Sermons Check out our livestream on YouTube every Sunday at 10:30am. Filter by Year 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 Filter by Preacher All Preachers 25 28 29 David Reed Guest Min. Brian Muir Rev. Alice Horner Nelson (she/her) Rev. Anne Jernberg Scalfaro (she/her) Rev. Brenda J. R. Goodman Rev. Daniel SchweissingDaniel Rev. Doug Avilesbernal Rev. Dr. Ben Sanders Rev. Ian Cummins Rev. Morgan C. Fletcher Laboring in Love Sep 21, Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost This week we continue in our exploration of the Fruit of LOVE by viewing it through an embodied, communal, and relational lens: 1 John 3 invites us to explore: How does love show up as an ‘embodied form’ in our everyday relationships and encounters? John 13 invites us to explore: How does our ability to both give and receive love reveal how we view ourselves in relation to others? How does the Fruit of Love identify (or mark) us in the world? Mark 12 invites us to explore: Why are 1) loving God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength and 2) loving our neighbor as ourselves essential for transformation and for our mission and vision as a church? Love: Too Simple of a Word Sep 14, Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost Love is a theme throughout scripture but is so much more complicated than a simple word. Pastor Alice explores how this word appears in the Hebrew and Greek, while then connecting the embodiment of love throughout our lives and news. Love is a challenge and an extravagance. Visualizing our Vineyard Sep 7, Gathering Sunday This week’s sermon will help us visualize the vineyard (i.e. set the stage) for all that is to come in the year ahead! Please plan to join us (and invite a friend!) as we begin a fresh spiritual journey together that will help us 1) develop our theology and deepen our faith, 2) strengthen our relationships and enrich our community, and 3) create transformational impact for the kin-dom of God. This is Us: Changed by Life Experience Jul 27, Seventh Sunday after Pentecost This is us - we actually do allow ourselves to be changed by life. And this is good news. When we are changed, our change can impact and inspire change in others. This is Us: Blaming & Shaming Ourselves into Despair Jul 20, Sixth Sunday after Pentecost This sermon reminds us that blame and shame are powerful. They'll keep you trapped in a cycle of despair. But that's not what God wants for us. Jump into the places that feel unfamiliar. Take a risk. It's hard to do. It's hard to allow ourselves to be held and heard. But if we are healed, we can then become the holders and the hearers for others in our world. This is Us: Running Away from What We Don’t Want to Do Jul 13, Fifth Sunday after Pentecost "Because you see, when we get to our why and we are free of our guilt and shame, then we actually experience a little bit of that freedom and healing for ourselves. And in doing so, we can then ground ourselves from that space and maybe get to a yes." This is Us: Taking Risks to Protect the Vulnerable Jun 29, 3rd Sunday After Pentecost This sermon displays how Rahab is a beautiful example of how we can disrupt power by standing in our belovedness and peace so that we can include all of God's people. This is Us: Making Excuses for why We CAN’T Jun 22, 2nd Sunday After Pentecost The good news is that God meets our "no, I can't" with "yes, you can" because I am who I am and that is enough. This is Us: Laughing at the Unbelievable Jun 15, First Sunday After Pentecost The unbelievable does not need our belief to happen. But when it does happen, the unbelievable needs our testimony. It needs our witness to the truth of this reality. This is how hope lives. The Synergy of the Spirit Jun 8, Pentecost Sunday This sermon speaks to the similarities between the Holy Spirit and Jazz music. A sermon preached by both Rev. Anne J. Scalfaro and Dr. David Farwig, Music Director and Cantor. Rising to the Challenge with Blessing Jun 1, Ascension Sunday This Ascension Sunday sermon reflects on Luke 24:44–53, emphasizing that the Ascension is not about Jesus “flying away” but about Christ’s presence moving from with us to within us through the Spirit. Matters of the Heart May 25, Sixth Sunday of Easter The sermon reflects on John 14:23–29, where Jesus promises his peace and the gift of the Holy Spirit, and on Acts 16:6–15, where Paul is rerouted by the Spirit until he meets Lydia. It invites listeners to examine their hearts—whether heavy with fear or open to hope—and to remember that faith is not just about beliefs in our heads but transformation in our hearts. The Challenge for Us within God’s Blessing for All May 18, Fifth Sunday of Easter In Acts 11, Peter realizes through his vision and encounter with Cornelius that God’s Spirit is poured out on all people, not just one group. This reminds us that true faithfulness comes from God’s inclusive grace, not from our traditions or boundaries. The challenge for us today is to live out that truth—welcoming