Second on the Mount

"Covenant Hearts" – Jeremiah 31:31-34
Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from Commitment Sunday, October 16, 2022. "Into the darkness God is speaking. From the darkness the light of hope glimmers, if only we see it faintly, forcing us to seek it out and respond. And in the darkness of exile, in the darkness of generational trauma, generational blame that made the people point fingers saying, 'The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge'... into this generational darkness, Jeremiah lights a candle of hope, a bright light that will roll back the exile’s darkness."
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/covenant-hearts/ 

"The Fruits of Faith" – Philippians 2:12-13, Galatians 5:22-23 
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, October 9, 2022. "Paul is not writing to individuals but to bodies of believers. Considering the fruits of the Spirit that he listed, he would want us as a body of believers . . . to consider the impact we can make if you would bear the fruit that comes of knowing that we are loved by God and saved by grace. We can look for the best in each other while seeing with grace the worst in each other. We can be forgiving. We can be patient and kind. We can be generous and giving. We can show some self-control as we place a priority over what benefits us all over what benefits just ourselves."
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/the-fruits-of-faith/ 
Narrative Budget Video: https://youtu.be/_Y2G_qNmuvg 

"The Man Who Said Thank You" – Luke 17:11-19
Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from World Communion Sunday, October 2, 2022. "At first glance, this is a healing story. Ten men were healed, and one man said, 'Thank you.' But on a deeper level, our story is about gratitude from an unlikely place. . . . And it’s about the kingdom of God. It tells us something important about who is invited, who belongs, and who thrives in the realm where God dwells."
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/the-man-who-said-thank-you/ 

"Moral Joy" – Philippians 2:1-11
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, September 25, 2022. "The Gospel doesn’t promise happiness. The promise is for a life with God, and that comes with an 'Uh oh!' as much as an 'Oh boy!' . . . When happiness is the promised blessing of faith, then being unhappy is just one more thing to feel guilty about. Here’s the problem: We speak of God’s blessings, and then we confuse 'happiness' with what the Bible calls 'joy.' They are not the same…. at least as far as scripture is concerned."
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/moral-joy/

"Who Counts?" – Luke 15:1-10
Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, September 18, 2022. "In the Christian tradition, people often understand parables as allegories. For example, many consider the sheep and the coin to represent repentant sinners; and the man who seeks the lost sheep or the woman who searched high and low for the coin are symbols for God. I have often interpreted them this way. But I want us to consider an additional understanding—that these stories are meant to tell us something about counting, about searching for what is missing, and celebrating becoming whole again."
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/who-counts/ 

"The Middle Rings" – Philippians 2:14-18
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Rally Day Sunday, September 11, 2022. "[Paul's] whole letter goes back to what I read as our scripture lesson: 'Do all things without murmuring and arguing. Shine like stars in your witness to give cause for what we all need, for we are living in a crooked and perverse time that needs cause to rejoice.' Paul writes with his heart on his sleeve in writing the church in Philippi because he knew the world needed faith communities like it to be a force of reconciliation and peace. I preach this sermon with my own heart on the sleeve of this robe because I think our world today needs faith communities like this one more than ever. I say that because I feel and sense what Dunkelman talks about—that there has been an erosion of middle ring communities that are formed to bind us rather than to reinforce what divides us."
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/the-middle-rings/ 

"Self-Inventory" – Luke 14:25-33
Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from Sunday, September 4, 2022."Have you taken inventory of yourself? Have you considered who you are and what you have in order to more fully, and more completely, follow Jesus? . . . The cost of discipleship is high because the cost of discipleship is transformation. And this transformation is entering into an intimate relationship with God in Christ, who is inviting us to take inventory of who we are and who we hope to become."
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/self-inventory/ 

"What Glory!" – Isaiah 40:3-5, John 1:14
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from the Mission Build Campaign Worship Service of Celebration held on Sunday, August 28, 2022. "Our worship service celebrates the successful completion of the Mission Build Campaign. Onthe surface, it might seem that our celebration is more of what can be built to impress. . . . But God’s glory will not be seen in the buildings… unless we see ministries of compassion and grace that take place within them, ministries that lift those who have been brought low. . . . Do you have minds and hearts today to see God in needs met and lives transformed?"
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/what-glory/ 

"Sabbath Freedom" – Luke 13:10-17
Sermon by the Rev. Ann-Henley Nicholson, Director of Alumni Relations at Princeton Theological Seminary, from Sunday, August 21, 2022. 

"A God Nearby" – Hebrews 11:29-12:2, Jeremiah 23:23-24
Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, August 14, 2022. "Hebrews isn’t giving us a cast of sinless saints. This letter isn’t about being champions for God; rather, it’s speaking the truth about what it means to be a human redeemed by grace. It’s offering an important word about the life of faith. Because the life of faith is hard. The life of faith is risky. And the life of faith never guarantees us health, wealth, prosperity, and safety. To suggest otherwise would be untrue."
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/a-god-nearby/