Advertise on podcast: Bethel Community Sermons

Erna Kim Hackett kicks off a 4-week preaching residency on reclaiming story, sharing a Korean folk tale and placing it in conversation with the story of David and Goliath. How might embracing story invite us into new modes of learning that liberate rather than oppress and invite imagination rather than control?

Jazzy Johnson concludes our Acts sermon series on “Life Together” by reflecting on the ways that we both enact and embody the commitments that we make in our lives. Through the story of Barnabas and Paul, she affirms that a shared purpose and calling does not always mean a shared path, and invites us to consider the freedom we have to choose faithfulness, even if it means journeying on parallel paths rather than uniform ones.

Pastor Erina continues our Acts sermon series by telling the story of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. What does this moment teach us about the Spirit's work of inclusion and its implications for community life and ethics? What might our church learn about the work of collective discernment as we also navigate tensions of unity and diversity?

Our Theologian-in-Residence, Barnabas Lin, shares a special reflection on Acts 9:1-22 in the form of an extended poem, and invites us to consider the radical act of mercy that transforms enemies into kin. How might divine mercy call us to join a table that's wider than we could imagine?

Pastor Michael preaches from Acts 8:1-24 on Simon the Sorceror's invitation to reflect on how he engages the early church community and what feelings and needs he brings to the table. How might we, like Simon, perceive the invitation to pay attention to our emotions and desires as we interact with spiritual community?

Pastor Erina preaches on Acts 6:1-7 and the necessity of complaint and conflict for the growth of a community. She invites us to consider the different kinds of marginalization that cause people's needs to be neglected, and specifically addresses the issue of misgendering at Bethel Community. How might we continue growing as a community in which all voices, experiences, and perspectives are honored- so that nobody’s needs are being overlooked?

Pastor Erina continues our Acts sermon series by reflecting on the Spirit's vision for a life of shared abundance, resisting Empire's impulses toward hoarding and withholding. How might we choose to live with both hands open, experiencing the joy of both giving and receiving in the overflow of community?

Pastor Michael kicks off a new sermon series on the book of Acts by speaking about the Spirit’s work- both in the early Church and throughout history- of creating a community where differences are honored and diversity can thrive. How might we choose to both resist the impulses toward nostalgia and nationalism and surrender our need for control and conquest, while choosing instead to follow the Spirit into a world of unconditional belonging- even in midst of our differences?

Tom Huetteman concludes our "Passions of the People" series by sharing his passion for both creation care and community building, and how those desires have intersected in the shared labor and fruits of the San Leandro Community Garden.

Becky Luoh shares about her passion for making, and the joy that comes from both embodying and practicing our collective call to be creative, just like our Creator. During her sharing, she presented various creative projects from both our church maker's group and her family in the past year, including items such as a mushroom hat, a museum of insects, shibori and ice dyed pieces, handwoven baskets, paper collages, and more.  How might we all find joy as we reclaim our practice of creativity? What might we all adopt a practice of creativity in our lives?

Heidi Chen shares about her passion for building with straw as a concrete expression of cultivating shalom. How does straw bale construction help us cultivate a reciprocal relationship with nature? How might it expand our imagination for what might is possible as we remember our place in the community of creation?To view slides from Heidi’s presentation, please click here.

Manny Solorzano-Lee continues our "Passions of the People" by sharing about his passion for Nicaraguan history. By interweaving his own family's journey along with the story of the Nicaraguan Revolution and Church history, he reminds us of the enduring voice of prophetic Christianity while reminding us that the past always informs how to live faithfully in the present.

Jada West kicks off our "Passions of the People" series by sharing about their work with Camp Ten Trees, a residential camp in Washington State that provides supportive and affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ youth and children from queer families. They share about what their camp experience has taught them about loving in action and how to meet people not just where they are in this moment, but in their continual evolution. For more on Camp Ten Trees, check out their website: https://camptentrees.org/

Pastor Michael concludes our "Queering Scripture" sermon series for us by reflecting on the disruptive faith of the paralyzed man and the four friends, who aren't afraid to interrupt Jesus for the things they desperately need. What houses do we need to be willing to disrupt in order to ensure that all our friends have access to the presence of Jesus? And how might we live in the truth that we are worthy to be carried by our friends in times of need?

Guest preacher, Rev. Alicia T. Crosby, preaches us from 2 Corinthians 10 by reminding us that we each are the weapons God uses to tear down strongholds and to set people free. How might we- in the diversity of our bodies and our stories- model new possibilities and usher in a world where all people can walk in the fullness of who Creator made them to be?