Sermons

February 2, 2020

Here are the notes from Steve's portion of the sharing:

Welcome to Black History month ... black history... or as our anti-racism group likes to say: -- “history.” White supremacists like to think black history began with slavery. This history is the forgotten ignored stolen forbidden history. This true history is removed from the schools and history books to make way for propaganda. The propaganda has said that black people are sexual perverts and thieves. The only thing they're good at is entertaining. They're also lazy even though they were the back bone of the development of the American economic superpower.

January 12, 2020

Texts: Matthew 1:18-25;  Romans 1:1-7

“Of the Father’s Love Begotten,” one of my favorite childhood hymns, would always move me deeply.  “Begotten,” what is begot? I actually looked it up: it’s bringing into being, birthing, it’s creating.  The participle form is begetting.  We do a lot of begetting in this congregation, a lot of creating of new things.   Love—if we’re thinking about love today—may be the Presence, the beginning, middle & end to our entire Christian Story.   So, where does an experience of God’s love, as this chant evokes, from the 4^th Century, come from?  Can we grow in understanding the origin and essence of God’s love in us, in and among us? 

The kind of awe, mystery and opening of my heart that that particular chant evokes is something I felt as a child—not even understanding the words entirely.   I still feel chills every year, up and down my spine, whenever we sing that.  I don’t understand why.  

December 15, 2019
Texts:   Isaiah 35
            Psalm 146: 5-10
            Matthew 11:1-11
            James 5:7-10

Hope, Peace, Joy and Love: the Advent themes are ones that invite us to reflect and go deeper.  They are threads that move through our lives as followers of Jesus.  Three of them are what Paul names as the fruit of the Spirit: love, peace and joy (Galatians 5:22-23).  They invite us into the reign of God, into God’s tapestry.  We are to take up our needles and threads and weave our lives as people of God, hard and never-ending work.  Our scriptures for today call us to Joy, but we can’t honestly reflect on joy without naming its opposite--suffering & tragedy.

December 1, 2019

 This grey and rainy Sunday is a good one to reflect on what causes us to hope.  We’ve lost a pillar of our community, Fred Taylor.  My faithful co-mission group member, Joe Collier, died a few weeks ago.  My foster-son Arthur died unexpectedly on November 12^th.  Maria just lost her mother.  Eleanor is grieving over the death of her niece.  And so it goes.

A few weeks ago Fred Taylor and I talked by phone about this teaching.  He said that he hoped he could attend in person.  That was not to be, but I truly believe he is here in spirit.  Fred was a person of radiant inspiring hope.  He found hope in this community.

November 17, 2019

One day at a time, sweet Jesus
That's all I ask of You
Just give me the strength to do
What I have to do

Yesterday's gone, sweet Jesus
And tomorrow is a vision of happiness
Lord, help me today, show me the way
One day at a time

When reading through today's scriptures, what really leapt out to me is their focus on covenant renewal — on relationship renewal.  Since we know that God is always pursuing and reaching out and longing for relationship with us, it's only common sense that cultivating renewed relationship with God is really up to us.  It's our decision to extend our hands, our lives and our hearts to God.  This is what is meant in Mark 1:15, "“The time has come,” … “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent (originally metanoeo, meaning change one's mind or think differently) and believe the good news!”   

November 12, 2019

‘You could have knocked me over with a feather!”
“You have led me down the primrose path!”
“The evil plan he proposed ‘stinks to high heaven’!

Hey, you understand what I’ve just said; but if you were an Aramaic Jew, a Semite, of Jesus time, it would be nonsense to you. 

Coming from another direction, many years ago I did community organizing for the Church of the Saviour.  We had a group of concerned people gather at the Potters House to plan for a day care center.   As I remember, nothing had been said about teaching children the Bible, but one of the outspoken women declared that, when it is taught, it will be literally taught word for word! None of this messing around with interpretations.