others fully and asking, “Who are we to hinder God?” Tabitha's Testimony: Eulogy Elegy, Easter 2.0 May 11, Fourth Sunday of Easter This sermon centers on the story of Tabitha (also known as Dorcas) from Acts 9:36–43—a disciple known for her good works, generosity, and strong community ties. It reflects on her life, death, and resurrection, offering three main lenses through which to view her testimony: Eulogy, Elegy, and Easter 2.0. Seeing the Other with Fresh Eyes May 4, Third Sunday of Easter This sermon reflects on the story of Saul’s dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1–6), highlighting both the power of divine transformation and the radical call to love our enemies. The preacher draws attention to how Saul, a fierce persecutor of Christians, becomes Paul—a foundational leader in the early church—and how his transformation also challenged Christians to extend love and acceptance to someone who had harmed them deeply. Disbelief is Not Disqualified Apr 27, Second Sunday of Easter This sermon explores the story of "Doubting Thomas" from the Gospel of John and reinterprets it not as a cautionary tale against doubt, but as a compassionate affirmation of the complexity of belief. The Evidence of Easter Apr 20, Easter This sermon is a powerful reflection on the meaning of Easter, particularly when viewed through the lens of faith, doubt, grief, and hope in the real world. The resurrection isn’t just about one man rising from the dead—it’s about what that truth raises within us. We are the ones who carry the good news now—not through perfection or certainty, but by choosing love over fear and hope over despair. Riding For Our Lives Apr 13, Palm Sunday On Palm Sunday, Pastor Anne invites the congregation to explore how Jesus' entry into Jerusalem translates into an invitation to us in our lives to stand against injustice. The Intuition of Our Anointing Apr 6, Fifth Sunday in Lent This sermon reflects on Mary’s anointing of Jesus as an act of love and intuition, urging us to follow the Spirit’s nudges to show up with care, generosity, and presence in the moment. When Absolution Feels Unjust Mar 30, Fourth Sunday in Lent Morgan explores the Parable of the Prodigal Son, highlighting how true healing begins when we honestly acknowledge harm and vulnerably receive or offer forgiveness. Holy Compost Mar 23, Third Sunday in Lent This sermon reimagines resurrection through the earthy, honest image of compost—reminding us that God transforms even our darkest, messiest places into new life, beauty, and hope. Mother Hen Energy: Guarding Goodness with My Life Mar 16, Second Sunday in Lent This sermon reflects on Jesus’s lament for Jerusalem, reminding us that even in grief and threat, we are called to persist in love, protect the vulnerable, and never forget—we are not alone. When the Devil Knows Scripture Too Mar 9, First Sunday in Lent This sermon reflects on Jesus’s wilderness testing, reminding us that true freedom comes from God’s love, and our strength is found in scripture, community, and the Spirit who never leaves us. The Spirit of God: Around and Within Mar 2, Transfiguration Sunday Even Jesus needed a mountaintop moment to remember who he was—but the real work begins when we return to everyday life, trusting that the Spirit stays with us through it all. Healing and Trust Make It Possible Feb 23, Seventh Sunday After Epiphany This sermon invites us to live out radical love, healing, and trust in community, reminding us that the gospel is alive in us—even when it’s hard, messy, and deeply human. The Realm of God Includes All of Us Feb 16, Sixth Sunday After Epiphany This sermon calls us to live the blessings and challenge the woes, daring to believe the realm of God is possible here and now—through compassion, courage, and community. Those Unexpected Fish Feb 9, Fifth Sunday after Pentecost This sermon explores the power of hope and openness—reminding us, through Simon Peter’s story, that even in frustration and uncertainty, faith dares us to try again and believe in new possibilities. On the Edge or On The Way Feb 3, Fourth Sunday After Epiphany This sermon challenges us to follow Jesus to the margins, where he stands with the vulnerable, calling us to radical love, inclusion, and courage—even when it leads us over the edge. Signs in this Time Jan 19, Second Sunday After Epiphany This sermon explores the first sign in John’s gospel—Jesus turning water into wine—as a symbol of God’s abundant joy, and invites us to embody signs of divine justice and love in today’s world. The Waters of Wonder: Baptized with Questions, Led by Faith Jan 12, First Sunday after Epiphany This sermon celebrates baptism as a communal act rooted in curiosity and belonging, reminding us that our questions are welcome and that we are all God’s beloved, just as we are. The Things We Really Pay Homage To Jan 5, Epiphany Sunday The Magi lay down wealth, status, and image to follow a deeper truth, revealing that love—not fear or achievement—is the only thing truly worth serving.