March 5, 2014, The Rev. Doyt Conn preaching
Has it ever happened that someone has had the wrong impression about you? Have you ever been misinterpreted, misunderstood or seen by someone as a person you believe yourself not to be? The prophet Joel whom we hear today portrays a people who feel misunderstood.
March 2, 2014, The Rev. Doyt Conn preaching
How do I know when God is speaking to me? How do I know when I am hearing the voice of God? I bring it up, because I am asked that question a lot. I also bring it up because we hear God speak in the Gospel this morning. “This is my son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
February 9, 2014, The Rev. Doyt Conn preaching
It doesn’t matter who you are standing next to, the backlight is the backlight is the backlight. And here is the take away: when we focus on the backlight as the thing itself judgment falls away and joy wins the day. It’s worth pondering if you feel like you have more judgment in your life than joy.
December 22, 2013, The Rev. Doyt Conn preaching
Jesus does this in two ways, by teaching us to ask the question “What can I do for you?” and by answering this question for us when we are stuck. Jesus teaches and Jesus saves, and this and this alone, allows us to live large. Here is a quick review of Jesus’s interactions in scripture. What is revealed to us is that over and over again he asks: “What can I do for you?” It is the question he asks the 10 Lepers, and Mary and Martha. It is the question he asks the father of the epileptic, and the blind man, and the bleeding woman, and the crippled man by the pool of Bethsaida. “What can I do for you?” It is a particular, unique question, asked to particular unique persons.
October 6, 2013, The Rev. Kate Wesch preaching
This morning, we got to hear the second version of the creation story from Genesis. Over the past two weeks, we heard the first version, “In the beginning, God created…and it was good — on the second day, God created….and it was good.” These two accounts come from different sources and different times, but for some reason, they ended up side by side in this narrative.
August 11, 2013, Ben Linder preaching
Faith is an interesting word. According to the reading in Hebrews today, it is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”. I immediately thought of Indiana Jones taking a deep breath and stepping out into nothingness in his search for the Holy Grail. And for a lot of folks, faith can be just that scary. When I was a child I had faith that my parents would provide me food, shelter, clothing, and love. Later in life, I had faith in my friends to be loyal and honest with me, and for the most part, I was not let down.
June 16, 2013, The Rt. Rev. Gregory H. Rickel preaching
April 28, 2013, Charissa Bradstreet preaching
We often hear at Epiphany that, “In the kingdom of heaven, relationship is primary; all else is secondary.” Relationship is primary. It’s an extraordinary statement, placing relationship above right thinking and right acting. It seems to suggest in fact that when we make relationship primary, that is how we know we are thinking and acting in a way that is congruent with the heart of God and the kingdom of heaven.
March 10, 2013, The Rev Doyt Conn preaching
The Prodigal son is a story about balance and the deep desire to have balance in one’s life. I know what that feels like. Sometimes things seem a little out of balance. I don’t sleep enough, or eat right, or play enough with the dog. All of which may be true, but none of which Paul is taking about when he talks about reconciliation with God.