Sermons

Worship services are recorded weekly. Please click a date below to view the service.

    • (No sermon video 9/8/19 due to technical issues).
    • September 1, 2019 Sermon “Be Attentive to God’s Voice” Pastor Maribel Celiz
      • Scriptures: Jeremiah 2: 4-13; Psalm 81: 1, 10-16; Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16; and Luke 14: 1, 7-14.
      • Jeremiah and Psalm 81 are both laments that God’s people do not listen. The Scriptures this week remind us to listen for the voice of the Divine and to be attentive to all the ways we find holy sustenance. They call us to rejoice in this awareness.  Hebrews and Luke call us to have empathy for others and care for them as we have been cared for by God. Listen. Rejoice. Care. Share God’s sustenance with others.
    • August 25, 2019 Sermon “God’s Grace Without Limits!” Pastor Maribel Celiz
      • Scriptures: Jeremiah 1: 4-10; Psalm 71: 1-6; Hebrews 12: 18-29, and Luke 13: 10–17.
      • Today’s scriptures remind us to listen for God’s miraculous presence – whether God’s voice comes as a call to ministry (Jeremiah 1: 9-10), a promise of salvation (Psalm 71:3), a prophetic warning and promise (Hebrews 12: 22-29), or a word of healing (Luke 13: 12). Recognizing God’s presence in our lives opens new avenues for life and growth, if only we open our minds to hear and receive the messages sent from God.
    • August 18, 2019 Sermon “The Signs Are Obvious! Pastor Maribel Celiz
      • Scriptures: Isaiah 5: 1-7; Psalm 80: 1-2, 8-19; Hebrews 11: 29 – 12:2; and Luke 12: 49-56.
      • Isaiah and the psalmist proclaim that God lovingly planted the vineyard Israel, but its walls have fallen and the vineyard is being destroyed. But while Isaiah claims that this is God’s doing in response to Israel’s injustice and bloodshed, the psalmist holds out hope that God will yet save the people and give them new life. Hebrews implores us to follow the great cloud of witnesses who have set aside the weight of sin and death, that we may look to Christ, the perfecter of our faith. In Luke, Jesus yearns to bring fire to the earth to bring true judgment to all. God is not just the one who plants us like a vineyard, God is the one who destroys the vineyards that bears bad fruit. And yet, it is this same God, in the midst of our destruction, to whom we look for our salvation – salvation through fire and baptism. The great cloud of witnesses testifies to our need to follow Christ, who is our hope.
    • (No sermon August 11 – technical issues)
    • August 4, 2019 Sermon “Watch Where You’re Leaning To” by Pastor Maribel Celiz
      • Scriptures: Hosea 11: 1-11; Psalm 107: 1-9, 43; Colossians 3: 1-11; and Luke 12: 13-21.
      • God loves us and gives us good gifts. It saddens God when we deceive and abuse one another, when we are greedy or jealous or violent, and when we live without love and compassion. When we live in gratitude for all that we have received, and when we place our trust in God rather than in material things, we die to our old selves and become one in Christ, so that we may serve the world.
    • July 28, 2019 Sermon by Erica Reddy
      • Scriptures: Hosea 1: 2-10 ; Psalm 85; Colossians 2: 6-15, 16-19; and Luke 11: 1-13.
      • The contrast among today’s scriptures is not uncommon in the ordinary season. One theme is to center on Hosea’s depiction of the absolute devastation of losing touch with God and with God’s call in our lives. The psalmist echoes this feeling of abandonment but recalls God’s steadfast love and God’s promises of hope and renewal. The epistle challenges the community of faith to embrace the promises of God. It likewise challenges individuals within these communities to continue growing on their journeys of faith. Finally, the Gospel contains the Lord’s Prayer and the encouragement to seek the Lord for those who seek, find; and those who ask, receive.
    • July 21, 2019 Sermon “May You Be Strong and Well” A Healing Service Pastor Maribel Celiz
      • Scriptures: Isaiah 43: 1-5, 7-10 and Matthew 26: 36-45
    • July 14 – Ecumenical Worship in the Park (no video)
    • July 7, 2019 Sermon “God’s Healing” Pastor Maribel Celiz
      • Scriptures: 2 Kings 5: 1-14; Psalm 30; Galatians 6: 1-6, 7-16; and Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20.
