Claremont United Church of Christ

Jesus invites us to take his yoke upon us, for it is easy. But a better translation is “well-fitting.” What would it look and feel like to go through life yoked to Christ? How can we take steps towards leading a life that fits us well?

In the Gospels, Jesus is constantly enjoying meals with whoever will join him! In today's sermon, Pastor Jacob invites us to take on a new spiritual discipline during this Unhurried Lent--having slow meals with friends! Tune-in to discover how preparing and eating a meal can be part of the Kingdom of God.

In Psalm 46, the Psalmist tells us that God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in times of trouble. But what about those times when it feels like God isn't very much help at all, or that perhaps God has even abandoned us? Pastor Jacob helps us to not ignore those very real feelings and at the same time learn how to, as the Psalmist says, be still and know that God is God.

“We can sleep when we're dead,” Pastor Jen’s friend once jokingly said. But why don’t we rest while we live? Pastor Jen kicks off our Unhurried Lent with a reflection on why the obsessive productivity in our culture is toxic, and how we as people of faith can rest as resistance.

The Prophet Jeremiah has a seldom talked about sidekick: Baruch. Baruch is a scribe who is tasked with writing down the words of Jeremiah. He even has to do it twice after one of the evil kings of Israel throws the first scroll in the fire. Because of Baruch, a major part of our Bible has been preserved. Pastor Jacob explores what it means to carry on the story of God for future generations.

“The Best Supporting Actress Award goes to….Miriam! Pastor Jen reminds us why the first prophet in the Bible is critical to the story of the Israelites’ liberation."

In the story of Joseph, he experiences mishap after mishap and yet still is able to do good in the world. Pastor Jacob explores how God does not cause the misfortunes in our lives but still works through us in the midst of tragedy to bring something good into the world just like Joseph.

The story of Moses is full of plot twists before he is even able to walk! Join Pastor Jen as she paints a vivid picture of one of the most powerful stories in the Old Testament.

In our current sermon series, we are exploring the big reveals and plot twists of Scripture, beginning with perhaps the biggest one of all: the conversion of Saul, the great persecutor of the Christian faith. Pastor Jacob helps to walk us through the story as we get to know Saul and invites us to open ourselves up to the constant self-discovery we experience in our own lives.