First Olympia Sermons

This week, we hear a sermon from Pastor Alexa who concluded our Eastertide worship series by preaching on the theme of Prophecy in Acts 2: 1-21. In her message, Pastor Alexa gave some historical context for the Pentecost festival and invited you to hear the prophets with us today—who speak a new world into existence when we won’t stand for this one any longer.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Kelly who joined us from Shelton UMC and continued our collaborative worship series, “Witness To The Risen Christ” by preaching on John 21: 1-14. In his message, Pastor Kelly told the story of Jesus serving his disciples breakfast on the beach and participating in unorthodox communion.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who continued our collaborative worship series, “Witness To The Risen Christ” by preaching on Acts 9: 1-19. In her message, Pastor Alexa spoke on Saul's conversion and the call to "get up and go" live the lives of resurrection God wants for us. 

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Kellen who joined us from Tumwater UMC and continued our collaborative worship series, “Witness To The Risen Christ” by preaching on Luke 24: 13-25. In his message, Pastor Kellen told the story of Jesus appearing to his disciples on the Walk to Emmaus and invited us to consider clearing the "spiritual cataracts" from our eyes.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Allison who joined us from St Andrews UMC in Lacey and continued our collaborative worship series, “Witness To The Risen Christ” by preaching on John 20: 26-31. In her message, Pastor Allison told the story of Thomas, the disciples leaving the upper room, and how they worked better together. 

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from all FOUR Co-op churches from Pastors Alexa, Kelly, Kellen, and Allison who began our new collaborative worship series, “Witness To The Risen Christ” by preaching on John 20: 19-23. In their message, our pastors each reflected on a related aspect of the same passage. 

This Palm Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who continued our Lenten worship series: Salvation Is Here by preaching on 2 Samuel 7: 8-17 & Mark 11: 1-11. In her message, Pastor Alexa connected Jesus's triumphant entrance into Jerusalem with God's Covenant with David.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who continued our Lenten worship series: Salvation Is Here by preaching on Jeremiah 31:31-34 & Hebrews 5:5-10. In her message, Pastor Alexa spoke on God's invitation to share the dream of being "at one" together.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Brittney Gilleland, our Director of Children’s Ministry, who continued our Lenten worship series: Salvation Is Here by preaching on Numbers 21: 4-9, Ephesians 2: 1-10, & John 3: 14-15. In her message, Miss Brittney spoke on the aid God rendered when the Hebrew people were lost in the wilderness through Moses and the bronze serpent.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who continued our Lenten worship series: Salvation Is Here by preaching on Exodus 20: 1-17 & 1 Corinthians 1: 18-25. In her message, Pastor Alexa described how God gave the Ten Commandments as specific boundaries to structure a re-forming community.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who continued our new Lenten worship series: Salvation Is Here by preaching on Genesis 17: 1-7, 15-16 & Romans 4: 13-25. In her message, Pastor Heather connected the fall of the Berlin Wall with Abraham's covenant with God and the theme of building trust.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who began our new Lenten worship series: Salvation Is Here by preaching on Genesis 9: 8-17 & 1 Peter 3: 18-22. In her message, Pastor Alexa told the story of Noah's Ark through the lens of salvation and invited us to fight against the despair of nihilism.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who concluded our Epiphany series: Come And See by preaching on Exodus 24: 12-18 & Matthew 17: 1-9. In her message, Pastor Alexa reflected on the rainbow light of God's identity and how shining our selves through this lens reveals more and more of who we are.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who continued our Epiphany series: Come And See by preaching on Isaiah 58: 1-9a & Matthew 5: 13-20. In her message, Pastor Alexa gave an example of a Japanese-American who resisted the powers of empire in the 1940's and invited us to act as "salt and light" in our unjust world today.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who continued our Epiphany series: Come And See by preaching on Micah 6: 1-8 & Matthew 5: 1-12. In her message, Pastor Heather explained the beatitudes and described the ways we're called to be "blessings" in the world.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who continued our Epiphany series: Come And See by preaching on Isaiah 9: 1-4 & Matthew 4: 12-23. In her message, Pastor Heather explained our place in the lineage of Biblical prophets and invited us to speak truth in the modern age.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who continued our Epiphany series: Come And See by preaching on Isaiah 49: 1-7 & John 1: 29-42. In her message, Pastor Alexa mused on the saying "wherever you go, there you are" and how it connects to the theme of being chosen.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who began our new Epiphany series: Come And See by preaching on Isaiah 42: 1-9 & Matthew 3: 13-17. In her message, Pastor Heather reminded us that "Beloved" is where we begin and invited us to see baptism as a claiming of God's love rather than its source.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who transitioned out of our Advent series: Mother and Child into Epiphany by preaching on Matthew 2: 1-18. In her message, Pastor Alexa invited us to interpret the story of the wise one's gifts in the context of archetypal stories and to draw parallels to our present political context.

