Where You Go, I Will Go
Looking at the story of Ruth and the Samaritan woman at the well, Jess reflects on how the bible reveals an ever-expanding view of salvation that challenges religious […]
Read More
Peace in Polarized Times
On the second Sunday of Advent, Jess invites a conversation about the kind of peace that Jesus came to bring, and how he went about bringing it. In the midst of social and political turmoil, she encourages an approach to those who differ from us that centres our shared humanity and the reality that our own well being is intrinsically connected to the well being of everyone else.
Wholly in the World Together (This World?!!)
As we enter into our new teaching theme, Jess invites us to reflect on the current state of the world and the tendency within evangelicalism toward escapist theology. She then underlines the significance of our connection and interdependence with the world and each other, and directs our attention toward role models like Jesus and Dorothy Day, who poured out their lives for the sake of the world.
Wholly (& Holy) With You
This Sunday, Jess directed her homily toward blessing and saying goodbye to our beloved Rachael Barham as she and her family prepare for a move and a new season ahead. Themes of beauty, imperfection, interconnectedness, and the divine in all things were woven through the service, as well as much love and gratitude for the many ways Rachael has blessed and shaped our lives and community.
You Are Not Alone
Jess reflects on the deep human longing to know we’re not alone in the world, and the ways church communities have been a source of love, security and support throughout her life. She shares stories of experiencing divine presence, and explains why she wanted to pass this onto her children even as her own views of God were shifting.
Mid-Summer Contemplations
Jess invites us to imaginatively join her sitting on a rock in the sunshine next to a lake as she shares some of the things she’s been thinking about this summer, and, in doing so, she encourages us to notice the world around us and to continue the act of living amidst all that tries to separate us from life and each other.
Communities of Belonging
A huge need in people’s lives is to feel a sense of belonging. Jess, Lorna and Janell all share various stories where they have seen or felt this sense of belonging exist. They acknowledge its meaningfulness and how its goodness can trickle outward beyond an individual’s immediate communities. They further reflected on how communities of belonging create a dwelling place for God’s love and peace.
With Us in Suffering, With Us in Love
In this Easter homily, Jess Williams reflects on the suffering of Christ and his unshakeable solidarity with humankind, and what it might mean that Love is with us at all times. She invites us to consider the cross as both a confrontation and an invitation to “love the world in all the painfully honest ways only you can love it.” (A New Spring, James A. Pearson, )
Prodigal Love
In today’s homily, Jess Williams reflects on the parable of the prodigal son, inviting us to consider what the story reveals about both the vulnerability of God and parenthood, and the “wastefully extravagant” prodigal Love of the Divine.
Thoughts on Lions and Lambs and Leadership Through Difficult Times
Jess Williams reflects on the lion and lamb imagery used to describe the nature of Christ and how both of these can be useful in times like this. Then she invites the community to pray for the leadership of SCC, opening up a beautiful moment of mutual love and support for the church as a whole
More on this topic