Sermon Notes (Page 4)

Introduction As we continue our post-Christmas sermon series called “Why Be Christian?” we might remember what we’ve explored so far. We began in the baptismal waters alongside Jesus, who entered the waters to show us the way to God’s abundant life. We listened for the voice of God alongside Samuel, Philip, and Nathanael. With Jonah, Simon, Andrew, James, and John, we received the persistent and grace-filled invitation to participate with God in living out the fullness of God’s kingdom here…

Introduction This week we continue our post-Christmas sermon series called “Why Be Christian?” As we explore texts from the story of Jonah and the call of the disciples, we will consider the importance of our response: our response to God, to our faith, to the circumstances of the world. In doing so, we will ask ourselves whether these responses should be inward or outward… or perhaps both! Illustration Video A clip from the 1997 film Close Encounters of the Third…

Introduction This week we continue our post-Christmas sermon series called “Why Be Christian?” Liturgically, this is also the beginning of Ordinary Time (named for ordinal numbers), though we can also remember that being Christian is not necessarily ordinary. It is good, then, that we choose to focus this week on listening. I would suggest that choosing to prioritize listening is indeed extraordinary, given that our U.S. culture seems largely focused on isolated sound-bites, self-promotion, and greed. Perhaps taking more time…

Introduction This week we begin a new post-Christmas sermon series called “Why Be Christian?” Over the course of the next five weeks, we will explore the meaning of our faith and spirituality, particularly as Christians. This first week we begin at the beginning: with the opening verses of the Genesis creation story, and with the baptism of Jesus. These are essential beginnings to the stories of Christianity, and they offer us the opportunity to explore the beginnings of our own…

Introduction Can you believe it? We’re entering the final stretch of our Advent Road Trip series. Over the past few weeks, we’ve packed our bags, asked “Are We There Yet?”, and navigated the roadblocks on our journey. We’re approaching our destination. This is about the time you keep your eyes peeled for your exit, signaling that you’ve nearly made it to the end. Those exit signs bring a sense of relief and excitement that rivals the initial excitement we feel…

Introduction Hello, travelers! Here we are at the third week of Advent, and our Road Trip series has hit a bit of a snag… but we’ll get to that in a moment. A few weeks ago we began our journey Packed and Ready to prepare for the arrival of Christ. And last week, we leaned into that all-too-familiar question, “Are We There Yet?” with John the Baptist as our guide, as he prepared the way for Christ. This week we…

Introduction It’s the second week of Advent, and as you might recall, last week we kicked off our Road Trip: Journeying to Christmas series. We started by packing up, making sure we’re ready for the journey ahead, just like those anticipating the arrival of the Son of Man. This week, we’re on the road and maybe already starting to get a little antsy about the drive. Have you ever noticed that when you set out on a road trip, after…

Introduction This week we begin a four-week journey of Advent called Road Trip. What is Advent? I’m glad you asked! Have you ever eagerly awaited something, counting down the days, preparing, and getting more excited as the time approaches? That’s the spirit of Advent! It’s the time leading up to Christmas where we eagerly wait and prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. It’s about anticipating the joy, hope, and love that Jesus brings into our world. During…

We conclude our 3-week series on gratitude called Our Hymn of Grateful Praise exploring the essential nature of gratitude in our lives and in our faith. The text this week is familiar. The story of the feeding of the five thousand is in all four Gospels, though some of the details are different—including the number of people who share in the meal together! And in three of the Gospels, it is linked to the story of Jesus walking on water—also…

We continue our 3-week series on gratitude called Our Hymn of Grateful Praise exploring the essential nature of gratitude in our lives and in our faith. The opening verse this week is, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” Consider someone in your life who acts this way. Perhaps it’s someone who is always happy or always celebrating or always filled with joy. This doesn’t mean, even as we approach Thanksgiving, that there isn’t room for grief…

This week we begin a new 3-week series on gratitude called Our Hymn of Grateful Praise. Through these few weeks, we will explore the essential nature of gratitude in our lives and in our faith. This first Sunday, we begin with a psalm of thanks (at least according to the heading in my Bible). I think expressing gratitude is essential for us, and sometimes I wonder if we have lost that practice. I’m sure I’ve spoken before about how terrible…

We all have a money story, whether we recognize it or not. The worship series “Our Money Story” invites us to discover and tell our money stories in light of God’s money story of liberation and justice. This series will encourage us to transform our stewardship practices into more full expressions of who we are and what we believe. Three weeks ago, we Remembered many things! We remembered the Last Supper of Jesus and his disciples on World Communion Sunday.…