Second on the Mount

"A Prophet in His Hometown" – Luke 4:16-30

Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, January 26, 2025.

"When Jesus preached his inaugural sermon to his home congregation, he made people he loved uncomfortable. Perhaps we need to accept the possibility, the nudge of holy discomfort. . . . It’s one thing to look out on the horizon for the someday of God’s kingdom, but it’s another to live boldly in that kingdom now.

"This is where we are called to be countercultural. This is where it gets tricky to be a Christian in the midst of a crowd that values privilege for some and not love and grace for all. Living, extending, testifying to that kingdom now—Jesus never said it would be easy; he never promised we would be comfortable. But he did say we’d never have to go alone. Jesus walks that road before us. Jesus calls us to follow."

Read the manuscript: https://www.spres.org/a-prophet-in-his-hometown/ 

"Preacher Paul" – Acts 20:7-12

Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, January 19, 2025. "And what is Paul’s message? All those idols are promising something they cannot deliver. Because here’s the deal: There is no deal! While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We are saved by the unmerited grace of God. There are no political leaders, not even Caesar himself, who should be given the status of gods. There is no Law of rules that can be followed that will secure your place in God’s good graces. There is nothing you can buy that will buy out your guilt or buy you a better seat in heaven. Be Roman or not be Roman, be Jewish or not be Jewish. Whatever you are, be loving, be kind, be compassionate because while we were yet sinners and deserving no place in God’s good company, God showed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus that there is room for us."

Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/preacher-paul/ 

"God's Nickname" – Exodus 3:7-17

Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Confirmation Sunday, January 12, 2025. "God knows each of us by name… which is to say that God knows what makes you 'you' and knows what makes me 'me.' I hope you understand that. I hope you understand that you specifically matter to God for specific reasons. And . . . I hope you understand that you matter specifically to the world because you are going to have a specific impact on it. The good that you do, and the harm you do—to yourselves, to others, and to the world—is very specific to who you have been, who you are, and who you will become."

Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/gods-nickname/ 

"What's Next" – Jeremiah 31:7-14

Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from Sunday, January 5, 2025. "Nobody wants to hear that pain comes before healing, or darkness comes before light, or dishonor before glory. But it is a pattern that is repeated in all aspects of faith. . . . Beloved, no matter where you are in that cycle, hear this: God is there with you. God is in the pain. God is in the darkness. God is there, wherever you are, extending grace and love."

Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/whats-next/ 

"Simeon and Anna" – Luke 2:22-40

Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, December 29, 2024. "What is it that makes us feel like worth, value, specialness are a matter of comparison? That in order for one person to be really special, they have to be more special than other people."

Read the manuscript: https://www.spres.org/sing-in-exultation-simeon-and-anna/ 

"A New Song" – Psalm 96

Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024.

"Angels" – Luke 2:8-14

Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from the fourth Sunday of Advent, December 22, 2024. "From paying the fees of psychics to sending probes into outer space, finding answers to life’s mysteries can cost a lot of money. But these shepherds can only afford to live their lives. Yet, it is to them that a revelation comes that so many hope for when they look to the stars."

Read the manuscript: https://www.spres.org/sing-in-exultation-angels/ 

"Mary" – Luke 1:46-50

Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from the third Sunday of Advent, December 15, 2024. "So, what does Mary’s song mean for Christians who are to bear the image of Christ and we as the church that is called to be the body of Christ? It means that we are called to bear the heart of Mary and of Jesus—that we are to be the intercessors for the poor, advocates for the oppressed, and bearers of good news to those who need it most. We are to offer the sanctuary of worship, the kindness of those who care, and the assistance of those who offer signs of God’s grace. That is why our ministries of outreach and compassion matter so deeply. They are the ways we echo Mary’s song and offer evidence of her joy."

Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/sing-in-exultation-mary/ 

"Elizabeth" – Luke 1:39-45

Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from the second Sunday of Advent, December 8, 2024.

"Zechariah" – Luke 1:67-79

Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from the first Sunday of Advent, December 1, 2024. "Within the classroom of silence, Zechariah’s faith is reconstructed. The one who kept the rituals of faith but lost confidence in God working salvation regains the faith of a child who can sing with awe and wonder. He has the headspace of someone for whom God’s love is miraculously real despite the circumstances of his times. He sings as someone so convinced of God’s reign that he sings as if Israel’s messiah has already come, that God has already saved Israel from her enemies and brought relief from all that burdens Israel’s people. For him, the miracle of the saving grace of God is as real as what he can see right in front of him..."

Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/sing-in-exultation-zechariah/