Hear “A Journey Towards Faith”
Spiritual Message by John Gwynn, December 26, 2010
Scripture readings: Jeremiah 31:7-14 and John 1:1-5, 9-14Hear a Christmas Eve Sermon
Sermon by The Rev. Doug Moss, December 24, 2010Hear a Christmas Eve Sermon
Spiritual Message by Rodrigo Marcus, December 24, 2010
Hear “A Child’s Swedenborgian Christmas Eve in Maine”
Spiritual Message by Lyman Dave Roberts, December 24, 2010
Hear “What a Wonderful World”
Sermon by The Rev. Doug Moss, December 12, 2010
Scripture readings: Psalm 146:5-10 and Matthew 11:2-11
Hear “Turn Around!”
Sermon by The Rev. Doug Moss, December 5, 2010
Scripture readings: Malachi 3:1 and Matthew 3:1-12
Hear “Practicing in the Presence of Light”
Sermon by The Rev. James Lawrence, November 28, 2010
Scripture readings: Isaiah 2:1-5 and Matthew 24:36-44
Rev. James Lawrence, D.Min, is the former co-pastor of our church and now serves as the Dean of the Swedenborgian House of Studies in Berkeley. He was ordained in 1984 and has served churches in St. Louis, Missouri and Fryeburg, Maine, as well as San Francisco. He is the editor of numerous books on Swedenborgianism.
Hear “Living Thanks”
Sermon by The Rev. Andy Stinson, November 21, 2010
Scripture readings: Jeremiah 30:18-22 and Matthew 26:17-30
Reverend Andy Stinson is a Maine native and has had a long association with the San Francisco Swedenborgian Church. Graduating from Seminary in 1999, Andy has served congregations in East Bridgewater Massachusetts and Washington DC. He is also a Chaplain in the United States Army Reserve and spent four years in ministry on active duty. Denominationally he has served on the board of SHS and Chair of the Council of Ministers as well as other positions. Andy has been serving as a Hospice Chaplain until he was recently mobilized again with the Army and is presently training for deployment to Iraq in Early 2011. Andy’s hobbies include sailing, reading, writing and motorcycling.
Hear “Seasons of Change”
Spiritual Message by Scott Clark, November 14, 2010
Scripture readings: Luke 21:5-19 and Isaiah 65:17-25
Scott Clark, M. Div., a 2009 graduate of the San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS), Program Manager of the Program in Christian Spirituality for SFTS in San Anselmo. Scott is currently a candidate for Ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Scott practiced law for 12 years in Alabama, mainly working on cases involving employment discrimination and constitutional law.
Hear “Afterlife: Now Here’s Something We Hope You’ll Really Like”
Sermon by The Rev. Kathy Speas, November 7, 2010
Scripture readings: Job 19:23-27 and Luke 20:27-38
Rev. Speas is a parishioner of our church, served as an intern, and was ordained a Swedenborgian minister in 2004. For the past 5 years, she has served as a chaplain for Hospice by the Bay in Sonoma County providing spiritual support.
Hear “What Blinds Our Minds”
Sermon by The Rev. Junchol Lee, October 31, 2010
Scripture readings: Isaiah 29:18-24 and Matthew 9:27-31
Rev. Junchol Lee was born in South Korea, and moved to US in 1993. He received Bachelor of Arts from the Academy of the New Church College, now the Bryn Athyn College, in 1996 majoring Religion. Afterward, he was accepted to the ordination track at the Swedenborg School of Religion, and received ordination on July of the year 2000 upon the completion of the program. During the ordination path, he completed a Master’s of Arts in Swedenborgian Studies. He served the Swedenborg Chapel in Cleveland, Ohio for 9 years from 2000 to 2009. He served as the youth Chaplin of the Swedenborgian Church Youth League for 6 years, and served the Council of Minister as a member of the Executive Committee. Currently, he is serving the Calgary New Church Society 2/3 time and the Western Canada Conference 1/3 time. Also, he is a member of Ministry Support Unit and the Committee of Admission into Ministry of the General Convention of the New Jerusalem. He claims his spiritual identity as a Daoist-Swedenborg.
