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Text of Sermons
Most Recent Sermon
“All In”
We need the spirit of St. Francis. At a time when many who claim to follow Christ have lost sight of the way of Jesus; when Christianity is being twisted as a cover for the impulse of empire; when the creation that Francis recognized as alive with God’s presence is being destroyed by short-term thinking, greed, and corruption; we need the spirit of St. Francis. Though we can be tempted to domesticate him - to smile at his statues in our gardens - St. Francis was a determined, uncompromising...
Previous Sermons
“Who Do You Think Jesus Is?” – A sermon on Matthew 21.23-32
About 25 - 30 members of this church community and a handful of friends beyond it, are in the midst of a six week exploration of Marcus Borg’s provocative book, “Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time.” As participants in a Christian church, we might take for...
“Who Do You Want To Be?” – A Sermon on Matthew 20.1-16
Last Sunday, the Gospel reading begged the question, “What kind of world do we want to create?” Today’s reading suggests a related question, “Who do you want to be?” Last week we reflected on the difference between a worldview that is merely ego-centered and...
“What Kind of a World Do We Want to Create?” – A Sermon on Matthew 18.21-35
When you look at the world as it is do you like what you see? Do you like how power often seems to be exercised? We live in what seems to be an increasingly transactional time. A time when the powerful write the rules that others must follow. Or else. A time of “you...
“Opening the Door to Jesus: A Sermon on Conflict Resolution”
Last month, my 4 ½ year old grandson, Grayson, had an orientation day for his new preschool. His mother, Britt, was eager to hear how the day went. “Mom! There was a kid at school with potty mouth. I told the teacher about it and she spoke to the boy. But, he kept...
“The Way” – Sermon by Lindsay Crouse on Romans 12.9-21
The instruction by Paul in this passage seems straightforward, like a Christian primmer, like the ABC’s of Christian instruction, yet it is in truth one of the hardest to do. The saints of the Christian Bible never end up living lives of luxury, by their swimming...
“Intended for Good” – A Sermon on Genesis 45.1-15, 50.20
Stripped and thrown into a pit. By his brothers. Sold into slavery. By his brothers. Lied about and betrayed. By his brothers. Later, displeasing his overlord’s wife, she lied about him and he was thrown into prison. By any account, Joseph has been traumatized. ...
“The Green Eyed Monster” – Sermon for Genesis 37.1-5, 12-28
Here we go again. The generational saga continues. Isaac prefers his son Esau. Isaac’s wife, Rebecca, prefers the other son, Jacob. And Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. But did Jacob love all of his 12 children equally? No. Jacob loved Rachel’s son, Joseph, more...
“Blessed Struggle”
Jacob’s deceit is finally catching up with him. No more running away. No more hiding from the consequences of stealing his brother’s birthright. No more lying to himself about who he is or what he’s done. It’s time for Jacob to face the music. Among the most pivotal...
“A Love That Will Not Let Us Go”
Isaac prefers his son Esau. Isaac’s wife, Rebecca, prefers the other son, Jacob. And Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Family drama. Imagine you were writing the story of your family of origin… Did you ever get the sense that your mother or father preferred one...
“Beyond Expectations”
Guilt. Shame. Fear. States of mind that can block our awareness of the presence of God. And Jacob, likely, had all of them. Guilt. Shame. Fear. He has just stolen his brother’s birthright and been sent away from home for the first time in his life, to a foreign land,...
“You Call This A Blessing?”
Pity Rebecca. For 20 years, she longed for a child. For 20 years, her husband, Isaac, wanted a child. The fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham depended on her having a child. 1 year…2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. 20 years of...
“The Challenge of Freedom”
What does freedom mean to you? I suspect that for many of us, our definition of freedom has more to do with how we were raised as Americans than it does with Paul’s teaching - which, let’s face it, we are just not as familiar with. From the time we are very young,...