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February 23, 2020 - Transfiguration Sunday A
"Formed and Shaped by the Extraordinary"
Scripture: Exodus 24:12-18; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9
The Transfiguration is one of the great mystical events of Scripture. Our desire to theologize and analyse the event, or any of the great Extraordinary Spiritual Events in the Bible, distances us from participating in the experience itself. Knowing that there is a structure to the Transfiguration gives us a way to begin to form a language to talk about the Extraordinary, the Supernatural, and the Strange.
Enjoy the audio!
Peace, Pastor Seth
"Formed and Shaped by the Extraordinary"
Scripture: Exodus 24:12-18; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9
The Transfiguration is one of the great mystical events of Scripture. Our desire to theologize and analyse the event, or any of the great Extraordinary Spiritual Events in the Bible, distances us from participating in the experience itself. Knowing that there is a structure to the Transfiguration gives us a way to begin to form a language to talk about the Extraordinary, the Supernatural, and the Strange.
Enjoy the audio!
Peace, Pastor Seth
February 16, 2020 - Epiphany 6A
"Broken Intimacies and Distorted Desires"
Scripture: Exodus 30:15-20; Matthew 5:21-37
This week, Jesus takes a hard turn and deals with some difficult subjects. He calls us to deeply examine our Anger, Lust, and Malice. As his followers, Jesus demands a rigorous self-analysis that takes us back from actions to ideas to feelings to thoughts to the beginnings of the thought.
May the Lord bless and keep you as we complete our Epiphany exploration of the Sermon on the Mount!
Enjoy the audio and PDF!
Pastor Seth
"Broken Intimacies and Distorted Desires"
Scripture: Exodus 30:15-20; Matthew 5:21-37
This week, Jesus takes a hard turn and deals with some difficult subjects. He calls us to deeply examine our Anger, Lust, and Malice. As his followers, Jesus demands a rigorous self-analysis that takes us back from actions to ideas to feelings to thoughts to the beginnings of the thought.
May the Lord bless and keep you as we complete our Epiphany exploration of the Sermon on the Mount!
Enjoy the audio and PDF!
Pastor Seth
February 9, 2020 - Epiphany 5A
"Salt and Light" - Ed Gabrielsen, Intern
Scripture: Isaiah 58:10-12; Philippians 4:8; Matthew 5:13-16
We had the pleasure of hearing our intern, Ed Gabrielsen, preach on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount this morning.
Enjoy his message on the audio below!
Peace and grace to you!
Pastor Seth
"Salt and Light" - Ed Gabrielsen, Intern
Scripture: Isaiah 58:10-12; Philippians 4:8; Matthew 5:13-16
We had the pleasure of hearing our intern, Ed Gabrielsen, preach on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount this morning.
Enjoy his message on the audio below!
Peace and grace to you!
Pastor Seth
February 2, 2020 - Epiphany 4A
"The Cartography of Faith" - Rev. Seth Jones
Scripture: Micah 6:1-8; Matthew 5:1-12
We used to use maps to get wherever we were going. Now, most of us use Google Maps or some version of it. In the transition, the ability to read a map, or even create a map, has gotten lost. The Beatitudes are like a spiritual map that guide us to the landscape of the Kingdom of Heaven. We need to learn how to read that map - its mountains and valleys, the plains and lakeshores, the streams and rivers and pathways, the cliffs and obstacles. Today, we explore the spiritual map that Christ is creating for us.
Enjoy the PDF and the audio!
Peace!
Pastor Seth
"The Cartography of Faith" - Rev. Seth Jones
Scripture: Micah 6:1-8; Matthew 5:1-12
We used to use maps to get wherever we were going. Now, most of us use Google Maps or some version of it. In the transition, the ability to read a map, or even create a map, has gotten lost. The Beatitudes are like a spiritual map that guide us to the landscape of the Kingdom of Heaven. We need to learn how to read that map - its mountains and valleys, the plains and lakeshores, the streams and rivers and pathways, the cliffs and obstacles. Today, we explore the spiritual map that Christ is creating for us.
