This week’s short message by Pastor Eric Stetson. Watch the video or read text below.
Tag: suffering
From our service on April 4, 2021, a sermon by Pastor Eric Stetson. Watch video below.
Today is Easter Sunday, the holy day when Christians each year celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. After he died on the cross, his body was placed in a tomb. But in the midst of their mourning, his followers were astonished to find the tomb empty, and saw remarkable visions of Jesus alive as a powerful spiritual being.
Last week, we talked about “The Incredible Power of the Cross.” But as inspiring as the cross can be, it’s not the final chapter of the story — either for Jesus or for our own lives. In today’s service we reflect on the Biblical testimony of the resurrection. We also tell the story of Desmond Tutu, a courageous minister and human rights activist who has devoted his life to the cause of justice, reconciliation and renewal.
This week’s short message by Pastor Eric Stetson. Watch the video or read text below.
From our service on March 14, 2021, a sermon by Pastor Eric Stetson. Watch video below.
Today is Laetare Sunday, a special day in the Christian liturgical calendar when we pause during the austere season of Lent for a joyful celebration. The word laetare in Latin means rejoice! — and it comes from a verse in the Book of Isaiah that is traditionally read on this day:
In this week’s service, we focus on the theme of Joy — rejoicing even despite our troubles and afflictions, which is made possible by faith in a God who loves us with infinite compassion. In the middle of Lent, we pause for celebration of a God who cares for us and uplifts us as our perfect Mother and Father in Heaven, fortifying our souls for the journey to the cross of Christ that lies ahead. We also tell the story of Fanny Crosby, who overcame severe disability and became one of the most prolific hymn writers in history.
From our service on February 28, 2021, a sermon by Pastor Eric Stetson. Watch video below.
Would you rather have an itch and enjoy being able to scratch it, or would you rather have no itch at all? This is a profound philosophical question — a question that goes to the root of a lot of issues about the meaning of life and the human condition. All the great world religions address the human struggle with desire and temptation — one of the most important themes of life on earth and the challenge of the soul to gain mastery over the many impulses we experience.
Itching is a metaphor for desire, and as we all know, the temptation to scratch an itch can be one of the strongest feelings imaginable. One of the great questions of life is whether the itch is in control, or whether we are. Are we the masters of our desires, or are we mastered by them?
There are many things that people want in life, but only some things are good for us. A big part of the human experience is to learn how to choose wisely what we do and don’t do, according to our spiritual values, rather than acting only according to instinct.
In this week’s service, we focus on the theme of Temptation, and our calling to resist addictive and self-indulgent behavior that leads to suffering. We also tell the story of King Louis IX of France, a pious ruler who resisted the temptations of self-indulgence and corruption of worldly power.
From our service on February 7, 2021, a sermon by Pastor Eric Stetson. Watch video below.
Many centuries ago, when the light of Christ was just beginning to dawn forth upon the earth — after the man Jesus Christ had left this world and left the responsibility to spread the light of God in the hands of his disciples — a church planter named Paul wrote to one of the earliest Christian churches that “we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory” [2 Cor. 3:18].
Life is a journey of becoming, and in the course of our lives we must deal effectively with change and accept patiently the times of adversity and uncertainty. Although we can’t always control our circumstances, we have the freedom to choose how to interpret the struggles we experience — and by doing this, we can become our best selves, being transformed in the divine image.
In today’s service, we focus on the theme of Transformation. We also honor the patient dedication of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who persevered in teaching ideas that were ahead of his time.