Sermons by Lisa Bowersock (Page 14)
January 3, 2021
January 3, 2021 “Pass it On” Jeremiah 31:7-14 Ephesians 1:3-14 John 1:1-18 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. So, how appropriate is it that as we begin a brand-new year, our Gospel lesson for today starts with the words, “In the beginning…” This is the beginning of a new year – a fresh start after a year like no…
December 20, 2020
December 20, 2020 “Entering the Story” 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 Luke 1:26-38 Luke 1:46b-55 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. So, it was just a short walk from the guest house where I was staying in Nazareth five years ago to the Church of the Annunciation – a beautiful basilica built over the spot in the village of Nazareth…
Blue Christmas Service
December 6, 2020 Blue Christmas Service “What Are We to Say?” Luke 1:26-38 Romans 8:31-32, 37-39 Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, oh God, our strength and our redeemer. AMEN So, each year as I prepare the Blue Christmas service, I spend time reflecting on the past year. I think about those we lost in our church family. I think about all that has…
December 6, 2020
“What Was, and What Will Be” Isaiah 40:1-5 2 Peter 3:8-15a Mark 1:1-8 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. So, about a week ago, I sat in on a Zoom meeting with Rev. Tussing, Amy LaDu, Gregg Dudash, and our current confirmation class. One of the things the confirmands had been asked to do was to submit a photo…
November 22, 2020
“Sheep and Goats” Ezekiel 34:1113, 16, 20 Ephesians 1:15-23 Matthew 25:31-46 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. Today is Reign of Christ Sunday, also known as Christ the King Sunday. That means it is the final Sunday of the church year. Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Avent, and thus the start of a new church year. Next…
November 8, 2020
November 8, 2020 “Nothing New” Amos 5:18-24 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Matthew 25:1-13 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. There is a verse from the book of Ecclesiastes that says: What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. So, there are a number of…
October 18, 2020
October 18, 2020 “Going with God” Isaiah 57:1-7 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Matthew 22:15-22 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. Several years ago I was having a conversation with a friend and the topic somehow turned to a very “hot button” issue. My friend and I respectfully expressed our opposing views on this hot-button topic – and then my friend…
October 4, 2020
October 4, 2020 “The Truth of the Matter” Isaiah 5:1-7 Philippians 3:10-14 Matthew 21:33-46 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. OK, I am going to start with a confession. I found this week’s scripture passages to be extremely challenging and difficult – they talk of murder and death and destruction – hardly “feel good” passages. However, not every passage…
September 20, 2020
September 20, 2020 “From the Beginning” Micah 6:6-8 1 John 2:7-10 John 13:31-35 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. So, in the passage from 1 John that we just heard, the writer says, “I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning.” The audience for the writer of 1 John…
September 6, 2020
September 6, 2020 “Where Two or Three are Gathered” Ezekiel 33:10-11 Romans 13:8-14 Matthew 18:15-20 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Certainly, in these days of social distancing and adapting to life during a pandemic, these words of Jesus can take on…
August 16, 2020
August 16, 2020 “Do the Right Thing” Isaiah 56:1, 6-8 Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 Matthew 15:10-20 In our Old Testament passage for today, God instructs the people, through the prophet Isaiah, to “maintain justice” and “do what is right.” When I read those words my mind immediately went to a movie my children and I recently watched. Over the course of these past months of sheltering in place I have been very grateful to have my children with me. And…
July 26, 2020
July 26, 2020 “A Wise and Discerning Mind” 1 Kings 3:5-12 Romans 8:26-39 Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 I love the Old Testament passage for today from 1 Kings. When given the chance to ask God for absolutely anything, King Solomon asks God for wisdom. So, here’s the thing about Solomon asking God for wisdom. It takes a certain degree of wisdom in the first place in order to understand the need for gaining more wisdom. Does that make sense? Just as…