Beste Paul Sanders podcasts (2025)

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It's Not A Religion; It's A Relationship 30:40

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Today is the Second Sunday in Lent. The basic theme of our reflection this morning was "Christianity--It's Not a Religion; It's a Relationship." It's about what it means to be a Christian.Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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Lent 1 - Rend Your Heart 28:36

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Today is the first Sunday in Lent. The theme of my reflections over the six Sundays in Lent will be on Jesus' life and teachings that immediately preceded his death and resurrection. Today's reflection drew from the teachings of the prophet Joel who tells us that God calls us to "rend our hearts." What does this mean?…

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The Rabbi's Gift 29:07

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This really isn’t a sermon; it’s a story, perhaps a parable. It’s entitled “The Rabbi’s Gift.”Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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Lookin Back - Looking Forward 21:19

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Greetings! This reflection is about how our identity as individuals, as a church, as a nation, and as a world is formed by our past but also by our vision of who or what we can be. The occasion is the celebration of our 160th annual meeting as a church! Blessings! PaulDoor Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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Love Sees Deeper 19:05

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This morning’s reflection focused on listening: as a kind of presence as a creative energy in our relationship with other people in our relationship with ourselves in our relationship with God God called Samuel by name. Is God calling you?Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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Creative Stupidity 26:56

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Jan 19, 2025 This morning, as we experienced a deep gratitude to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for his contributions to our nation, to both Blacks and Whites. The theme of our reflections is stupidity.Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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The Meaning Of Epiphany 25:33

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This morning, we reflected on the theme of Epiphany. It involves a search. It leads to a discovery, a realization. I read T. S. Eliot’s “Journey of the Magi,” which I like. I also include a quote on becoming seekers by Peter Matthiessen, who wrote “In Search of the Snow Leopard.” Are you a seeker? What (whom) do you seek?…

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How Can We Change The Future? 23:16

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The theme of today’s reflection was how to change the future. I assume you think it needs changing. Are you curious?Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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Advent 1 - Hope 22:38

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Today is the first Sunday of Advent. The theme of our reflections this morning is hope. The spiritual experience of hope is deeper than wishing. The opposite of hope is despair. We really need to receive the spiritual gift of hope in our nation and around the world this Christmas season!Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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Stewardship - Building With Rubble 28:55

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This sermon is about building - our self - our church - our nation - our world - with what we already have. It is entitled, "Building With Rubbish" (no offense) It is about building on rock, on The Rock.Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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The Widow's Coins 23:45

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This sermon is about The Widow’s Coins. It is also about an unusual experience I had many years ago.Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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For All The Saints 17:10

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Today, in our church, we observe a mixture of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. We remember those who have a profound impact upon our lives and our spiritual formation. Then we remember that we, also, are called to be saints!Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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The Great Invitation! 19:56

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This morning, on a communion Sunday, we think about the different calls, the different invitations that are extended to us by John the Baptist and by Jesus, though they may be two sides of the same coin. In inviting us to be yoked to him and to each other, Jesus invites us to a life of abundance, not in terms of material possessions but in care, co…

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Renewing Our Covenants 22:30

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This morning our church renewed the covenant between pastor and parishioner that we first shared October 7, 1997. The renewal of our covenant marked the 27th anniversary of my call to be the settled pastor of First Community Church. I talk about the four dimensions of our covenant as members and friends of our church.…

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Just As I Am? Really?! 35:04

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In today's sermon we look at how Taoism and Buddhism can help us understand Jesus' relationship with the woman who was a "sinner." Once again, I believe the gospel lesson is not about forgiveness; it is about love. This reflection begins to grapple with Baruch Spinoza's assertion that "this is the best of all possible worlds." Aren't you just a lit…

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The Way To Heaven ... 22:05

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The title of this sermon is “The Way to Heaven.” If you have ever despaired of qualifying, take heart! You may already be there! (I know, it doesn’t always feel that way. But just listen.)Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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People - The Elder Son In The Parable Of The Prodigal Son 32:10

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This sermon, which focuses on the elder brother in Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son, looks at the parable from a Jungian psychological perspective. If you happen to be Freudian (or are so inclined for any other reason), you may stop listening now. If you happen to think, as I do, that Carl G. Jung just might help us understand the spiritual life …

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Communion - Sacrement Of Presence 19:51

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I would like to continue the exploration we began last week of Jesus’ encounter with the unnamed Samaritan woman by the side of Jacob’s well. The woman’s life was radically changed through this encounter. Even though there is some teaching in the exchange, e.g., around the issue of sacred space, it seems to me that the most important part of what h…

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People Of The Bible - The Samaritan Woman At the Well 32:50

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This reflection, the third in my summer series sermons about little known people in the Bible, is about Jesus’ encounter with the unnamed Samaritan woman at the well. It raises the question of which is more important: what Jesus gives to us or what Jesus asks of us. It is about religious experience, specifically William James’s distinction between …

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People Of The Bible - Jacob 34:05

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This sermon is part of a series that Charley Eastman of Pilgrim Church and I have been preaching in our two churches this summer. It is about some of the little-known or lesser-known people in the Bible. Today we are taking a look at Jacob. I took the liberty of reading the story of Jacob and Esau from the Children's Bible--I highly recommend it! J…

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The Power Of Prayer VI - Prayer From The Heart 33:10

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In our scripture lesson this morning from the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus’ disciples ask him to teach them to pray--just like John the Baptist taught his disciples. The disciples’ question implies that John taught his disciples to pray. I wonder what John taught his disciples. We don’t know; there is not enough information. I’m just curious: wo…

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The Powerw Of Prayer V -- What Did You Expect? 26:34