      • There is an elegant simplicity to the healing and ministry expressed in each of today’s scriptures. Simply “wash and become clean” and Naaman is healed. “I cried out for help, and you healed me,” the psalmist sings to God. The epistle advises, “Carry each other’s burdens and you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Jesus instructs disciples to simply offer God’s peace from house to house. No advance training, no fancy words, and no elaborate rituals are required as we answer God’s call to serve and to heal the world.
    • June 30, 2019 Sermon “Our God of Freedom” Pastor Maribel Celiz
      • Scriptures: 2 Kings 2: 1-2, 6-14; Psalm 77: 1-2, 11-20; Galatians 5: 1, 13-25; Luke 9: 51-62.
      • No matter how much we don’t want it to happen, no matter how unprepared we feel to be on our own, mentors and guides eventually leave us, forcing us to carry on without them. Elisha follows Elijah until the very end – when his mentor and master is carried away in the whirlwind – for Elisha knows he cannot follow in the great prophet’s footsteps without a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem, knowing there is no return. The disciples will soon feel this loss. The psalmist cries out to God in distress, remembering God’s great capacity to make everything right again. Galatians does not fit into this theme, but beautifully describes the fruit of the Spirit available to those who live by the Spirit. We see this fruit in the lives of Elijah, Elisha and Jesus; indeed, we see it within our own lives when we love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
    • June 23, 2019 Sermon “There Is Hope in the Wilderness” Pastor Maribel Celiz
      • Scriptures: 1 Kings 19: 1-15a; Psalm 42; Galatians 3: 23-29; and Luke 8: 26-39.
      • Even in the midst of calamity, God is there. When Elijah was hunted and wanted to give up, angels nurtured him, and God gave him rest. The psalmist speaks of the longing of the human heart for God when events turn against us, and expresses confidence in God’s help. Galatians celebrates freedom in Christ and the removal of all distinctions that society uses to judge some people as less worthy than others. And Luke calls the story of Jesus freeing the strong man from the demons and the chains that bound him. God is always there to set us free, always there to bind up our wounds, always there to lift us above the hatred we find in the world.
    • (No Sermon June 16 – Pastor at Annual Conference)
    • June 9, 2019 Sermon “Committed to Christ” and Confirmation – Pastor Maribel Celiz
      • Scriptures: Acts 2: 1-21; Psalm 104: 24-34, 35b; Romans 8: 14-17, John 14: 8-17, 25-27.
      • There is a unity of Spirit that pervades both the Pentecost experience and the lectionary scripture readings. The unity of a diverse group of people (Acts 2), the unity of all of Christ’s followers adopted into one united family (Romans 8), and the unity of love connecting both our Trinitarian God and our human community (John 14), are also echoed in the psalmists celebration of creation’s expectant praise.
    • June 2, 2019 Sermon “The Glory of God” Pastor Maribel Celiz
      • Scriptures: Psalm 97 and John 17: 20-26
      • Ascension Day is a time to recognize God’s glory and rule over the earth. Jesus has been given power and dominion over all things. This Sunday, we can highlight this regal Jesus, our humble king of kings. The music and atmosphere of worship this day should reflect the reign of the ascended Christ over all things. It should also draw us to a place where we recognize that our calling comes from the most high – we must search for the hope to which God has called us.
    • April 21, 2019 Easter Sunday Sermon “Seeing is Believing” Pastor Maribel Celiz
      • Scriptures: Acts 10: 34-43; Psalm 118: 1-2, 14-24; 1 Corinthians 15: 19-26; John 20: 1-18; and Luke 24: 1-12.
      • The power of perspective drives the story of Easter Sunday. Are we looking for hope in the message of Jesus the Christ? Are we prepared to discover life in the midst of death? Are we ready to receive faith in the midst of doubt? Even when we aren’t sure what we’re looking for, Christ comes. Christ lives. Christ is present. We are not alone, and both life and love win. This is the victory of the Easter story.
    • (Sorry – technical issues – no video for 4/14/19)
    • December 24, 2018 Christmas Eve Worship
      • Scriptures: Isaiah 9: 2-7; Psalm 95; Titus 2: 11-14; and Luke 2: 1-10
      • This is a night for rejoicing – a night to sing a new song to God, a night to celebrate the salvation brought through the birth of Jesus, a night to embrace the light that shines in the darkness. God’s light and salvation shine forth through a child who will rule with justice and righteousness. This is a night to sing with all creation the glorious salvation of our God.
    • December 9, 2018 Sunday School Christmas Program “The Working Angel’s Guide to Christmas”
    • October 28, 2018 Special Music Performance by Singer/Songwriter Dan Holmes