Sermons

In The World Turned Upside Down, Pastor Wes reflects on Paul’s words in Romans 12:2–13, urging us to “renew your minds.” While we live in a culture obsessed with self-help and independence, Paul offers a different vision: transformation through community and interdependence. Our lives are intertwined, and it is in practicing connection — encouraging, ministering, teaching, and caring for one another — that God’s grace emerges in surprising ways. By combining our individual gifts in collaboration, we create something larger than ourselves, a spirit-filled alchemy that can truly turn the world upside down.

In this powerful and deeply personal sermon, guest preacher Amanda Udis-Kessler reflects on her journey from rejection to belonging, offering a Christian vision where LGBTQ+ pride and faith are not in conflict but are deeply intertwined. Drawing on Isaiah’s call to justice and Jesus’ commandment to love, she argues that justice and love are not abstract ideals, but embodied, ethical actions that help all people flourish. Through stories, scripture, and reflection on human dignity, she proclaims that pride is not the opposite of humility—it is the opposite of shame. With grace and clarity, she invites us to praise with pride, love with courage, and build a world where everyone can flourish as God intends.

In this deeply reflective sermon, Pastor Wes explores the grounding power of Psalm 31, where God is called a rock, refuge, and place of rest. Drawing connections from everyday items made from minerals to the rocky landscape of the psalmist’s world, he invites us to consider how our surroundings shape our souls. With heartfelt vulnerability, he asks where we most need God’s refuge today and challenges us to live with courage—wholeheartedly—entrusting our lives and energy (nephesh) into God’s hands daily. The call is clear: may our church be an open space for all to breathe, unfold, and become who God has created them to be.

In “Comforting Care”, Pastor Wes reflects on the familiar yet deeply profound words of Psalm 23. He invites us to reconsider the psalm not just as funeral liturgy, but as a bold declaration of trust and challenge for daily life. Through humor, humility, and depth, he explores what it means to truly live with God at the center — not just in peaceful moments, but also in trials, tension, and even awkward tables set before enemies. This sermon calls us to let Psalm 23 comfort us and interrupt us, revealing sacredness in the familiar and the mystifying.

On this Pentecost Sunday, Pastor Wes explores the wild, wondrous movement of the Spirit—disruptive, empowering, boundary-breaking—and reminds us that the Church was born in diversity, not uniformity. Drawing playful parallels between doves and pigeons, he challenges us to embrace the messy, beautiful reality of divine diversity. Far from a neat, polite institution, the Spirit-led Church is called to welcome all voices, listen deeply, and be transformed. God’s Spirit is not a tame dove—it’s a holy force urging us beyond comfort into courageous inclusion.

Amid the noise of modern life—both external and internal—Pastor Wes invites us to rediscover the sacred symphony of creation that praises God. Drawing from Psalms 100 and 150, the sermon calls us to embrace joy not as superficial emotion but as a faithful, embodied response to God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. Joy, like praise, is both a personal and communal act—a justice we offer ourselves. As Pride Month begins, the message celebrates the unique ways we each reflect God’s image, reminding us that true praise is honest, expansive, and alive in every act of delight, resistance, and authenticity.

Pastor Wes explores Psalm 88—arguably Scripture’s saddest song—and its raw, unresolved lament. Unlike most psalms, Psalm 88 offers no turn toward praise, no easy resolution. And yet, it gives us something profound: permission to cry out honestly to God, every day, from the depths of our sorrow. Through vivid metaphors of darkness, drowning, and isolation, the psalm invites us to voice our own heartbreaks and soul aches without needing to “wrap them up.” In this space of holy honesty, we’re reminded that lament can be faithful—and transformative.

Drawing on Psalm 1, Pastor Wes explores how our environments shape our inner lives. The psalm’s dual metaphors—paths and trees—invite reflection on what influences us and who we are becoming.

On Mental Health Awareness Sunday, Wes challenges us to consider not just whether we’ve avoided overtly “wicked” influences, but whether we’ve been subtly drawn away from God—or led others astray. He references a century-long Harvard study showing that strong relationships, not wealth or success, are key to happiness.

Psalm 1’s use of the Hebrew word ashray—blessedness or happiness—reminds us that joy is not a destination but a way of traveling. The psalm urges reflection on where we’re rooted, what nourishes us, and how daily habits (including scripture meditation) shape our souls. Pastor Wes invites the congregation to read the Psalms this summer as a shared spiritual practice of awareness, belonging, and joy.

Rev. Micki Robinson embodies Naomi from the Book of Ruth, narrating her life’s journey from pleasant beginnings through devastating loss and unexpected redemption. Speaking in the first person, Naomi recounts the famine that drove her family from Bethlehem to Moab, the deaths of her husband and sons, and her return to Bethlehem accompanied by her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth. Initially bitter and hopeless, Naomi reflects on Ruth’s loyalty, the protection offered by Boaz, and the eventual birth of a grandson who restores her hope. The message explores grief, prejudice, divine faithfulness, and the unexpected ways in which love and loyalty can redeem a broken life.