Last Sunday
Last Sunday
Sunday Worship is held ONLINE
Service Time: Sundays at 11 a.m.
You can view all our previous Sunday services using the video playlist below
(New videos added every week)
Our theme throughout this Lenten season has been, “Embrace.” We have embraced imperfection, faithfulness, the work, abundance, and accountability. This final Sunday of Lent, we will embrace discomfort. In worship, we will undertake the journey from Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem all the way to his arrest, conviction, and crucifixion. We will read scripture and sing together as we sit with the reality of how quickly the shouts of “Hosanna!” turn to shouts of “Crucify him!” It might be uncomfortable at points, but we will embrace the discomfort. We will wonder and reflect together on the ways we are implicated in Jesus’ death, and how we can work against powers of empire and death in our world today. We hope you will join us this Palm/Passion Sunday as we begin Holy Week.
Embrace Discomfort 2024-03-24This Sunday, Pastor Anita will be preaching on Mark 10:1-16 with the topic “Embrace Accountability.” This is one of several difficult texts about marriage, sexuality, and family in the gospels—and one that is easily misconstrued and has been used to take advantage of people. Together we will explore what we know about “biblical marriage”––such as, THERE IS NO SUCH THING. So if that is not what Jesus is talking about with his disciples in this passage seemingly banning divorce, what is he talking about? We will think together about accountability in all types of relationships, including accountability in community.
Embrace Accountability 2024-03-17This week we continue in worship with our Lenten theme of Embrace, as Pastor Anita preaches on Mark 7:24-30 and James 2:14-19, 24-26 with the title “Embrace The Work.” These texts, one about Jesus meeting the Syrophoenician woman and one about the relationship between faith and works, provide both challenge and encouragement as we are “united in exploring what it means to follow the way of Jesus Christ, to be a people of God, and to love and care for our neighbors.” What is “the work” that we each must do on ourselves, to become self-reflective and affect positive change in the world? What is “the work” that we must do as a community? What is “the work” that only we can do, and that we are called to? Faith and deeds hold hands and are inseparable, the letter from James says, and Jesus’ encounter with a woman from a different ethnic background than his own shows him being called back to his own values in order to move forward. So, church, what is our “work”? May we not run from what must be done, but do it with kindness, graciousness, perseverance and…let’s do it together.
Embrace The Work 2024-03-03Join us in worship for the second Sunday of Lent as we explore a passage from the book of Proverbs that invites us and challenges us to embrace faithfulness. Embracing faithfulness does not mean that we will never have questions or doubts. Embracing faithfulness is not always easy to do. Faith is how we respond to God’s goodness and how we act to bring about God’s goodness here on earth as it is in heaven. We hope to see you this Sunday as we embrace faithfulness together!
Embrace Faithfulness 2024-02-25On this first Sunday in Lent, Pastor Anita will be preaching on Romans 12:14-21. At first read, like much of the behavior Jesus called his followers to, the behaviors in this passage seem to call for perfection. Who really blesses those who persecute them? Who is never arrogant? Who lives in peace with every human? It can be a challenge to embrace our imperfections and admit that we make mistakes, are messy, and say and do ugly things sometimes. Pastor Anita will ponder on all this, questioning how perfect we are actually being called to be. Lent is the prime time to consider perfection and imperfection, to closely examine our speech and behaviors, to think twice about how we show up in the world and how we, too, can overcome evil with good.
Embrace Imperfection 2024-02-18The Transfiguration is an odd event. Jesus goes up the mountain with Peter, James, and John and he begins to transform. His clothes become dazzling bright, and Moses and Elijah appear. The voice of God comes from a cloud that has engulfed them and says, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” It can be hard to believe that all of this really happened. This is why the writer of 2 Peter writes about being an eyewitness to the event. Peter, James, and John were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ transfiguration. They know that while he is fully human, he is also fully divine. As eyewitnesses to Jesus and his way of life, they and other followers of Jesus must cling to and bear witness to this truth. Join us this Sunday as we explore how we can bear witness to the way Jesus.
Eyewitnesses 2024-02-11This Sunday, Pastor Anita Peebles will preach on Mark 4:1-20. The parable of the sower is one of the most well-known of Jesus’ mysterious riddles, but did you also know that Jesus provides an “answer key” to the parable, too? As he explains the tricky word puzzle, he convicts his followers (the disciples then and us now!) about the conditions of their/our hearts that make receiving the Word challenging. For us today as we seek to learn and grow in being antiracist, we must each of us ask “what is the condition of our hearts? Are we ready to receive the liberating Word of Christ’s love?” And how do we till the soil of our hearts so it is healthy and ready to nurture the Word that comes to us?
Look Well, Listen Well 2024-02-04The fourth of the ten commandments that God gives to the Hebrew people in the book of Exodus is, “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” The seventh day of the week is to be a day of rest honoring God. This day of rest is for every body. In worship this Sunday, we will read the story of Jesus healing a man’s hand on the Sabbath. Performing this miracle costs Jesus. But, the lesson he gives is clear—to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy includes honoring life, well-being, and wholeness for every body. We hope you will join us this Sunday!
Sabbath for Every Body 2024-01-21This Sunday we celebrate Epiphany. Pastor Anita will preach on Matthew 2:1-12, the story of the magi who sought the baby Jesus and had a run-in with a powerful political figure. As we see news story after news story about innocent children being targeted and killed all over the world, and as we seek to be a church that protects and cares for the youngest ones among us, how do we hear the story of the magi that says they “returned home by another road”? What roads are open to us? Where do we have the opportunity to worship the Holy by disobeying the powers and principalities of our world?
Another Way 2024-01-07Join us on Christmas Eve at 6pm for a service of carols, candle light, and communion. We will hear a story we have heard many times, but yet never grows old. We will celebrate and remember the birth of Jesus—of God coming to dwell among us as a human being. All are welcome to join as we live into the hope, peace, joy, and love of Christmas together.