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This morning, we are continuing our reflections on the power of prayer. I hope our reflections during this Easter season and beyond have begun to lead us into a deeper understanding of the meaning and power of prayer, have led us to believe more fully in the power of intercessory prayer, and will lead us to pray more constantly and more meaningfull…

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The Power Of Prayer IV - The Hundreth Monkey 25:28

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Last week, in my sermon on the theology of the Trinity, I touched on one way of understanding intercessory prayer, prayers that I/we offer to someone in need. Today I would like to say a little more about this understanding and what it teaches about the importance of your prayer.Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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The Tinity - God's Crazy Math 34:11

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Today is Trinity Sunday. The sermon title is "The Trinity--God's Crazy Math!" In this reflection, we explore the richness of a trinitarial theology, how it might help us pray by deepening our understanding of God and also our relationship with God. It also points to a direction that we may need to go theologically and in our prayer--the evolution o…

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Where Is Jesus? - Ascension Sunday 33:59

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Today is the sixth Sunday of the Easter season. The fifty days between Easter and Pentecost is a special time in our church year. It is a time that we set aside to reflect on what happened to Jesus following his crucifixion. On Easter Sunday, we focus our attention on the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection, on the empty tomb, the cornerstone of our fai…

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Baptisim Is The Beginning Of The Spiritual Journey 27:23

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We had a baptism in our sanctuary this morning during the worship service. My reflection, which focuses on the way our sanctuary is set up architecturally and on the relationship of form and function, is a reminder that baptism is only the beginning of our spiritual. journey. I think you might find it at least informative. (At least I hope you will…

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Don't Try To Hold On (The Fourth Sunday of Easter) 29:29

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This reflection, the fourth Sunday of the Easter season, is entitled "Don't Try to Hold On." It could just as easily have been named, "Don't Touch Me," "Don't Cling to Me," or "Don't Hold Me," depending upon which translation of the passage in John you read. It is about the suffering that arises from our attachments, from our grasping, whether it i…

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Believing Helps Us See - The Second Sunday In Easter 27:39

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The liturgical season of Easter is one of my favorite times of the Christian year. It is a time when we read the gospel accounts of how the disciples encounter Jesus, encounter their risen Lord, or are encountered by him. Their experiences of rediscovering the One whom they felt they had lost can guide us in our own experiences of our risen Lord, c…

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The Triumph Of Easter 27:02

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In our observance of Holy Week, we move from Palm Sunday, a day of triumph, to Easter Sunday, another day of triumph, without passing through the dark night of the soul that is a central part of Holy Week. It is tempting to think we can have a resurrection without a crucifixion, without a sacrifice, without a death, either in Jesus’ life or in our …

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The Paradox Of Palm Sunday 35:53

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Today is Palm Sunday, a day of celebration! Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem marks the beginning of Holy Week, one of the most profound and deeply symbolic weeks in human history. Churches distribute palms to their communicants on this day, sometimes as palm branches, sometimes in other forms. This morning, We reflect on the symbolism of the p…

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The Power Of Prayer - 3 30:23

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This morning, the fifth Sunday in Lent, we are continuing our reflections on the power of prayer. I hope our reflections will lead us to a deeper understanding of the meaning and power of prayer, will lead us to believe more fully in the power of intercessory prayer, and will lead us to pray more constantly and more meaningfully in our daily life.…

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The Power Of Prayer - 2 28:15

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Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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The Power Of Prayer - I 29:05

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This morning, on communion Sunday, we are belatedly beginning our Lenten series of reflections on the power of prayer. I hope our reflections over the next few weeks, and probably after Easter as well, will lead us to a deeper understanding of the meaning and power of prayer, will lead us to believe more fully in the power of intercessory prayer, a…

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The Healing Power Of Community 35:41

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Last week we thought about solitude, a theme to which we will be returning during our reflections on prayer, and the importance of touch, of breaking down or setting aside, or reaching past the boundaries that separate us from each other. This morning, let’s build on what we began last week by reflecting on community, on our community, and on the h…

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The Healing Power Of Touch 26:19

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For one more week, I would like us to remain with the theme that we began several weeks ago, the theme of healing as illustrated in the healing miracles that are described in the Bible. In previous weeks, we have attempted to discern what these healing miracles have in common (if, indeed, they have anything in common). We have attempted to identify…

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Healing The Syrophoenician Woman’s Daughter 26:19

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Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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Are You Blind? 24:28

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Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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Healing Our Inner Leprosy 30:47

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Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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Set Your House In Order 32:35

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Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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Advent IV - The Answer to Fear Is Love 32:14

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If you would like to comment on this, or any of the sermons, please email Rev. Sanderson at psandersonphd@gmail.com. Text (PDF) copies of the sermons are available on our web site: firstcommunitychurch.com.Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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The Answer To Fear Is Hope! 35:50

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Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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Thankful? Or Grateful? 34:57

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Sermon delivered Nov 26,2023 If you would like to comment on this, or any of the sermons, please email Rev. Sanderson at psandersonphd@gmail.com. Text (PDF) copies of the sermons are available on our web site: firstcommunitychurch.com.Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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We Are All Just Visitors Here 34:23

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Sermon presented Nov. 26, 2023 If you would like to comment on this, or any of the sermons, please email Rev. Sanderson at psandersonphd@gmail.com. Text (PDF) copies of the sermons are available on our web site: firstcommunitychurch.com.Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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Don't Eat My Cookies! 33:05

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Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson

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All Saints - All Souls Day 17:40

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We apologize for the delay in posting this sermon. We had technical problems with the original file and had to re-record it.Door Rev. Dr. Paul Sanderson