Elijah is a very relatable prophet. He has moments of great faithfulness, and moments where his fear gets in the way and his hope dissolves into despair. How does God respond to Elijah, and to us, in those moments when we forget just how great God's faithfulness really is.
This sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci A. Glass on Sunday, November 10, 2025.
The scripture reading was from 1 Kings 19:1–18.
The sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci Glass on Sunday, November 2, 2025.
The scripture reading was from Matthew 5:14-16.
We must learn to let our spirits dance with God, even in the thick of this world’s confusion—with Halloween costumes, deep questions, and all the rest. Come ready for joy, mystery and a holy mash-up where darkness becomes the very place where God does her best work.
This sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 26, by Rev. Victor Floyd.
The scripture reading was from 1 Kings 5:1–5; 8:1–13.
In an age of rising nationalism and executive power that feeds on our fear so it can take over, God offers us a new orientation. God looks to our hearts to guide our actions in the world.
The scripture reading from 1 Samuel 15 verses 34–35, 16 verses 1–13.
The sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci A. Glass on Sunday, October 19, 2025.
This story from Exodus 16 contains one of the best-known miracles in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible: when Moses and the people have no food to eat in the wilderness, God sends the miracle of manna to be their daily bread. The people eat that manna for the next forty years, as God sustains them throughout their wilderness journey. What might manna look like for us, when we find ourselves in our own wilderness seasons?
The sermon was delivered by guest preacher Rev. Dr. Anna Carter Florence on World Communion Sunday, October 5, 2025.
The scripture reading was from Exodus 16:10–21, 35
Perhaps it was destiny, child, that drew Moses toward that burning bush. There he learns God's name. Let's remove everything that separates us from holy ground and listen together for a new divine revelation.
The sermon was delivered by Rev. Victor Floyd on Sunday, September 28, 2025.
The scripture reading was from Exodus 2:23–25; 3:1–15; 4:10–17.
Do you remember your dreams? There are mornings we wake up and wish we could return to the narrative of our dreams, even as the details fade away. No matter how hard we try, we just can’t return to that particular dream story. It would be easier to grab hold of a cloud or catch a shadow.There are mornings we wake up and thank the good Lord is was just a dream. There are some scenarios we play out in our dreams that we couldn’t bear in real life.How do we dream together what God is dreaming for the church? Let's dream together.
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The sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci Glass on Sunday, September 21, 2025.
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The scripture readings were from Genesis 27:1–4, 15-23 and Genesis 28:10-17.
The horrifying story of the binding of Isaac by his father Abraham is rightfully troubling to modern readers. Perhaps back then and still today, it challenges us to ask: "What have we sacrificed on the altar of religion, believing it was the 'right thing to do?'" Join us on Sunday as we grapple with one of the most challenging stories in scripture.
The sermon was delivered by Rev. Joann Lee on Sunday, September 15, 2025.
The scripture reading was from Genesis 21:1-3; 22:1-14.
You watch a video of the scripture reading/sermon at https://youtu.be/_p0V6Cjb_3U
As we begin a new program year, we'll start at the very beginning. In the Book of Genesis, God creates the world. Humanity one of God's many and marvelous creations. How does our createdness inform our life together in community, with each other, with the other acts of God's creation?
The sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci Glass on September 7, 2025.
The reading was from Genesis 1:1—2:4a.
An end-of-the-summer musical extravaganza! Let's worship God in a joyful and challenging service of "Lessons & Show Tunes" with biblical Wisdom as our guide.
Readings from Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 2:1–6, Psalm 133, Ecclesiastes 9:7-9, and Proverbs 27:17.
Songs:
"You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen
“Prayer” from Come From Away
“With So Little to Be Sure Of” from Anyone Can Whistle
“For Good” from Wicked
Song of Songs is a book of erotic poetry, neatly tucked into the middle of our Old Testament. How'd it get there? What might it have to say to us today? Join us for worship as we talk about this adult book, in a way that is appropriate for all ages.
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, August 24, 2025 by Rev. Marci Glass.
The scripture reading was from Song of Songs 2 :10–13; 8:6–7.