Hear “Looking Ahead, Looking Behind, Looking Within”
Sermon by The Rev. Ken Turley, October 24, 2010
Scripture readings: Joel 2:23-32 and Luke 18:9-14
The Rev. Ken Turley is the son of the late Rev. Dr. Calvin E Turley and his wife Marilyn and brother of Rev. Susan Turley. He lived most of his early life on the west coast mostly in Seattle, but some formative years right here in San Francisco. After receiving an undergraduate degree in music in 1977 and pursuing music in a variety of settings and a number of odd jobs from landscaping to recycling, he moved to Boston to pursue a career as a church musician and ended up becoming ordained in the Swedenborgian church in 1985. His first position was split between renewing the Blairhaven Center and Church Camp and pastoring the New Church in Elmwood, MA. In 1988 he accepted a call to the new Church in Portland, ME and served there for seven years. Then he and his family, (Laurie and their children Emily and Ethan) moved to Fryeburg, ME where he served as pastor for nearly fourteen years. As of our most recent annual convention, he has been serving as president of the General Convention. He and his wife, Laurie, continue to compose and perform music and now live in Bridgton, ME.
Read “Living in the Covenant of the New Jerusalem”
Spiritual Message by Steve Sanchez, October 17, 2010
Scripture readings: John 14:25-27 and Jeremiah 31:27-34
Steve Sanchez is a student at PSR with only one more class to finish school. He is currently a fulltime chaplain at Kaiser in Vallejo where he is a one year resident. He has a passion for Swedenborg and ministry and studied Swedenborg for six years on his own before beginning seminary. Steve was born in Barstow CA, and moved to the Bay Area when he was 11. Steve has three daughters.
Hear “The Awareness In Thanksgiving”
or read it here in PDF format
Spiritual Message by Christine Rodgers, October 10, 2010
Scripture readings: Jeremiah 29:1-7 and Luke 17:11-19
Christine Rodgers is an actor and poet living in San Francisco. Her poetry has appeared in America, National Catholic Reporter, Radical Grace and on a variety of websites. In 2000 she appeared as a panelist in The Forum at Grace Cathedral entitled “The Creative Spirit in Poetry” with Francisco X. Alarcon, Judy Grahn and Dean Alan Jones. She published her first collection of poems, Into the Great Green Heart of God in 2005.
Hear “What Are We Waiting For?”
Sermon by The Rev. Doug Moss, October 3, 2010
Scripture readings: Micah 6:6-8 and Luke 6:46-49
Hear “Eating the Bread of Life”
Spiritual Message by Rodrigo Marcus, September 26, 2010
Scripture readings: Proverbs 8:22-31 and John 6:35-51
Rodrigo Marcus, M.A. is a retreat facilitator and spiritual counselor practicing across the U.S. He regularly shares a sermon as an adjunct preacher at the Hillside Swedenborgian Community Church in El Cerrito. He also teaches dream work as an adjunct faculty at John F. Kennedy University, where he received a master’s degree in Consciousness Studies and a certificate in Dream Studies.
Hear “Matthew The Sinner/Saint”
Sermon by The Rev. Megan Rohrer, September 19, 2010
Scripture readings: Ephesians 2:4-10 and Matthew 9:9-13
Rev. Megan Rohrer serves as the director of Welcome – a communal response to poverty with a joint call from Her Church Lutheran (Ebenezer), Christ Church Lutheran, St. Francis Lutheran and Sts. Mary and Martha Lutheran. Megan is also the Garden Manager for The Growing Home Community Garden (GHCG), whose mission is to provide a community garden where both homeless and housed San Franciscans work side-by-side to grow nutritious food, access green space, and build community. Rev Megan now co-pastors the “Community of Travelers”, a group of folks figuring out how to be a liturgical, Christo-centric, social justice oriented, incarnational, contemplative, irreverent, ancient- future church with a progressive but deeply rooted theological imagination, which meets weekly at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Diamond Heights on Sunday afternoons at 5 PM. Reverend Megan has worshipped and preached with us several times over the last two years.
