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Sermon 03.03.2024: Lent 3 - Kindness as Power, Possibility, and Peace

Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow • Mar 03, 2024

We will look at how true peace requires radical kindness (not just being nice), being able to see humanity and dignity in even our deepest of enemies. We acknowledge these relationships' deaths and believe that new life can be experienced. In conflicted times today, it is even more difficult to choose this path, but these are the times when we may need to most . . . and if we can't trust that the church can express new life, what are we doing?



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Scripture


Romans 12:14-18


"Blessed Are the Peacemakers"

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.


Matthew 5:1-11


When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.



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Art by Rachel Wolf

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Sermon 07.07.2024: A Dream Interpreted

By Rev. Marci Glass • 07 Jul, 2024
Do you remember your dreams? I try to pause when waking and think about my dreams, because I know they will scamper away the minute I get busy with my day. Having a dream is one thing. Interpreting its meaning is another. And turning a dream into reality is a whole different level. What are your dreams? Where is God in your interpretation of them and your implementation of them?
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Sermon 06.30.2024: Our Whole Truth

By Rev. Marci Glass • 30 Jun, 2024
In some of the most beautiful verse in scripture, the psalmist calls us to remember how deeply we are known by God, and how deeply we are loved. And it matters deeply. Sometimes in life we feel alone, we worry that either we have strayed beyond where God would follow, or we feel life has taken us past the limits of where God’s love would extend. It is a lie we tell ourselves—that we are beyond God’s love. It is a lie we tell about other people too. As we celebrate PRIDE, and wrap up our sermon series on the Psalms, come be reminded of how much God loves you. Yes, you.
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By Rev. Victor Floyd • 23 Jun, 2024
A concerted band of doomsayers bind us with their messages: the world is ending, we're all gonna die, the sky has fallen and we just haven't noticed yet. God's Word tells us of an alternative plan: The Great Unwinding. Shed your funereal outlook! Rewrite your story! Let's dance!
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Sermon 06.16.2024: Bless the Lord

By Rev. Joann Lee • 16 Jun, 2024
We often think of the word "bless" in the context of God blessing us. But Psalm 103 tells us five times to "Bless the Lord." What does it mean to bless God? On this Father's Day, as we look at a psalm that describes God as a father who has compassion for his children, we acknowledge that not all human fathers are this way. And we remember that God is described as much more than just a "father" in the Psalms and in scripture. Join us as we continue our sermon series on the Psalms and what they might reveal to us about God, humanity, and our relationships.
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Sermon 06.09.2024: How Long, O Lord

By Rev. Marci Glass • 09 Jun, 2024
We gather in worship for praise. We also gather for worship in lament. In our life of faith, we should be able to bring to God, and bring to our community, the entirety of our lives. What kind of community grows in a place where people can be honest about the pain and the joys of their lives?
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Sermon 06.02.2024: Programmed to Praise

By Alison Faison • 02 Jun, 2024
Psalm 100 is a psalm of praise. In it, the entire earth is called to praise, because praise is a job description of those God has created. Orienting our lives toward praise and gratitude is not an act of putting on rose colored glasses and refusing to see the broken and painful parts of the world. It helps keep the broken and painful parts of the world in the right perspective, which gives us the energy and the strength to work to make the world less broken, less painful. Let us praise God together.
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Sermon 05.26.2024: Singing with Our Ancestors

By Rev. Victor Floyd • 26 May, 2024
There is an old Italian saying: "Traduttore, traditore." It is a remark that assumes that the task of translation is hopeless, that you can't ever properly transmit a work from one culture to another. But what if the translator is God? This Pentecost, wear red and experience how God is translating love, peace, and unity for us in this world. 
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Sermon 05.19.2024: God the Translator

By Rev. Joann Lee • 19 May, 2024
There is an old Italian saying: "Traduttore, traditore." It is a remark that assumes that the task of translation is hopeless, that you can't ever properly transmit a work from one culture to another. But what if the translator is God? This Pentecost, wear red and experience how God is translating love, peace, and unity for us in this world.
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Sermon 05.12.2024: Participating In The Grace That Has Saved Us

By Rev. Marci Glass • 12 May, 2024
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By Rev. Victor Floyd • 05 May, 2024
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