Sermons

  • Sermon: God in the Darkness

    By Joanna Lawrence Shenk This is the fifth sermon in our Lenten series on “Spirit and Power.” During this season of Lent, we are on a journey into the unknown, where much has been stripped away from us. It’s a journey that’s lonely, as we are isolated from others, and the path forward is dimly…

  • Sermon: A Time to Grow Our Souls

    By Joanna Lawrence Shenk This is the fourth sermon in our Lenten series on “Spirit and Power.” John 15:1-17 Over the last week elders have been on my mind. Elders who are made vulnerable by the spread of COVID-19. Elders in San Francisco who Faith in Action is organizing people to call. Elders in my…

  • Sermon: Resistance

    This is the third sermon in our Lenten series on “Spirit and Power.” John 15:1-17 Back in the mid-1990s, I was on retreat at a small retreat house near Carmel run by Catholic nuns. It was one of the the first retreats I had ever done, and it wasn’t a “programmed” retreat. It was me,…

  • Sermon: Abide in Me

    This is the second sermon in our Lenten series on “Spirit and Power.”  John 15:1-17 When I was growing up, we went to outdoor tent revivals put on by Helen’s uncle, George Brunk. Growing up in an isolated Amish-Mennonite farming community, we didn’t have ready access to live theater or dance clubs. Plus, all the…

  • Sermon: Naming and Claiming Spirit and Power as our Own

    This is the first sermon in our Lenten series on “Spirit and Power.”  John 15:1-17 Have you ever had the experience, sitting with people in meditation or worship, where you felt this energy in the room or within yourself, like some bigger Spirit or bigger Power was present? Have you ever been pierced by beauty  —…

  • Scripture Reflections

    This Sunday, two members — Kenda Horst and Jim Lichti — offered reflections on a lectionary passage of their choice. Reflection on 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 — Kenda Horst First, a short preamble: After I said yes to Sheri, I sat down at my computer and, seeing the blank screen, thought to myself: “What did I just…

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