Claremont United Church of Christ

Maundy Thursday commemorates Jesus' last meal with this disciples, but it is also the night that Judas betrays his teacher and friend. What motivated him to turn Jesus over to his captors? Why, like Judas, do we find ourselves so often doing what we know we shouldn't, and failing to do what we know we should? Join Pastor Jacob as we come and find that we can always turn to God and receive the Bread of Life. Again and again.

At the same time as Jesus' procession into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Pilate and the imperial army were marching in their own procession on the other side of town. Join Pastor Jacob as he explores how Jesus' entry into Jerusalem that day was a carefully planned counter-protest. Palm Sunday offers us two processions, two paths, which one will we take?

Salvation is a complicated theological concept. Could we learn about what it means from an executed criminal? Join us as we read the story of Saint Dismas, the Penitent Thief, who found salvation in the most unlikely place.

In the temple in Jerusalem a curtain sixty feet high and thirty feet wide stood outside the Holy of Holies where the presence of God was supposed to dwell. This curtain was four inches thick and the Jewish historian Josephus said that even two horses attached to the curtain on either side could not tear it apart. Join Pastor Jacob as he looks at the story of the Roman centurion who stood at the foot of Jesus' cross and explores the curtains we construct that prevent us from seeing the world as God sees it.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee who had all of the answers. So why does he come to Jesus in the middle of the night asking questions? Join us as we unravel Nicodemus' tightly wound theology and discover the beauty of the Spirit's mystery.

Last week, Pastor Jen called on us to take up the proverbial cross of Christ and live lives of risk. This week we visit the one person who literally carried the cross of Christ and we ask what it takes to make a hero.

We start our Lenten sermon series, “Were You There?” by entering into one of the most shocking conversations Jesus has with his disciples. Although he had just praised Peter, in this passage he calls him Satan! Join us as we begin our journey with the people who first followed Jesus and learn what Jesus meant when he called for us to take up our crosses.

“You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” It was the original curse that God placed on Adam and Eve after they deliberately violated God’s trust. However, the story does not end with a curse, but rather a word of life. Join us as we begin our 40 day Lenten journey, acknowledging that we are made of dust, but also celebrating that we are clothed in God’s grace.

The Book of Hosea starts with a strange metaphor where Hosea marries an unfaithful spouse and tries to reconcile with her. Join Pastor Jacob as he explores the problems with this metaphor and reflects on how the metaphors we use to describe God are often a reflection of ourselves.

This year, Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine's Day. Before we kick off Lent, join Pastors Jen and Jacob for a two week sermon series entitled, "My Funny Valentine: Tales of Biblical Romance." Today's text is the story of Jacob and Leah and Rachel in Genesis 29, a romance so full of flaws and disaster, it makes us wonder, "Where is God in all of this?" And how have we inherited the mistakes of our Biblical ancestors today?