Christmas Eve Message 2023-12-24On the morning of Christmas Eve, we will hear how a weary world rejoices by singing songs of hope together. Pastor Anita will preach on the Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55. How do the songs of hope help us continue forward to build a world where all are named and their dignity honored? How do the songs of Advent prepare us for the hope found in the manger on Christmas Eve? How does our world change when we tune into the songs of liberation from oppression, justice for the poor and solidarity with the downtrodden? Let us listen to Mary's song, and sing along, though our voices may be weary.
Our Magnificat 2023-12-24Do you know why you have the name you have? Names can have deep meaning and typically there is some story or some reason why we have the name we have. This week in worship, we will hear the story of Elizabeth giving birth to and naming her son. She gives him the name, “John,” much to the surprise of everyone gathered. Why does she name him John? How does that impact who he will become? The act of naming is intimate. The act of naming is important—it shapes and forms both the one giving the name and the one who is named. To be called by name indicates that we are seen and known—it shows that we matter. Join us this Sunday as we explore the act of naming.
The Act of Naming 2023-12-17This Sunday, Pastor Anita will lead us in reflecting on Luke 1:24-45, the story of the Annunciation to Mary. As we follow our Advent series “How does a weary world rejoice?” we turn to the idea that “we find joy in connection.” We will focus on the relationship of Mary with her cousin Elizabeth, which we often hear about in the context of “Mary went to Elizabeth for comfort” or “Mary sought wisdom from her older relative.” What about Elizabeth? What did she gain from the visit? How does Mary’s presence with her, holding within a divine spark, change Elizabeth’s role in the Christmas story? What connection can we find that makes this story, one we’ve heard many many times, come alive for us today?
Blessed Is She 2023-12-10This Sunday we will explore Luke 1:1-23. At the very beginning of his Gospel, Luke takes the time to say why he is writing this story and who he is writing it for. He wants to make sure that the story, the real story is told. When the angel Gabriel comes to the priest Zechariah to tell him that he and his wife Elizabeth will have a son despite their old age, Zechariah can’t believe it. Zechariah instead buys into another story, a story of skepticism and doubt at what God can do. There are all sorts of stories all around us—telling us what we should and shouldn’t believe, where our allegiance should or shouldn’t be. But how do we know which story to listen to? How do we know what to believe? How do we know what story is the real story?
What's the Real Story? 2023-12-03This Sunday, Pastor Anita will preach on Hebrews 1:1-9, considering the majesty of God and the person of Jesus as described in the text—while also questioning the systems that shaped (and still shape) our understanding of God and Jesus. Monarchy was the governmental context for much of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Testament. It is likely that people alive throughout the times when the Bible was being written could not have imagined a different system of governance. Today, living in a world governed by capitalism, it is also hard for us to imagine a different world. But as we prepare ourselves to move into the season of Advent, as we hear more and more about a guy named Jesus, how might our understanding of his person inform how we understand and live in possibility?
Subverting the Monarchy 2023-11-26This Sunday we will spend some time with Psalm 46, which might be a familiar psalm to many of us. Verse 10 of the psalm is most usually translated as, “Be still, and know that I am God.” This verse is often used for meditation—to create space for people to be still. The verse, however, is more accurately translated as, “Let go, and know that I am God.” What do we need to let go of? There are often many things that we try to hold on to that we think might save us, but they won’t. The challenge and promise of the psalm is that we can let go and when we do God will still be right there with us.
Let Go 2023-11-19This Sunday, Pastor Anita will preach on selections from Isaiah 25 for All Saints' Day. When the prophet says "God will swallow up death forever," what does that mean for how we remember those who have passed on from this life? The promises of life and love after death can ring hollow in times of grief—and yet, still we gather to call the names of the deceased, tell their stories, and live the legacy they've left to us. All are welcome to bring a photo or a token of a loved one to worship on Sunday, to place it on the altar of remembrance. We will share in honoring our communion of saints, and then in sharing communion together.
A Holy Flirtation with the World 2023-11-05Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is downright foolish. He spends the sermon telling his listeners to live in the exact opposite way that the world around them says they should live—and in the exact opposite way our world today tells us we should live. The world tells us that there is nothing wrong with “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” and we see the way war, violence, and oppression abounds because of it. We often have the urge to spiritualize or explain away Jesus’ words in his sermon, especially these specific words. But, what if we took Jesus at his word? What if we took his instruction literally and started living foolishly?
Living Foolishly 2023-10-22This Sunday, Pastor Anita preaches on Matthew 25:31-46, that famous parable about the sheep and the goats… and judgement. As progressive followers of Jesus, we tend to lean away from texts about judgement, whether from our own past church trauma or simply because we don’t want to be associated with “that kind of Baptist/Christian.” But the lesson that Jesus shares about sheep and goats goes far beyond a stark line between affirmation and condemnation: Jesus is telling us something important about what it means to follow him, what kinds of actions people of faith are called to take in caring for our neighbors, and, ultimately, that salvation is communal. How can this story about farm animals lead to a profound message about salvation, redemption and liberation? Join us on Sunday to find out.
The Danger of Drawing Lines 2023-10-08By challenging the religious norms of his time, Jesus again flips what it means to be faithful on its head. Let us wonder together how the text challenges us at this time to do the same by unpacking our own norms and exchanging them for a heart-centered way of speaking life into ourselves and others.
Sermon 2023-10-01This Sunday, Pastor Anita will lead us, preaching about 2 Samuel 1:17-27 and Matthew 5:1-9. Together we will consider the necessity of lament in the face of grief, particularly the powerful tradition of lament within the Hebrew Scriptures. When we talk about grief, the focus is often on moving through it—quickly. But this week, let us together imagine grief not as a state to move through to get to another destination, but a companion to live alongside. Jesus says in the Beatitudes, “blessed are those who mourn,” and so we wonder together: what blessing is in our mourning? What blessing might come to us if we approach our various griefs with the intention of integration and not dismissal? Beloved church, bring yourselves this Sunday. It is a gift to be together.
