Sermons on Social Justice
It’s Personal
We welcomed Rev. Laura Ingersol to our pulpit on Sunday, February 16, 2025. The focus of her sermon is the idea that equity and justice are not just the work of leaders, it’s personal, and it takes all of us to help make our world what we want it to be. She used stories from her group pilgrimage to sites important to the Civil Rights Movement to illustrate the point. Laura was ordained in 1985 and over the course of…
Jubilant Justice, Powerful Peace & Radical Love
As we celebrate the dedication of the new sanctuary artwork, join Minister of Racial Justice and Multicultural Engagement, Lea Gilmore as she reflects on Jesus’ call to practice a powerful peace, seek jubilant justice and embrace a radical love! – Sermon from Sanctuary City Parts I & II dedication service on Sunday, February 9, 2025.
Reparative Justice
Rev. David Harris’ sermon from February 2, 2025 about the need for Reparative Justice.
Pride Sunday Sermon
As a More Light Presbyterians Congregation, Govans is open, affirming, and celebrates all children of God. Although we celebrate this value every Sunday, we set aside this day to honor and remember the strives we’ve made and the work we are still called to do. We will do this through the lens of Queen Esther, a woman who had to hide her identity, change her name, and use her very limited power to save and protect her people. – Rev.…
The Anti-Occupation and Anti-Colonization Polemic Thinly Veiled in the Story of the Gerasenes Demoniac
It would be easy to hear the story of the exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac as an ancient story about mental health. It can be that. And, if we pay attention to Mark’s clues we will hear that it is a strong message against violent occupation and colonization then and now. Further, it challenges us to consider what we are willing to pay in wealth and privilege in order to live in the Kin-dom of God.
The Rebellious Love of Jesus
Watch Govans’ own Akilah Atkinson’s sermon on the rebellious love of Jesus and how modeling this type of love can transform your world.
Hulda’s and Josiah’s Climate Change Testimony
The Prophetess Hulda speaks truth to men in power. Josiah listens to her voice and leads change despite the inevitable fall of Jerusalem. How do their actions inform our response to climate change? We are do both; speak truth to power and change despite the coming consequences of the choices of past generations.
Irresistible Resistance
We read today of how Pharaoh represents the Kingdom/s of Men or Kingdom/s of the World with his hoarding, violent, oppressive, and extractive practices. Pastor Tom will lift up the women in the story who all engaged in different kinds of resistance against this oppression. The Church today is called to follow the example of these women as we seek to be the Beloved Community or Kin-dom of God. We are called to resist the Kingdoms of this world with…
Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Us Around
The Apostle Paul is concerned that the Thessalonians will lose faith by being tempted to believe that we can be Christian without experiencing persecution. Pastor Tom makes the connection between our calling to always stand with the marginalized and our being destined to experience persecution with them. We will never by able to fix injustice. But, if we believe that some people will always seek to enrich themselves at the expense of others, we are called to stand with the…
AND
The Bible can be dangerous when passages are read plainly and/or taken out of context. We’ve seen that happen for millennia to support war, the subjugation of women, antisemitism, and today’s anti-trans efforts at state and federal levels. Listen to a bit of David’s own journey away from such pious bigotry to a more responsible way of dealing with scripture. -Rev. David Willerup’s sermon from June 25, 2023.
“Life’s Illusions”
The story of the resurrection of Jesus is not about a single event that happened 2000 years ago to one man. It is the story of how Jesus disciples used the prophetic imagination he taught, to envision a new life and community centered on his living life and ministry. Rev. Harris uses the song “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell as a springboard to talk about how we make life more real and more lasting by infusing it with vision,…
Who is Jesus Really Criticizing Here?
Traditional interpretations of the Parable of the Wedding Banquet are anti-Semitic and inconsistent with the biblical text. Those who mistreat the king’s messengers are not “the Jews.” They are members of the religious establishment who conspire with political powers to enrich themselves and advance their own power at the expense of others. Then there is the matter of the guest with no robe. Who is that? It might just be us.