Seekers recognizes that any member of the community may be called upon by God to give us the Word, and thus we have an open pulpit with a different preacher each week. Sermons preached at Seekers, as well as sermons preached by Seekers at other churches or events, are posted here, beginning with the most recent.
Click here for an archive of our sermons.
Feel free to use what is helpful from these sermons. We only ask that when substantial portions are abstracted or used in a written work, please credit Seekers Church and the author, and cite the URL.
“A Complicated Trinity” by Deborah Sokolove
Third Sunday After Pentecost
June 18, 2023
On this third Sunday of the Trinity season, I want to talk about three very different observances. Today is Father’s Day. Tomorrow is Juneteenth. And all of June is Pride Month. While none of these three secular observances appear on the liturgical calendar, and there is only a glancing connection with the lectionary readings for this week, it does seem to me that it would be wrong to ignore their significance in a congregation where our front windows proclaim our commitment to peace, justice, and creativity.
“Seekers Reflections on Faith” facilitated by Elizabeth Gelfeld
Second Sunday After Pentecost
June 11, 2023
Scripture readings:
Genesis 12:1-9
Psalm 33:1-12
Romans 4:13-25
Matthew 9:9-13,18-26
When Celebration Circle invited the community of Seekers to share in bringing the word in the sermon today, we offered two questions for reflection, based on the scripture readings for today.
These readings describe some really extreme faith in the face of lost causes. Abraham leaves his home and family and everything he knows, for no reason except faith in the word of God that he hears. In Romans, Chapter 4, Paul contrasts the law with Abraham’s faith, as he was “hoping against hope” that the promise that he would be the father of nations would be fulfilled, in spite of the reality that he and Sarah were past childbearing age. Then from Matthew, Chapter 9, we heard the stories of the synagogue leader who comes to Jesus and says, “My daughter has died,” yet has absolute faith that Jesus can return her to life; and of the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years and yet knew, in faith, that she did not even need to ask for healing, she only needed to touch Jesus’ clothes.
- In this particular time of your life, how are you being called to this level of faith?
- How are we, the community of Seekers, being called to this level of faith?
Liturgist’s note: For each of the following reflections, offered by members of Seekers, there is a brief introduction. Following each reading, the liturgist sounded a bell to introduce a minute of silence.
“Living in Peace: Stewardship in a Time of Chaos” by Peter Bankson
First Sunday of Trinity
June 4, 2023
INTRODUCTION
Our theme for this Trinity season is “Live in Peace.” The reflection question is “How did you offer peace this week?” Good question! To which I might add… and what can you do to find meaning and purpose in these turbulent times?
These certainly are chaotic times: turbulent weather; widespread famine and food insecurity; violent conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East and persistent tension in the Western Pacific; political and cultural confrontation across the nation; and widespread illness and injury in our community. At many levels of reality, we seem to be living in the midst of painful chaos. Where’s the hope? Where can we turn for the guidance and support we need to “live in peace?”
“Pentecost Sermon” by Jacqie Wallen
Pentecost
May 28, 2023
I have preached on Pentecost several times because I love the Pentecost story so much. I love that both men and women were represented among the disciples in the upper room that day. I love that though the disciples were diverse and spoke many different languages, they all could understand one another. I love their awe and wonder as the Holy Spirit descended on them in tongues of flame, empowering them to go out and be the body of Christ for the rest of the world. Each time I preach I find another theme in this story to research and contemplate. This time I have been thinking a lot about the Holy Spirit. What is the Holy Spirit, anyway? I decided to focus on that question for this sermon. In my research, I discovered there is a whole field in theology called “pneumatology” that is concerned with the study of the Holy Spirit. (“Pneuma” means breath or spirit in Greek). Most of the controversies and debates in this field are theological or historical and largely way too erudite for me. I’m more interested in what the Holy Spirit is experientially. My questions are: How do we encounter the Holy Spirit, how does it feel, and what happens as a consequence?
“Transformation Through Truth and Grace” by Paul Holmes
The 7th Sunday of Easter
May 21, 2023
Prayer: God, help me to not screw up too badly this morning.
Except for playing football in high school and college, I’ve never seen myself as fully competent to succeed in life. Per my own way of thinking, I’ve always fallen short. I’m not tall enough. I’ve got bad hair. My voice is not authoritative. I’m not sophisticated. I lack charisma. I’m a slow reader. And perhaps most importantly, I don’t really understand what I’m talking about. It follows then that whatever I say this morning will not satisfy. It will not be sufficient.
Despite that opening paragraph, I am OK. This sermon is not a pathetic appeal for pity. Rather it’s a sermon about two certainties that have been constant supports my whole life and that have allowed me to not only cope with my inadequacies, but to survive and thrive. The first certainty is God’s gift of grace. The second is the reality of white privilege that has benefitted me my whole life.