Hear “Am I Lost or Am I Found?”
Sermon by The Rev. Kathy Speas, September 12, 2010
Scripture readings: Luke 15:1-10 and Luke 15:11-32
Rev. Speas is a parishioner of our church, served as an intern, and was ordained a Swedenborgian minister in 2004. For the past 7 years, she has served as a chaplain for Hospice by the Bay in Sonoma County, providing spiritual support to terminally ill people and their loved ones. She lives in Kenwood with her husband Todd Board.
Hear “Going the Distance: When You Can’t See the Road”
or read it here in PDF format
Sermon by The Rev. Hunter Roberts, September 5, 2010
Scripture readings: Jeremiah 18:1-6 and Luke 14:25-33
Rev. W. Hunter Roberts is a liminalist and moralist, providing spiritual coaching to people in transition through the use of videoconference. Her spiritual commentaries, WHAT MATTERS, are on WHMP Radio in Northampton, Massachusetts. You can find her blogs in the Living Section of the Huffington Post. Currently she is working on her Doctorate of Ministry through the Swedenborgian House of Studies, at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley. She was ordained into the ministry of the Swedenborgian Church in 2006.
Hear “What’s Next?”
or read it here in PDF format
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, August 22, 2010
Scripture readings: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 12-13, Isaiah 6:1-8, Luke 14:1, 7-11,
2 Corinthians 5:17-20, and Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Hear “The Journey Toward Freedom”
or read it here in PDF format
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, August 22, 2010
Scripture readings: Jeremiah1:4-10 and Luke 13:10-17
Prayer of the People: Read it here in PDF format
Hear “Summer’s Over”
or read it here in PDF format
Spiritual Message by Dr. Darleen Pryds, August 15, 2010
Scripture readings: Jeremiah 23:23-29 and Luke 12:49-56
Darleen Pryds, Ph.D., is a Professor of Christian Spirituality at the Franciscan School of Theology of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. She specialized in historical studies and is considered one of the country’s leading experts in lay Christian preaching in the medieval period. She has taken an interest in Swedenborg recently and sits on Jim Lawrence’s doctoral dissertation committee.
Read What to Keep? What to Leave Behind?
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, August 8, 2010
Scripture readings: Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 and Luke 12:32-40
Hear “Humbling Experiences”
or read it here in PDF format
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, August 1, 2010
Scripture readings: Hosea 11:1-11 and Luke 12:13-21
Hear “Take a Good Look at My Face”
Sermon by The Rev. Doug Moss, July 25, 2010
Scripture readings: Psalm 1 and Revelation 1:1-19
Hear “Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room”
or read it here in PDF format
Sermon by The Rev. Kathy Speas, July 18, 2010
Scripture readings: Psalm 16 and Luke 10:38-42
Hear “How Truth Points to Good”
Sermon by The Rev. Dr. David Fekete, July 11, 2010
Scripture readings: Exodus 22:20-27; 23:1-9 and Matthew 5:21-26, 43-48
David Fekete resides in Edmonton, Alberta and was ordained into the Swedenborgian church in 2006. David previously earned a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy of Science, a Master’s in Theological Studies, and a Doctorate in Religion and Literature. He also has a Diploma from the Swedenborg School of Religion in Newton, Mass. Since 2006 David has been serving as Minister at the Church of the Holy City in Edmonton. Prior to that, he was a college instructor (courses in Humanities, Philosophy, Ethics, Logic, and World Religions) and a case manager in the mental health field.
