Pastor Elisabeth continues to explore the everyday ways we resist the injustices of the world. She recalls the story of Jesus healing the women on the Sabbath as a political act against an oppressive system, and she emphasizes that we too are part of the healing of the world in collaboration and communion with others.
Guest preacher Rev Ann Jefferson of the City of Refuge church in Oakland presents. ways music has been used as a form of resistance. She decdes several gospel hymns that help reisist slavery and inspired freedom movements.
Pastor Elisabeth begins a July series on the theme of maintaining hope, energy, and inspiration for the work as disciples of compassion and justice in harsh times.
We share the entire service in this post. Church member Julie Dowling tells her story of living with AIDS, including her years living in an AIDS hospice. We celebrate God’s extravagant welcome to all people. This year we again have a section of the AID’s Quilt remembering those who have died from AIDs.
Rev. Bryen is a chaplain at Stanford’s Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital. He, explores the Lord’s Prayer found in different versions in Matthew and Luke and describes some of the wyas this has been a powerful prayer in the hospital. Members of the congregation also reflect on having or being a father. This week we share the entire service.
Pastor Elisabeth describes Pentecost as the coming of a new spirit which disrupts the old culture. Peter says this is the coming of the Holy Spirit, or Paracletes, which translated from the Greek actually means the coming of one who comes along side us. The Paracletes joins us in doing God’s work “…in adamant defiance…
Pastor Elisabeth discuses the backstory of John 21, the last story of Jesus when He directs the disciples to fish the other side of the boat, then shares the meal from the large catch, and tells Peter to “feed my sheep.” This is an act of defiance to the Empire because at the time Caesar…
God’s breath which resurrected Jesus can move through the smallest of openings including the seemingly hopeless efforts to protect the earth. Pastor Elisabeth quotes Pope France’s encyclical which asserted that love of neighbor includes love of the earth, and protecting the earth is a high virtue.
God’s power of transformation so experienced in the resurrection of Jesus has been in the universe from the very beginning. This transformative power exists today in those caring for others, building community, organizing, protecting the earth and like the disciples, not accepting the hopelessness of the empire’s viewpoint. She quotes Dr. Willa Gaffney. “Listen for…
Pastor Elisabeth describes the background to Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem when the people shouted “Hosana”— save us from the cruelty of the evil empire. Rather than the violent overthrow the people expected, Jesus taught that “the greatness of God is expressed in serving life, serving people. It is expressed in love, a love that disrupts…