What to Say About Grief? 2023-09-24This Sunday, our candidate for co-pastor, Rev. Leigh Curl-Dove, will be preaching on Matthew 18:1-5,10-14. Choosing pastoral leadership is important in the life of a church, and we are looking forward to hearing Rev. Curl-Dove preach. Then, following the conclusion of worship, the members of the congregation will have the opportunity to vote (via paper ballot) on whether to call the candidate. Please refer to the letter in the September Spire and the references from the members of the search committee for more information about Rev. Curl-Dove.
Rev. Leigh Curl-Dove 2023-09-17Come home to Seattle First Baptist for Homecoming 2023! It is always wonderful to see friends and church family we haven’t been with in a while—please join us! Pastor Anita will be preaching about sacred space, especially in the context of Psalm 139 that proclaims that there is no place where we can go where God is not. What spaces and places are sacred to you? What makes them sacred? Or is it the people that gather that bring a sense of holy recognition to the place? How does Seattle First Baptist Church function as a sacred space with many meanings to many different people that all come together as we proclaim “Welcome Home”? In preparation for Sunday, you are encouraged to think about places that are sacred to you, maybe even bring a picture to share with a friend during coffee hour, or think of a story you’d tell about one of those places. Welcome home, beloved children of the Holy, you are welcome here.
Home in this Sacred Space 2023-09-10This Sunday, Pastor Anita will share a sermon entitled "We Will" on the topic of Psalm 72. Now that we have spent time exploring our values as a community, we get to make commitments about how we will live together. But a commitment for how "we will" be goes beyond this community – what do we want to put forward into the world: peacemaking, justice for those on the margins, access to all that is needed to live healthy and safe lives. What will we dedicate ourselves to in this upcoming "program year"? Let us say "we will" as we commit to making the world a better place together.
We Will! 2023-09-03This Sunday, Pastor Anita returns with a heart full of gratitude for all that made it possible for her to take an extended vacation. She will lead us in worship and preach on Psalm 25:4-12 , reflecting on the importance of community. Together, we will listen to the wisdom of the Holy in and through each other and our congregation, as we acknowledge the depths of grace and gratitude that community can reflect. Join us for worship at 11am—you are an important part of this community and we love you!
The Gift of Community 2023-08-27This Sunday we explore SFBC's fifth core value – actively working to recognize and change our own biases. For many of us – trained to "look good" – admitting that we may not be seeing clearly and that our behaviors are often driven by unconscious assumptions and beliefs which lift us up by keeping others down – is a tough lesson. But like Philip who engaged with the Ethiopian eunuch on the desert road, we can learn to listen to Spirit – and in so doing begin to walk the true path of humility and justice.
Walking Humbly 2023-08-13Our fourth value beckons us to welcome, include and support the causes of strangers and refugees. In our passage for today, Jesus gives clear direction on some ways in which that can be accomplished. As we look to both as guides, let us consider together what it means for our community to exercise empathy.
Exercising Empathy 2023-08-06Growing up I learned that love was only available in limited quantities. Love of parents, love of friends, and especially the love of God was only intended for the right people, the good people, the people like “us.” Of course this meant that people who did not share our particular strain of Calvinist Christianity were not loved or lovable. They had to be converted to our ways, our beliefs, the “right” beliefs, or literally they would all go to Hell. This idea that love is scarce and must be earned seems to exist in other parts of Christianity, and other parts of most world religions to some extent. But what if we change that? What if we come to understand that Love is infinite and everywhere and within everyone? I wonder what our world would be like if we all knew in our hearts that we are Loved, and that there is enough Love to go around.
Enough Love to Go Around 2023-07-30This Sunday’s passage – Matthew 15:21-28 – should never have made it into scripture. “Jesus and the Canaanite Woman” tells the stunning story of Jesus using his privilege (at least religious, ethnic, sex and class) to dismiss a woman begging for help. She confronts him with his bias(es), and he is challenged to grow. May we be inspired to grow, too? Let’s hope so!
Imperfect Jesus 2023-07-23As we begin our sermon series highlighting the values of SFBC - we first emphasize the commitment to live out justice, mercy, peace, and humility. We will explore together the possibility that when we embody these as communal practices, we deepen the roots of our faith and make room for our branches of embrace to stretch to the furthest corners of creation.
The Circles of Justice and Faith 2023-07-16Who are we, Seattle First Baptist Church? What makes us into a community? How and why and when do we gather as a people seeking to follow the Way of Jesus? This week Pastor Anita will set up a sermon series about the SFBC values, including why they exist in the first place and what we might do with them now that we have them. What resonates with you from the values on this list? What doesn’t resonate? How are we doing as a community, following these values? In what values could we grow and change? Let’s gather intentionally and collaboratively as we consider what makes us US?
Who What When Where How Why 2023-07-09Preaching on 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Pastor Anita will lead us in exploring the canticle of Hannah, the song that Hannah sings to God and the song that resonates deeply with Mary’s Magnificat. As we think of how we process the events of our lives and how our faith affects and informs our lives, we wonder: what song do we sing? What song gives evidence as to what we’ve been through and what has made us into who we are? What song represents what the Holy means to us? How and where do our individual songs intersect into a collective song of praise and seeking justice?
What Song Are We Singing 2023-07-02The stories we tell are important. They help form who we are and help us learn right from wrong. Stories can help us work through problems, perhaps help us know that we are not the only person who has dealt with a particular issue. That I am not the only one. There are others like me and always have been. But sometimes the stories we tell are part of the problem. They justify behavior that should be repugnant. They reinforce harmful stereotypes and prop up the macho patriarchy that has ruled our race for far too long. They prolong beliefs such as might makes right, that God is on OUR side, and only OUR side, that ends justify means. In this sermon we are going to tell the story of David and Jonathan, which does pretty much all of the above.
The Stories We Tell 2023-06-25“Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” This beautiful statement of love and commitment is a regular occurrence in wedding ceremonies—but many forget that these words were said to affirm the love between two women! Pastor Anita will preach on Ruth 1:1-18 this Sunday. The story of Ruth and Naomi has long been one that queer theologians and scholars have lifted up as demonstrating love outside heteronormative bounds. Let’s listen closely to the commitment between these two women, and let us hold as sacred their story of creating family together.
