Claremont United Church of Christ

We begin our new series on the parables of Jesus the Storyteller with the Parable of the Sower. This sower seems like a terrible farmer and sows seeds with reckless abandon flinging seeds without any regard for where they land. Pastor Jen explains why this sower seems like a gardener in Nebraska much more than a gardener in California!

Today God is Feeling...Anxious. We join Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as he cries out in grief and agitation. It can be comforting to know that Jesus experienced the very same anxiety we do in life. Join Pastor Jacob as he tries to destigmatize conversations around mental health and invites us to be vulnerable as we share our own anxieties.

What does it mean the God is pleased with us? Join Pastor Jen as she explores how God often acts like a proud soccer mom and takes pleasure in us living into our true selves.

Of all of the emotions that Scripture portrays God as feeling, we don't often dwell on the joy of God. And yet, in Scripture God is often portrayed as rejoicing and taking joy in Scripture. Pastor Jen shows how possessing joy is actually a subversive act in the face of the troubles of this world.

Throughout history some theologians have argued that God is beyond human emotions, but one look through Scripture and it is obvious that God feels as many emotions as we do! Join Pastors Jen and Jacob as they explore God’s wide range of feelings from anger to joy, from compassion to grief. Perhaps we might discover that God knows exactly how we are feeling.

Christians have turned to the Bible to discover more about God and to find answers to our deepest questions and longings for thousands of years. But, what if the Bible had never been written? Would we still be able to know anything about God? Join Pastor Jacob as he digs deeper into exactly what the Bible is, how it was formed, and how it might guide us today.

Attachments area

So much of Christianity is centered on the redemption provided to us through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. But what if Jesus had died of old age instead? Would God have still found a way to redeem us?

This week we have see the dangers of moving toward a theocracy. Join Pastor Jacob as he explores the history of the marriage of the church and Empire and asks, "What If...Constantine Had Never Become a Christian?"

The 10 Commandments have always been seen as the moral compass of our society, but is obeying these 10 laws all there is to living a moral life? Join Pastor Jacob as he asks, "What If...Moses Had Never Received the 10 Commandments," and explores how God has engraved a moral compass on our hearts.

Pastor Jacob kicks off his "What If..." sermon series exploring what would happen if major events in Christianity never took place by asking "What if Adam and Eve Never Ate the Fruit?" Pastor Jacob invites us to understand the story of Adam and Eve not as a tale about original sin, but rather as a coming-of-age story for humanity where we learned to accept our responsibility for dealing with the moral complexity of good and evil in this world.