Wedgwood Community Church

09/06/2026

08/23/2026

Sunday's service was live-streamed August 23, 2026 @ 11:00 AM. The scripture reading was JAMES 1:5-8 and the sermon given by Pastor Sean Brown is titled “No Doubt”

08/16/2026

Sunday's service was live-streamed August 16, 2026 @ 11:00 AM. The scripture reading was 1 JOHN 5:3 and the sermon given by Pastor Sean Brown is titled “It Gets Easier”

08/13/2026

Historical Jesus & the Gospel of Matthew Part 14

08/10/2026

PASTORAL MESSAGE FOR AUGUST 2026

SOUL FREEDOM

Throughout our lives we often find that other people speak and decide for us. Politically, we live in a representative republic where we elect leaders who ostensibly represent our views and try to legislate accordingly. At our workplaces our bosses make decisions that impact our day-to-day tasks. In many organizations that we are a part of, such as churches or labor unions, committees and sub-committees are created to deliberate and decide on behalf of the larger group. There may be a strong-willed matriarch or patriarch in one’s extended family who calls the shots on things like vacation locations and planning logistics for family get-togethers. Doctors and car mechanics and other experts who have specialized knowledge diagnose problems and prescribe solutions. Because we do not share their specialized knowledge, we almost always defer to their judgments. In most of these scenarios throughout life, we are totally fine with others speaking and deciding for us. But there are other times where we the individual want to be heard and honored. Each of us has unique needs, perspectives, and opinions. Hearing us out and giving due consideration to our opinions is an act of respect that others bestow onto us. Even if all our needs are not met, even if the group opts for a different course of action than what we wanted, if we at least feel like we’ve been heard and respected, it is often enough.

Organized religion is a venue where others often speak for the individual. By its very nature, there is a recognized hierarchy of authority within organized religion: God, then the clergy, then the laity. Whatever God decrees is binding on all. Priests and pastors claim to speak on behalf of God. In many faith traditions, the priest or pastor will unilaterally make decisions for the church. Theologians have specialized knowledge, such as knowing the original languages of scripture, which put them in an authoritative role to speak on behalf of communities of faith. Submission to divine authority is the very goal of faith within organized religion. These truths about religion open the door for rampant abuse and the suppression of the opinions, perspectives, and needs of the individual layperson. Are there any safeguards within Christianity against such abuses?

A major pivot point within the Gospel of Mark comes in chapter 8, about half way through Jesus’ public ministry. Assuming his public ministry lasted about three years, at this point in the narrative the disciples had been with him for about a year and a half. They had heard the full gamut of topics Jesus taught; they had witnessed all sorts of miracles he performed, including healings, exorcisms, and miracles over nature. Ample opportunity had been provided for them to form their opinions. Jesus and his disciples were in the region of Caesarea Philippi, just about the northern-most point in Israel that they would travel during his ministry. Scholars believe that they may have retreated this far north because Jesus’ reputation was getting ahead of him. He was a marked man, having raised the ire of Roman officials and Jewish religious leaders. Mark records a conversation between Jesus and his disciples at Caesarea Philippi. Mark 8:27-29 reads: “Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you,’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ.’”

Other people had all sorts of opinions about who Jesus was: John the Baptist come back from the dead, the prophet Elijah who was expected to return on the eve of the apocalypse, one of the other prophets from the past. It was not enough for the disciples to let others speak on their behalf. That would have been safe and risk-free for them to not have to state their own opinions. But Jesus pursued the matter; he was not going to let the disciples sit on the fence or keep their opinions to themselves. Directly he asked them who they thought he was. Peter responded correctly—Jesus was the Christ. This was the first time in Mark’s gospel where the disciples confessed Jesus to be Messiah, which is why it was a pivotal moment in this gospel.

Viewed negatively, Jesus made the disciples state their opinions about him out loud, preparing them for their future roles as evangelists. Regardless of the disciples’ comfort level in stating their opinions at that point, Jesus forced the issue. There is also a theologically positive way of viewing this passage. God is keenly interested in what each of us as individuals believe and feel. Our beliefs are important; our thoughts matter, and are honored by our creator! At some point, it is not valid for other people to deliberate and decide on our behalf. It is not valid to have others speak for us 100% of the time. Especially regarding matters of faith—the most important matters imaginable—God wants us to have our own opinions and beliefs, to form them responsibly, and to be confident in them.