Hear “All Creation Groans”
Spiritual Message by Scott Clark, June 27, 2010
Scripture readings: Psalm 19 and Romans 8:18-27
Scott Clark, Interim Program Manager of the Program in Christian Spirituality at San Francisco Theological Seminary since September 2009. Scott is a 2009 M. Div. graduate of SFTS who is sharing his gifts with the PCS while he seeks a call to serve in a congregational setting. In 2005, Scott relocated to California from Birmingham, AL, where he had practiced law for 12 years, mainly working on cases involving employment discrimination and constitutional law. While in seminary, Scott participated in the PCS Spirituality Concentration, and served as a chaplain’s assistant.
Hear “A Tale of Two Souls”
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, June 20, 2010
Scripture readings: 1 Kings 19:1-15 and Luke 8:26-39
Hear “Embracing Angels: Awesome Blessings in Sacred Places”
Spiritual Message by Sherrie Connelly, June 13, 2010
Scripture readings: Genesis 28: 15-22 and Matthew 5: 14-16
Sherrie Connelly completed her M.Div. in 2008, is certified as a spiritual director by Mercy Center, and has served in lay ministry for ten years, including hospital chaplaincy and in UCC and Swedenborgian churches. In the Bay area since 1997, Sherrie lives in Vallejo, where she created “The Urban Sanctuary”. Sherrie was Secretary of the Pacific Coast Association, and will be ordained into the Swedenborgian church on June 26, 2010, now that her SHS certificate has been completed. Sherrie has previous academic training in psychology, religion, management and business administration, and taught for 15 years including at Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt, and USC. Until shifting to a focus on ministry in 2000, Sherrie’s primary career has been working full-time as a strategic planner, team builder and management consultant.
Hear “Hindsight Is Always 20/20”
Sermon by The Rev. Kim Hinrichs, June 6, 2010
Scripture readings: Numbers 14:1-4 and Luke 24:13-21b
Hear “The Unpredictable Spirit”
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, May 23, 2010
Scripture readings: Acts 2:1-8, 11-21 and John 14:8-18, 25-27
Read “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, May 16, 2010
Scripture readings: Acts 16:16-34 and John 17:20-26
Hear “Prevailing Faith”
or read it here in PDF format
Spiritual Message by Dr. Darleen Pryds, May 9, 2010
Scripture readings: John 14:22-29 and Acts 16:9-15
Darleen Pryds, Ph.D., is a Professor of Christian Spirituality at the Franciscan School of Theology of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. She specialized in historical studies and is considered one of the country’s leading experts in lay Christian preaching in the medieval period. She has taken an interest in Swedenborg recently and sits on Jim Lawrence’s doctoral dissertation committee.
Hear “Today’s Reality And Tomorrow’s Hope”
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, May 2, 2010
Scripture readings: John 13:1-10, 31-35 and Revelation 21:1-6
Hear “Continuing The Lord’s Work”
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, April 25, 2010
Scripture readings: Acts 9:36-43 and John 10:22-30
Hear “Let All Creation Sing”
Sermon by The Rev. Megan Rohrer, April 18, 2010
Scripture readings: Psalm 30 and Revelation 5:11-14
The Rev. Megan Rohrer is a Lutheran pastor and the Executive Director of Welcome: A Communal Response to Poverty (http://www.welcomeministry.org/)
Hear “Moving Deeper into a Living Faith”
or read it here in PDF format
Spiritual Message by Christine Rodgers, April 11, 2010
Scripture readings: Psalm 118: 14-29 and John 20:19-31
Christine Rodgers is an actor and poet living in San Francisco. Her poetry has appeared in America, National Catholic Reporter, Radical Grace and on a variety of websites. In 2000 she appeared as a panelist in The Forum at Grace Cathedral entitled “The Creative Spirit in Poetry” with Francisco X. Alarcon, Judy Grahn and Dean Alan Jones. She published her first collection of poems, Into the Great Green Heart of God in 2005.
Hear “He Is Not Here, But Has Risen!”
