University Congregational UCC, Seattle, May 10, 2026

May 10, 2026 (Mother's Day) The Jesus Movement: "The Movement Begins" Acts 2:14-21 & Gospel of Thomas 3, 22, and 70 Rev. Michael Ellick In the years immediately following Jesus’ death, something extraordinary began to take shape. Before creeds were codified, before doctrine was enforced, before the church aligned itself with empire, there was a movement—fluid, decentralized, Spirit-led, and radically committed to a new way of life. This was not yet “Christianity” as we know it. It was the Jesus Movement: a network of communities practicing shared resources, radical inclusion, economic redistribution, resistance to empire, and a fierce commitment to love in the face of violence. These early followers were not trying to build an institution; they were embodying a new reality. Drawing on scripture—especially Acts and the early epistles—and insights from The Church Before Christianity, by Wes Howard-Brooks, this series invites us to rediscover the subversive, Spirit-filled energy of those first communities. What might it mean for us, in 2026, to recover not just the beliefs of the early church, but its practices? Its courage? Its imagination? Because the Jesus Movement was never meant to end. It is still unfolding—here, now, among us.