Sermons
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Ascension Sermon: To Bless Us Forward
Sometimes we desperately need the assurance that God is with us, that love will not forget or abandon us. It’s often when we are standing at a threshold - when our lives are about to radically change that we need to know that God’s blessing goes with us. Thresholds abound in our lives: when a relationship is ending; when someone we love is dying; when we are preparing to graduate from school; when we are getting ready to move to a new community or start a new job. Even when we have great faith...
Previous Sermons
How Are We Going To Get Through This?
How are we going to get through this? How are we going to get through this? This was a question on the minds of the disciples as they began to realize at the Last Supper, from which Jesus’ words today are taken, that he was leaving them, that he would be taken from...
The Work of God
The story that I like to call “The Mothering of Moses” has always been a favorite of mine. More than anything it speaks to me of the ways three women came together for the benefit of Moses, each doing her part, the work of God, to be sure that he not only lived, but ...
An Abundant Life
“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." Many of you who live in Gloucester may have heard the story of the confrontation near Goose Cove earlier this week. For those who haven’t heard the story, here it is - at least as I understand it. A young...
Third Sunday of Easter: A Larger Story
What the heck is going on here? I admit it. I’ve nearly lost my patience. I want this to be over. No more pandemic. No more physical distancing. No more uncertainty. No more life upside down. I’ve had it. How about you? Yes, I want to learn from this crisis....
The Power of Forgiveness
Within the first few days of staying at home because of the pandemic, I noticed something about myself that surprised me. And not in a good way. I’m not sure whether it was because of my fear of Coronavirus or fear of its economic consequences for our country; or if...
Signs of Life
She stood near at his death. She witnessed the horrors of his crucifixion. She went to his tomb. Maybe she didn’t believe he was really gone? How could someone who means so much to her have died? When the earth quaked and an angel appeared, she didn’t need to...
It’s Going to Get Worse
It’s going to get worse. It’s going to get a lot worse. Jesus knew this as he prepared to enter Jerusalem, a city we are told in today’s Gospel that is “in turmoil.” And we know this, as public health experts tell us that the peak of the pandemic here is likely...
To See the Glory of God
Today Jesus asks: "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" What does it mean to see God’s glory in the time of Coronavirus? What does the story of the raising of Lazarus suggest about God’s presence with us now? Think about a time...
Overcoming Isolation
Scripture: Psalm 23 and John 9.1-7 When I was younger, I used to think that the worst thing any of us could experience was death. Then I began to observe a phenomenon while working in Hospice that changed my mind. It wasn’t even intense physical pain or struggles with...
In Need
On Wednesday night I had the privilege of serving at the Open Door with a group of wonderful volunteers from our church community. It turns out we were the last church to serve there before their leadership made the difficult decision to no longer allow community...
Born of the Spirit
“God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” One of the saddest comments I hear on a regular basis comes from my 89 year old father-in-law, Neil. Without fail when either my husband, David, or...
Into the Wilderness
For the First Sunday of Lent, here is a sermon that explores how we navigate our wilderness experiences. May these forty of days of self-examination and reflection be a blessing. *** One of the most unexpected decisions I have ever heard from another person came on...