Second on the Mount

“Salvation to a Soundbite” – John 3:1-17
Sermon by The Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, August 29, 2021. "If God were to make God’s love conditional, then we would have tremendous power. Then we could negotiate, we could threaten to reject God’s love, we could even tell God to get lost. But when God just loves us, steadfastly and unconditionally and sends God’s son for us, then there’s nothing we can do about it. God in Jesus has made that decision—a decision that is for us, no matter what. If that’s not good news we need to hear right now, then I don’t know what is."
Sung Prayer for Illumination: "Open My Eyes, That I May See" TEXT and MUSIC: Clara H. Fiske Scott, 1895. Public domain.

“Dress Code” – Ephesians 6:10-20
Sermon by The Rev. Ben Brannan from Sunday, August 22, 2021. "It’s true, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with so much out of our control. We know how the ultimate story ends, but it is God’s to write. So, in the meantime, as we head out to face the evils of our world, we have been given new ways to wage war. We have the weapons of peacemaking, prayer, and the grace of our salvation; we have the armor of faith, taking comfort in God’s word and gaining strength in the prayers that have been prayed through the generations that also watched the world through anxious and lament-filled hearts. We have the weapon of a love that is revolutionary, a love that is brave enough to see no stranger, a love that sees the other as a connected part not yet known."
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/dress-code/

“Right” – Genesis 1:31a, Psalm 133, Luke 7:36-50
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, August 15, 2021. "Last Sunday, I said that because human fallibility makes growth and discovery possible, there is a certain rightness to being wrong. Well, these Pharisees show that there can be a certain wrongness to being right. Jesus sees what the Pharisees do not see and that is the potential of the moment. He doesn’t see a sinner to be shunned but a person wanting to be healed within herself, and within the community. "
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/right/

“Wrong” – II Samuel 12:1-7a, Acts 9:1-9
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, August 8, 2021. "We have to survive and we should seek to thrive in life, so of course we need to spend most of our time in a zone of rightness. We need to act on what we think we know, and we need to take stands about what we believe is moral, ethical, and important. But let’s remember to embrace the right kind of wrongness. Let’s stop making 'being right' the key to our value and identity as human beings so we can be less defensive, less ready to demonize and attack those who challenge us, more ready to consider data and reasons that might prove us wrong, more able to get out of our own way, and more ready to enjoy the adventure of life. For remember, because it makes us human, there is a certain rightness to being wrong."
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/wrong/

“The Gift of Why” – Ephesians 4:1-16
Sermon by The Rev. Ben Brannan from Sunday, August 1, 2021. "As you share stories of what God has done in your life, through love and mercy and grace, I hope you will come to see the unique God-given gifts of your calling, so that you may find your purpose, the reason you do what you do—your Why—and live it out. Paul says, 'some are called apostles, some are preachers, some are teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, so that the body of Christ may be built up.' What is your purpose? What is the reason that you do what you do? The WHY for your life?"
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/the-gift-of-why/

“Institutions” – I Corinthians 12:27-31
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, July 25, 2021. "I have multiple goals in preaching this sermon about boring good news. I want us to reflect on our need as members of the Roanoke community, as citizens of this country, and as members of the human race to think twice before giving up on, or turning against, the institutions that need reforming, but which are necessary if progress is to be made. And then, because we live in a time when it is so popular to be derisive toward community efforts (like schools, governments, and religions) as a case study, I want to point to good news that is right in front of us here at Second."
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/institutions/

“Gospel” – Galatians 1:11-12
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, July 18, 2021. "We are known, we are loved, we are forgiven, and we are called. That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let’s open our eyes to what is good or can be good in us and around us and join in spreading the goodness to others. So much more of what reflects Jesus’ heart can be done. Let us follow Jesus and join with others who believe in him and join with others who don’t believe in him to help accomplish what Jesus said that God wants accomplished in this world."
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/gospel/

“Sheep Without a Shepherd” – Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
Sermon by The Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, July 11, 2021. "The good news is not only that Jesus was attentive to his disciples then, he is attentive to us now. He sees what is pushing and pulling at us as we go throughout our day. He knows what will happen if we fall into the trap of working too hard or trying too hard to fix ourselves without attending to our souls and our spiritual and emotional needs. When we do not stop to think, to ponder, to wonder, to pay attention to pray, Jesus says, 'Come away to a deserted place and rest a while.'"
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/sheep-without-a-shepherd/

“A Rose from Concrete” – Mark 6:1-6
Sermon by The Rev. Ben Brannan from Sunday, July 4, 2021. "The townspeople looked at Jesus as a rose that grew from concrete: 'Who does he think he is? He was born of us; he grew up here with us. Nobody amounts to anything from here.' Tupac would reply, 'You wouldn’t ask why the rose that grew from concrete had damaged petals. On the contrary, we would celebrate its tenacity. We would love its will to reach the sun!'"
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/a-rose-from-concrete/

“Life Restored” – Mark 5:21-43
Sermon by The Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, June 27, 2021. "Today, we are urged to consider where Christ’s healing meets us. Where is his mercy bringing grace? How is his love mending the broken? Who is he calling beloved? Where are you in this story? The healing, the restoration doesn’t always mean the cure. But it does always mean relationship, wholeness, shalom. Christ’s kingdom is breaking in―wait for it, watch for it, and be bold to seek after it."
Read the manuscript on our website: https://www.spres.org/life-restored/