37] - Six Stages of Spiritual Journey
[00:17:37] - Stages 1-3: Recognition to Productive
[00:18:29] - Stage 4: The Crisis & Wall
[00:20:02] - The Wall Explained
[00:20:29] - Stages 5-6: Transformation to Love
[00:21:30] - Normalizing the Wall
[00:22:59] - Recommended Authors & Books
[00:24:43] - James 1:1-4 Reading
[00:26:28] - James in Translation
[00:28:07] - Moving Forward Through Wall
[00:29:04] - Final Encouragement
REFERENCES
[00:09:09] - Saint John of the Cross, "Dark Night of the Soul" (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/157984/the-dark-night-of-the-soul (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/157984/the-dark-night-of-the-soul))
[00:10:54] - Book of Job, Chapter 23 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+23 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+23))
[00:14:37] - Janet O. Hagberg & Robert A. Guelich, "The Critical Journey: Stages in the Life of Faith" (https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Journey-Stages-Faith-Second/dp/1879215497 (https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Journey-Stages-Faith-Second/dp/1879215497))
[00:22:59] - Richard Rohr, "Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life" (https://www.amazon.com/Falling-Upward-Spirituality-Halves-Life/dp/0470907754 (https://www.amazon.com/Falling-Upward-Spirituality-Halves-Life/dp/0470907754))
[00:22:59] - Walter Brueggemann, "The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary" (https://www.amazon.com/Message-Psalms-Theological-Commentary-Walter/dp/0806611073 (https://www.amazon.com/Message-Psalms-Theological-Commentary-Walter/dp/0806611073))
[00:22:59] - Pete Greig, "God on Mute: Engaging the Silence of Unanswered Prayer" (https://www.amazon.com/God-Mute-Engaging-Silence-Unanswered/dp/0830743243 (https://www.amazon.com/God-Mute-Engaging-Silence-Unanswered/dp/0830743243))
[00:25:06] - Book of James, Chapter 1, verses 1-4 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A1-4 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A1-4))
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