A Sermon on Ruth 1:1-8 2023-06-18Amidst the escalation of anti-LGBTQ legislation and the onslaught of violence against transgender people across our country, let this church stand in strong and vocal solidarity with the queer community as we declare unequivocally that queer love is at the center of our faith. Preaching on Mark 14:12-16, Pastor Anita will lead us in considering how layers of societal expectations and gender norms and body stereotypes have covered up queer people in our sacred texts and in our faith traditions, and still today. On this first Sunday in Pride Month, let us rejoice in the creative and loving God who made all people, and let us rededicate ourselves to working for the good of and justice for all people, especially our LGBTQIA+ members, friends and family.
Queer Love Sets the Stage for Communion 2023-06-04This Sunday is Pentecost, the birthday of the Church and the day when we remember the gifts from the Holy Spirit. Besides the regular text from Acts 2, Pastor Anita will preach on 1 Corinthians 12:4-13, considering what the relevance of the Holy Spirit is for us today. What gifts of the Holy Spirit resonate with you? What gifts are you discovering in yourself, or do you want to discover? Wear your red on Sunday as we celebrate the flame and the breath that enliven us all, the One who is continually at work in this world.
Pentecost Sunday 2023-05-28This Sunday, we will be celebrating and supporting the work of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America ~ Bautistas por la Paz. Pastor Anita has been involved with the organization since 2014, serving on the Board and attending multiple conferences across continents. She will preach on the topic of “What I Have Learned About Peace,” and will invite you to share what you have learned about peace throughout your life, as well. The theme of the day is “Moving Mountains,” so we will consider together what it takes to move the mountains of injustice to create peace, how each of us as individuals, as a collective congregation and as a movement of peacemakers can impact our world for the better, “witnessing to God’s peace, rooted in justice; working together until it comes.”
What I Have Learned About Peace 2023-05-21Last week, we considered the difference between being smart and being wise. In case we were giving knowledge the short end of the stick, this week Pastor Anita will lead us in considering how knowledge is power—but sometimes being comfortable with mystery and unknowing is power, too. We will explore one of the most interesting sermons included in the book of Acts, Paul’s speech before the Athenian governing council in Acts 17:22-34. To prepare your hearts and minds, consider these questions: what are your beliefs about knowledge? How do you feel when confronted with ambiguity or mystery? What can faith offer to those of us who prize knowledge highly?
Knowledge is Power 2023-05-14This Sunday, after gratefully receiving wisdom from our two recent guest preachers, Pastor Anita will lead us in wondering about the nature of wisdom itself. Wisdom is personified throughout the Bible, including in the apocryphal texts that some traditions include. We will explore Wisdom 6:12-19 and consider where wisdom comes from, how we know wisdom when we encounter it, and what it means to live every day with wisdom as our guide.
Being Smart vs. Being Wise 2023-05-07This week Pastor Anita will lead us in encountering the story of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances to his disciples, including Thomas. What does it mean that Jesus’ resurrected body had scars? How do our scars tell stories of our struggles and persistence, as well as remind us of how we can be like Jesus?
Scars That Remain 2023-04-16Come celebrate the resurrection of life-giving love this Easter Sunday with your Seattle First Baptist Church family! We will greet the day with guest brass instrumentalists, sing together, welcome new members and celebrate the wondrous experience of the women at the tomb so long ago. We will also observe the tradition of “flowering the cross,” so you are welcome to bring a stem or two to contribute to our Easter display. Pastor Anita will preach on Matthew 28:1-10 and explore the text using our theme of “Liberation,” as we conclude our Lenten journey with Cole Arthur Riley’s This Here Flesh.
Something Happened 2023-04-09What happens at the intersection of joy and pain? Through the story of the triumphal entry of Jesus in Matthew, we explore the relationship of joy and grief with curiosity and openness. Perhaps we’ll even discover what kind of radical redemption can occur when the two seemingly opposing forces intertwine.
Palm Sunday Sermon 2023-04-02This Sunday, Pastor Anita will preach on the story of the unnamed woman anointing Jesus in Matthew 26:6-13. The Lenten theme for the day is Rest, so we will consider together the interplay of rest and labor, sabbath and activity. How does our remembrance of the unnamed woman's labor of love in anointing Jesus shape our understanding of the rest that is a human right?
Rest as Resistance 2023-03-26We know very little about Jesus' birth family, but the text for this Sunday (Matthew 12:46.50) leads us to believe that his family life was no "Leave It to Beaver" moment of 1950's perfection. Jesus snubs his birth family when they come to visit, and defines A Chosen Family instead. With all the negative blather about Family Values, which usually translates to "MY values," it can be tempting to downgrade the importance of family. But being together with people who really get us, who accept us as we are, is a basic human need. Whether biological or chosen, we need families. Sometimes more than one. And it takes a forgiving heart to keep families of all types together. To repair our families.
A Chosen Family 2023-03-19This coming Sunday, our communal reflection turns to the fraught topics of fear, lament, and rage. Pastor Anita will preach on Matthew 5:21-26, focusing on the call for reconciliation before worshipping. Together we will name the fears that drive our society (and us) to contribute to injustices; we will acknowledge the injustices that need to be lamented in our common life; and we will acknowledge anger and rage as emotions that provide us valuable information and that can propel us forward into action and positive change.
A Matter of Life and Death 2023-03-12On this second Sunday in Lent, and a communion Sunday, Pastor Anita will lead us in exploring the themes of Body and Belonging as they show up in Matthew 14:13-21. What does the feeding of the 5000 (well, probably like 12,000, adding in women and children) have to do with our bodies, with communion, with belonging? Pastor Anita will explore how there is Plenty of Room for us all—room at the table, room for curiosity and creativity, room for exploration and growth, room for each and every one of our multitude of identities. How can we shift our perspective during this Lenten season from one of scarcity that sees only five loaves and two fish, to one of abundance that feeds more people that you can imagine?
