- The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grace Luke 18: 1 – 9 (preached October 20, 2019) What do you suppose prompted Jesus to tell the parable in our passage for today, from Luke’s gospel? What inspired this strange parable about a widow and a judge? Luke doesn’t give us much to go on here. He simply says that Jesus wants to encourage the disciples to pray and not lose heart. Any number of things could have led Jesus to tell this parable. Maybe Peter had been grumbling that God didn’t seem to hear hi... [read more]
Sermons
- A Work in Progress Luke 18: 9 – 14 (preached October 13, 2019) As therapists do their work of psychological counseling, they often find that people who come to them are driven by a need to be perfect. These people are mostly from good, law-abiding families. They are motivated by voices deep within them that say, in one way or another, that they are inferior, not worthy of approval. Maybe these voices come from their past, out of their childhood. As children, they were made to feel shame or ... [read more]
- Faith on the High Wire 2 Timothy 1: 1 - 14 (preached on October 6, 2019) Walking a tightrope is not an easy thing to do, even in the tamest of circumstances. But some years ago the tightrope walker Zumbrati took the challenge of the high wire to a whole new level. He walked a tightrope across Niagara Falls. The day of the walk was really windy, and Zumbrati was relieved when he made it across the falls. But when he arrived on the other side, he was surprised to find ... [read more]
- Joy in Heaven Luke 15: 1 – 10 Good communication is very important. Whether we’re communicating with close friends, or at work, or just doing our shopping around town, it’s important to express ourselves clearly and listen carefully. When good communication doesn’t happen, major mix ups can occur. Sometimes that’s because we hear what we’re expecting to hear, instead of what the other person is trying to say. That may have been the case for a man who pulled into a gas station... [read more]
- The Inescapable God Psalm 139: 1 – 12 (preached on September 8, 2019) There’s a lot of concern these days about privacy. If you have a bank account, or an insurance policy, you probably get a notice from time to time, telling you the company’s privacy policy. If you go to the doctor, you often get a document that explains what they can and cannot do with your personal information. If you’re in the hospital, the hospital can’t tell anyone that you’re there without your permi... [read more]
- Jesus Shows Us a New Story Luke 13: 10 – 17 preached on August 25, 2019 Everybody has a story they tell about themselves. I’m not talking about the somewhat fictional tall tale we might tell to make a good impression. I’m talking about the stories we tell, not to impress, but for a different reason. Like the stories we tell about what we do in our lives. Our stories can show who we are, what’s important to us. If we’re part of the Christian tradition, our stories can help... [read more]
- A Faith for All Times and Places Genesis 15: 1 – 6 Hebrews 11: 1 – 3, 8 – 16 (preached August 11, 2019) All of the world’s major religions include sacred writings. For us, it’s the Bible. Sacred writings can be history or poetry. Sacred writings can be hymns or books of prophecy. But the sacred writings of Christianity are unique among the world’s religions because, along with history, poetry, hymns, and prophecy, our sacred writings include something a little more down t... [read more]
- A Life That’s Rich Toward God Luke 12: 13 – 21 (preached August 4, 2019) As many of you know, this past spring I made a big move. I sold my house in West Springfield and bought a house in Springfield. I made the move to be a little closer to the east, closer to our church, and closer to my sons and their families who live in the Boston area. I made the move to be closer to my daughter and her family, who live just outside Springfield. I also made the move becau... [read more]
- A Bridge Across the Universe Luke 11: 1 – 13 (preached on July 28, 2019) You and I, as followers of Jesus, know it’s important to pray. It’s important to our spiritual lives, to open ourselves to God. When we pray, we share with God our deepest thoughts, our dreams, our fears. When we pray, we also listen for God’s voice, deep in our hearts, whispering of God’s loving care. Sometimes we might feel God nudging us to reach out with a kind word or a helping hand. You and I k... [read more]
- Resentment: the Habit We Can Lose Luke 10: 38 – 42 (preached on July 21, 2019) It’s a wonderful thing to have a sister. Speaking personally, I’ve been blessed with a sister. She’s three years older than me. My sister was a big part of my life when I was growing up. One of my earliest memories is standing in the downstairs hall of our house, where we had a mirror. I remember watching my mother fix my sister’s hair for her first day of school. I remember feeling sad becaus... [read more]
- Who Is My Neighbor? Luke 10: 25 – 37 (preached on July 14, 2019) “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus called this the Great Commandment. It would have been well known by religious people in his time. So it’s no surprise that, early in our passage for today, from the gospel of Luke, Jesus praises the lawyer when he names this commandment as the way to eternal lif... [read more]
- Whole and Holy Ephesians 1: 3 – 14 (preached on June 2, 2019) Nursery rhymes were created for children, but they have a way of staying with us, even when we’re older. Take, for example, the nursery rhyme, “Humpty Dumpty.” You may not have heard it for years, but I bet you could still recite it by heart: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall; Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men Couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again. ... [read more]