One of the core tenets among Baptists is something called soul freedom. Walter Shurden, in his book The Baptist Identity: Four Fragile Freedoms, defines soul freedom as the following: “Soul Freedom is the historic Baptist affirmation of the inalienable right and responsibility of every person to deal with God without the imposition of creed, the interference of clergy, or the intervention of civil government.” Put another way, it is the belief that we each interface with God uniquely. There is only one intermediary between us and God, and that is Jesus Christ. No human being can claim to be our stand-in representative on matters of faith and belief. Furthermore, we cannot and should not hide behind empty creeds, allowing them to form our beliefs for us. Instead, it is desired that we each have a living and active relationship with God, forming our own beliefs and opinions based on our understanding of scripture and our own personal experiences of God’s love and grace shown in our lives.

Soul Freedom, when truly honored by a Christian community, prevents spiritual abuse and the suppression of people’s opinions. God repeatedly comes to us asking, “Who do you say I am?” Hopefully, in answering that question, our lives become a living testimony to the goodness of our creator. Let’s not allow others to answer for us those big questions about who God is and why anyone should care. Study, prayer, meditation, and devotional reading as practices that help us develop our own beliefs are greatly encouraged. The best news of all is that God wants us to come to our own conclusions about faith matters. Life together in a faith community helps provide some parameters in which to cultivate our own beliefs, but should never serve as a substitute for forming our own beliefs. Never hold back from confidently asserting what you believe. Know that God wouldn’t want it any other way.

Pastor Sean Brown

08/09/2026

Sunday's service was live-streamed August 9, 2026 @ 11:00 AM. The scripture reading was 1 JOHN 4:1-3 and the sermon given by Pastor Sean Brown is titled “A Spirit in the Air”

07/20/2026

Summer picnic with Good Shepard friends and lots of good food and sunshine.

07/13/2026

PASTORAL MESSAGE FOR JULY 2026

WE ARE FAMILY

Family reunions are always interesting events. Relatives from near and far gather together and get caught up on each other’s lives, oftentimes having not seen each other in years. Fun activities are coordinated. In-laws, as well as the proverbial black sheep of the family, add unique wrinkles to these get-togethers. Perhaps some tiffs between family members get resolved in private conversations. Larger family reunions, where the numbers swell into the hundreds, usually contain at least one individual who is wildly successful and/or is a public figure. How everyone else interfaces with the celebrity in the family is a thing to behold. Frequently at these events some old history is presented, complete with black-and-white photographs, diary entries, letters, genealogy trees, the family crest, and other artifacts. One of the nice byproducts of attending a family reunion is that you learn more about who you are because you learn more about the people who shaped you. Are reunions sometimes messy and chaotic? Yes! But you learn more about the stories, sentiments, struggles, and outlooks on life that unify and bind you to your blood relatives. A major part of your identity—your family heritage—gets reinforced, thereby sparking pride, curiosity, or perhaps resolve to do something.

Biblical Israel was one giant family. The Hebrew people had one common father—Abraham. Israel was further divided into 12 Tribes, the progenitor of each tribe being either a great grandson or great-great-grandson of Abraham. Each tribe was further sub-divided into clans and then extended families. Eleven of the twelve tribes (the Tribe of Levi lived in predesignated cities) each had a large parcel of land they lived on. Conflict between tribes down through the centuries was common, just like sibling rivalries. We can imagine each tribe having its own unique story complete with failures, accomplishments, and challenges. If you were an Israelite, say from the tribe of Asher or Zebulun or Reuben in any random year—say the year 803 B.C.—doubtless you would hear tales around the campfire of the exploits of great tribal heroes from history. Your heart would swell with pride when you heard the stories of how your tribe contributed to the victories won by great Israelite kings of the past. Those oral stories would eventually be written down and form some of the books we Christians call the Old Testament.

