Given by Rev. Madison Shockley November 29, 2020 The opening words of Paul in his letter to the Corinthians show a deep affection for his congregation. In that tradition, Rev. Shockley wants to show why he is thankful for the members of Pilgrim. At our church, we do not wear our religion on our sleeve. [...]
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley March 15, 2020 Our celebration today is unique. We are trying to follow the precautions so all worshipers are safe. Rev. Shockley is committed to being here each Sunday even if others cannot. As the Gospel says, all we have is hope. The Spirit has brought us the words we [...]
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley March 8, 2020 Our reading today comes from the foundational texts of the Bible. It is one of the foundational texts of our culture. It is a story of a journey. The story of humankind is one of movement and change. Our story tells us of Abraham being told by [...]
Given by Rev. Madison Shockley March 1, 2020 Lent is a time of somber reflection. Standing in God's love allows us to confess and be transformed. The human condition is both a curse and a blessing. Our consciousness tells us what is going on in this world. There is a lot of tragedy happening. This [...]
Given By Rev. Madison Shockley January 14, 2018 at Pilgrim UCC in Carlsbad CA pilgrimucc.org Recent events and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday have inspired today's sermon. Not only was Martin Luther King Jr. known for his work for civil rights, he was also known for his work for peace. He protested against the [...]
https://vimeo.com/220155834 Given By Rev. Madison Shockley May 28, 2017 Today's topic is sensitive. The statistics are alarming. Today we are encouraged to break our silence. No longer should this topic be taboo to talk about. People need to know the facts. Speaking up helps save many others from going through such trauma. There are enough [...]
https://vimeo.com/218740464 Given By Rev. Madison Shockley May 14, 2017 Today's reading from Genesis tells the story of Cain and Abel. From this passage comes the phrase, "my brother's keeper." This phrase has shaped our culture. It touches on what it means to be in human community, to live together. Unfortunately, some have used this passage's [...]
https://vimeo.com/214352048 Given By Rev. Madison Shockley April 9, 2017 Each of the four Gospels tells us something concerning Jesus's entrance into Jerusalem. Matthew goes overboard with his description. He has Jesus riding both a donkey and a colt. Matthew lacks the understanding that in Hebrew poetry there is synonymous parallelism. They say one thing then [...]
he reading today of Jesus meeting a Samaritan woman at the well is unique in several regards. First, the scene describes Jesus, a man, meeting a woman at a well. During this period of history, if you wanted to meet a woman, you went to the well...
The Gospel of John is a different kind of gospel from the other three. Matthew, Mark and Luke are known as the synoptic gospels. John's gospel views the life of Jesus in a different light. The early church almost did not include it in the Canon. There is no infancy narrative...
Matthew's story of Jesus in the wilderness is sandwiched between his baptism and the official start of his ministry in the Bible. It is similar to a coming-of-age story. It humanizes Jesus and connects us to him. This story is a metaphor. This is a spiritual journey where Jesus searches for meaning and a purpose in life.
Continuing with the lessons of Jesus, we learn more from the Sermon on the Mount. Last week, we are instructed to love our neighbor. This week, we are instructed to love our enemies. It is hard to imagine a more difficult task given the current divide in America.
Our reading today is one of the most well known from the Hebrew text. It tells us of Moses' words to the people as they were about to enter the promised land. The myth says that God told his people to go into Canaan and take it for themselves. As history has shown, the people just moved into a country with other people still living there. There are still Canaanites still living in Israel today. They call themselves Palestinians.
February is the beginning of Black History Month. Over the course of this month, we will explore the contributions of Blacks to our religious life. These contributions take many forms; breaching, biblical scholarship, liturgy, music, and social and spiritual transformation (now known as social justice).
Our reading today is typically known as "The Sermon on the Mount" or the "Beatitudes." Scholars of the Jesus Seminar believe the true translation equivalent is not "blessed are..." but "congratulations." These are strange congratulations though.
After an eventful week, Rev. Shockley was inspired to speak on the subject of being evangelical. The word, evangelical, has received a bad reputation in today's society. Let us not consider the word as it has come to be understood but as the dynamic and progressive presentation of the Good News of Jesus to a hurting world.
