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.
“Drawn from the Waters” by Jill Joseph
21 August 2011
The 10th Sunday After Pentecost
As we use this liturgical season to examine the theme of “catching our breath”, I turn to today’s readings to focus on some fundamental aspects of our shared life of faith. As a runner, I know the importance of catching my breath, the familiar, essential rhythm that sustains me.
A Service in the Style of Taize
14 August 2011
The 9th Sunday After Pentecost
Several times each year, Seekers Church takes time out from its regular preaching schedule for a service of chant, prayer and reflection modeled on the worship of the Taizé Community in France. This Sunday was one such time. Repeating the chants together until they die away into the silence provides rest for our world-weary spirits as well as an opportunity for individual reflection on our faith journeys. As we joined in spirit with the monks at Taizé, we were nourished by their faithfulness as well as by their music.
“In This Moment” by Deborah Sokolove
7 August 2011
The 8th Sunday After Pentecost
We seem to be in the season of old, familiar Bible stories. Last week, we heard about Jacob wrestling with the angel and Jesus and the disciples feeding 5000 families with five loaves of bread and two fish. This week, Jacob’s older sons are selling the youngest, Joseph, off to some passing traders, and Jesus and Peter are walking on water. . . .This is one of those miracle stories that upset a lot of people. . . .But I am less interested in the literal, factual level of this story than in what we can learn from it about our own lives. In particular, I want to focus on the moment when Peter is doing fine, walking on top of the waves, then suddenly notices that the wind is howling around him. Suddenly, Peter becomes distracted and frightened, and begins to sink.
“What Do You Have?” by Marjory Bankson, David Novello, and Peter Bankson
31 July 2011
The 7th Sunday After Pentecost
The text for today begins with the shock of John’s death, and Jesus’ withdrawal to a deserted place, presumably to tend his own grief. But the crowds followed Jesus, needing more from him. Mark says in reporting this same story that “they were like sheep without a shepherd,” and so Jesus began to teach them that they too were part of God’s realm. But the real lesson came when the people began to get hungry and restless.
The disciples came to Jesus and said “Send them away, so they can buy food,” but Jesus answered: “What do you have?”
“Being Comfortable in Our Own Skins: Treasuring Our Soul’s Address” by Keith
24 July 2011
The 6th Sunday After Pentecost
With our current theme and all the bare figures on the altar, I come to celebrate Body by focusing on our physical bodies. Not the church body, or spiritual bodies, or other ethereal concepts, but our actual flesh and blood bodies. At Seekers, we purport to appreciate and honor our bodies, and (I’m sure) do not intend to be repressed about our bodies. I am here to claim that and put some flesh onto those notions.
It’s easy to agree in the abstract that bodies are good, but I’m not here to talk about hypothetical bodies, but real bodies – yours and mine. And don’t we all know how easy it is to be critical of our own bodies and wish that we were different in some way…or in many ways. I want to encourage us to love ourselves, and each other, just as we are. There is beauty in each of us, just as we are, for our bodies are God-given and good.