Sermons from 2024 (Page 3)

Awe-Inspiring Presence

We are beginning the longest season of the Christian Year, the Sundays after Pentecost. On Pentecost, the church takes the stage and seeks to live out what has been learned and to put it into action. We don’t do this work alone, which is why we begin with this season with a series about seeking God. Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8 (CEB)

Dry Bones, Flames, and a New Spirit

This is Pentecost Sunday! In the Christian tradition, this is sometimes celebrated as the birthday of the universal church. This Sunday we will explore how the gift of the Holy Spirit inspires us to new life, new ministry, new ways of being community and the church! Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14; Acts 2:1-8, 11b-21 (CEB)

… and Know that I am God

What is the power of words in an institution? This Ascension Sunday we conclude our post-Easter sermon series exploring “The Power of Words.” Our denomination just finished its work at the General Conference in Charlotte, NC. This year’s theme was based on Psalm 46, entitled “…and know I am God.” Scripture: Psalm 46: 1-5, 9-10  &  John 17: 7-11 (NRSV)

Religion & Politics

We continue our post-Easter sermon series exploring “The Power of Words.” This week, we remember the common conflict-avoidance of never talking about politics or religion by exploring both! As our denomination gathers at General Conference in Charlotte, NC, important matters are addressed by this international decision-making body. How we address one another even in these high-impact situations can say a lot about who we are. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:10-12; 12:31b  & 13:4-8a (NRSV)

Family Words: Hurtful or Life-Giving

We continue our post-Easter sermon series exploring “The Power of Words.” This week, we look at our families–whether those are families of origin, chosen families, church families, or some combination. Sometimes our family members know just how to push our buttons, and we are then faced with how to respond. Sometimes we are so comfortable with a family member that we don’t filter our words before speaking them. Our choices matter, our words matter, in how we treat and speak…

Resurrection

Please enjoy our Easter Sunday worship service. Scripture: Mark 16:1-8 (CEB)

The Crucifixion of the Christ

We continue our Lenten sermon series based on the book The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, journeying day by day through Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem. We are quickly moving to the end of the week, and therefore closer to the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. Each day has been building, and this day we arrive at Jesus’ most profound teaching at the last supper. But that’s not the end of the day… Scripture: Mark 15:1-15…

A Meal, A Prayer, A Trial

We continue our Lenten sermon series based on the book The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, journeying day by day through Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem. We are quickly moving to the end of the week, and therefore closer to the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. Each day has been building, and this day we arrive at Jesus’ most profound teaching at the last supper. But that’s not the end of the day… Scripture: Mark 14:1-11…

Setting the Plot in Motion

On the Wednesday of Jesus’ final week, two of Jesus’ followers make important decisions that set the plot in motion for Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection. The writer of the Gospel of Mark contrasts for us the decisions made by the woman with the alabaster jar, and Judas, one of the twelve disciples. Scripture: Mark 14:1-11 (CEB)

Challenging Authority

This week we move to Tuesday and an expanse of texts from the middle of the 11th chapter all the way through the end of the 13th chapter. Roughly two-thirds of this section shows Jesus in conflict with the religious leaders in the temple, where Jesus is continually challenged with questions intended to entrap and discredit him in a public setting. Scripture: Mark 12:28-34 (CEB)

The Temple in Frame

We continue our Lenten sermon series based on the book The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, journeying day by day through Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem. This week we move to Monday, the day that Jesus turns over the tables in the temple. Known as a “cleansing” of the temple, Jesus’ motives and intentions have been widely explored in countless sermons and papers. This story is framed by a narrative about a fig tree, something that…