Sermons are listed below with the most recent sermons first. Sermons may be browsed by date, books of the Bible, speaker, and more. Check back often for updates.
Giving Up Being Right
Technical Note: We apologize. The first 10 minutes of the embedded video has no sound. We are blessed with leadership from Rev. Mark Wiley, who has served around the Southern California region including in Santee. Pastor Mark continues our Lenten series with a poignant reminder that we’re not always right–and that’s ok! Scripture: Isaiah 43:16-21 (NRSV); John 12:1-8 (CEB)
Giving Up Judgment
A few months ago, we focused our Worship on this same text; and instead of a traditional didactic message, we heard the story through song. For the most part, congregation members were supportive. I confess that I worried it was too out-of-the-box. I worried about judgment. It occurs to me that this is similar to the worry that the prodigal son faced as he wrestled with going back home to his family. I wonder if the father experienced some worry…
Giving Up Expectations
I’ve often found wonderful humor in this familiar phrase: “If you want to make God laugh, tell God your plans.” In our lives, we sometimes have a tendency to build up our expectations on how things are going to turn out with every circumstance. Even so, I find from time to time that God draws something unexpected—and sometimes incredible—out of whatever meager imaginings I may have had. Perhaps you have too… Scripture: Luke 13:1-9 (CEB)
Giving Up Fear
We live in a world that often feels like it’s ruled by fear. There are so many of us fearful of disease and illness, of being judged, of losing abilities or freedoms. Yet so often our scriptures remind us not to be afraid! Scripture: Genesis 15:1-12,17-18; Luke 13:31-35 (CEB)
Giving Up Control
This week we begin our Lenten Worship series entitled I Give Up that explores what we might give up during this season of introspection and preparation. In the Gospel text, Jesus is drawn into the wilderness for forty days and endures hardship and temptation. Understanding where this lies in the context of the Gospel of Luke, we may understand this in part as Jesus’ preparation for ministry. It is a time—remembering the mystery of trinity as both togetherness and separateness—that…
Seeing & Re-Seeing
As we have continued to Worship in various ways including online, we regularly claim that the act of Worship changes us and that we are called to respond to the change that takes place. Perhaps we might consider that this change is not only an inward spiritual change, but that this inspires an outward and visible change—perhaps even a change that shifts our perspective to see more clearly. Scripture: Luke 9:28-36 (CEB)
Raised in Glory
This Sunday we continue our series called The Body of Christ: Learning & Re-Learning How to Be a Christian. Indeed, we are nearing the end of this series as we get closer to the season of Lent! We began with the Spirit’s presence in baptism and Paul’s assertion that we are united in the Spirit. And as we followed Paul’s argument, we were (hopefully) compelled by his illustrations of the diversity of the body. We were reminded of our physical…
The First
In this week’s text, Paul returns to one of the central disagreements present for the Corinthian community. He does so building on last week’s reminder about going back to the basics. He does so by starting with Jesus. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 (CEB)
Hold On!
This week, the text invites us to go back to the very beginning of our spiritual lives. Do you remember when you first heard the amazing, “good news,” heard it in a way that changed your life? Hold on to that moment, Paul says. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (CEB)
The Greatest of These
This week may hone in on our overall focus; this may be the “why” for us as people of The Way. The song suggests that “they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” A very different song asks, “what is love?” Is it romantic? Is it fraternal? Is it parental? Is it self-serving? Is it selfless? Should we love God? Should we love our neighbor? The thirteenth chapter of Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth is likely the most…
We Are the Body
This Sunday as we continue our Worship series, we learn that there is beautiful diversity in God’s creation and even within our unity. Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth draws a powerful illustration, reminding us that we are beautifully unique with individual gifts that make our union in the Spirit profoundly strong. Because of our diversity and because of our unity, we are more than the sum of our individual parts. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a (CEB)
Many Gifts
Just as we began last week at the beginning (with Baptism and Holy Communion), our first section of Paul’s letter starts with the Holy Spirit. Before we can talk about how we’re connected, before we can talk about the importance of love, before we can talk about what we bring to our faith community, we must first explore what connects and empowers us: the Holy Spirit. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 (CEB)