Enjoy the PDF and the audio!
Peace!
Pastor Seth
January 26, 2020 - Epiphany 3A
"The Jesus Net" - Rev. Seth Jones Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:10-19; Matthew 4:12-23 We continue our exploration of the light of God coming into the world with Jesus Christ. Today's story is all about nets - casting nets, leaving nets, mending nets. So we talk about nets, and especially an image of a net from our Buddhist friends, and we talk about fish, and what it means to get caught up in the things of God. Enjoy the PDF and audio! Peace, Pastor Seth |
January 19, 2020 - Epiphany 2A
"Come and See" - Ed Gabrielsen, Seminary Intern
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42
Today, we heard from our intern, Ed Gabrielsen, that the call to Come and See the revelation of the Lord is a call to recognize God's presence all around us.
Enjoy!
"Come and See" - Ed Gabrielsen, Seminary Intern
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42
Today, we heard from our intern, Ed Gabrielsen, that the call to Come and See the revelation of the Lord is a call to recognize God's presence all around us.
Enjoy!
January 12, 2020 - Epiphany 1 - Baptism of Our Lord
"Being Well Pleased" - Rev. Seth Jones
Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-9; Matthew 3:13-17
Today, we remember both Jesus' baptism and also our baptism. Among all the things happening in our baptism, I think the most important, at least for the church going forward, is understanding that we are being baptized into a symbolic universe. It used to be that, when a person was baptized, they would have studied Scripture, prayed with mentors, and been led by elders to the moment of their baptism over the course of about 3 years. So when you were baptized, not only were you just participating in a sacramental ritual of the church, you were being baptized into a universe of symbols. It is a profound way to participate in the life of Christ. In fact, I would say you participate in that universe of symbols whether you know about them or not. Symbols matter. They may be, finally, the only thing that really matters.
Enjoy the audio!
Peace, Pastor Seth
"Being Well Pleased" - Rev. Seth Jones
Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-9; Matthew 3:13-17
Today, we remember both Jesus' baptism and also our baptism. Among all the things happening in our baptism, I think the most important, at least for the church going forward, is understanding that we are being baptized into a symbolic universe. It used to be that, when a person was baptized, they would have studied Scripture, prayed with mentors, and been led by elders to the moment of their baptism over the course of about 3 years. So when you were baptized, not only were you just participating in a sacramental ritual of the church, you were being baptized into a universe of symbols. It is a profound way to participate in the life of Christ. In fact, I would say you participate in that universe of symbols whether you know about them or not. Symbols matter. They may be, finally, the only thing that really matters.
Enjoy the audio!
Peace, Pastor Seth
January 5, 2020 - Epiphany Sunday
"Visitors From Away" - Rev. Seth Jones
Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-9; Matthew 2:1-12
We celebrated Epiphany today (January 6 is the actual date), which is when we recognize the light of God and Christ shining into the world. This day is often acknowledged by the story of the Three Kings/Wise Men. This is what is known in the Jewish tradition as an aggadah, a story about the written story.
In my research for the sermon, I found an even better aggadah about the Wise People than the traditional one. It speaks to the light of Christ, the universality of God's presence, and the humbleness in following the Lord.
Enjoy the PDF and the audio!
Pastor Seth
"Visitors From Away" - Rev. Seth Jones
Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-9; Matthew 2:1-12
We celebrated Epiphany today (January 6 is the actual date), which is when we recognize the light of God and Christ shining into the world. This day is often acknowledged by the story of the Three Kings/Wise Men. This is what is known in the Jewish tradition as an aggadah, a story about the written story.
In my research for the sermon, I found an even better aggadah about the Wise People than the traditional one. It speaks to the light of Christ, the universality of God's presence, and the humbleness in following the Lord.
Enjoy the PDF and the audio!
Pastor Seth