Sermons & Worship Audio

  Flood, Grace, and the Winding Road to the Cross July 8th, 2007 Kevin Derksen   Text:   Genesis 9:8-17   God at the Crossroads When I started to think about the image of the crossroads as a summer theme, I imagined us, as God’s people, walking down the road of our lives, and coming to the inevitable intersections that open to us the uncertain possibilities of the unknown.  I imagined God looking down benevolently from some vague ‘up there’ –…

  The Unsettling Interim June 24th, 2007 Kevin Derksen   Text:   John 14:25-31 Romans 8:18-25   I was going to begin this morning by saying that June 24, 2007 is a day that will survive in TUMC consciousness only as ‘the Sunday after Gary and Lydia’s retirement weekend’.  But I have a feeling that Ginny Lepp’s wonderful Kingdom Report just now is going to make that statement untrue.  Thank you Ginny for reminding us that life goes on even without…

God’s Gifts have Overflowed June 10th, 2007 Gary Harder   Text:   1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Ephesians 3:14-20   Introduction This is a very rich and full and wonderful Sunday morning. I celebrate the fact that God continues to call people into pastoral leadership. Witness the “licensing toward ordination” service this morning for Jonathan and Maureen. I celebrate the fact that God continues to invite people into the fellowship of God’s church – witness the membership service this morning for Ernie and…

The “Womb-ish” God May 13th, 2007 Gary Harder   Text:   Psalm 36:7-9 Psalm 57:1-3 Deut. 32:10-13   Introduction I was just a bit discombobulated. There I was, some years ago now, one of only two men amidst 200 women at a theology conference held at at Conrad Grebel University College. “Women doing theology” they named it, so it was perhaps not surprising that not many men applied. Except that the brochure stated specifically that they wanted men to attend in…

Conflict & Unity: Holding Vision and Reality Together May 6th, 2007 Gary Harder   Text:   Acts 11:1-8 John 13:33-35   Introduction As is often the case, the lectionary readings for today took me where I was a bit reluctant to go. Our Scripture texts today focus on two words – conflict and unity. To preach about unity seems appropriate just before I retire, but do I really want to talk about conflict? We live with many unresolved tensions inside of…

  Safe in the Hands of the Shepherd April 29th, 2007 Jonathan Slater   Text:   Psalm 23 John 10:22-30   “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul.”  Psalm 23 is, I think, one of the best known and most beloved of the Psalms.  It is among my earliest memories related to church.  It has been a companion for me on…

Becoming and Being Christian April 22nd, 2007 Gary Harder   Text:   Acts 9:1-6 (7-20) 2 Timothy 1:3-7 John 21:1-19 Acts 16:16-18   Introduction Today I want to share with you one of the classes I like to teach at the beginning of my faith exploration course. This was prompted for me by the lectionary reading from Acts 9 for this morning, the story of the conversion of Paul. It is a wonderful, dramatic story, but often raises problems for us…

Followers in a Dangerous Time: Colombian Mennonites Living Their Faith April 15th, 2007 Tim Schmucker   Text:   Acts 15:27-32 Psalm 118   Excerpts from lectionary readings   • Acts 5:27-32 27When the captain of the temple and the temple police had brought the apostles, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, 28saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in Jesus’ name….29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any…

Shout a Yes to the Resurrection April 8th, 2007 Gary Harder   Text:   Acts 10:34-43 Romans 6:3-11   Introduction: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been…

  4th Sunday of Lent Theme “Blessed Hunger, Holy Feast” From Alienation to Reconciliation March 18th, 2007  Gary Harder   Text:   Psalm 32:1-5 2 Corinthians 5:16-21   Introduction Our Lenten texts for today focus on two huge, humongous, words. The first one is the word forgiveness. The second is the word reconciliation. These two words belong together. But they are both so big we can take only a very small bite out of them in one sermon. Forgiveness Part one…