Seattle Mennonite Church Sermons

Listening & Learning: Jerrell Williams

August 31, 2020 SMC preachers
Seattle Mennonite Church Sermons
Listening & Learning: Jerrell Williams
Show Notes

In this last Sunday of hearing from in our summer series: Jerrell Williams, pastor of Salem Mennonite Church, a fellow Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference congregation.  Jerrell takes us on a journey with Hagar into the wilderness, a journey in which she encounters and names God El Roi, the God-Who-Sees-Me.  This God who sees is also the God who walks with, who accompanies, who facilitates Hagar's survival and blesses Hagar with the promise that through her son Ishmael she has birthed a nation.  This blessing and accompaniment by God undercuts the white Christian notion that blessing is equated with prosperity or possessions.  Blessing is with those who are oppressed, who are marginalized, which is where we are called to be also. (Sermon starts at 20:35)

Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

  • Jesus Loves Me - Text: Anna B. Warner, 1859; Music: William B. Bradbury, 1862
  • Hamba Nathi / Come, Walk with Us - Text (English Translation)  © Lutheran World Federation, Tune Arrangement: Anders Nyberg, Gerhard Cartford © Peace of Music Publishing AB, admin. Walton Music Corp.
  • My Soul Cries Out (Canticle of the turning) - Words and Music Rory Cooney © 1990, GIA Publications, Inc.

Other credits:

  • Book - I Am Enough by Grace Byers, illustrations by Keturah A. Bobo
  • Scripture - Genesis 21.8-21