Sermons from First Presbyterian Church Palo Alto, CA

In this sermon from May 10th, 2026, Rev. Harris reflects on the story of Cain and Abel as a story about domination, and by extension hierarchy. Citing Octavia Butler he suggests that unchecked hierarchy is the disease that causes the symptom of war and the other evils of our time. This sermon is an introduction to next Sunday’s sermon that suggests a path to ending hierarchy and therefore war. 

The following is a short message by Rev. Harris on May 3rd about where the First Presbyterian congregation is called in the future. This was offered in the context of our annual meeting and celebration of ministry. Rev. Harris shares the key activities and qualities of the church now and where we might be called together in the future.  

The following sermon is by Rev. Dr. Bryson White who was our guest preacher on April 26th at 10 a.m. Dr. White is a Professor of Religious Studies at Santa Clara University. Dr. White conducts research in the areas of theology, black studies, carceral studies, visual studies, critical geography, and Tupac Shakur. White’s current research focuses upon the intersections between Christian eschatology and race, with particular emphasis upon Christian eschatology’s influence upon the creation and maintenance of the carceral state.

Welcome to Sermons from First Presbyterian Church Palo Alto. Each week we share a recording of the Sunday sermon, offering theologically progressive, social justice–oriented reflections grounded in Scripture and what’s happening in our lives and in the world. Most weeks the sermon is preached by our pastor, the Rev. Tom Harris, and from time to time we’re joined by guest preachers.

The following sermon is from the 10 a.m. service on April 12th, 2026, the second Sunday of Easter. Rev. Harris reflects on the story of John 20 in which Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to the disciples. Some see this as John’s version of the Pentecost story. Rev. Harris shares some theological background about the Holy Spirit and then explores the ways John emphasized the Spirit’s work on our lives today. 

The following sermon is from the 10 a.m. service on Easter Sunday, April 5th, 2026. Rev. Harris reflects on the way Mary Magdalene shows us the way to what Nikki Giovanni calls a “natural revolution.” In so many ways, on that Easter morning she showed us what it means to be human, humane, and natural. It is this way of acting in the world that leads us to resurrection in so many different ways. 

The following sermon is from the 10 a.m. service on Sunday, March 22nd, 2026. It is based on John chapter 6 verses 51 through 61. It is one of the more difficult passages in the Gospel of John in which Jesus calls on his followers to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Rev. Harris talks about the human disgust response and how it can be weaponized against marginalized groups. He also looks at the symbolism behind Jesus’ teaching and the purpose of metaphor in erasing the lines that too often divide us from one another. 

The following sermon is from the 10 a.m. service on Sunday, March 15th, 2026. Rev. Wiant reflected on the stories of Jesus feeding the 5000 and walking on water as found in John 6:10-25. After the miracle of abundance and generosity seen in the feeding of the crowd, those gathered wanted to make Jesus their king, place him within the political system of the time, and wait for him to address the problems with the empire, but Jesus offered them an alternative solution. Could it be that we have the capacity to reshape the structures and systems of our day as we watch the empire as we have known it crumble?

Welcome to Sermons from First Presbyterian Church Palo Alto. Each week we share a recording of the Sunday sermon, offering theologically progressive, social justice–oriented reflections grounded in Scripture and what’s happening in our lives and in the world. Most weeks the sermon is preached by our pastor, the Rev. Tom Harris, and from time to time we’re joined by guest preachers.

The following sermon is from the 10 a.m. service on Sunday, March 8th, 2026. In the service we are dedicating two new art pieces for the sanctuary. They have been created by Kenyan-American artist, Carol Muthiga-Oyekunle. The pieces portray Christ as a young Black Girl and a young Brown girl. Both images of Christ are surrounded by diverse people interacting with each other. Rev. Harris used the pieces as inspiration for the sermon while drawing from Romans 5 and Genesis 3. In Romans 5 the Apostle Paul compares Christ and Adam. So if we imagine Christ as a young girl how can we compare her to Eve, and what might that tell us? 

The following sermon is from the 10 a.m. service on Sunday, February 22nd, 2026. Our guest preacher is Rev. Jim Antal — a denominational leader, author, and public theologian who has preached on the climate crisis in over 400 settings and engaged in nonviolent civil disobedience on numerous occasions. An environmental activist since the very first Earth Day, he serves as Special Advisor on Climate Justice to the General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ.

In this sermon based on Jonah 3 and John 18, Rev. Antal reflects on the choices regular people make when faced with crisis and injustice. In a moment when so many of us are asking what faithful action looks like, he draws on these two passages to push us toward an answer.

Thanks for listening to Sermons from First Presbyterian Church Palo Alto located at 1140 Cowper Street, Palo Alto, CA. If you’d like to worship with us, we gather Sundays at 10 a.m., both in person and online. You can find more information about our congregation, worship, and ministries at fpcpaloalto.org. We hope to see you soon. 

This sermon is from the 10 a.m. service on Sunday February 22nd. Pastor Tom reflects on John 5:36-40 which is a teaching from Jesus to some religious leaders about how they read and interpret the Bible. In the sermon, Pastor Tom suggests we need to think more about where the Bible points instead of focusing simply on the Bible as an end in itself.  As we read the Bible together today, we are invited to listen especially to the voices of the poor and oppressed that have been preserved in its pages. Then we must put down the Bible and follow where it points.