January 7, 2024
Pastor Jenna Bergeson T

Pastor Jenna reflects on the transformative power of epiphanies in our lives. Drawing from personal experiences, she explores how moments of revelation, both dark and illuminating, can reshape our understanding of self and faith, ultimately bringing us closer to God's unwavering truth.

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Baptism of Our Lord

Our re-creation in baptism is an image of the Genesis creation, where the Spirit of God moved over the waters. Both Mark’s gospel and the story in Acts make clear that it is the Spirit’s movement that distinguishes Jesus’ baptism from John’s. The Spirit has come upon us as upon Jesus and the Ephesians, calling us God’s beloved children and setting us on Jesus’ mission to re-create the world in the image of God’s vision of justice and peace.

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Sermon for December 17, 2023
Pastor Jenna Bergeson 

Pastor Jenna explores the history and symbolism of the ❤️ shape, emphasizing that true love goes beyond superficial depictions. She shares the story of Margaret Mary and the devotion to the Sacred Heart, highlighting the profound love it represents. Connecting this with the biblical narrative of Mary and Elizabeth, Pastor Jenna encourages a deep reflection on the abiding nature of love, challenging us to embrace a more profound understanding of love rooted in the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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Fourth Sunday of Advent: Being Present with Love

The faith narrative is careful to show us a lineage from King David to Jesus. It is no ordinary lineage; it is one that began in the shepherding of sheep, of leading and delivering the people in search of a home. Mary’s womb becomes part of that lineage of love, offering the world the gift of God’s presence “in the flesh.” As we enter the story of the birth of Love Among Us, we are invited to be present with love. We may think the perfect gift is outside our reach to give, but in reality we have all that we need… the heart’s love and presence.

Sermon for December 10, 2023
Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo

BEING PRESENT WITH JOY

On this third Sunday of Advent, Pastor Hector explores the interconnectedness of hope, peace, and joy, emphasizing that true joy arises from communal understanding and shared presence amidst life's struggles. He highlights the significance of acknowledging the difference between happiness and genuine joy: we must embody God's grace by being channels of joy and compassion in the community.

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Third Sunday of Advent: Being Present with Joy

Today we will read the words of Isaiah offering a prophetic vision that Jesus then claims for his ministry. Likewise, we are called to claim the gift of being fully present with all people — those who mourn, those who grieve, those who have suffered indignity and oppression. Mary’s Magnificat is prophetic as well. She claims the overturning of injustice even before it has come to pass. In the difficulty of her situation, she “sings” with joy about the very real presence of God growing within her.

Sermon for December 3, 2023
Pastor Jenna Bergeson

Pastor Jenna brings in the voices from a recent webinar from the ELCA's "Peace, Not Walls" campaign, which is working for peace with justice in Palestine and Israel. She challenges the conventional, passive notion of peace, advocating for a more active and engaged approach to addressing systemic injustice. Pastor Jenna encourages the church to embrace prophetic peacemaking, aligning with the calls for truth-telling, activism, and a reevaluation of language and action toward achieving genuine justice and peace in the world.

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Second Sunday of Advent
Being Present with Hope

In our Advent series, we are celebrating the gift of being truly present — to each other and to the call of God to make this world a better place. We can be the gift of presence with those who are experiencing life as less-than-peaceful. But this might also be true of how we are personally feeling in this moment. Our lives can feel a bit chaotic or in need of a makeover. The Good News is that God is continually making a way for do-overs. In this we can find peace, even when life doesn’t feel so peaceful. This week we focus on what it means to be a gift of non-anxious presence for those who need it most.

Sermon for November 26, 2023
Pastor Hector Garfias Toledo

Pastor Hector's sermon for the First Sunday of Advent centers on the significance of staying awake amidst adversity, as he draws parallels between the struggles of the Israelites and our own yearnings for hope and liberation. Emphasizing that hope is an active force, he challenges us to reject societal pressures, embody the promise of God's love, and actively engage in bringing forth real change and healing for all.

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First Sunday of Advent
Being Present with Hope

Advent can be filled with worry about finding the perfect Christmas gifts. Deep down, we want people in our lives to know they are special and that we love them. But sometimes, we overlook the greatest gift of all…our very presence. As we sing, we are reminded that even if we are feeling poor — in resources, in body or spirit — we can simply be a gift of presence and give our hearts.

Sermon for November 5, 2023 
Pastor Hector Garfais-Toledo

Embracing God's Presence

Pastor Hector discusses the challenging words of the Prophet Amos and how they can be interpreted as a reflection of God's lament for humanity's departure from the Covenant of Love. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing God's presence in the pursuit of justice and righteousness. Kasey, a high school junior, then shares her faith journey as part of the Affirmation of Baptism (aka. confirmation) process, highlighting how conversations with a friend helped her rediscover her faith and see God's light even in a secular world. The sermon encourages the congregation to be ready, open, and willing to be agents of justice, following Kasey's example of spreading faith through small interactions and finding God in unexpected places.

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24th Sunday after Pentecost | Lectionary 23 

Today the prophet Amos calls for justice to roll down like waters. Paul urges us to encourage one another with the promised coming of the Lord. Jesus tells the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids. Surrounded by the faithful of every time and place, we celebrate Christ’s coming in our midst in the word of life and the feast of victory—the marriage feast of the lamb.

Sermon for November 5, 2023
Pastor Jenna Bergeson

Big Questions

On this All Saints Sunday, where we feel the lines between the living and the dead blur, where we gather to grieve and mourn those loved ones who have joined God in everlasting life, Pastor Jenna dances with the big questions of life and death and what it means to be a living disciple, set free from the bonds of death, washed in the waters of baptism.

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All Saints Sunday

All Saints celebrates the baptized people of God, living and dead, who are the body of Christ. As November heralds the dying of the landscape in many northern regions, the readings and liturgy call us to remember all who have died in Christ and whose baptism is complete. At the Lord’s table we gather with the faithful of every time and place, trusting that the promises of God will be fulfilled and that all tears will be wiped away in the new Jerusalem.

Sermon for October 28, 2023
Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo

"Yes, but...."

On Reformation Sunday, Pastor Hector reflects on the enduring legacy of Martin Luther and the various perceptions and interpretations of his legacy. In the book of Jeremiah, we draw parallels between the Israelites' covenant violations and contemporary societal issues. Pastor Hector emphasizes the message of "yes, but..." – acknowledging humanity's brokenness while highlighting the graciousness of God and the potential for a new covenant. He encourages prayer, scriptural study, and viewing the world through God's eyes as ways to know God by heart and trust in divine forgiveness and blessings.

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Reformation Sunday

Rooted in the past and growing into the future, the church must always be reformed in order to live out the love of Christ in an ever-changing world. We celebrate the good news of God’s grace, that Jesus Christ sets us free every day to do this life-transforming work. Trusting in the freedom given to us in baptism, we pray for the church, that Christians will unite more fully in worship and mission.