Plenty of Room 2023-03-05Rev. Bianca Luna (she/her) from Urban Grace Tacoma will preach on Transfiguration Sunday. Beginning with Matthew 17:1-9, Rev. Bianca will lead us in considering how transfiguration can be realized among us as individuals and in community. Please join Pastor Anita in welcoming this Evergreen Association colleague to the pulpit this week.
The Transfiguration 2023-02-19Life is full of choices - some simple, some difficult, some seemingly impossible. Toward the end of the Torah, the aging Moses challenges the people he has led through the wilderness - “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live…” (Deuteronomy 30:19). Then centuries later, Jesus comes on the scene with this choice-making challenge, in the paraphrase of Eugene Peterson, “And don’t say anything you don’t mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions... Just say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong” (Matthew 5:33-37, The Message). The challenge before us is the choice to say “yes” to the abundant life God offers and “no” to that which undermines life and destroys. Which will we choose?
Yes and No 2023-02-12This Sunday Pastor Anita will preach on Matthew 8:14-22, and we will wonder together at the life and times of that itinerant prophet and teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, the one whom we call the Christ. If the Special Child of God had no place to lay his head, what does that mean for being in solidarity with our houseless neighbors, family and friends? If Jesus’ work was in healing people, what does that mean for the church today and how we support and learn from and minister with people with disabilities? The stories we tell about Jesus have real impact on how we live, so let’s work together to live out the justice and peace that they tell us to seek.
The Meaning of Discipleship 2023-02-05Frederick Buechner says “the place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” This Sunday, Pastor Anita will lead us in considering “call” in our lives as we read the story of Jesus calling the disciples away from their lives as fisherfolk. Using Matthew 4:18-25 as a starting place, we will listen together for who and how the Holy is calling us to be in this world, as individuals and as a gathered community of faith.
Where Your Gifts Meet the World's Needs 2023-01-29This Sunday we will honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the modern day prophets and the most famous American Baptist. From John the Baptist to Dr. King, prophets have been normal people walking among us, given divine inspiration, going against the grain as they call out gross inequity in society… and, tragically, being targets for violence and execution by the powers and principalities. This Sunday, Pastor Anita will lead us in preaching about Matthew 3:1-17 and considering the radical way that prophets Prepare the Way for the kin-dom of God to be realized among us.
Prepare the Way 2023-01-15On the first Sunday in 2023, Pastor Anita will preach about what happened after the shepherds had gone home. Now that Jesus was born, and being called a king, the tyrant Herod’s jealousy was unleashed. And then, God Was On the Move as Mary, Joseph and young Jesus fled to Egypt. Join us for this New Year’s Day.
God on the Move 2023-01-01This Sunday, we will explore Revelations of Love. How does Love reveal itself to us, in the day-to-day and the special and surprising ways? When do we feel Love most present within and around us? How do we share our Love with the world? Isaiah 35:1-10 will guide us and Pastor Anita will preach. Join us for this beautiful third Sunday in Advent.
Revelations of Love 2022-12-11Sunday begins our Advent season, the time when we are "getting ready to welcome the mystery of Christmas," as the Godly Play stories tell it. We are getting ready by reflecting on Revelations of Joy this week. What is joy? Where does it come from? How do we experience joy in our individual lives and in the life of our church? How do we make space to receive the revelation of joy in this busy season? Pastor Anita preaches on Psalm 100 on Sunday, and you are welcome to join as well.
Joy Is Not Made To Be A Crumb 2022-11-27This Thanksgiving Sunday we will gather as a community to reflect on Psalm 46. Gratitude can be hard, especially in tumultuous times like we are in. But there are many ways to discover the Holy’s love and care for us through the difficulties and challenges. Gratitude is a spiritual practice, and during this Thanksgiving week, we practice together.
Be Still and Know 2022-11-20Psalm 32:1-7 is an invitation to transcend, to experience love, to love deeply, to welcome awe of life which inevitably includes pain, to live in the present, now is to embrace life and death. The privileged and the under-privilege equally will face the moment of death, departing to the house beyond the sun. This Sunday, November 6, let us ponder the question; What does it mean to die well?
The House Beyond the Sun 2022-11-06This Sunday is Pledge Sunday, an important day in the life of our congregation. Pledge Sunday is a day when we think about stewardship of our resources—not only our financial resources, but our time, energy, talents, building space and more. When people pledge to the church, it helps the staff figure out our budget for the year. But pledging is more than just about your pocketbook. Pledge Season is an invitation to think intentionally about how you participate in this congregation, about what this progressive faith space means to you, and how you want us to be in the world as a community seeking to follow the Way of Jesus. This Sunday, Pastor Anita will preach about giving, differentiating it from sacrifice, and we will think together about how we can have a ministry of abundance to share love and peace centered on justice with our neighbors.
Giving Meaningfully to Reform Our Hearts 2022-10-30The thick smoke we have been experiencing here in Seattle for more than a month relates to following the wrong “hero or heroine.” Our modern heroes relate to being a celebrity. We moderns call “heroes” those who, after making billions of dollars, willfully retired to live in their reptilian brains and lost their human consciousness and thus compassion. No wonder those from the margins of our society and their suffering are invisible; we have lost our natural human feeling of kindness and hospitality, and our modern heroes are leading us to the destruction of our beautiful blue home. Only people change people, and the margins ask us to be awake to compassion and heal our planet. Our planet is in pain, and we have learned to separate from pain. Pain is, in significant part, the path to awakening our natural given human consciousness. But there is hope, we can begin by re-embedding our modern culture in nature, and Psalm 65 offers poetic messages to return to the awe of life. I invite you to consider what it means for us in our present stage of smokie days to follow heroes like Jesus, or perhaps you prefer Buddha, Gandhi, or Martin Luther King? Would you join me in wondering about the wonderment of life abundant in Psalm 65?
