Sermons from 2020
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…
December 13, 2020
The Messenger of the Messenger Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:19-28 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. That is what the Gospel of Mark says in verse 4 of chapter 1. A question I get all the time is: Did the Jews baptize like we do? To answer that question let me tell you a story about Muslims. Every year we take the Confirmation…
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 15, 2020
November 15, 2020 Them That’s Got Shall Get Judges 4:1-7 Matthew 25:14-30 So Billie Holliday wrote and sang: “Them’s that got shall get, Them’s that not shall lose” So the Bible Says. I have heard that line or variations of it over the years and it seems to indicate that those who have much will just keep getting more and those that have little will get less. Now, just what folks are talking about gaining and losing is not clear…
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…
November 1, 2020
November 1, 2020 “Find Out What it Means to Me” Matthew 23:1-12 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 Here is the conundrum which we face each week. I get to wear this robe and about my shoulders is this stole. Both have some significance but it sets me apart. Rev. Lisa wears a white robe. Nevertheless, here in front of this congregation we wear these robes. I remember one time, a good friend in the congregation saw me in the narthex and I…