Scripture: Psalm 15, and Matthew 5: 1-12 (The Beatitudes) – Being “Blessed” is not just a synonym for happiness. It represents a deeper form of happiness based on positive change and a fuller understanding of life. That’s why this short set of precepts from the Sermon on the Mount retains the power to move us.…
Pastor Jeffrey and his wife recently survived an extended cross-country move that required a LOT of tough decisions about what to bring with them and what to leave behind. Scripture offers much advice on the subject, from the story of Lot’s wife in Genesis to Jesus recruiting his first band of followers. That advice is…
“Faith sees best in the dark” Kierkegaard On his first Sunday as our new settled Pastor, Jeffrey explored the ancient dread that was attached to the growing darkness of December and how, even today, that darkness can lead us to examine our fears. Thus, the return of the light can magnify the hopeful message of…
On October 27, Rev. Cochran-Carney preached this sermon as the candidate to be our next settled pastor. As an extra challenge, the church was without electricity that day due a PG&E blackout*, which he refers to in his opening. Following the service, the congregation voted unanimously to confirm the call. Pastor Jeffrey will start leading…
In this sermon, Pastor Sally explores the challenge of self-acceptance. This has never been an issue for old-time religion, with its focus on sin, punishment and guilt. (Deuteronomy 30:15-20) But real life is full of ambiguities, and a religion for our times has to recognize and deal with all the aspects of our selves. Rather…
“Home” is one of the most powerful ideas in human culture – – both as a physical reality and as a metaphor for spiritual peace. It appears again and again as a critical concept in scripture (Hebrews 11:1-3,8-16, Luke 12:32-34.) In this sermon Pastor Sally takes a deep look at the central irony of a…
When we celebrated Pride month in May of 2019, every time we tried to fly our Rainbow flag over the church sign, some troubled soul came by in the dead of night and tore it down. After this had happened for several weeks, we decided to extend Pride month into August and (after taking some…
What does “Prayer” really mean to skeptical people in our modern world? Drawing on the story of Jesus in the house of Mary and Martha, Pastor Sally finds a simple and profound answer: however we do it, prayer is the process of clearing a path through all our distractions to focus on the things that…
For Mother’s Day, paster Sally preached on love . . . but not the simplistic cliché of greeting cards and love songs. Rather, she examined real love, as commanded by Jesus in John 13: 33-35, and which, as every mother knows, is anything but simple.
(Scripture Deuteronomy 26:1-11) On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, Pastor Sally examined the true nature of gratitude. Starting from the history of the Pilgrims’ first winter in the new world, when both they and the natives suffered devastating hardship, she observes that giving thanks for small blessings in the midst of hardship is when gratitude is…