Sermons from June 2026
Blessed are the Peacemakers, Not the Peacekeepers
Minister Lea Gilmore explore the Beatitudes reflecting on Matthew 5:9. We’ll explore how Jesus calls us beyond simply keeping things calm to the deeper, riskier work of peacemaking—telling the truth, pursuing justice, and seeking real repair in our relationships, community, and creation. Together we’ll consider how Christian peacemaking can include protest and civil disobedience, especially where racial and environmental injustice wound our neighbors and God’s world.
It’s Not Mine to Carry
Chaplain Annie Owens explores what it means to truly lay our burdens before Christ instead of carrying the same pain over and over. Using the image of bamboo roots, we’re reminded that lasting healing requires more than addressing what’s on the surface. God invites us to heal from the roots up.
Lessons in Failure
Rev. Khristi Adams explores the profound life lessons that come from failure, using a blend of cultural references and biblical narratives to deepen understanding. Rev. Adams reflects on how failure, often feared, can become a powerful teacher and catalyst for growth and humility. Centered on the stories of public figures like Jay-Z, sports moments, and the biblical example of Peter’s denial of Jesus, the speaker emphasizes embracing failure as a universal human experience that does not define one’s identity.
A God Who Heals
Rev. David Harris explores the profound theme of healing as an eternal and divine purpose, rooted deeply in Christian theology and practice. Rev. Harris emphasizes that healing is not only a spiritual gift bestowed by God but also a responsibility shared by the Church, the body of Christ, to actively participate in ministering healing in the world. Drawing from the Gospel of Mark, he outlines a four-step construct of healing: faith, seeking, divine response, and restoration to community.