On this Holy Night of Christmas Eve, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who continued our Advent series: Mother and Child by preaching on Isaiah 52: 7-10 & Matthew 1: 18-25. In her message, Pastor Heather reflected on the "imperfect" moments of parenting and how Mary's call to raise God's son and our call to follow him were never promises full of "unicorns and rainbows."

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who continued our Advent series: Mother and Child by preaching on Romans 8: 26-27, 31-39 & Luke 1: 46b-55. In her message, Pastor Alexa explained Mary's title as the "Undoer of Knots" and how she and her son can help us unravel the snares we find ourselves in today.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who continued our Advent series: Mother and Child by preaching on Isaiah 40: 1-5 & Luke 1: 26-38. In her message, Pastor Heather explained how we're given a choice to either turn towards or away from God and reminded us that Mary's choice to give birth to Jesus brought great Joy to the World.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who continued our new Advent series: Mother and Child by preaching on Isaiah 9: 1-6 and John 14: 23-29. In her message, Pastor Heather contemplated how "peace" is not a casual experience, but a conscious choice.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who began our new Advent series: Mother and Child by preaching on Revelation 12: 1 & 22:16. In her message, Pastor Alexa examined Mary’s title as “Stella Maris” and invited us to use her as our true North as we navigate the treacherous seas of life.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Kelly Dahlman-Oeth who joined us from Shelton UMC and concluded our stewardship series: Here Is The Church by preaching on Acts 8: 26-40. In his message, Pastor Kelly challenged us to go out into the “wilderness” of our faith to spread the good news.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who continued our stewardship series: Here Is The Church by preaching on 1 Corinthians 3: 8-13. In her message, Pastor Heather considered how to return to the "basic" practices of prayer.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from BOTH Pastor Heather and Pastor Alexa who each continued our stewardship series: Here Is The Church by preaching their own unique (but harmonious) perspectives on 2 Corinthians 5: 16-21.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who continued our stewardship series: Here Is The Church by preaching on 1 Corinthians 12: 12-26. In her message, Pastor Heather assured us that we are never alone when we remember the witness of saints who have led the church before us.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Eunice Lin-Sawyer who joined us from the Parish Collective to continue our stewardship series: Here Is The Church by preaching on Hebrews 10: 24-25 and how we can serve our neighborhood with open doors.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who continued our stewardship series: Here Is The Church by preaching on Ephesians 1: 20-23, Acts 2: 42-44, 1 Timothy 3: 1-13. In her message, Pastor Alexa explained how guidelines and rules in our infrastructure help our ministries flourish.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who concluded our fall worship series: Being United Methodist by preaching on Joshua 1:9 & Ephesians 6: 10-18. In her message, Pastor Alexa reminded us that the kingdom of God comes to us through the body of Christ, wearing the Armor of God.

If you missed Pastor Alexa's Message on Sunday, here it is again just for you. This week, she continued our fall worship series: Being United Methodist by preaching on Matthew 22:37-39 and John 13:34-35, proclaiming that Jesus' call to love our neighbors is in direct conflict with many of the influences in the world around us.

If you missed Pastor Heather's Message on Sunday, here it is again just for you. This week, she started off our fall worship series: Being United Methodist by preaching on Matthew 28:1-20, acknowledging we are 'People of the Dawn,' a people called to respond faithfully to the suffering around us.

