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.
“Love Your Transgender Neighbor As You Love Yourself” by Cynthia Dahlin
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
July 9, 2023
Good Morning.
Deborah Sokolove asked me to preach in Pride Month, but I was out of town most of June. So I’m late, but it works out in time, as my message flows right out of what the delegates from New Story Leadership talked about last week: change is hard, and sometimes harder within ourselves than we are expecting, even when we have the best of intentions and desires.
Capernum Temple Leaders Opposed Jesus’ Teachings
This week’s Gospel reading includes a part of a longer story and rant by Jesus. John the Baptist had heard about Jesus’ miracles and teaching and sent his followers to ask Jesus if he was the expected Messiah. Jesus sent them back to John and said to report on all his miracles, and blessed everyone who took no offense at his actions. By this, he is beginning to criticize and preach against the Jewish leaders, who charge John is possessed by demons as he is a desert hermit, and call him, Jesus, a glutton and drunkard for eating with sinners and tax collectors. He chastises the leaders of small villages of Chorazin and Bethsaida, both in walking distance from Capernum on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and says that if the deeds of power done in those towns had been done in places outside the lands of Israel, those people would have repented and sat in sackcloth and ashes, but not these towns, which he knew well. The deeds of power he was probably talking about were the actions to exclude those who the leaders of the Jewish community thought unworthy, such as tax collectors, or ignore prostitutes, or beggars, or those who were not Jewish, but needing help.
“Accessing Healthcare in the West Bank and Gaza” and “Child of Despair” by Mohammed Abusaada and Noa Dotan
Seekers Presentations for New Story Leadership
July 2, 2023
Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
From the New Story Leadership (NSL) website we learn that “NSL is not just another peace program. It is not about dialog. It is not even about people to people engagement in the usual sense. They do not change anything. The mantra of NSL explains its theory of change, ‘Change the story, change the world.’ If you think something is impossible, then chances are you will be right. The tone of the Middle East conversation is dominated by the political that drowns out the personal and ultimately, drowns out the voices of hope.” Here are two of the those voice of hope that refuse to be drown out.
“Recovery Cafe DC and Recovery Cafe Network” by Kim Montroll, Catalyst at Large, Recovery Café Network
Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
June 25, 2023
It is such a joy to be here with you all this morning. Thank you. I was very moved and inspired hearing from Peter about the intensive learning and work you all are doing around reparations. Peter, thank you for sharing the Maryland Episcopal Reparations document with me, and the Seeker’s class where you’ve been working with this so deeply as a community. I have so much to learn and I’m grateful for this opportunity to reflect on how am I working with the realities of reparation in my own life, and in our work as Recovery Café DC.
“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.