This sermon is about building - our self - our church - our nation - our world - with what we already have. It is entitled, "Building With Rubbish" (no offense) It is about building on rock, on The Rock.By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

This sermon is about The Widow’s Coins. It is also about an unusual experience I had many years ago.By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

Today, in our church, we observe a mixture of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. We remember those who have a profound impact upon our lives and our spiritual formation. Then we remember that we, also, are called to be saints!By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

This morning, on a communion Sunday, we think about the different calls, the different invitations that are extended to us by John the Baptist and by Jesus, though they may be two sides of the same coin. In inviting us to be yoked to him and to each other, Jesus invites us to a life of abundance, not in terms of material possessions but in care, co…

This morning our church renewed the covenant between pastor and parishioner that we first shared October 7, 1997. The renewal of our covenant marked the 27th anniversary of my call to be the settled pastor of First Community Church. I talk about the four dimensions of our covenant as members and friends of our church.…

In today's sermon we look at how Taoism and Buddhism can help us understand Jesus' relationship with the woman who was a "sinner." Once again, I believe the gospel lesson is not about forgiveness; it is about love. This reflection begins to grapple with Baruch Spinoza's assertion that "this is the best of all possible worlds." Aren't you just a lit…

The title of this sermon is “The Way to Heaven.” If you have ever despaired of qualifying, take heart! You may already be there! (I know, it doesn’t always feel that way. But just listen.)By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

This sermon, which focuses on the elder brother in Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son, looks at the parable from a Jungian psychological perspective. If you happen to be Freudian (or are so inclined for any other reason), you may stop listening now. If you happen to think, as I do, that Carl G. Jung just might help us understand the spiritual life …

I would like to continue the exploration we began last week of Jesus’ encounter with the unnamed Samaritan woman by the side of Jacob’s well. The woman’s life was radically changed through this encounter. Even though there is some teaching in the exchange, e.g., around the issue of sacred space, it seems to me that the most important part of what h…

This reflection, the third in my summer series sermons about little known people in the Bible, is about Jesus’ encounter with the unnamed Samaritan woman at the well. It raises the question of which is more important: what Jesus gives to us or what Jesus asks of us. It is about religious experience, specifically William James’s distinction between …

This sermon is part of a series that Charley Eastman of Pilgrim Church and I have been preaching in our two churches this summer. It is about some of the little-known or lesser-known people in the Bible. Today we are taking a look at Jacob. I took the liberty of reading the story of Jacob and Esau from the Children's Bible--I highly recommend it! J…

In our scripture lesson this morning from the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus’ disciples ask him to teach them to pray--just like John the Baptist taught his disciples. The disciples’ question implies that John taught his disciples to pray. I wonder what John taught his disciples. We don’t know; there is not enough information. I’m just curious: wo…

This morning, we are continuing our reflections on the power of prayer. I hope our reflections during this Easter season and beyond have begun to lead us into a deeper understanding of the meaning and power of prayer, have led us to believe more fully in the power of intercessory prayer, and will lead us to pray more constantly and more meaningfull…

Last week, in my sermon on the theology of the Trinity, I touched on one way of understanding intercessory prayer, prayers that I/we offer to someone in need. Today I would like to say a little more about this understanding and what it teaches about the importance of your prayer.By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

Today is Trinity Sunday. The sermon title is "The Trinity--God's Crazy Math!" In this reflection, we explore the richness of a trinitarial theology, how it might help us pray by deepening our understanding of God and also our relationship with God. It also points to a direction that we may need to go theologically and in our prayer--the evolution o…

Today is the sixth Sunday of the Easter season. The fifty days between Easter and Pentecost is a special time in our church year. It is a time that we set aside to reflect on what happened to Jesus following his crucifixion. On Easter Sunday, we focus our attention on the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection, on the empty tomb, the cornerstone of our fai…

We had a baptism in our sanctuary this morning during the worship service. My reflection, which focuses on the way our sanctuary is set up architecturally and on the relationship of form and function, is a reminder that baptism is only the beginning of our spiritual. journey. I think you might find it at least informative. (At least I hope you will…

This reflection, the fourth Sunday of the Easter season, is entitled "Don't Try to Hold On." It could just as easily have been named, "Don't Touch Me," "Don't Cling to Me," or "Don't Hold Me," depending upon which translation of the passage in John you read. It is about the suffering that arises from our attachments, from our grasping, whether it i…

The liturgical season of Easter is one of my favorite times of the Christian year. It is a time when we read the gospel accounts of how the disciples encounter Jesus, encounter their risen Lord, or are encountered by him. Their experiences of rediscovering the One whom they felt they had lost can guide us in our own experiences of our risen Lord, c…

In our observance of Holy Week, we move from Palm Sunday, a day of triumph, to Easter Sunday, another day of triumph, without passing through the dark night of the soul that is a central part of Holy Week. It is tempting to think we can have a resurrection without a crucifixion, without a sacrifice, without a death, either in Jesus’ life or in our …

Today is Palm Sunday, a day of celebration! Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem marks the beginning of Holy Week, one of the most profound and deeply symbolic weeks in human history. Churches distribute palms to their communicants on this day, sometimes as palm branches, sometimes in other forms. This morning, We reflect on the symbolism of the p…

This morning, the fifth Sunday in Lent, we are continuing our reflections on the power of prayer. I hope our reflections will lead us to a deeper understanding of the meaning and power of prayer, will lead us to believe more fully in the power of intercessory prayer, and will lead us to pray more constantly and more meaningfully in our daily life.…

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

This morning, on communion Sunday, we are belatedly beginning our Lenten series of reflections on the power of prayer. I hope our reflections over the next few weeks, and probably after Easter as well, will lead us to a deeper understanding of the meaning and power of prayer, will lead us to believe more fully in the power of intercessory prayer, a…

Last week we thought about solitude, a theme to which we will be returning during our reflections on prayer, and the importance of touch, of breaking down or setting aside, or reaching past the boundaries that separate us from each other. This morning, let’s build on what we began last week by reflecting on community, on our community, and on the h…

For one more week, I would like us to remain with the theme that we began several weeks ago, the theme of healing as illustrated in the healing miracles that are described in the Bible. In previous weeks, we have attempted to discern what these healing miracles have in common (if, indeed, they have anything in common). We have attempted to identify…

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

If you would like to comment on this, or any of the sermons, please email Rev. Sanderson at psandersonphd@gmail.com. Text (PDF) copies of the sermons are available on our web site: firstcommunitychurch.com.By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

Sermon delivered Nov 26,2023 If you would like to comment on this, or any of the sermons, please email Rev. Sanderson at psandersonphd@gmail.com. Text (PDF) copies of the sermons are available on our web site: firstcommunitychurch.com.By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

Sermon presented Nov. 26, 2023 If you would like to comment on this, or any of the sermons, please email Rev. Sanderson at psandersonphd@gmail.com. Text (PDF) copies of the sermons are available on our web site: firstcommunitychurch.com.By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

We apologize for the delay in posting this sermon. We had technical problems with the original file and had to re-record it.By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

We apologize for the delay in posting this sermon.By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

Sermon delivered August 6, 2023By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

If you would like to comment on this, or any of the sermons, please email Rev. Sanderson at psandersonphd@gmail.com. Text (PDF) copies of the sermons are available on our web site: firstcommunitychurch.com.By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

By Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

Notice: In about two weeks, Pod Hoster company, our current on-line provider, will be closing down. We will be changing to a new Pod Cast provider during that time and the links on our web site will be updated to take you to it. We trust that we will be able to post most of the recent sermons there and that there will be no interruption in posting …