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February 20, 2022 - Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
"Divine Bodies and What They Do" - Rev. Seth D Jones
Scripture: 1 Corithians 15:32-38, 42-50; Luke 6:27-38
The title of today's sermon comes from an excellent and eye-opening book called "Divine Bodies" by Candida Moss, in which she examines the ideas of the body people in the ancient world held. In some ways, those ideas were very different than ours. In others, they were very similar. Regardless, how we understand bodies changes how we understand Paul's discussion of the Resurrection we will share (and already are sharing) with Jesus. In the sermon today, I try reorient our minds towards understanding Jesus' commands in the Sermon on the Plain as how glorified and resurrected bodies move through space. This is what Jesus calls us to model.
Enjoy the audio of the service and the video of the sermon!
Peace and grace and healing to you!
Pastor Seth
"Divine Bodies and What They Do" - Rev. Seth D Jones
Scripture: 1 Corithians 15:32-38, 42-50; Luke 6:27-38
The title of today's sermon comes from an excellent and eye-opening book called "Divine Bodies" by Candida Moss, in which she examines the ideas of the body people in the ancient world held. In some ways, those ideas were very different than ours. In others, they were very similar. Regardless, how we understand bodies changes how we understand Paul's discussion of the Resurrection we will share (and already are sharing) with Jesus. In the sermon today, I try reorient our minds towards understanding Jesus' commands in the Sermon on the Plain as how glorified and resurrected bodies move through space. This is what Jesus calls us to model.
Enjoy the audio of the service and the video of the sermon!
Peace and grace and healing to you!
Pastor Seth
February 13, 2022 - Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
"Trusting in Mere Mortals: Where Do You Stand?" - Rev. Seth D. Jones
Scripture: Jeremiah 17:5-10; 1 Corinthians 15:12-21; Luke 6:17-26
There are mere humans - those who easily give over their power to those who would control them, and those who seek power and control over others. And then there are those who seek to be wholly human - those who seek to live into the God-given life the Lord wishes for each and every person.
Discerning which is which isn't as easy as it sounds, and we are all vulnerable to the merely human, the world of power and control. To live into the life God wishes for us, however, means completely reorienting how we see others and ourselves, and this is the hard work of following the pattern of Jesus, which is what we are called to do as baptized Christians.
Enjoy the video of the sermon and the audio of the whole service!
Peace and grace to you all!
Pastor Seth
"Trusting in Mere Mortals: Where Do You Stand?" - Rev. Seth D. Jones
Scripture: Jeremiah 17:5-10; 1 Corinthians 15:12-21; Luke 6:17-26
There are mere humans - those who easily give over their power to those who would control them, and those who seek power and control over others. And then there are those who seek to be wholly human - those who seek to live into the God-given life the Lord wishes for each and every person.
Discerning which is which isn't as easy as it sounds, and we are all vulnerable to the merely human, the world of power and control. To live into the life God wishes for us, however, means completely reorienting how we see others and ourselves, and this is the hard work of following the pattern of Jesus, which is what we are called to do as baptized Christians.
Enjoy the video of the sermon and the audio of the whole service!
Peace and grace to you all!
Pastor Seth
February 6, 2022 - Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
"Caught Up in the Net of the Cosmic Christ" - Rev. Seth D. Jones
Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8; Luke 5:1-11
When we read a Gospel story, or any story in the Bible for that matter, it sometimes helps to focus on the thing that is never talked about but is mentioned several times. In our Gospel story for today, we get hung up on the evangelistic interpretations of what Jesus means when he says "I will make you fishers of people". But the fishing nets are mentioned several times in the story. Maybe there is something important Luke, the storyteller, is trying to say about the fishing nets.
Enjoy the video of the sermon, the audio of the service, and the PDF of the sermon!
Peace to you! Pastor Seth
"Caught Up in the Net of the Cosmic Christ" - Rev. Seth D. Jones
Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8; Luke 5:1-11
When we read a Gospel story, or any story in the Bible for that matter, it sometimes helps to focus on the thing that is never talked about but is mentioned several times. In our Gospel story for today, we get hung up on the evangelistic interpretations of what Jesus means when he says "I will make you fishers of people". But the fishing nets are mentioned several times in the story. Maybe there is something important Luke, the storyteller, is trying to say about the fishing nets.