Re-Embedding Culture in Nature 2022-10-23This Sunday, our friends and neighbors who founded Green Buildings Now will lead us in worship through a time of grief and a time of action. The climate crisis is dire, yet it is easy to become apathetic in our despair. However, there ARE actions that we can take, individually and collectively, that can change hearts and minds, advocate for responsible uses of power and finances, and help those who live on the margins and who are most vulnerable to climate disaster. Pastor Anita will preach on Deuteronomy 30:15-20 about grief, lament, and repairing the world we have inherited from our kin.
Choosing Life in the Here and Now 2022-10-16This Sunday is Next Generation Sunday! That means our wonderful kids and youth will be leading the worship service. It is ALSO World Communion Sunday, so it is right and good that we are being led by the young people who already make up the Church worldwide and who will inherit this planet. Norah will preach about the Good Shepherd, Nathan and Eleanor will lead a Time with Adults, Delia and Sam will teach us about Gen Z lingo—and more! Please show up in support of the young folks in this congregation—they are not only the FUTURE, they are the NOW.
Next Generation Sunday 2022-10-02This Sunday, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage in the USA, and Psalm 146 is a Song of Hope in the eternal return of the dynamic becoming of life. The 2022 Hispanic Manifesto states the following about social injustice in the USA: “We Latinos have been and will continue to be a strong force that boosts this country forward. Sadly, we are not recognized. The general population fails to notice. Non-Hispanic Americans know we exist, but they haven’t really heard us. They know we are here, but for them, we are invisible.” Psalm 146 offers a sweetness about life that is worth identifying. This Sunday, let us consider the connection between Hispanic Heritage and the call to end poverty to regenerate our ecosystems for the liberation of life and the common good. How can we move from isolated communities to communities of communities?
The Eternal Return 2022-09-25Part I (Cherry) We are beginning to emerge from a liminal space and time during which the COVID pandemic has turned our lives upside down. Rabbi Arthur Waskow refers to this as “The Great Pause.” As often happens in liminal times, visions were born; seeds were planted. Now we begin to reap what we have sown. How have we at SFBC used this time? Will our harvest sustain us? Today we celebrate the great Mystery which interbreathes us and brings from every bulb a flower. Alleluia! Part II (Pastor Mario) I invite you to consider the following questions: What does it mean to gather in the Spirit as The Beloved Community that follows the Way of Jesus to share grief and praise and journey with the Love of The Universe, who invites us to heal and regenerate life? What does it mean in the intimacy of the table to welcome the unveiling of life and find hope to take action?
We Are Better Together 2022-09-18At SFBC we talk a lot about being a place of home. As we move forward I to the future, what does that mean? We will look together at the “lost and found” scriptures from Luke 15 as we wonder where lost things go, how being found works, and what it means to create, and be, home for each other. Join us for homecoming Sunday. It wouldn’t be the same without you there. You are welcome here.
Come Home 2022-09-11Our lesson for this week is found in Luke 14: 1, 7-14. Here, Jesus invites his disciples to consider the importance of the wisdom of equality: Contrary to the evil of domination based on superiority, the beloved community must be constructed based on the concept that we all are equal. Thus everyone must be welcomed as they are. Jesus is inviting his disciples and us to consider the origin of life and creation where we all share the same source, and thus we all are equally vital despite how we may look or how many possessions we have. The wisdom of equality reminds us that to build a beloved community, we must include everyone, including our planet. What does it mean to awake to this aspect of the teachings of the wisdom of Jesus, realizing that there is no planet B? How can we continue to be like sunshine on a rainy day in our community today? Let us ponder these questions as we gather this coming Sunday, September 4th, to worship our common source of life.
There is no planet B: You are like Sunshine on a rainy day 2022-09-04Last week Pastor Patricia challenged us to consider the invitation of Jesus to minister to those who many leaders ignore. This week we are thinking of Luke 14:1,7-14, a call to radical change. Jesus gives us his perspective of what kind of commitment His followers must have if they want to gather and form the beloved community. Given the urgency of the moment when our common home is at a dangerous moment due to the evil of domination, we are invited today to consider committing to taking every little step and action we can have at hand to construct the beloved community of Jesus despite any opposition. I invite you to explore the following question during our Sunday Sermon: Why do serving the poor, feeding the hungry, educating the children, picking up the trash in our streets, driving less, eating plants, and conserving water indeed become radical acts that require a radical commitment? Remember: You are doing this to Me and thus, to Mother Earth!
Remember: You are doing this to Me and thus, to Mother Earth!In our text Jesus sees a woman who had been bent over for 18 years. She never asked to be healed of her condition, but Jesus could see it was debilitating and he healed her. She immediately began to praise God for her healing. On Sunday we will explore how we are bent and at times broken by the concerns of the world. It is comforting to know that the Holy One sees our condition and wants us to be healed. Although we may be healed of our brokenness and have a new outlook on life, not everyone will be as excited as we are. In spite of our detractors, we must praise God and get on with living.
Healing That Leads to Praise 2022-08-21When I was growing up in the Midwest, I learned how to interpret the skies on a summer afternoon to watch for tornadoes. If there was that greenish tinge, and torrential rain, and wind that mysteriously stopped...look out. In the Scripture passage today, Jesus reprimands his listeners for knowing how to interpret the skies, but not knowing how to interpret the present times. That doesn’t mean that he wanted everyone to go all in on “Left Behind” interpretation towards the end times, but it does mean that Jesus was frustrated that folks around him didn’t see what he was seeing. I wonder now at how we are interpreting the times we are in? There are many signs around us of a world in turmoil...so how are we responding? What are we choosing to pay attention to, and what do we turn away from in discomfort? How do we wrestle with the division that may come (is already here?) from following the Way of Jesus and doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with the Holy? Join us on Sunday as we ponder these questions and more as a faith community and family of the one called the Christ.
Pull Back the Veil 2022-08-14This week we will explore another part of the same chapter of warnings and encouragement Luke 12:32-40. Here Jesus continues to invite us to trust not material wealth but God, where we will find reasons to regenerate our hope and be ready to face life's adversities as climate change. Let us not forget that great movements started with two or three people gathering and hoping for regeneration. What does it mean for us here at SFBC to be inspired when we pay attention to the power our planet has to regenerate, the passion and commitment of our young, and the potential and urgency to take action collectively?
