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.
I am Open, I am Opened by Kate Lasso
September 8, 2024
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
I am Open, I am Opened
It’s September, and we can feel the coolness of the coming Autumn season in the air this morning. I love the promise of change that I always sense as Autumn approaches. From Jeanne Marcus I understand you all are entering into a season of recommitment at Seekers, in a year with the theme of Being Opened.
I take note that the phrase is “Being Opened” (not “Being Open). However, I would like to add my perspective, which is that to really be opened and to take in that experience, consent is required. Whatever internal resistance that may be present must yield. We say “yes” somewhere along the way – for me, this is the essence of faith and committing to the inward work a spiritual journey.
“Why We Come to Church” by Patricia Nemore
September 1, 2024
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Albert Camus ends his essay, “The Myth of Sisyphus”, thus:
I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain. One always finds one’s burden again. But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates the gods and raises rocks. He too concludes that all is well. This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night-filled mountain, in itself, forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.
“Lord, to whom can we go?” by Erica lloyd
August 25, 2024
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Let’s pray: Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts make us closer to whom you mean us to be. Amen
I will start with a confession that’s hopefully not going to make you too worried about the next 15 minutes: for months, I’ve been struggling because scripture has felt stale to me. I’d been growing impatient every time I cracked open the Bible, only to find the same old words and same old stories. Even worse, I had the same old reactions, as if I, too, was growing stale. In the midst of this struggle, I made the counter-intuitive decision to say yes when Deborah reached out to see if I would preach, in the hopes that forcing myself to engage would bring some life back into my relationship with scripture. I chose today because three years ago this gospel reading really touched a nerve. A crowd of Jesus’ followers, once hopeful, become befuddled, distressed, and ultimately disenchanted with him. As they drift away one by one, Jesus turns to his disciples: “Do you also wish to go away?” He asks.
“Becoming Bread” by Marjory Zoet Bankson
August 18, 2024
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Text: John 6:51-58
What a rich season of sermons we’ve had in this series on becoming bread. First there was the feeding of 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish: a literal miracle of generosity apparently created by a child’s good example of sharing what he had. Then there was Elizabeth’s sermon on the crowd’s demand for more miracles and Jesus’ response: “the bread of God comes down from heaven and gives life to the world,” and when the people wanted that bread, Jesus told them “I am the bread of life.” If we were reading the Gospel of John in one sitting, chapter 6 would move us from literally sharing bread with hungry strangers to Jesus as the symbolic bread of life, to be chewed on and ingested in our daily lives.
“I am a Seeker” by Kevin Barwick
August 11, 2024
Twelth Sunday after Pentecost
I have to admit that this sermon has been a real struggle. I’ve found myself resisting putting my thoughts down on paper, or claiming them as my own and, in fact, acting on them in deliberate and intentional ways. In other words, do I really believe what I’m actually thinking and saying?