Archive for category: Sermons

Scripture:  1 Samuel 2: 18-20, 26; Luke 2:  41-52

Because the Old Testament and New Testament readings for this Sunday tell the story of a boy in “church,” we thought we’d start there — with boys in church.

When Baby Jesus Goes Missing – Christmas Eve 9:30 December 24, 2021

Scripture: Luke 2: 1-20  

Many people wait until Christmas Eve to put the baby Jesus in  their  Nativity  Scenes. A  Chinese woodcarver said that many people simply lose baby Jesus. He’s so easy to lose, after all, when you wait  to add him to the rest of the scene.  There’s nothing malicious about it. People don’t intend to lose Jesus, he said. In fact, they probably made a commitment to keep Jesus, and put Jesus front and center where he belongs.  But he got lost. Somehow, we weren’t paying attention. Perhaps he was set aside to make room for other elements of the scene, and the intention was to return him to his rightful place in our lives

The theme of joy punctuates our lives in unique ways during the Advent season. It punctuates most everything we do and most of our Advent traditions. This is the joy we tend expect from each other around Christmas time.

But what happens when we or the people with whom we share those moments are not filled with joy? How do we handle the Advent season that comes in the middle of one of life’s crushing blows?

The Psalmist said it this way: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” We invite you this morning to grab hold of this truth. The darkest moments remind us that true joy is not found in the day to day circumstances of our lives, but is founded on the Creator of life.

Symbols, Icons, and Emojis – November 28, 2021 

Scripture: Jeremiah 33: 14-16   “The days are surely coming,” says the Lord through the prophet, “when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David” (vv. 14-15).

Emojis and emoticons are popular ways to express thoughts and feelings. They are so ubiquitous that they are beginning to be the targets of lawsuits. The practice of using emojis to convey thoughts recalls an image mentioned in Scripture. God uses an emoji, we could say, to share the good news that peace and justice are coming to the world.

Scripture: Proverbs 11:24-25 ; Acts 20:35 (CEB)  Generous persons will prosper;  those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. (Prov. 11:25)

The title for this sermon comes from the popular TV show “ER,” which ended a fifteen year run in 2009. In this television series, Dr. Mark Green, one of the main characters, was about to die from a brain tumor. Before his death, he shared his final words of advice to his daughter, his “final prescription” so to speak. He said to her, “Be generous.  Be generous with your time. Be generous with your love. Be generous with your life. Be generous.”