Regeneration of Hope: Have faith, be ready, take action. 2022-08-07This week, we are exploring Luke 12:13-21. What does it mean to follow Jesus and his perspective on money? Our love for the accumulation of money (greed) is being identified as "the elephant in the room in our modern society", linked to the injustice of poverty and the destruction of our common home, evident in increasing climate change and the destruction of the ecosystems that sustain life as we know it. Let us explore what options we can find in Jesus' teachings to transform our understanding of money as beloved communities working together towards saving our common home, planet earth. Can we do the same, as Seattle First Baptist Church, here and now and in this time?
Following Jesus With Our Money 2022-07-31Though perhaps not many of us have been in a storm at sea, or risked our lives in danger of shipwreck, we certainly know what it is to be in the storms of life. In the midst of a storm, the apostle Paul led the sailors in his company to break bread together. What do we do when we are struck with the storms of life? Trust in God, have fellowship together and break bread together. How do we have do the same as Seattle First Baptist Church, here and now and in this time?
The Storms of Life 2022-07-24As we move through our culture, what idols or shrines do we notice? Perhaps you’ve noticed shrines to commercialism, professional athletes, entertainers, and social media. Some would say our country idolizes guns, workaholics, and Christian nationalism. Today we explore why those professing to be followers of Jesus must proclaim the good news of the God we know, who fashioned the universe after Godself. Now is the time to name the unknown god, and make known God’s passion for justice, right relationships, forgiveness and love.
Make Known the Unknown God 2022-07-17This week we consider Acts 16: 16-40, where “the new Saul,” the Apostle Paul, a follower of Jesus the Liberator (Luke 4:14-21), finds himself in a struggle with the powers that be. This means that Paul will have to face and resist the spirit of the rulers of this world or the “spirit of domination” that inhabits all oppressive systems. Let us come together and explore the mission of the liberation of life in this intriguing passage of our Christian Sacred Book.
The Liberation of Life 2022-07-10Pastor Anita leads us in our Pride Sunday worship, celebrating our LGBTQIA+ siblings and the gift they are to the world. How has SFBC been, and how can it be, in the right place at the right time as a place of hospitality and belonging — a place of home — for LGBTQIA+ followers of the Way of Jesus? Where is God is calling you, and calling us as an SFBC family, to minister to those who need a message of inclusion and abundant love from the Holy?
Right Place, Right Time 2022-06-26After Pentecost, the new church community in Jerusalem had more than enough resources to meet everyone’s needs and they actually took care of one another. Can we even imagine a world like that? We are more willing to share with those we know and love, which requires us to be in relationship with our neighbors. Living in relationship and in community also calls for honesty. We will briefly look at how material possessions can distract us from serving God.
More Than Enough 2022-06-19Today is Pentecost. We fill the sanctuary with the colors of the flames of the Holy Spirit as together we consider what the Spirit is doing among us. We unite our voices in the songs of the Holy Spirit, and Pastor Anita leads us in wondering what it truly means to have our “hearts be set on fire” for justice.
Hearts on Fire 2022-06-05Following the devastating mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24, and on the heels of the shooting on May 14 at Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, NY, we gather for a service of lament and action. We remember those precious children of God killed by gun violence, cry out with psalms and prayer and song, and hold each other as we move forward into resolute action.
A Service of Lament & Action 2022-05-29There is so much grief and violence and hardship in the world right now, so how do we respond as people of faith? Well, we might not have all the answers, but one thing we do know is that we must center our hearts on God’s peace, which is a profound peace that is different from the world’s peace.
Faith Is Not for the Fainthearted 2022-05-22Historically, the Church has struggled being a place of welcome for all people. Too often clerical leaders have sought to maintain strict exclusionary rules to their sacred club. Being told we do not meet the criteria to be at God’s sacred table is spiritually devastating and according to this text, ungodly. All are worthy to be at the table of grace and mercy.
You Are Worthy 2022-05-15Pastor Anita preaches on John 10:22-30. In this story, people ask Jesus to tell them “plainly” who he is and what he is about … but we know from living in this world that nothing is “plain” when it comes to the Bible. Pastor Anita leads us in considering what our words and actions reveal about our core beliefs and identities as followers of the Way of Jesus.
Tell It Plainly 2022-05-08Pastor Anita preaches about the Easter story found in Matthew 28:1-10, when the women come to the tomb in the pre-dawn dark and receive a message from the heavenly messenger: “He is not here! Do not be afraid!” The scripture says they experienced “fear and great joy” at the glorious mystery of Easter morning. And isn’t that just how we feel sometimes, balancing between fear and joy, sadness and celebration?
The Paradoxes of Easter 2022-04-17Palm Sunday is a day of rejoicing with a hint of sorrow around the edges. Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem, but there was tension in the air during his procession. We will look at the tension we wrestle with on Palm Sunday and the emotions we bring to Holy Week.
Palm Sunday: A Cautious Celebration 2022-04-10Who counts in a community? Does a certain group count more or less than others? Who do we see, and who do we take for granted? Pastor Anita leads us in revisiting Luke chapter 15 and the parable of the man with two sons, also known as the prodigal son. You may think you know this parable, but think again… are you taking it for granted?
Counting and Discounting 2022-03-27Today, we will consider what about Jesus’ identity and words made him unwelcome in the place that nurtured him. We will wonder together about if there are people or needs or messages that we are not open to receiving simply because we know too much or have preconceived notions about the issue. We will challenge each other to keep our hearts soft so that we can be moved by the Spirit of God, which Isaiah, quoted in Luke 4 says, “is upon [us]…to proclaim good news…[and] preach liberation.”
