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Text of Sermons
Most Recent Sermon
“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 transactional, and one anchored in the essential “design element” in God’s creation, love. Our worldviews will dictate our characters; the kind of people we will become. It seems that just in case we failed to understand what Jesus was...
Previous Sermons
“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...
“To Act with Justice” – A Sermon on Isaiah 58.1-12
Why aren’t things going better for our nation? Why isn’t our nation thriving like it once did? Why isn’t God helping us? These are the questions that the people of Isaiah’s time were asking. They may also be the questions some of us are asking. After having been in...
“The Call to Justice”
“What does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?" What does the Lord require of you? If someone were to have asked this question to you when you were a child, how might you have answered? Thinking back to my...
“A Dangerous Call”
Jesus said to his disciples, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” On Thursday morning, The Boston Globe reported that ICE agents are now in Portland, Maine - a little over 100 miles from here - for operation “Catch of the Day.” When Jesus called his...
“At Martin’s Kitchen Table” – A Sermon for MLK Weekend & John 1:35-42
When you think of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., where do you see him located? What image of him comes to mind? My hunch is that most of us see him at a podium, perhaps giving his “I Have a Dream Speech.”
But, for us to understand who Martin Luther King Jr. was at heart, spiritually, and how he can continue to inspire us, especially as followers of Jesus, I’d like to encourage you to remember him in a different location: at his kitchen table.
“A Way Forward” – Sermon for the Baptism of Jesus
On Thursday David bumped into an old friend walking on Broadway in Rockport. The conversation quickly turned to politics and 45 minutes later they went their respective ways. Given all that is going on in the country, many of us find ourselves talking about politics...
“An Examen for the New Year” – Guided Reflection
The start of a new year is an ideal time for reflection. There are many creative ways we can do this: journaling, looking over the previous year’s calendar, creating a photo collage, writing a Letter to God, conversation with a loved one and more. This morning, to...
“Unstoppable” – Christmas 2025 Sermon
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth...
Advent 3A Reflection: “The Wonder on the Way”
Did you notice any threads tying this morning’s scripture readings and music together? Here’s one I offer: Open eyes. Open ears. Open hearts. Taken together, these readings speak of recognizing God’s presence in ordinary and extraordinary ways: in the voices of...