alec, Author at Congregational Church of La Jolla

This week we explore the story of Jesus walking on water after feeding the 5,000.

Rather than dwelling on the miracle’s mechanics or the common “have more faith than Peter” reading, Rev. Tim reframes the story as a mirror. Every character in the boat, whether afraid, adventurous, sinking, or amazed, represents a way we experience life’s storms.

In this sermon on the Feeding of the Five Thousand, Rev. Tim begins with Jesus withdrawing to grieve John the Baptist’s execution, choosing solitude over strategy and “rest as resistance.” But the crowds find him anyway, and Jesus meets them with splagchnizomai (σπλαγχνίζομαι), a gut-level compassion that turns scarcity into abundance.

How often do we overlook the small in search of something grand?

In our third week exploring Jesus’s parables, we unpack the Parable of the Mustard Seed—a story about a tiny, seemingly insignificant seed that grows into an expansive place of shelter. From dollhouse miniatures to the overlooked legacy of Abigail Adams, this message explores how “the art of noticing” small details trains us to see hidden truths.

We all carry old anxieties, defenses, and toxic habits that once protected us from harm.

Like the weeds intertwined with wheat in Jesus’s parable, these “loyal soldiers” became so deeply rooted in our lives that letting go feels impossible. But trying to uproot them prematurely risks damaging our growth.

In this sermon, Rev. Tim reframes one of Jesus’s most famous parables.

Challenging traditional, judgmental interpretations that categorize people into “good” or “bad” soil, Rev. Tim shifts the focus to the sower. He reveals a God of radical grace who scatters love and abundance everywhere, without restriction.

Our progressive congregation gathered at La Jolla Shores this Sunday for a beach worship service and blessing of surfboards. NBC 7’s M.G. Perez reports.

Check out more of our upcoming events here!

Rev. Tim dives deep into a challenging section of scripture often called the “Missionary Discourse.”

In this Father’s Day sermon during Global Pride Month, we explore some of Jesus’s toughest words—including his call to love him above our own families. But did Jesus intend to exclude and divide? Far from it.

What does it mean to answer Jesus’s call to serve?

In this week’s sermon, we reflect on Christ’s invitation for every disciple to put their God-given gifts into action. No two gifts are the same, yet each plays an essential role in God’s work of healing, compassion, justice, and community.

The first followers of Jesus had no hymns or institutions—only trust in the Holy Spirit and a calling to build community together.

On this Pentecost Sunday, Rev. Tim Seery reflects on the story of the Holy Spirit descending like wind and fire as a living invitation for today’s church. The scripture gives us a model for how communities are transformed through courage, connection, and shared purpose.

Discover how embracing our smallest, most vulnerable moments allows us to soar together and lift the entire world:

True ascension requires us to first descend. Jesus didn’t rise from a seat of power, but from Bethany—the “house of misery and affliction”—and early Christians celebrated this day in the Bethlehem grotto where his humble life began.