Sermons from 2021 (Page 3)
Leaders Keep Dreaming
Joseph and Julian (our storybook character for this week) are both leaders, and they’re both dreamers, too. Julian’s abuela responds to his dreams with support; Jacob responds to Joseph’s dreams with critique. Christian leaders know that the world will respond with both support and criticism; our job is to keep dreaming anyway.
Maybe God Is Like That Too
Generations of human beings have experienced God. Metaphors of God abound in scripture, from inanimate objects such as rocks, to the mysterious presence. In the children’s book, “Maybe God Is Like That Too,” Jennifer Grant and Benjamin Schipper explore some of the many metaphors for God. The message on Sunday will encourage us to ponder the many ways we experience and know God in our lives.
Changing the World is Like Road Construction: Summer Sermon Stories Series
Queen Vashti was brave enough to be forgotten. To follow Jesus and change the world, we have to be brave enough to be forgotten, as well.
We Have So Much in Common: Summer Stories Series
Adam’s first words to Eve are about how much they have in common. The story of humanity, however, soon turns to a focus on our differences. We need to remember Adam’s focus on our shared humanity and a shared creator. This is the first Sunday of our Summer Stories Sermon Series.
The Vision & Power of Christ & Christianity
Christianity and Christ provide us vision and power if we are willing to work for them. Paul invites us to be crucified with Christ so that something greater may rise within us. So we can experience the vision of what we are called to be and have the power to live in that way.
Breaking Down the Barriers
The story of the Apostle Philip meeting the Ethiopian Eunuch on the road is a story of two people breaking down the barriers society has built between them. God is calling us to do the same every day.
How We Grieve Matters
How we grieve matters. The story of the murder of Stephen reminds us that we are called to respond to unjust murders today, too, by saying their names, mourning publicly, and working for justice in their stead.
It’s Been on Fire the Whole Time
Christ is always among us. Christ is with us in every person we meet. Our calling is to recognize that our hearts and minds (in fact our heads) are on fire with the presence of God. Our challenge is to recognize this when we are in the moment, so we don’t just look back and say, “Oh, my head was on fire the whole time.”
When the Resurrection is the Resurrection & When the Resurrection is not the Resurrection
When we are young we accept the Resurrection at face value. As we study and reflect up in it we see there is much more to the story. Then at some point the simple truths and hope of Resurrection become all we may need.
What if Jesus Was Short?
Our story isn’t clear about who is short (Jesus or Zacchaeus), but if we can imagine Jesus as short, it gives new meaning to Jesus’ work with the poor and his crucifixion (and resurrection).
The Rich Man, Lazarus, and Wanda Maximoff
In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, we meet a man who has created a bubble of privilege so impenetrable that even as he suffers for his actions, he cannot see the truth. In this sermon on Luke 16:19-31, Rev. Tom Harris connects the Marvel TV show WandaVision with this parable. In the show, Wanda Maximoff has created a similar bubble of power that blinds her to reality. How do each of us create the same kinds of…
Seeking to Restore Lost Relationships
In the parable of the lost coin, what has God lost? Not individual people. God knows each of us intimately wherever we are. In this reflection on on Luke 15:8-10, Rev. Tom Harris suggests that God has lost the human community that God created us to be. So when we seek to restore relationships and community, we are working with the energy of God toward the same purpose.