current sermon series

living hope

eastertide

The Easter season is about living into the new reality of the resurrected Christ. The shocking news that death is not the end of the human story takes some reorientation to begin to understand the implications of such a profound truth.

So, Eastertide is where we let this knowledge wash over us,and we begin, with joy,to embrace this new way of living. Everything is different now. We’ll never be the way we were before. Do those statements sound familiar?

They are often said with regret or with sadness, the “woe is me” syndrome. But apply them to Easter, and suddenly they are statements of hope. I Peter says it this way: “By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3 NRSV).

This series allows us to explore this hope and to know it well enough to recognize it when we encounter it in our own communities.

We paired the epistle texts with the psalm for each week to give us a flavor of both the understanding and the experience of hope. So, join us for this journey into the new world of a living hope that is ours in the resurrection as we give thanks to God.

Empire Strikes Back

May 21, 2023

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Rev. Teer Hardy

1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet. Today we close out of time in 1 Peter. The themes of suffering and persecution are raised throughout the letter, and take centerstage in our reading today. But today the focus is not on suffering and persecution for doctrinal beliefs, no the suffering and persecution addressed in today's reading is the result of allegiance. Did the early church pledge their allegiance to the Roman Empire or to their (our) Risen Lord? If we are to take seriously our allegiance to the cross of Christ, how might the world empires of the world today react?

The Urgency of Grace

May 14, 2023

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Rev. Teer Hardy

1 Peter 3:13-22

What are we supposed to be ready to do? Tell our story! It’s as simple as that. And it’s as complicated as that

Like Living Stones

May 7, 2023

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Rev. Sara Keeling

1 Peter 2:2-10

As we celebrate the Easter season, we are living into hope together. We have pondered joy, love, and strength during hard times. Today we are considering our identity as followers of Jesus. We are like living rocks and our value comes from the God who loves us and claims us!

Guardian of the Soul

April 30, 2023

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Rev. Sara Keeling

1 Peter 2:19-25

Last Sunday we explored the concept of loving each other “deeply from the heart,” not to be better at doing good, but because we are first loved by God. Today we celebrate our freedom from sin through the healing power of Christ. Jesus is our good shepherd who welcomes us home, into the safety of the fold, where he will guard our souls.

All You Need is Love

April 23, 2023

Third Sunday of Easter

Rev. Teer Hardy

1 Peter 1:17-23

Last Sunday we explored the joy of Easter and today we turn our attention to verse 22 in our epistle reading. "Love one another deeply from the heart." 1 Peter is imploring us to love one another not because it is a good idea to be a loving person, rather we are to "Love one another deeply from the heart" because we are first loved by God. There's been no greater display of God's love for humanity than on the cross, and there's been no greater display of the power of God's love than in the empty tomb.

Fullness of Joy

April 16, 2023

Second Sunday of Easter

Rev. Teer Hardy

1 Peter 1:3-9

This Sunday is the second Sunday of Easter —of Easter, not after Easter. While the brass, guest conductor, Easter lilies, and pomp and circumstance of Easter Sunday are gone, we continue our celebration of Christ’s victory over death. Peter’s letter opens with a blessing to God for our living hope through Christ’s resurrection, even amid difficult circumstances and surroundings. While life’s difficulties never seem to cease, the same is true of the Church’s Easter proclamation. We are full of hope and joy because of the power of God’s mighty triumph over the grave.

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