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Text of Sermons
Most Recent Sermon
“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 pools in their villas outside of Rome. They all willingly faced persecution, torture and death. Rome, the center of the illusion of earthly power, was ruthless. We should be grateful for our freedoms, especially the freedom of...
Previous Sermons
“To Be One” – A Sermon for the 7th Sunday of Easter
Sometimes, I think that if Jesus were to come back, he would weep. It’s not just that the world continues to be fraught. I don’t think he ever imagined a time the world would be free from danger and evil. But, he hoped that his followers would live in such a way -...
“The Names of God: A Pathway to Relationship”
Over the last few weeks, we have been exploring a variety of biblical images about ourselves in relation to God. Scripture suggests that we are to be like sheep held securely in the sheepfold. We are to be like infants longing for milk, like living stones built into a...
“Living Stones” – A Sermon for the 5th Sunday of Easter
(N.B. Given the visual nature of this sermon, you are encouraged to view it on YouTube once available.) In this second half of Eastertide, these weeks between Easter and Pentecost, our scripture readings ask us to reflect on one question: what does the resurrection of...
Earth Sunday 2026 Sermon: “Sheepfold Earth”
Perhaps after hearing a passage from the Gospel of John you find yourself scratching your head. The way John uses language is not the way we typically use language. Written about 60 years after the death of Jesus, rather than offering an eyewitness account (which...
“In the Midst of Grief” – Sermon for Easter 3A
Perhaps one of the most difficult experiences we can have as humans is to lose someone we love, to navigate our grief. When a loved one dies, we are faced not only with our distress over the loss. We may be in anguish about how they died - the pain they may have...
“Experiencing Resurrection” – A Sermon on Breathing and Mercy for the 2nd Sunday of Easter
Have you ever noticed that when you are worried about something that your breathing becomes shallow? On Tuesday as much of the world waited to see whether or not the President would follow through on his unconscionable threat to destroy Iran’s whole civilization,...
Easter Sermon: “Going to Galilee”
Did you notice that in Mark’s telling of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, Jesus never appears? He is absent. In Matthew’s Gospel, the Risen Lord greets Mary Magdalene and “the other” Mary. In John’s Gospel, Jesus appears as a Gardener to Mary Magdalene. But in Mark...
5th Sunday of Lent Sermon: “Resurrection: Where Hunger Meets Hope” by Julie Hazen LaFontaine
There are seasons in life when the world feels heavy. Times when grief presses in. Times when hope feels trapped in a tomb—like Lazarus, sealed off behind a stone. We’ve felt that lately, in the loss of all souls on the Lily Jean earlier this year, in saying goodbye to a friend after a long and painful battle with cancer, in worrying about the world we are leaving our children or grandchildren, in watching our own community strain under the weight of political division. At The Open Door, we see the struggle for hope around us every day. Families trying to stretch groceries through the week. Parents quietly going without so their kids can eat. Seniors choosing between buying food and filling a prescription. Children going to school distracted by hunger rather than possibility.
“A Matter of Perspective” – Sermon for Lent 4C
Judaism, Christianity, and Buddhism agree: We do not see God, people, or circumstances as they are, but as we are.
2nd Sunday of Lent Sermon: “For Our Benefit”
How many of you have heard today’s scripture passage before? Everyone! Even if you never set foot in a church or synagogue you would probably know the outline of this story and its most common interpretation. What were many of us taught? Since St. Augustine, the...
1st Sunday of Lent – February 22, 2026 Sermon: “A Path to Healing”
We are so easily tempted. Often, we don’t even realize when it's happening. Why? The temptations we face are ubiquitous in this culture; the temptations we succumb to are often normalized by the culture or often have their roots in deeply buried childhood pain. ...
“Behold the Light” – A Sermon for Transfiguration Sunday
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of officiating more than 300 weddings, no two exactly alike. (The stole I am wearing is the one I use when I officiate weddings. It is made from my wedding dress.) A number of years ago, I was inspired to add an element to the...