Sermon by Rev. Dr. Meredith Jeffers - Christmas Eve - December 24, 2015

Sermon by Reverend Dr. Meredith Jeffers - December 6, 2015

This is Pastor Eric's final sermon at WSCC. This sermon was part of a "Release and Celebration" of his five years as pastor at WSCC. We wish him and his family well as they leave us for there home state of Illinois.

"The seed sprouts and grows, but the farmer doesn't know how."  ~Mark 4:27

I love a good mystery novel or movie. When I was in 5th grade my mother gave me The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Canon Doyle and I could not put it down until I had read it cover to cover. What I love about mysteries is not the mystery itself, but the clarity at the end when Holmes explains the case, all is revealed and the world is "right' again. I think I like this so much because it is so unrealistic. Daily I am surrounded by mysteries: questions I cannot answer and things I do not understand or behavior I cannot rationalize and I find these unknowns-these mysteries infuriating. Much of faith is a mystery. We are not given the knowledge of what tomorrow will hold, how our lives will turn out or even why bad things happen to good people - instead we are asked to trust in God. We are asked to rest in the unknown mystery of life in the confidence that the goodness of God will prevail. I don't know about you, but I struggle with that kind of vulnerable, self exposing, risk-taking trust. Join us Sunday as we are challenged to trust in God's mysteries.
~Pastor Eric

"It seemed very bad to Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us," so he prayed to the LORD."  ~1 Samuel 8:6
We are looking for answers: the answer to anxiety; the answer to fear; the answer to meaning; the answer to pain; the answer to grief; the answer to boredom. We look for answers and are presented with potential solutions- but almost never without side effects. Drugs and alcohol will take away the pain and anxiety for a time, but there are consequences. Denying or medicating grief or pain can make the physical or emotional agony bearable in the short term, but does not fix the deeper issues. Is there a solution without side effects? Perhaps. In Christ God offers us an answer to our questions: love. Is love side effect free? should it be? Is it worth it? Join us Sunday and let's explore this together!
~Pastor Eric

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory."  ~Isaiah 6:3
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer.
No matter how you say it the Trinity is a a complex theological concept. We believe in one God, who is three distinct persons - one of whom ate, drank, walked, taught and even died - yet there is one God. The Trinity is the part of the Christian faith that I have struggled with the most. I have sat through countless demonstrations with clovers, pitchers of water and ice, and diagrams, but it still confuses me how it all works. I mean what if Jesus and God get into a fight- does the Spirit mediate? And if they are one then why does Jesus keep asking God questions?
This Sunday is Trinity Sunday where we will seek the answers to this question: What exactly is the Trinity and more importantly- WHY does it matter to me? If you, like me have long been perplexed by this mathematical miracle and spiritual stumbling block, then join me on Sunday and we will explore together.
~Pastor Eric