As family, Israel was supposed to gather together, often. The Law of Moses prescribed religious ceremonies to be conducted throughout the year where the main events took place around the tabernacle (later the Temple in Jerusalem) and where representatives from every tribe were to be present. Ideally, as many Israelites would be present for these ceremonies as physically possible—ceremonies like Passover in the spring and Yom Kippur in the fall. Additional festivals developed later in Israel’s history, like Hanukkah in the early winter and Purim in the late winter. Of course, all of these festivals were times of worship and rest, where Yahweh was supposed to be the focus. But they also served as times for social bonding and the mingling of Israelites from the different tribes, thus reinforcing family ties. They were the ancient equivalent of a family reunion. I think God intended that these familial ties be regularly reinforced, which is why God designed so many opportunities for all the people to come together.

Disaster struck the family of Israel, first in the form of an estrangement. Following the death of King Solomon, around 931 B.C., there was a division within Israel. Benjamin and Judah in the southern part of Israel separated from the other ten tribes in the northern part of Israel. Never again would the 12 Tribes experience full fellowship together. Disaster struck again in 722 B.C., this time in the form of a massive invasion from the Assyrian Empire, totally wiping out the 10 tribes in the northern part of Israel. Within a few generations of that catastrophic event, people who still had Hebrew blood coursing through their veins did not know what tribe they may have descended from. Some Hebrews may not have even been aware that they were Hebrews! They were scattered all around the ancient world, people without an ethnic family.

It is hard to grasp just how profound of a psychological impact these two disasters had on the Hebrews who were able to keep track of and maintain their ethnic identity—i.e., the remaining members of the family. Traces of deep-seated longings to be reunited with lost family members are seen throughout the Scriptures (Ezekiel 37:15-28; Isaiah 11:11-16; Jeremiah 30:3-11; Amos 9:14-15). Micah 4:6-7 is a poignant example: “‘In that day,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever.’” It would take the mighty hand of the Lord to miraculously make it happen, but the hope was that the full family of Israel would one day be made manifest and reunited, to live together in harmony forever. Kin from near and far would gather for the most epic reunion of all time. Until that glorious day came, the feeling among the Hebrew people was that their family was incomplete.

In the New Testament, the church is often alluded to as a family. Jesus refers to those who do the will of God as his brother, and sister, and mother (Matthew 12:50). The church is sometimes called the household of God. Belief rather than blood identifies Christians. Therefore, the church’s diversity is much wider than an ethnic group. Yet the familial ties and feelings are just as strong. Upon believing and entering the church, it is a source of great comfort for many that they have instantly obtained a new and vast spiritual family bound together by faith.

For us at Wedgwood Community Church, we are in a time and season where we must consider a merger. It marks the sad end to a church congregation that has been in continual existence for almost 120 years (ancient by Seattle standards!). Painful as the closing of this chapter in our history is, we have the unique opportunity to continue on in a new capacity. I’ve heard people promote our merger as an opportunity to gain several new friends. Indeed it is that! But it is more. It is an opportunity to unite with long-lost spiritual family, to unite with members out there who prior to our merger, we did not have the privilege of fellowshipping with. Like the prophetic promises spread across the Old Testament of a reunion of the full family of Israel, we have the opportunity to commune with spiritual relatives we didn’t think we had. I for one am excited about this prospect. Be encouraged by the thought that not only will we gain new friends; we’ll be united with spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ.

Pastor Sean Brown

06/08/2026

PASTORAL MESSAGE FOR JUNE 2026

RELIGION FOR ULTERIOR MOTIVES

There is a dangerous trend in religion currently happening in many places around the world. I see it in countries like Israel, Russia, and here in the United States. The dangerous trend is the weaponization of religion for cultural and nationalistic purposes. Vladimir Putin has utilized Russian Christian Orthodoxy, turning it into a symbolic war cry to justify attacks on Ukraine. Benjamin Netanyahu has done something similar in Israel, quoting the Hebrew Scriptures as part of his rhetoric to push for the complete destruction of the Palestinians and extend Israel’s war into places like Syria, Lebanon, and Iran. Here in the United States, a much more sophisticated version of this is taking place. A counterfeit version of the faith called “Christian Nationalism” is on the rise. Asserting that the United States was founded as a “Christian country,” Christian Nationalism enflames feelings of rage and aggrievement from believers who lament that their will and ways no longer dominate society like it once did. Short on love, grace, and humility, Christian Nationalists have long lists of enemies. Hollywood, universities, economic liberals, those advocating for human rights, the media, atheists, Muslims, and anyone in the LGBTQ+ community all show up on the enemies list. A racial component also usually creeps into Christian Nationalism, where ideal Christian ways of life are often mistaken for nothing more than Anglo-Euro culture.