Enjoy the video of the sermon, the audio of the service, and the PDF of the sermon!
Peace to you! Pastor Seth
January 30, 2022 - Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
"Breaking Away From the Crowd" - Rev. Seth D Jones
Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-10; Luke 4:21-30
The crowd loves Jesus, then the crowd wants to kill Jesus. Luke is foreshadowing Jesus' death in our story today. There is something about the nature of crowds that eliminates truth and individuality. We explore that theme today, based on Soren Kierkegaard's essay "The Crowd Is Untruth".
Enjoy the video of the sermon and the audio of the service!
Peace and grace to all! Pastor Seth
"Breaking Away From the Crowd" - Rev. Seth D Jones
Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-10; Luke 4:21-30
The crowd loves Jesus, then the crowd wants to kill Jesus. Luke is foreshadowing Jesus' death in our story today. There is something about the nature of crowds that eliminates truth and individuality. We explore that theme today, based on Soren Kierkegaard's essay "The Crowd Is Untruth".
Enjoy the video of the sermon and the audio of the service!
Peace and grace to all! Pastor Seth
January 23, 2022 - Third Sunday of Epiphany
"Eat, Drink, And Share in the Joy of the Lord" - Rev. Seth D Jones
Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1-11; Luke 4:14-21
Last week, we heard about the party Jesus is trying to throw for all of us. This week, we learn who Jesus is inviting to the party. Many of us might not like who is showing up.
Enjoy the video of the sermon and audio of the whole service.
Peace and grace to all!
Pastor Seth
"Eat, Drink, And Share in the Joy of the Lord" - Rev. Seth D Jones
Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1-11; Luke 4:14-21
Last week, we heard about the party Jesus is trying to throw for all of us. This week, we learn who Jesus is inviting to the party. Many of us might not like who is showing up.
Enjoy the video of the sermon and audio of the whole service.
Peace and grace to all!
Pastor Seth
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January 16, 2022 - Second Sunday after Epiphany
"Groove Is In The Heart: The Party at Cana" - Rev. Seth D Jones Scripture: Isaiah 62:1-5; John 2:1-11 I love the story of the wedding at Cana. John tells us the story is a sign, not a miracle, which also means he deliberately tells the story as a symbolic reference to many things. Or to put it another way, Jesus so participates in the history and traditions of his environment that all his actions resonate with symbols throughout time. Miracles point to Jesus; signs and symbols point beyond Jesus. Today, we look at where the symbols are pointing us. When I read the story of the wedding at Cana, I couldn't help think of my favorite party song from the 1990s (I misspoke the date in the sermon - the song is from 1990). Groove Is In The Heart is infectious and funky. I try to tie it into the sermon, hopefully in keeping with the elegant and quirky Lady Miss Kier, the front woman for Dee-Lite. Enjoy the video of the sermon, the audio of the entire service, and the video of Groove Is In the Heart! Peace and grace, Pastor Seth |
January 9, 2022 - First Sunday after Epiphany
"Strange Attractors" - Rev. Seth D Jones
Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-9; Matthew 2:1-12
An epiphany is a deep insight into some aspect of the world or one's experience. Epiphanies alter how one understands things in such a profound way that we never see them the same way again. Perhaps the epiphany is understanding that Jesus radically redefines the way we experience God in our communities and lives. Perhaps the epiphany is that what we thought was a reasonable approach to the world - say, trusting kings and systems and traditions - is actually harming others and the created order. Today, we journey with the Magi to see more deeply into how epiphanies change us.
Enjoy the video of the sermon and the audio of the whole service!
The order of service with the sermon is linked in the title above.
Peace and grace to all!
Pastor Seth
"Strange Attractors" - Rev. Seth D Jones
Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-9; Matthew 2:1-12
An epiphany is a deep insight into some aspect of the world or one's experience. Epiphanies alter how one understands things in such a profound way that we never see them the same way again. Perhaps the epiphany is understanding that Jesus radically redefines the way we experience God in our communities and lives. Perhaps the epiphany is that what we thought was a reasonable approach to the world - say, trusting kings and systems and traditions - is actually harming others and the created order. Today, we journey with the Magi to see more deeply into how epiphanies change us.
Enjoy the video of the sermon and the audio of the whole service!
The order of service with the sermon is linked in the title above.
Peace and grace to all!
Pastor Seth