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, April 4, 2010
Scripture readings: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 and Luke 24:1-12
Hear “An Unexpected Story”
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, March 28, 2010
Scripture readings: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 and Luke 19:28-40
Hear “The Way Through the Wilderness”
Sermon by The Rev. Alison Longstaff, March 21, 2010
Scripture readings: Isaiah 43:16-21 and John 12:1-8
Alison Longstaff is employed at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Kitchener, Ontario as the music director and the head of family outreach.
Hear “Trauma and Grace: Caring in Difficult Times”
Spiritual Message by Dr. Sherrie Connelly, March 14, 2010
Scripture readings: Psalm 91 and Luke 8:40-56
Sherrie Connelly relishes being in the Swedenborgian community, and, God willing, will be ordained to the Swedenborgian ministry in June. Her ministry focuses on spiritual care, companionship, communications, and building community. Currently Sherrie serves as a Chaplain Resident at the Kaiser Foundation Rehabilitation Center, is certified by Mercy Center as a spiritual director, and is completing an article on “Patterns of the Mystical Journey.”
Hear “Listen, So You May Live… Repent!”
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, March 7, 2010
Scripture readings: Isaiah 55:1-18 and Luke 13:1-9
Read “Belief, Faith, Trust”
Sermon by The Rev. Kathy Speas, February 28, 2010
Scripture readings: Genesis 15:1-18 and Luke 13:31-35
Read “When And Where ‘Church’ Happens, Part 2”
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, February 21, 2010
Scripture readings: Deuteronomy 26:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13
Hear “When And Where ‘Church’ Happens”
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, February 14, 2010
Scripture readings: Exodus 34:29-35 and Luke 9:28-36
Hear “Cannibalism and Communion: Jesus Confounds the Head-Hunters and Head-Trippers”
Sermon by The Rev. Lee Woofenden, February 7, 2010
Scripture readings: Exodus 34:1-4, 28 and John 6:53-68
Hear “Sacred Tablets and Sacred Cows: God Collides with Human Nature, Creating a Big Bang and a Big Book”
Class after worship service lead by The Rev. Lee Woofenden, February 7, 2010
Rev. Lee is a Swedenborgian minister, editor, translator, and teacher. He is the son of the Rev. Dr. William R. Woofenden, nephew of the Rev. Dr. George F. Dole, and grandson of Mrs. Anita S. Dole, author of the Dole Bible Study Notes. He was the primary Latin consultant for Secrets of Heaven, Vol. 1, in the New Century Edition of Swedenborg’s works, and is engaged in ongoing work on additional volumes of the New Century Edition. He is the translator of The Heavenly City: A Spiritual Guidebook, by Emanuel Swedenborg, and author of Death and Rebirth: From Near-Death Experiences to Eternal Life. He also edited and republished The Evening and the Morning, by James Spilling, a classic Swedenborgian novel. He frequently teaches online courses for SHS.
Hear “Troublemakers – In A Good Way”
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, January 31, 2010
Scripture readings: Jeremiah 1:4-19 and Luke 4:21-30
Hear “Uses, Forms, and Fragments: The Creative Process as Community”
Spiritual Message by Carla H. Belmonte, January 24, 2010
Scripture readings: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 and Matthew 5:1-12
Hear “A Great Shout of Joy”
Spiritual Message by Tom McEntee, January 24, 2010
Scripture readings: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 and Matthew 5:1-12
Hear “The Hour Has Come”
Sermon by The Rev. Jeff Cheifetz, January 17, 2010
Scripture readings: Isaiah 62:1-5 and John 2:1-11
Hear “A Failure of Imagination”
Sermon by The Rev. Rich Tafel, January 10, 2010
Scripture readings: Genesis 18:1-19, Revelation 21:9-27, and John 15:1-27
Hear “How I Pray, or ‘Ask and You Will Receive'”
or read it here in PDF format
Spiritual Message by John Gwynn, January 3, 2010
Scripture readings: Proverbs 2:1-10 and Mark 11:22-26