Sermon Archives

In a world that makes us weary, it can be hard to rejoice, to find connection, to hope, to wonder; but as we go out into the broken world that is humming and wonder-filled, may we be amazed that God does not wait. May we be amazed by this thing God is about to do […]

One day, not long after, Mary and Joseph would flee with Jesus to Egypt, one step ahead of Herod’s murderous soldiers. And one day, far in the future, this same courageous woman would stand at the foot of a cross, looking on as her son died in agony. Did she ask, “Why me” even on […]

We have 16 more shopping days until Christmas Day. Perhaps some of those days can be spent taking stock of what is sitting inside our produce sections, what has reached its expiration date and should be discarded, and what might be shared with a neighbor in need. Bear fruit that is worthy: worthy of repentance, […]

So now that we know more about Jesus, the Christ and coming King, how might we introduce him if we were given that honor? For starters, we might say that Jesus Christ is the One who is, was, and ever will be; that he was born to die; that death could not hold him in […]

Then there is the Offering. We receive abundantly from God, so itis time for us to give something back. In harvesting the grain, we need to leave something for the gleaners. If we isolate the offering from the rest of worship, our giving becomes a drain, ready to suck down our hard-earned dollars. But, if […]

What God most wants from humanity is love. It is easy to think that God is more interested in other things: time, money, effort, will, submission, and so forth. But what God really wants from humanity is love. When people really love the LORD with all the heart, soul, and mind, then all else is freely […]

So how do we navigate the tension? How can we reconcile our belief in divine providence with the realities of human experience? One approach is to embrace a theology of mystery and paradox, acknowledging that human understanding is limited in its ability to comprehend the ways of God. Job understands this when he says, “I […]

Faith matters because it is easy to lose our way in the world. Faith is knowing that God can always find us, even when we cannot see God. Faith is believing that God has a good plan for us, even when life is grim. Faith is moving forward in the darkness trusting that God knows […]

Respect is something that matters to us as disciples of Jesus. Watching the political debates recently, I’ve come to a new appreciation about the difference between civility and respect. Civility is a formal display of courtesy and politeness. Political candidates show civility when they shake hands before and after a debate. But civility is not […]