Sermon Scripture: Luke 1:68-79 God chose Mary; 15-years old, poor, and unwed. He chose Elizabeth, a senior in the old folks home, used up, overlooked, too old. And you know what? He chooses you! This anthem for a new age that Mary sings about, this different kind of Kingdom that she envisions, that Jesus comes
Sermon Scripture: Luke 1:68-79 “Because of the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79) These words spoken by the priest Zechariah at the
Sermon Scripture: Psalm 25:1-10 No matter where your heart is today, no matter the unsettled state of our world, the words of Psalm 25’s promises fuel our hope. Advent is a season of longing in the darkness, recognizing our need, clinging to God’s promises, and stoking our faithful hope that Christmas dawn is already growing
Sermon Scripture: Daniel 7:13-14, Revelation 1:5-7, John 18:33-37 On Christ the King Sunday, we consider anew, which king and kingdom do we serve. We look to Jesus, crucified and risen, unveiled in his power and mercy, who destroys every false image of earthly power. May we look to Jesus and thus find the courage to
Sermon Scripture: Hebrews 13:1-8 Here in our final week of study through the book of Hebrews we see the power of love and hospitality in our care for one another. Learning to live in this way is how we connect ourselves to the miraculous power of God’s Kingdom. Through our interactions, each of us become
Sermon Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-3. 12:1-3 Stories of hope are so important for us. They are not only wrapped up in our imaginations as inspiration, but they empower our actual living. We look to those who lived lives marked with great faith as an inspiration in our challenges. We remind ourselves of the hope, of the
Sermon Scripture: Hebrews 9:11-14, 19-22 The overall aim of the author of the Letter to the Hebrews is to convince Jewish Christians not to turn away from their new faith back to the Judaism they grew up in. He makes a case that Jesus is better in every way—greater than angels, prophets, Moses, priests who
Sermon Scripture: Hebrews 6:9-12 Hebrews is trying to stir up the faltering 1st century Jewish Christians who were ready to give up the game for lost. It’s like they were in a match that was tied-up at the end of the period and they saw no way of pulling out the win. Many of them
Sermon Scripture: Hebrews 5:1-10 Theologian Fulton Sheen said that every priest is essentially a Jacob's ladder—that is to say, someone who connects heaven and earth. Thomas Aquinas asserts simply that the priest is a mediator, a bridge, between human beings and God. This week we consider Jesus as the ultimate and final high priest. https://youtu.be/EyNJLxPpdI4
Sermon Scripture: Hebrews 3:1-6 For us, the story of Jesus and all that he taught and demonstrated is familiar and well covered ground. But, for the 1st century Jews, this upstart Jesus and his radical reformation of the Mosaic law was brand new, and depending on how seriously you took him, he was either who