This week, Pastor Heather finished our Summer worship series: Beach Reads by preaching on Acts 10, the reconciliation between Jew and Gentile, and the dismantling of every other barrier we put up between ourselves and others.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who continued our Summer worship series: Beach Reads by preaching on Matthew 14: 22-23. In her message, Pastor Alexa reflected on how Jesus inspired bravery in his disciples when he walked on water.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who continued our Summer worship series: Beach Reads by preaching on Luke 5: 1-11. In her message, Pastor Heather reflected on the shoreline between Jesus and his "semi-disciples."

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who continued our Summer worship series: Beach Reads by preaching on Jonah 1-2. In her message, Pastor Alexa reminded us that, while proclaiming justice might turn our stomachs, it is the only way to topple empires.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who continued our Summer worship series: Beach Reads by preaching on Exodus 15: 19-27. In her message, Pastor Heather reminded us that the God who liberates us will also lead us through the “bitter water” we find on the other side.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who began our Summer worship series: Beach Reads by preaching on Genesis 1 & Job 38: 8-11. In her message, Pastor Alexa defined what it means to worship at the shoreline and some of the ways we're torn across borders.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who continued our Pentecost worship series: Hope Rising by preaching on Matthew 10: 24-39. In her message, Pastor Heather reflected on how the work of discipleship was never supposed to be easy… but we don’t do it alone.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who continued our Pentecost worship series: Hope Rising by preaching on Matthew 9:5 - 10:14. In her message, Pastor Heather reflected on baggage and how the preconceptions we carry out into ministry weigh us down.

This Sunday, Andrew Sergienko preached while our pastors were out of town. He continued our Pentecost worship series: Hope Rising by preaching on Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26. Andrew reflected on the meaning of true hope and the tricky relationship between faith and doubt.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who continued our new Pentecost worship series: Hope Rising by preaching on Matthew 28: 16-20. In her message, Pastor Heather preached on Trinity Sunday and its meaning in the strife of our world today.

This Sunday, we were joined by our missionary friend, Heather Askew, from Jojo's Sanctuary in Thailand who concluded our Easter worship series: Hindsight by looking back at her faith journey and how each step along the way God  led her to the work she does at Jojo’s Sanctuary. She also told us about the good work done by JoJo’s Sanctuary  to help strengthen families and give children opportunities to grow up into healthy, thriving adults.  

This Sunday, our church participated in another co-op pulpit swap! We were joined by Pastor Denise from St Andrews UMC in Lacey who continued our Easter worship series: Hindsight by preaching on John 14: 1-14. In her message, Pastor Denise contemplated how we might have faith in Jesus as our way when we are searching for clarity.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who continued our Easter worship series: Hindsight by preaching on John 20: 19-31. In her message, Pastor Alexa reflected on the difference between wounds and scars and why Thomas might have only recognized Jesus through his wounds.

This Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who continued our Easter worship series: Hindsight by preaching on Luke 24: 13-35. In her message, Pastor Alexa retold the walk to Emmaus and contemplated how we might "fine-tune" our senses so we can better see God's work as it’s happening in our lives.

This Easter Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who soft-launched our new Easter worship series: Hindsight by preaching on John 20: 1-18 & Matthew 28: 1-10. In her message, Pastor Heather told the story of the empty tomb and reflected on how we can witness God making all things new.

This Palm Sunday, we heard a sermon from Pastor Alexa who finished our Lenten worship series: House of the Lord by preaching on Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29 & Luke 19: 28-40. In her message, Pastor Alexa wondered if Jesus saw his entrance into Jerusalem as a kind of funeral procession and reminded us that it is our call to bless each other everyday with a good word.

This week, we heard a sermon from Pastor Heather who continued our Lenten worship series: House of the Lord by preaching on Isaiah 43: 16-21 & John 12: 1-8. In her message, Pastor Heather told the story of Mary washing Jesus’ feet with perfume and the deeper meaning of such an extravagant gift.