What Christian Nationalists believe they have lost is their ability to control society; to police forms of expression, thoughts, dress, arts and entertainment, relationships, leisure, and personal habits across the nation. They bemoan the loss of power to collectively enforce their will, thus making their goal little more than a political project. Nobody is preventing Christians in America from believing what they want, worshipping how they want, teaching what they want to their children, and abstaining from whatever they want to abstain from. But that is not enough for Christian Nationalists. By fiat, and backed by the threat of the sword, they want to impose their way of life on everyone else.

Unfortunately, in Christian Nationalists’ fight to regain power, Christianity gets perverted into nothing more than a showpiece. Bible verses are quoted and Christian symbols are publicly displayed, not as an authentic expression of the awe and humility felt for having received God’s grace, but as a way to draw battle lines, as a way to say “we are not like those kinds of people.” Worship services turn into opportunities to demonize public figures rather than function as the community’s grateful response to God’s salvation. An unforgiving, gaudy, rage-filled, warlike ethos develops. Christianity turns into nothing more than a spear or gun in service of some political and cultural project of conquest.

Throughout his public ministry, Jesus had to deal with something similar. Most Jews living in Israel in the First Century hated the Roman Empire’s occupation of their land because foreign occupation meant the loss of cultural and political power. Some, like the Zealots, turned to violence and terrorism in their attempt to drive the Romans out. But the Zealots lurked in the shadows and lacked an advanced ideology or identity. The Essenes’ response to Roman occupation was to simply disengage from society and become monks out in the desert. They had an advanced ideology, but no public face. It was the Pharisees who most closely resembled today’s version of Christian Nationalists. Their sophisticated strategy of resistance, while non-violent, was in-your-face, nationalistic, arrogant. They were out in the public all the time, rigorously practicing only those aspects of the Law of Moses which separated Jews from everyone else, such as fasting, keeping Sabbath, and observing the food restrictions. Through their highfalutin prayers and ornate clothes they made a spectacle of faith (Matthew 6:5, 23:5), not just so as to be admired by others, but also as a form of protest against the loss of influence. Filled with entitlement, they believed that ethnic heritage alone (being “children of Abraham”) granted them divine right to control everything (Matthew 3:9, John 8:39).

Religion for the Pharisees was nothing more than a cudgel to swing at the Romans in some vain attempt to win back power, control, and influence. Over and over again, Jesus called the Pharisees out for their selective use of the Law of Moses. “Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23). For Jesus, faith is a life spent in continual grateful response to the blessings God showers upon us. Gratefully responding to God means acknowledging our spiritual indebtedness to our creator, loving others, doing what we can to help and lift others up, and showing forgiveness to our enemies. Jesus’ teachings on how to live out the Law of Moses always defaulted to the most humane option that valued and enhanced all people’s lives—friend and foe alike. For the Pharisees, on the contrary, faith was something to cynically shape and manipulate so as to maximize their ability to exert total control. In the Pharisees’ system of religion, there wasn’t much room for humble and heartfelt thanksgiving to God our creator, our savior, and our guide.

Beware of those who in essence reduce religion to nothing more than a political yard sign. Beware of those whose outward expressions of their faith are merely intended to draw lines in the sand between “us” and “them.” Beware of those who use religion to whip up rage, and who use religion to mobilize foot soldiers to commit violence as part of some wider social and political agenda. They do not seek what Christ truly offers. All they want is naked, raw power.

The words of the prophet Micah echo loudly in this conversation. “God has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). There is precious little justice, mercy, and humility to be found in Christian Nationalism. Instead of using faith to maximize our own power and influence, true faith causes us to take our eyes off of ourselves and fix them squarely on God. Instead of using faith to define the righteous insiders and the evil outsiders, embracing the one but shunning the other, true faith causes us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:43-45). Let us follow Jesus’ lead in rejecting and calling out cultural and nationalistic forms of religion. Let us follow Jesus’ lead in journeying on the path of true faith where justice, mercy, and humility are the norm.

Pastor Sean Brown