Sermons

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me, is an old-school phrase many of us may have uttered to reassure people their cruel words weren’t having the intended effect. But the truth is words do have power and they can hurt. But words can also heal. This week we hear […]

This week Jesus and his disciples create a stir as they are seen working on the sabbath day, violating the Third Commandment. Like sheep who are fenced into a pen for protection and containment, the commandments exist to create order in the community and to keep people safe. Listen as Intern Pastor Miriam explores how […]

In this Sunday’s story from Luke, we meet a fisherman who had just finished a long night of fishing, was washing his nets, and likely very happy to be headed home to rest, when Jesus commandeers his boat. Eventually, Jesus takes this fisherman and his buddies out to sea and ridiculously instructs them to recast their […]

This week, Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth. As the town that raised him, the Nazarenes ought to have an all-access pass to Jesus’s restorative power, right? Furthermore, as Jesus’s followers today, shouldn’t we expect full and immediate access to the Good News whenever we please? Listen as Intern Pastor Miriam explores how sometimes […]

Trees produce fruit because that’s who they are. The same can be said about followers of Christ. This week, with the story of Jesus’ baptism, we hear again the promise of being claimed as a child of God in the waters of baptism that shape our identity in a way that should produce fruit; good […]

In this week’s lesson, Mary and Joseph lose an adolescent Jesus in Jerusalem, only to find him days later among teachers in a temple. We see a new perspective of God’s unconditional love for and value of children. Listen as Intern Pastor Miriam explores how we too can get trapped in our routines and invites […]

In our reading this week, Mary learns from Gabriel that she will be the mother of God. And we wait with expectation – the same hopeful expectation Mary had. Listen as Pastor Kate explores how – along with the lights, trees, ornaments, and stockings – we begin to shift our priorities and anticipate what God’s presence […]

At the end of a year where many of us feel broken down and brokenhearted, it can be difficult to imagine how we will ever rebuild society and spirits. This week the prophet Isaiah reminds us that God is the greatest architect and that the Spirit of the Lord rebuilds us and brings life from […]

This December is punctuated by a pandemic and for many shrouded by pain, suffering, and despair. If there were ever a year we need Advent, it’s this year, and this week’s text reminds us of that. Joel, an unlikely prophet, stands in the ruins of his city looking for hope. Listen as Pastor Kate explores […]

Our world is full of tension: so often we are stuck between doing what we want and what we know is right. For the prophet Daniel, tension rose as his faith – his hope – was tested. As we begin a new season in the church year – Advent – we find ourselves waiting and […]