We are blessed to have a Senior Pastor, a host of guest Pastors and lay members of our Congregation who bring us inspiration, insight and testimony every week in thoughtful and challenging sermons. We encourage you to visit every week to hear these reflections on the word of God!
September 20, 2009
On September 20, those assembled in worship were blessed to hear a sermon by Jan Bacon that celebrated the founders and more recent "near saints" of our Congregation.
(Click here to run or save the mp3 file.)
October 4, 2009
Greta McRae, our Interim Christian Educator, celebrated World Communion Day with warmth, humor and thoughtfulness through her own experiences as a Christian educator and mother of four.
(Click here to run or save the mp3 file.)
October 11, 2009
Rev. Diane Mix reflects on Jesus as the Servant of all, based on Mark 10:35-45.
In Scripture, James and John nervously ask Jesus for a favor on their way to Jersualem. Wryly, he responds, "And what would you have me do?". Only to sit at his right and left hand, they said, in your glory. Little did they know that the Son of Man - who after challenging, then accepting their committment to "drink the cup I drink" - would turn their guileless request on its head, saying the favor was not his to grant and that "whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all..."
(Click here to run or save the mp3 file.)
October 18, 2009
Rev. Diane Mix reflects on the nature of miracles, inspired by the story of Jesus' Feeding of the 5,000 Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21. (Reading by Maryann Beebe)
The stories of Jesus' miracles - 34 of them in the books the New Testament - began with the transformation of water into wine at Cana and ended with restoring the sight of a beggar on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Most are set in dramatic circumstances - while others are subtle, underplayed, almost "offhand". Do we need and expect all Christ's miracles in our lives to be dramatic? Or do we miss every day the presence of the miraculous in our lives?
(Click here to run or save the mp3 file.)
October 25, 2009 - All Saints Day
Rev. Diane Mix preaches on the promise of new life - as "A New Creation". Scripture: Isaiah 40:6-8, 28-31. (Reading by Rob Blomberg.)
This selection of Isaiah, like many other parts of this powerful Book, presages the Gospel, the Good News - "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God...". And like the Gospel, Isaiah tells us that, though we wither and fall, like the grass and the flowers,
"Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."
And those who "wither" at the physical death of loved ones can take strength from these words too...just think of New Life as a New Creation.....
(Click here to run or save the mp3 file.)
November 1, 2009 - Communion Sunday
Rev. Diane Mix preaches on the rite of Communion. Scripture: Matthew 29:20-29. (Reading by Bill Eaton.)
In our season of Discernment, we seek with the help of the Holy Spirit those Christian practices which we as a Congregation are being called to follow. Communion is central to all of these practices, the ultimate expression of our faith and the most complete means to understanding of our ever-new relationship with God through Christ. Rev. Diane takes us on a tour of our faith tradition and connects us to personal experiences that can unlock a better understanding of our relationship to God through Christ's bread and cup.
(Click here to run or save the mp3 file.)
November 8, 2009 - To be posted shortly.
November 15, 2009
HCC member Avi Lev continues our focus on discernment and Christian practices with a meditation on generosity, weaving words from a 15th century poet and a hot dog vendor in Dodger Stadium to urge us to practice generosity in imitation of Christ, to "break loose" and connect with the source of Grace that fills the world around us as the great oceans surround the fish of the sea....
(Click here to view the PDF of Avi's sermon - audio not available.)
November 22, 2009
Rev. Diane Mix preaches on the challenges and rewards of Commitment to God. Scripture: Joshua 24:1-3, 14-25. (Reading by Karen Von Loesecke.)
At the end of his life, Joshua stood before his people, God's people, and challenged their commitment to God - despite their continued profession of faith. Was he hard of hearing as he seemed, three times, to deny their words? Perhaps. More likely, his rhetorical refutation was meant to underscore the coming challenges to their commitment to God, to underscore the notion that commitment actually is continuous "recommitment"; recommitment to rejecting the continuing temptation of false idols, recommitment to expressing their steadfast love of God and their desire to serve God in "sincerity and truth".
