Sermon Scripture: John 20:19-31 In the Easter season we celebrate the biggest mystery of faith: that Jesus willingly took upon himself death on a cross, providing victory over the sins of the world and the curse of death as he rose from the grave. This fact of faith, compared to all the other fantastic stories
Sermon Scripture: Luke 24:1-12, 13-32, 48-49 Have you been moving toward doubt, fear, anger, frustration, impatience, annoyance these days? Or have you been moving toward greater faith, hope, love, kindness, peace, and patience? The consolation of God is not simply an optimistic view of the resurrection for us here in holy week. The consolation of
Sermon Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11, Matthew 27:20-26 As we consider the crowds who met Jesus in praise and later condemned him for not suiting their needs, I hope we can humbly ask ourselves, “In what ways (big or small), do we push Jesus aside when his Kingdom does not align with our kingdoms?” May we say
Sermon Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14 One of the most poignant passages of scripture is found in our Lectionary passage for today, Ezekiel chapter 37. This passage is describing the predicament the nation of Israel had found itself in as a result of their exile and their subsequent turning away from the God who saved and sustained
Sermon Scripture: John 4:3-30, 39-42 The Kingdom of God has a purpose, to bring redemption and life to the entire world, and so it needs all kinds of witnesses. Today we meet a woman who stands as a contrast to Nicodemus, but in her own right, she plays an important role in the beautiful work
Sermon Scripture: John 3:1-21 This week we hear the story of Nicodemus. A successful and self-confident man, he plays a leadership role in his community. His imagination is caught by Jesus, but he wants to compartmentalize whatever faith he has. Nicodemus is not yet ready to declare his faith in the light of day, not
Sermon Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11, Romans 5:12-19 The life of a follower of Jesus is not about perfection or infallibility, it is about confession and humility. When we sin, may we be quick to confess our shortcomings and diligently work to remove the temptations which lead us into these sins. We seek forgiveness when we fail,
Sermon Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9 Like baptism and sanctification, the transfiguration of Christ is a prelude to the transformation that all followers of Christ may have when encountering the thin places between heaven and earth. It gives strength, hope, and courage in the face of the frightening and hardest aspect of our lives. Moses and Elijah
Sermon Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 So often we need to remind ourselves of all that we have come to know and experience about loving God and loving others. Why do we so often digress? Likewise, we often need to gird ourselves up for taking these truths into the harsh reality of the world. Presumably where there
Sermon Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-4, Matthew 4:12-23 The Messiah came to enact love and restoration to the world that he loves; including creation and humanity. Learning to trust in the voice of God is not just an intellectual act, but a whole body experience for us because every human bears the image of God. Just as
