This week, Pastor Jeffrey is taking a well-earned break. Our guest preacher is Rev. Cynthia Cochran-Carney, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in San Rafael. In this sermon, she reminds us that both scripture and the natural world promise that the hope for a better future often comes in the tiniest of packages.
Note: The video above is only the sermon. Scroll down to see all the other elements of the service, including videos of the hymns
Service for October 18, 2020
Opening Song For the Beauty of the Earth
Opening Prayer A Prayer for Breathing
adapted from a prayer by m barclay, enfleshed.com
Holy One, Breath of Life, remind us to breathe in your love.
We can hear you whispering to us to ……
Breathe in your inherent belovedness.
Breathe out the messages that you are expendable.
Breathe in love that makes your heart soft.
Breathe out any anger that is being misdirected.
Breathe in acceptance that all cannot be immediately solved.
Breathe out the need to control.
Breathe in the wisdom of ancestors who labored for collective love and justice.
Breathe out the temptation towards the superficial.
Breathe in a breath of humility. Breath out all that makes you shrink.
And then remember the trees.
Their giving and receiving of breath.
See them holding so much for us.
Offer a prayer of gratitude.
And let your roots sink deep into the soil of Divine Mystery.
Scripture verses Matthew 13:31-32
Sermon “Spiritual Redwoods and Small Seeds” Cynthia Cochran-Carney
(see video at top of page)
Click here for PDF of sermon
Closing Words
Go now on your journeys.
May we take the hope which has been given to us and share it with all.
May we offer the peace which the Holy One has poured into our lives.
May we plant seeds of compassion in the world.
May the redwoods remind us of the beauty of creation and the Divine Artist.
Postlude Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber
278 cellists from 29 countries made this video to connect with other cellists
across the world, and create something to collaborate on during COVID
About the Preacher Today
Cynthia Cochran-Carney was born and grew up in Santa Ana, California. She attended the University of Oregon where she was an English major. She graduated from SFTS, and celebrated 32 years of ordained ministry this month.
She came to be the pastor at First Presbyterian Church in San Rafael in April, 2019. She and pastor Jeffrey met in Bloomington, Indiana in 1990.