(Click here to run or save the mp3 file.)
November 29, 2009 - First Sunday of Advent
Rev. Diane Mix preaches on HOPE and the second Advent. Scripture: II Peter 3:1-4; 8-13. (Reading by Peter Dolphin.)
The third chapter of Peter's second epistle anticipates and answers the question posed in the fourth verse: "...where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation...". The question is unanswerable... the second coming of the Savior will "come as a thief in the night...". What solace was this to second century Christians, persecuted and murdered for their faith? How did they tolerate their temporary state of being, anticipating moving into a state of eternal grace? Along with faithfulness, generosity, kindness and patience, they embraced HOPE. Reverend Diane offers some ideas for "rediscovering the art of HOPE" in this tumultuous era.
(Click here to run or save the mp3 file.)
December 6, 2009 - Second Sunday of Advent (To be posted shortly.)
December 13, 2009 - Third Sunday of Advent
Lessons and Carols Service! Our annual Advent celebration of the good news of Christ's birth, with stirring words from Scripture and music from each one of our remarkable choirs.
Click here for the first four selections:
Prepare the Way Scripture: Isaiah 9:2b-7 read by Todd Anderson. Anthem: A Long Time Ago - Junior Choir
Mary the Chosen One Scripture: Luke 1:26-45 read by Allie Christopher. Anthem: Andelus ad Virginem (14th Irish Carol, arr. David Willcocks) - Senior Choir
The Birth of Emmanuel Scripture: Matthew 1:18-23 read by Ken Monahan. Carol: O Come O Come, Emmanuel - the Congregation
Babe of Bethlehem Scripture: Luke 2:1-7 read by Lisa Vialle. Anthem: King Gloeckchen - Junior Choir
Click here for the next three selections:
Shepherds Behold Him Scripture: Luke 2:8-14 read by Graham Bates. Anthem: When a Child is Born - Folk Choir
Kings Seek Him Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12 read by Rosemary Arthur. Anthem: Nothing But a Child - Folk Choir
We Join in Praise Scripture: John 2:16-17 read by Emily con Loesecke. Anthem: Jazz Gloria (Natalie Sleeth) - Folk and Senior Choirs
Finally, please click here for:
Offeratory: While By My Sheep (17th c. Echo Carol, arr. Hugo Jungst) - Senior Choir
December 20, 2009 - Fourth Sunday of Advent: Small service was held (snow storm) so the sermon was postponed in favor of a music service!
December 27
Greata McRae, our Interim Christian Educator, preaches on seeking Jesus in the context of the parent and child. Scripture: Luke 2: 41-52. (Reading by Neil Connelly.)
This reading is the only picture we have of Jesus the young man, lingering at the Temple while his family travels back to Nazareth after festival. How many times have our own children surprised (scared!) us, and how did we react? Here we have Jesus at home in his Father's house, Joseph and Mary seeking him out, with fear and love...doesn't that describe our own journies? And doesn't it sometimes take the view of a child to open up vistas of faith in our own lives? Greta touches all these themes with great stories and insight.
Click here to run or save the mp3 file.
January 3, 2010
Rev. Jerry Smith, our longtime substitute pastor, preaches on the evolution of the Gospel, culminating in the Gospel of John. Scripture: John 1:1-11 (Reading by Rev. Smith)
One can see the evolution of layers of meaning as each Scripture was added to the Gospel...Mark, the oldest Scripture, begins with Jesus' ministry; Matthew, Jewish law; Luke, the history of the world; and, finally, John, the "different" Scripture: “In the beginning was the Word….and the Word became flesh and lived among us….full of grace and truth…” This progression shows us for who we are as people, striving to push for meaning, for context on this wonder, a deeper understanding of this profound world changing surprise of the Word becoming flesh in a little baby born to peasants in Palestine. Listen and enjoy Rev. Jerry's reflection on the favorite part of his favorite Gospel.
