Rev. Julianne Stokstad was our pastor from 2004 through 2008 and has returned often over the years since. In this sermon, she introduces a concept from her days teaching biology: the “search Image,” which she suggests can help us see and feel the deeper gifts of Easter.
Garrett House is a lifetime California resident born in San Mateo. He has spent the last 16 years as a member of The Congregational Church of Belmont, California where he has served as Moderator, on The Board of Trustees, and on The Board of Christian Education. Presently, he is working on his master’s degree on…
Kim Williams is a Member in Discernment in the NCNC-UCC, and is a member of First Congregational Church of Fresno and associate member of Grace Community Church. She serves as the authorized lay minister at Grace Community Church in North Fork, CA and is an MDiv student in her third year at Pacific School of…
Rev. Elisabeth Middelberg left her native land, the Netherlands, in 1984 to come to the United States. Here she completed her license as an Art Therapist, a Marriage and Family Therapist and she finished her Master’s degree in Theology at Pacific School of Religion in 2001. She started the spiritual care department at Kaiser San…
Today’s visiting Pastor, Rev. Kristi Denham, started her career in ministry as a seminary intern 25 years ago here at FCC San Rafael. On this first Sunday in Lent, her sermon examines the idea of a call to ministry . . . Jesus’s call to his disciples in today’s scripture, similar concepts in other religions…
On the fourth Sunday in Advent, Pastor Jeffrey took a serious, affectionate look at the traditional manger scene and explored some of the many, many meanings of the Baby Jesus surrounded by domestic animals. (Scripture: Isaiah 9:2-3, 6-7 and Luke 2:8-12)
For the third Sunday of Advent, Pastor Jeffrey examines the prophesies of a savior for Israel, both the ancient one (Isaiah 7:10-16) and the actual account (Matthew 1: 18-25) almost 700 years later. Turning to today’s world, he suggests that miracles are happening all around us, but, like the birth at Bethlehem, their significance may…
It’s not by chance that our legends place Christ’s birth just after the shortest day of the year. The light of hope replacing fear just when the world seems darkest is probably the most ancient of human prophecies. In our tradition, that transition is Christmas. Pastor Jeffrey examines the corollary: that each of us lighting…
Drawing on the wisdom of both Robert Frost and Yogi Berra, Pastor Jeffrey suggests that this Advent we allow ourselves a little quiet time to contemplate life’s choices and the road less traveled. A less busy, hectic holiday season could create the space necessary for the true magic of Christmas to make itself felt. (Scripture:…
Pastor Jeffrey examines two episodes from the Gospels where Jesus restored a blind person’s sight. Although our medical understanding of physical blindness may be much greater today, “blindness” in the larger sense – – the inability or unwillingness to see a wrong and act to right it – – still afflicts us all. (Scripture: Psalm…