First Presbyterian Church Palo Alto

09/10/2026

This week’s sermon is the conclusion of the summer sermon series on the Ten Requirements (aka the Ten Commandments). Today’s verse is Exodus 20:17 “Do not covet.” Rev. Harris shares some of the limitations of the outdated examples given in the verse, but suggests that it still has rich meaning for us if we apply it more broadly. In this sermon, Rev. Harris showed two movie clips. One is from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King when Frodo dangles the ring of power over the lava and then refuses to let it go. The other is the ending of It's a Wonderful Life, when the town comes together to help George Bailey. The first is an example of someone coveting one thing. The second is an example of someone who has let go of coveting a future he wanted and accepting the goodness of the life he has. For copyright reasons, the video and audio of the film clips have been edited out.

09/09/2026

Potluck breakfast staring at 9am. Bring a dish to share or just yourself. Bagpipe procession into the Sanctuary at 10am. Special musical guest Le***an Voices Acapella for Justice and a baby blessing for the newest member of our church community. All are welcome!

09/02/2026

08/31/2026

In this sermon from his series on the Ten Requirements Rev. Harris reflects on the Ninth Requirement, “Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.” He points out that there are two slightly different versions of this requirement. In Deuteronomy’s version the word translated “false” has the connotation of “empty.” He points out that sometimes our words can be factually accurate but be empty of values, meaning, and purpose. So in a world where many powerful people effectively communicate their hateful values, how can we, as people of faith, learn to testify to our values of love and care for one another and the world?

08/30/2026

08/24/2026

In this sermon, Rev. Harris asks the question “What does it mean to prohibit stealing in a world where everything has already been stolen?” He explains how “Do not steal” is really focused on the prohibition of the wealthy and powerful stealing from the community. He shares how the story of King Ahaz killing Naboth and stealing his vineyard is an example of how the Bible is especially concerned with the way the powerful abuse their power. But then how do we respond? How do we honor this requirement? Stay tuned for the answer.

08/14/2026

Join us for our Sustainable Meal this Sunday August 16th starting at 12:30pm, bring your own plate and utensils.

08/10/2026

Sermon from Rev. Karen Peterson-Iyer, Sunday August 9th, 2026. Sermon titled "The Way of Fear and the Way of Possibility"