View Archived Sermons Gospel of Mark – overview I was one of them. One of his followers, that is. It’s safe to say that here, right? It wasn’t very safe for me that night in Gethsemane; I escaped, but not even with the shirt on my back. Anyway, I’m here because your preaching team told me that you’re starting a series on the Gospel of Mark. Let me tell you that today – the Sunday after Easter – is an…
View Archived Sermons Palm Sunday Who is this King of Glory? Lift up your heads All ye gates And be ye lifted up You everlasting wallsThat the King of Glory might come inWho is this King of Glory? Are you the one who is to come or are we to await another? Who do people say the Son of Man is? Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? Who is this who is speaking blasphemies?…
View Archived Sermons Good morning.Christ is Risen,Christ is Risen indeed. So began our worship service this morning. We shared this greeting with one another in several languages. This is one way we speak about this day and the series of events that culminated in this celebration of Easter morning. On the way to this celebration we journeyed through Lent together and with Jesus. Along the way we noted that there are some things we need to hold on to…
View Archived Sermons A Father had two sons, and the younger one asked his Father, “Father, give me my share of the estate.” And his father divided his property between them….. So begins one of the most familiar stories in our scriptures. And so begins one of the most interpreted stories in our scriptures. We’ve called it the story of the prodigal son though many interpretations of it remind us not to forget about the elder brother. After all…
Luke 13:31-35 Little chicks are really cute. Their down is so soft. If you pick one up and hold it in your hand it might become quite still and cuddle down into the warmth there, or it might squirm and try to free itself from the foreignness that you represent. If you put it down on the ground it might scurry away, or run to join its sibling chicks – using a safety in numbers tactic to get away from…
Based on Luke 4:1-13 and Psalm 91 I don’t know about the rest of you, but I enjoy watching the Olympics. And whether you enjoy watching the games or not, it’s hard not be caught up in the intensity of the struggle of these athletes to persevere, to be their best, to take risks, and to express both the joy and the anguish of it all as they succeed in varying degrees to reach their goal. These two weeks…
Luke 9:28-36 28-31About eight days after saying this, he climbed the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John, and James along. While he was in prayer, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became blinding white. At once two men were there talking with him. They turned out to be Moses and Elijah—and what a glorious appearance they made! They talked over his exodus, the one Jesus was about to complete in Jerusalem. 32-33Meanwhile, Peter and those with him…
John 4: 1- 26 Grace makes beauty, out of ugly things. Have you ever really screwed up? I mean, not just done something you know you shouldn’t have but something so big feel unable to look anyone in the face, especially the people that love you? Most of us have, and it is a difficult time to go through. Now I’ve messed up plenty of times, and give you a long list of people who can vouch for that, but…
John 3:1-21 The Gospel according to John is a story that moves in a fascinating way through a series of remarkable and profound encounters. It is also a gospel full of image and metaphor. Jesus is Word, Bread, Life, Living Water and Light.After the prologue where the coming of Jesus is poetically and philosophically proclaimed to be the Word or Logos of God become flesh. After that the story moves through several vignettes or encounters between Jesus and others. 1) …
Text: John 1: 19-51 Introduction I sometimes think of the time between Christmas Eve and the New Year as one of shutting myself off from the problems of the world – of cocooning with family and friends. Radio or television newscasts are left silent, as attention is given to connecting with others in traditional, and sometimes new, but deeply meaningful ways. Yet, problems of the world continue to persist. And, it didn’t take long for a particularly nasty one to…