Click here to run or save the mp3 file.
Also click here for an INCREDIBLE organ postlude by Janet Cappers.
January 10, 2010
Rev. Jerry Smith preaches once again, this time on Mark's first lines describing Jesus' baptism. Scripture: Mark 1: 1-11. (Read by Karen Keyser.)
Rev. Jerry begins his meditation on the beginning of Jesus' ministry with a reminiscense of Scorcese's "Last Temptation of Christ", noting it's sometime sacrifices of accuracy to dramatic purpose. But the scene of Jesus' baptism suggests a similarity of baptism to epiphany, when it appears in the film that Jesus actually became who he was - and truly realized it - only after his baptism. Interesting too that in Scripture the "bad guys" (think Satan, unclean spirits, etc.) were absolutely certain who they were dealing with in Jesus, while his disciples sometimes weren't so sure. Where are the epiphanies in our lives, the moments when you KNOW what you are witnessing is sacred - through healing and giving, through worship, through moments of theopany - a direct experience of God?
Click here to run of save the mp3 file and be sure to listen through to Eileen Hutchins wonderful piano meditation.
January 17, 2010
Guest preacher Reverend Cass meditates on the Wedding at Cana. Scripture: Isaiah 62:1-5 and John 2:1-11 (Read by Lew Scotton).
John, as Rev. Cass points out is all about belief, distilling Jesus' teachings into a continuous challenge to our Faith. The first miracle was monumental in scale...6 stone jars of 30 gallons each, all filled with water then the best "new wine". And is it coincidence that the setting for this miracle, this invitation to belief, is a wedding, a joining of spirit in love, a gathering of community in which hope and new life are joyfully celebrated?
Click here to run of save the mp3 file and be sure to listen through to Eileen Hutchins wonderful piano meditation.
January 24, 2010
Rev. Diane Mix returns with a reflection on Job in the wake of the disaster in Haiti. Scripture: Job 1:13-22 (read by Jeff Thiebout)
The Book of Job poses 330 questions in 42 chapters, compared to 160 in Genesis and even 160 in the Gospel of Matthew. Why? Because when bad things happen to good people, we need to search for cause and effect, any sign that there is a rational natural moral order in the physical universe that favors the faithful and punishes the wicked. But Job, on his dungheap, rejects the advice of his "friends" to repent (when there is nothing to repent from) because, well, yes, sometimes the wicked prosper at the expense of the good. And God doesn't answer his question "Why", but rather provides a different, perhaps equally vexing response: You can't know who I am and what I have done: it is beyond your ken.
Click here to run or save the mp3 file - and be sure to listen too to a moving piano mediation (Beethoven) by Eileen Hutchins.
January 31, 2010
Joanne Carpenter, our congregational ambassador to Haiti for the past 20 years, preaches with Rev. Diane Mix on extreme hope and faith. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 (Read by Debbie Rathnam.)
We are One body in Christ, each with his or her own gift of faith and works, and those in Haiti continue to show us their gift of extreme faith and hope. The country is a misery of international rejection, from Napolean to Jefferson all the way to the Clinton administration, strangled into a permanent economic pit by brutal dictators and and divided by class between an elite of partial European heritage and a bulging native Haitian underclass. When you have nothing, the value of faith, love and hope in God is worth everything; recent marches of praise singers in the wrecked streets of Port au Prince show us that the Body of Christ is much much stronger and resilient in the very places where flesh and blood are shed in unimaginable ways. May the broken body of Haiti finally raise the attention of the secular world on the need to relieve the nation from material want - and the attention from the sacred world on Haitian miracles of extreme faith and hope so rarely witnessed in our lives.
Click here to run of save the mp3 file for Part 1 of the sermon...
Click here to run Part 2...and be sure to listen through to Eileen Hutchins wonderful piano meditation.