There's No Place Like Home 2022-02-13Pastor Tim’s final sermon at SFBC comes from the beginning of the gospel of John and the water-into-wine story in John 2. In the texts from Year W, it is paired with a reading from the Song of Songs, an erotic love poem in the Hebrew Bible that doesn’t get near enough attention. Love, like good wine, ages beautifully. Which is why poet Robert Browning could write: Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be …
The Best Is Yet to Be 2022-02-06What can a caring community accomplish? So much, if we only take the steps to make it possible. Pastor Anita preaches on Mark 1:29-31, the story of Jesus healing Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. Together we will explore how this simple 3-verse story provides a blueprint for pastoral care and community care.
A Caring Community 2022-01-23On this weekend celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it is easy to quote Dr. King. But quoting Dr. King and claiming Dr. King is a long way from committing ourselves to continue Dr. King’s legacy. If we have found ways to make Dr. King comfortable, perhaps it is time to see him in the light of John the Baptist, one who “cries out in the wilderness to prepare the way and to make God’s paths straight or true.” Perhaps there is some repentance to be made before there can be reconciliation.
A Martin Luther King Kind of Baptist 2022-01-16This story of Jesus in the Temple is the bridge text between Jesus as an infant and the adult Jesus who is about doing the work of the Holy One. This story calls us to prepare for the journey ahead, and it reminds us that unusual wisdom can reside in those we least expect—even in our children.
Have You Seen Jesus? 2022-01-09Advent calls us to slow down, and spend time wondering — asking questions, yes, but more so rest in being in awe of the magnificent Creation around us. How wonder-full is this world, if we only slow down to take note for a moment. Let’s consider the stories of Sarah and Elizabeth as we pause to exclaim the wonder of the Holy Mystery in this Advent season.
Nevertheless We Wonder 2021-12-05This year, we will be using a new Lectionary created by Hebrew Bible Scholar Dr. Wilda C. Gafney. It’s "Year W: A Woman’s Lectionary for the Whole Church". So, this Advent we will hear again the story of Mary, but in a duet with her ancestors, Hagar and Sarah and Samson’s mother and Hannah. They all have a lot in common. But each one has her own story. Just like you!
Angels in the Wilderness 2021-11-28This has been one of those weekends where the sermon that Dr. Hunter had prepared got tossed out because she needed to address the injustice that took place on November 19. The not guilty verdict on all counts for Kyle Rittenhouse threw many of us off center. We may be distracted in our worship or confused in worship. And that is OK, for we are not called to worship with perfection, but to make a joyful noise.
Living with an Attitude of Gratitude 2021-11-21My lexicon of popular music is pretty short. But there have been popular songs that have intrigued and inspired me; like R.E.M.’s “The End of the World as We Know it,” first released in November 1987 and re-released in December 1991. In a lot of ways, the 1980s were the end of the world as I knew it: coming out, leaving a community of faith that I had known all my life, creating and losing a long-term relationship. Even moving from my beloved Chicago to Seattle in 1996 felt like the end of the world I knew. So I was intrigued by the second line of R.E.M.’s title, “And I feel fine.” It’s the end of the world and I feel fine? Perhaps the song is a soundtrack for Jesus’ words in Mark 13.1-8 about war and natural disasters and suffering. Because the end, he says, “is but the beginning of birth pangs.” Could there possibly be any good news in the end of the world as we know it? Join us this Sunday as we wonder together.
The End of the World as We Know It 2021-11-14This All Saints’ Day, Pastor Anita preaches on Mark 12: 38-44, a story that is usually told to encourage people to tithe. But is there more in Jesus’ observation of the widow who gives all she has? What do we have to give at SFBC—our tithes, yes, but also our time, energy, passion, care, prayer and more. Let us worship together and share communion as we talk about all of the ways we give—of ourselves and of our community—to this world.
What Can We Offer? 11-07-2021For all the talk about the Bible as a book of answers, it would be more accurate to say that it is a book of questions – big ones, deep ones, powerful ones. Jesus is always asking questions and being asked them. Some of the questions people ask Jesus are intended to score points or to humiliate this upstart Rabbi with apparently no official religious training. Jesus turns most of these questions back on themselves. That is how Mark 12 begins. But by verses 28-34, there is a consensus on the question of which commandment is the greatest. Jesus says: “You shall love the Lord your God … and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Finally! An answer everyone agrees on. But, sadly, “after that no one dared to ask him anything” (vs. 34). I have always thought these are some of the saddest words in the Bible. The people have Rabbi Jesus right there and they stop asking questions? There are so many questions left to ask. But they lost their nerve. This Sunday we reflect together on “Daring to ask Questions.”
Daring to Ask Questions 10-31-2021The story of Bartimaeus is a familiar biblical story. Bartimaeus was blind and called out to Jesus for healing. Jesus heard him and responded to his need. What we may not have noticed in this story is that the crowd initially discouraged Bartimaeus from seeking healing. I wonder if there are occasions in our faith journey where we discourage those searching for healing and wholeness? We will explore this theme on Sunday.
What Do You See? 2021-10-24Mark’s gospel gets a little jumbled after the story of the Transfiguration at the beginning of Mark 9. There is misunderstanding. Failed healings by the disciples and powerful healings by someone who is not part of the inner circle. Jesus seems to be hiding out from the crowd while he talks to his disciples about welcome. It looks like there is a theme starting about children that stretches into Mark 10. But that theme gets interrupted by some drastic words about cutting off limbs or being “thrown into hell.” Where is this all going? One scholar suggests that the connection is about inclusivity and boundaries – about inviting in and “cutting off.” It makes me wonder about drawing lines. What lines don’t need to be drawn? What lines – for the safety, healing, and peace of others – need to be? The sermon that is evolving feels like a dangerous one. Drawing lines is always dangerous. Lines have consequences. Please join me in the conversation on Mark 9.38-50 this Sunday as think about “drawing lines.”
Drawing Lines 9-26-21
Subscribe to the Weekly Email!
Our Weekly Email is your resource for all details and information about what is happening at SFBC. Subscribe to stay up to date!
You have Successfully Subscribed!
We care about your privacy and never distribute your information to other parties.