Author Archives: sandhyarjha

“Fear and Bad Behavior” A sermon at Lafayette Christian Church 10/1/17

My sermons keep getting shorter. This sermon includes the scripture reading and intro. The passage is about Moses getting water from the rock when his people are thirsty, but also about how our fear causes us to do harm when it remains unchecked.

“The Back-to-Egypt Committee,” a sermon at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 24 September 2017

This sermon was based on the lectionary passage Exodus 16:2-15, where the Israelites who have just been led out of enslavement in Egypt complain that Moses has brought them there to die and how good they had it back in Egypt where there was really good stew and housing. My pastor used to call theseContinue reading ““The Back-to-Egypt Committee,” a sermon at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 24 September 2017″

“Call In the Midwife” — a sermon on the baby Moses

This sermon, preached at United Christian Church of Lodi, CA, is based on the passage in the book of Exodus about the midwives saving baby Moses’s life. Before I began to preach, I let the congregation know that the sermon had been shaped by our President having just pardoned a genocidal man who bragged aboutContinue reading ““Call In the Midwife” — a sermon on the baby Moses”

“Mothers of Islam” — a sermon preached at First Christian Church of Concord, CA

Sermon can be found HERE. A description from the church’s website: “One of our favorite guest preachers, Rev. Sandhya Jha, preaches on the story of Hagar and weaves it in with the story of Khadijah, the prophet Muhammad’s first wife.  She invites us to stand with our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters, living inContinue reading ““Mothers of Islam” — a sermon preached at First Christian Church of Concord, CA”

The Power of Symbols When People Seek to Make Us Hide

I’m excited to be speaking at a remarkable church in Ft. Worth this weekend about intersectionality. I’m even more excited about how much intentional hospitality they have already shown me. I don’t know if it’s that it’s this church or that it’s Texas or that it’s healthy church or that their pastor told them toContinue reading “The Power of Symbols When People Seek to Make Us Hide”

“I thirst.” The fifth word in the Seven Last Words Good Friday Service at Allen Temple Baptist Church

preached by Sandhya Jha on April 14, 2017:   Last summer, I spent a week in Flint, Michigan. On Sunday, a local pastor invited me to preach. I don’t know why, with all they are dealing with in Flint, Michigan, that God told me to talk to them about refugees. But that’s who God toldContinue reading ““I thirst.” The fifth word in the Seven Last Words Good Friday Service at Allen Temple Baptist Church”

sermon to youth and young adults in the Pacific Southwest Region during their winter retreat

I actually shared some personal and vulnerable stuff in this message because I’m trying to figure out how to model that for others at a time when our national leadership is attacking the spiritual practice of vulnerability as what connects us to God.

Shut the f*** up

NOTE: I was asked to submit a piece to a powerful advent devotional called #F***ThisS*** and was assigned this title and passage from Matthew. The clergy who launched it feel a sense of urgency in this moment that I also feel, and they have incorporated strong language to convey that urgency much as the prophetsContinue reading “Shut the f*** up”