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.
“The Experience of God: Stone Pillows and Living with Weeds” by Jill Joseph
17 July 2011
The 5th Sunday After Pentecost
At the broadest level, it is apparent that the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament provide texts that both give voice to, and invite, a deep and sustained involvement with God. They do so in diverse voices and many forms that include liturgical hymns, lamentations, narratives of a people’s ancient history, letters, myths, discourses, prophecies, parables, and a recording of what was certainly an earlier oral tradition of the life of Jesus.
They also, for me, present consistent challenges that I would like to avoid, but cannot. It is always easy to point to selected verses from Paul’s letters or that are attributed to him as examples of such difficulties. Even as our community explores the theme of “Learning to Live in the Body”, I find myself taken aback by statements such as we read today: “If you live according to the flesh, you will die; but, if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
“Everyday Salvation” by Pat Conover
10 July 2011
The 4th Sunday After Pentecost
We in Seekers have a lot of sources of guidance for the decisions we make. They are our version of living by the law. It is easy for us to resonate with the poetry of the portion of Psalm 119 in the lectionary for today. It is a poem about being steadfast in following the law even in difficult circumstances. It is not a dreary rote obedience, not a head down slump of conformity, not a shutting down of thinking, not shutting out real conversation with others with the hope of gaining insights or spotting creative opportunities. It is more like one of my favorite definitions of a friend. “A friend is someone who remembers your tune and sings it back to you when you have lost the melody.
New Story Leadership for the Middle East
3 July 2011
The 3rd Sunday After Pentecost
New Story Leadership for the Middle East is an organization that brings together Israeli and Palestinian young adults to work, live, and share their stories with one another and with faith communities. Two participants in this summer’s program spoke at Seekers this morning during the time of sharing the Word.
“Faith Shared” by Joelle Novey and Arif Karim
26 June 2011
The 2nd Sunday After Pentecost
Faith Shared: Uniting in Faith and Prayer was a project of the Interfaith Alliance and the Human Rights Alliance. Seekers Church participated in this interfaith event along with many other houses of worship around the country this week.
At Seekers Church, our guests for Faith Shared were Joelle Novey, Director of Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light; and Arif Karim, a Fellow of the Muslim Public Service Network currently interning with IPL. In addition to one of our own members reading the appointed Gospel lesson for the week, Joelle and Arif read texts from their respective religious traditions and spoke on what interfaith worship means to them.
“A Homily for JoAnne and Jill’s Wedding” by Marjory Bankson
19 June 2011
Homily for JoAnne Natale and Jill Joseph’s wedding
What does one say to a couple who’s been together for 25 years? You already know the pleasures and pitfalls of your relationship. You know where the sand-traps are, and what to avoid if possible. You already know how hard it is to be forever patient and kind; how hard it is not to insist on your own way.
When you chose Paul’s letter to the Corinthians as the text for today, I knew how important this marriage ceremony was for the two of you and it gives me great pleasure to offer the blessing of both church and state to your commitment today.