Through ancient rhythms of growing and dying, giving and receiving, losing and saving, holding and letting go, God created a pattern and a season for the world. Times for work and times for rest were included in that first creation story. We live, however, in a time when the lines between work and play, busy and rest have become increasingly blurred. How can we find a time and a place for everything required of us?
The sermon was delivered by Rev. Joann Lee on Sunday, August 17, 2025.
The scripture reading was from Ecclesiastes 1:1–11; 3:1–17 .
Our scripture passage from the Book of Proverbs talks about the place of Wisdom in God's creation, and in God's creating. Wisdom is often a gift we receive later in life, and can feel somber to us, because of how long it took us to learn her lessons. But Wisdom is a joyful character in scripture, delighting in the world around her.
The sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci Glass on Sunday, August 10, 2025.
The scripture reading was from Proverbs 8:1–11, 22–36.
Summer Sermon Series: Peace and Perseverance in Poetry.
This four-week summer series highlights three biblical books—Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. These texts are not narratives; they are poetry, and like all poetry, they communicate in language aimed as much at the heart as at the head. As we ponder these ancient texts, may we find the peace and the perseverance to live a life of faith and love.
Trusting in Wisdom:
God's word continues to guide and instruct us still today. The Proverbs talk about wisdom and its importance. How can we be wise and faithful people of God?
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, August 3, 2025 by Rev. Joann Lee.
The scripture reading was from Proverbs 1:1–7; 3:1–8.
In its final chapters, Revelation gives us a vision of a world healed, restored, and bursting with light. The New Jerusalem is not as an escape plan but a divine promise for this world—where there are no temples of exclusion, no gates shut to the outsider, and no more night for the weary. God’s justice includes rivers of healing, trees for all peoples, and a city where glory comes in all colors. This is the future we’re called to build—right here, right now.
The sermon was delivered by Rev. Victor Floyd on Sunday, July 27, 2025.
The scripture reading was from Revelation 21:1–7, 22–27.
In Revelation chapter 6, the seals on the scrolls start to be opened, unleashing the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse on the earth, and an earthquake happens, and the stars fall from the sky. The world is coming undone. This week, in chapter 7, we’ll consider what it takes to put the world back together after it comes undone.
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, July 20, 2025 by Rev. Marci Glass.
The scripture reading was from Revelation 7:1–17.
In Sunday's passage, Jesus is getting caught up on his correspondence, writing letters to the churches in Asia Minor, giving them both praise and correction. What do we think Jesus would say to Christians in the United States today, if he wrote us a letter?
The sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci A. Glass on Sunday, July 13, 2025.
The scripture reading was from Revelation 2:1-7; 3:1-22.
Please enjoy the second episode of our new oral history project, Calvary Storytellers, featuring longtime member Alger (Al) Ciabattoni. The son of Italian immigrants, Al has lived in San Francisco for over 60 years. Listen as Al narrates his early years in New Jersey, the family’s cross country move to California, his stint in the army, to his work advocating for disadvantaged populations in his role with the CA Department of Employment. Calvary (and San Francisco) has changed a lot since the 1960s, and Al makes his way through memories and church lore to describe why he's remained a Calvary member for so long.
As we continue reading the Book of Revelation as a book of resistance, we encounter a story of a woman who gives birth in space, while a dragon waits to eat the baby. Hopefully, none of our own birth stories are that dramatic.
But there are days, and sometimes years, when life comes at you in ways other than you predict, or would choose, or can control. We think we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing, being good Christian people, and then a funny thing happens on the way to the hospital and you’re giving birth in space. With dragons.
What does resistance look like in the face of the situations we can't control and wouldn't choose?
The sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci A. Glass on Sunday, July 6, 2025.
The scripture reading was from Revelation 12:1-6, 13-17.
"Why dost thou doom scrolleth even now?" (Victor 3:16) On this Queer Pride Sunday, we worship the One who shows us how to live with integrity and profound joy. That which is against God shall not stand! As the world unravels, celebration reveals our power to resist.
This sermon was delivered by Rev. Victor H. Floyd on June 29, 2025.
The scripture reading was from Revelation 5:1-13.