Claremont United Church of Christ

Pastors Jen and Jacob
  • 4.9 (39)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

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

  1. 6D AGO · VIDEO

    Bless This Mess: " Expecting The New"

    GUEST PREACHER: REV. DR. KATHERINE GEORGIA A. THOMPSON The Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson is the General Minister and President and the Chief Executive Officer of the United Church of Christ. Rev. Thompson is the first woman and first woman of African descent to serve as leader of the denomination. She is a writer, poet and theologian who has contributed to numerous publications. Her book of poetry Drums in Our Veins was published in 2022. Prior to this call, Rev. Thompson served in the national setting of the United Church of Christ for 14 years – two years as Minister for Racial Justice, eight years as Minister for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, and four years as the Associate General Minister for Wider Church Ministries and Co-Executive for Global Ministries. She was elected as Associate General Minister in 2019. As General Minister and President of the UCC, Rev. Thompson is the head of communion and the spiritual leader of the church, as well as the executive leader of the church. Her passion for justice and equity moved her work on behalf of the UCC into a global context when she served as Minister for Racial Justice. This passion for justice was a catalyst for her global advocacy to reduce the marginalization experienced by African descendant peoples and other communities globally. She continues to participate globally bringing her leadership to addressing a variety of issues including global racial justice, gender justice, and human rights. Before joining the national staff in 2009, Rev. Thompson served in the Florida Conference United Church of Christ as a Pastor and on the Conference staff as the Minister for Disaster Response and Recovery. She also worked in the nonprofit arena for over 10 years in leaderships positions. Rev. Thompson earned a Bachelor of Arts from Brooklyn College in New York, a Master of Public Administration from North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC, and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York. She also studied Public Policy at Duke University and earned her Doctor of Ministry at Seattle University. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Heidelberg University in 2023.

    25 min

  2. MAR 23 · VIDEO

    Bless This Mess: "Wreck The Ship"

    This Sunday Pastor Jen will be preaching on Bless This Mess: "Wreck the Ship"

    13 min

  3. MAR 16 · VIDEO

    Bless This Mess: "Not My Circus"

    This Sunday Pastor Jen will be preaching on Bless This Mess: "Not My Circus"

    14 min

  4. MAR 9 · VIDEO

    Bless This Mess: "Can These Bones Live?"

    In Ezekiel Chapter 37, God brings Ezekiel to a valley full of dry, dead bones and asks him, "Can these bones live?" As we survey the chaos and country of our world, God asks us the same question, "Can these bones live?"

    24 min

  5. MAR 5 · VIDEO

    Ash Wednesday - Bless This Mess

    Our world, our lives, and sometimes our hearts feel messy. Thankfully, Jesus entered our mess and agreed to walk through it with us, never turning away from our pain and promising transformation along the journey. Lent is a season that celebrates transformation--in all its messy forms. Join us as we spend 40 days facing hard truths, taking responsibility, and creating something beautiful together through it all. May God bless this mess!

    8 min

  6. MAR 2 · VIDEO

    Mind The Gap: "The Missing Years"

    One of the biggest gaps in Scripture is what happened in Jesus' life from the time he was born until he was 30 and baptized by John. In the final installment of our "Mind the Gap" sermon series, Pastor Jacob explores how people living very ordinary lives can be the source of a prophetic word for our times.

    19 min

  7. FEB 23 · VIDEO

    Mind the Gap: "Abundant Life or Dying to Ourselves? Which One is It?"

    This Sunday we welcome guest preacher Lydia Sohn to the pulpit! The Rev. Lydia Sohn is a Korean American United Methodist elder and writer whose writings have appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic and The Christian Century, among others. Her forthcoming book, Here: A Spirituality of Staying in a Culture of Leaving releases on February 25, 2025 and is available for preorder now! Most importantly, she is mom to Hugh, Ivy, and Iris, wife to a handsome brainiac named James, and a long time resident and lover of Claremont. Follow along her journeys in Claremont filled with parenting, writing, eating pastries at Some Crust, and pastoring at www.revlydia.com. The official launch party for her book is this upcoming Saturday, March 1st at 2 p.m. at Claremont United Methodist Church. This event is free and open to the public! Learn more at launchforhere.eventbrite.com

    24 min

  8. FEB 20 · VIDEO

    Mind the Gap: "Pen Pals"

    Did you know that there were more letters written by apostles like Paul and John than are contained in our New Testaments? Many of these letters have been lost to history! Pastor Jacob explores the gaps in the correspondence between the apostles and the churches to whom they wrote and explains how Christians today carry on the conversations that the apostles were having in their letters.

    21 min

  9. FEB 9 · VIDEO

    Mind The Gaps: Re-enchanting Our World"

    Claremont United Church of Christ

    21 min

  10. FEB 2 · VIDEO

    Mind The Gap(s)!

    We launch a new series this week looking at stories where there are holes in the plot or content of the passage. So many times when we read a Biblical story, we are not privy to the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters. In today's Scripture reading, Jesus is rejected by his hometown, and he must have been disappointed and distraught. Pastor Jacob reflects on Jesus' potential feelings and compares them to the ones so many of us are feeling in a time of turmoil.

    22 min
  • 10 Episodes

    4.9
    out of 5
    39 Ratings

    About

    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.

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