Bethany UCC

In his sermon last week, Pastor Vince introduced our new worship theme of "Act Up" with a sermon describing the ways God calls us to resist creatively.

In his sermon this week, student pastor Xander King shares the call to proclaim abundance against narratives of scarcity.

In his sermon this week, Pastor Vince discusses false sanctuary vs. real sanctuary. He encourages us to embrace the real sanctuary of God's love and care, rather than give in to the false sanctuary of familiarity, despair and anger.

We're focusing on Disability Justice this month at Bethany. In her sermon this week, Pastor Rebecca reflects on the ways churches and communities often ask 'how can you fit into how we do things' rather than asking 'how can we do things in ways that include the most people possible?'

In her last sermon as Bethany student pastor, Kelli Manning delivered a sermon asking: what does sanctuary look like when we are surrounded by the wilderness? Can Sanctuary and Wilderness coexist?

Citing the Potawatomi botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer, student pastor Xander King invites us to consider our church and it's community as verbs rather than nouns, to imagine them as living, changing things.

In her Easter sermon this week, Pastor Rebecca shares how God reveals much more than we could know or imagine on our own.

"This is not a sermon about what you should do but it is a sermon about what can happen. How, without much planning, or even the skills you think you need, you can end up following Jesus just one step at a time. A sermon about what could happen when God speaks through you and you draw the attention of the Empire. So, I guess, it’s a warning. That if you give up everything, you’ll have nothing...

In his sermon this week, Pastor Vince shares the controversial opinion that we aren't required to do all that we can do.

In her sermon this week, Pastor Rebecca preached on releasing control. She cites the poem "Welcoming Prayer" by Mary Mrozowski.

Pastor Vince shared the story of St. Francis' conversion, how he felt compelled to give up even his clothes to show his devotion to God. Vince doesn't think God requires all of that from us, but rather that we be "radically available" should the moment come.

In her sermon this week, Pastor Rebeccas shares the story of a friend asking her to help discard some spooky items. In doing so, she tells a story of loss, change and knowing when to let go.

On our first Sunday of Lent, Kelli explored the theme of less by acknowledging the many hats and labels we wear and inviting us to look underneath them all.

In the first sermon of our "Lent of Less" theme, Pastor Vince leads the congregation in burying our alleluias and delivers a sermon reminding us there are seasons for nuance, and seasons to speak plainly.

As part of our kids centered worship theme for February, Pastor Vince interactively tells the story of the Good Samaritan (with the help of a few props).

In the first sermon of our "Playing With Fire" worship theme, things got messy (in a good way)! Listen to this interactive sermon from Pastor Rebecca, with a little help from the kids in our congregation.

Ok, so maybe Pastor Vince quotes Aristotle a few too many times in this sermon... but by the end, he weaves a tale of hoping even when it feels ridiculous to do so. He reminds us that sometimes, it's actually quite probable that improbable things will happen.

In his sermon this week, Pastor Vince preaches on the connection between grief and imagination, and how they are more intertwined than one might think.

In his sermon this week, Pastor Vince preaches on the powers that be always wanting to narrow our vision of whats possible. He reminds us that God calls us to prophetic imaginations and proposes alternative futures.

Pastor Rebecca delivered a sermon this week focusing on Baptism. She reminds us that Baptism isn’t the sign that we’re loved, it’s the sign that we’ve always been loved (and so has everyone else).

We were thrilled to have Guest Preacher Virginia Gilbert with us this week! In her sermon, she reminds us that Jesus grew up and was a beloved member of a community, just like us. He had relationships with family, teachers, and a whole host of people who shaped and formed him in love, just as we are formed today.

A very belated Merry Christmas from all of us at Bethany! Give our Christmas Eve sermon (delivered by Pastor Vince) a listen here.

Pastor Rebecca preached on the subject of patterns this week, using the analogy of childbirth and "knowing when it's time to push". Give it a listen!

Touching on the subject of matsutake mushrooms, Pastor Vince's sermon this week preaches on the ways Advent prepares us to live in a precarious world.

Student Pastor Kelli Manning delivered a sermon this week focused on Advent as a time of waiting and expectation, but also a time of breaking news. Focusing on Luke 1:26-45, 56 and the story of Elizabeth and Mary, she asks: how do we show hospitality to one another when news breaks?