Claremont United Church of Christ
Join Pastors Jen and Jacob at Claremont United Church of Christ for sermons that are engaging, inspiring, and challenging. Claremont UCC is an open and affirming congregation that welcomes ALL people regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or ability.
Episodes
September 19, 2021 • 19 min
Ancient Christians used to be slandered as donkey worshippers. The donkey was a symbol of foolishness and what could be more foolish than worshipping a God who died on a cross? Join Pastor Jacob as he teaches us how to embrace the foolish aspect of our faith
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September 12, 2021 • 20 min
Although King David’s abuse of power and assault of Bathsheba is extreme, his story reminds us that we all fall short of God’s dream for us. By acknowledging our sins and failures, we open ourselves up to new healing, transformation, and wholeness. Like the Japanese art of “kintsukuroi” in which cracked pottery is mended with golden lacquer to highlight rather than hide the flaws, our stories of overcoming our issues become beautif...
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September 5, 2021 • 22 min
In Exodus 4, God calls Moses to go to Egypt to rescue God's people. But, Moses has a few objections first. Sometimes we too have objections to the idea that God might have a calling for us in this world. Join God and Moses as they have a conversation about these objections and discover that God calls each of us, imperfections and all.
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August 29, 2021 • 14 min
Historically, the story of Martha and Mary paints Martha as the harried housewife and Mary as the devoted student at Jesus’ feet. But a closer look at the original Greek offers a slightly different understanding of these sisters. Join Pastor Jen as we kick off our new sermon series and consider what it means to find contentment and even joy in our imperfect lives.
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August 22, 2021 • 21 min
During this sermon series, we have seen God part the waters of seas and rivers on behalf of the Israelites, but what happens when we come to a river that won't part at all?
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August 15, 2021 • 18 min
As the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the long-awaited Promised Land, God asks them to get their feet wet this time as an act of faith. They are also invited to gather stones from the riverbed and build an Ebenezer to remind them of how faithful God has been throughout their long, strenuous journey. Let us take a moment today to pause and remember how God has carried us this far in our own wilderness and let us have fai...
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August 8, 2021 • 23 min
So many world religions worry about who is next in line: as pope, as imam, and head of the church. In 2 Kings, the people are worried that there will be no more prophets once Elijah is gone, but Elisha appears to take up his mantle and continue his work. In the Gospel of John, Jesus declares that we are ALL his successors, and that we have all been called to carry on his ministry, in fact to exceed it! Join Pastor Jacob as he remin...
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August 1, 2021 • 19 min
When the Israelites fled Egypt they were fleeing enslavement, violence, chaos, and oppression. God parted the Red Sea to lead them toward freedom, life, and a new future filled with hope. In our chaotic world today, we must have faith that God will deliver us if we just keep moving in the direction of freedom.
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July 25, 2021 • 25 min
The ancient Israelites imagined the chaos and tragedies of their lives as embodied in a fabled sea creature known as the Leviathan. Even though we don't believe the same mythologies, what can we learn from these poetic descriptions of the Leviathan about dealing with the chaos and tragedies in our own lives?
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July 18, 2021 • 18 min
Most of us heard the story of David and Goliath for the first time as children, but the nuances of the story become even more powerful as adults. What can we learn from David about facing our own giants in today's fractured world.
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July 11, 2021 • 24 min
The story of the ten plagues reads like a typical Hollywood disaster movie, but it contains one of the most theologically problematic sentences in Scripture. What does it mean for God to harden Pharaoh's heart?
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July 4, 2021 • 22 min
Christianity has become a mainstream religion in America, but sometimes we forget that our Scriptures are full of strange mythical creatures and bizarre monsters such as the Nephilim. Join Pastor Jen as she kicks off this new sermon series and invites us to embrace the weirdness of our faith.
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June 27, 2021 • 20 min
We conclude our series by examining how we are able to accomplish so much more together. Let's continue our creative process by connecting with one another!
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June 20, 2021 • 18 min
We could spend all day coming up to reasons not to create, but ultimately God invites us to set aside our hesitations and simply begin.
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June 13, 2021 • 14 min
Guest preacher Rev. Wally Hoeger takes us back to the Sabbath commandment to remind us that part of the creative process is to make sure we PLAY!
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June 6, 2021 • 20 min
Pastor Jacob comes out of the pulpit to talk about some serious community issues.
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May 30, 2021 • 16 min
The story of Paul's non-linear mission path through Asia Minor and his chance encounter with Lydia teaches us that if our creative projects (including our lives) are not neat and tidy, we are doing them just right.
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May 23, 2021 • 19 min
In our hurried, frenzied lives, it can be hard to pause and listen to the Holy Spirit's guidance. Today, may you take a breath, and create the space needed to be your most creative self.
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May 16, 2021 • 22 min
As human beings, we are created to create. If we can align our creativity with God's unfolding dream for the world, we will not only be giving the world our greatest gifts, but also tapping into some divine magic.
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May 9, 2021 • 14 min
When being the change in the world, the Canaanite woman gives us this advice: Shout if you must! Make a scene if you need to. Repeat your requests. Let insults roll off your back. And believe that God is on your side even if God doesn't realize it yet.
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