Category: Sermons

June 17, 2012, The Rev Doyt Conn preaching

Let me reread for you the text I want to consider this morning. It comes from Paul’s 2nd Letter to the Corinthians; the second part of verse 11 in chapter 5, it reads: “we ourselves are well known by God, and I hope that we are also well acquainted with our own conscience.”

Thomas Merton writes,

“You cannot tell me who I am and I cannot tell you who you are. But if you do not know your own identity you probably don’t have one.” (para: p> xii No Man Is An Island) I would further add: if there is no one to hear the rumination of our conscience, are we even conscious at all?

Desmond Tutu says it like this: “A person is not a person without other people.”

June 10, 2012, The Rev Doyt Conn preaching

In the movie The Color Purple Shug and her friend Celie are walking through a field of purple cosmos. Shug is saying, “But more than anything God loves admiration.” Celie responds, “so, you’re saying God is vain?” “No, no, not vain,” Shug laughs,“just wanting to share a good thing.” She continues, “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field and don’t notice it.” Celie responds, “So you’re just saying God wants to be loved like it says in the bible. “Yah, silly,” Shug replies, “everyone wants to be loved.”

June 3, 2012, The Rev Kate Wesch preaching

At my house, we’ve been reading a lot of Curious George books lately. You know, the children’s series about George the monkey and his friend, the man with the yellow hat. My one and a half year old daughter loves them. Her current favorite is entitled, “Happy Easter, Curious George.”

May 27, 2012, The Rev Doyt Conn preaching

Catholic Church and the Girl Scouts. And given the speed at which the church moves I don’t imagine this is going to change any time soon.

But turning on a dime has never been one of the churches strong points, and this reality is highlighted, I think, by the language used in the Baptism service we are participating in today.

May 20, 2012, The Rev Doyt Conn preaching

There is a bit of controversy going on over the Girl Scouts. It seems the Roman Catholic Church is concerned that they are undermining the morality and decency of America. Now I’ve known a few Girl Scouts and still, but even so, I was stunned when I heard the Roman Church chose the Girl Scouts as a target of investigation. Really? Who thought that was a good idea? They might as well be investigating nuns…

As I watch this ridiculous folly unfold I wonder what all of our non-religious friends are saying about this event. Probably something like, “this is why I consider myself spiritual, but not religious.” In the shadow of the Roman Church’s misguided display, I can understand why someone would want to duck behind this culturally popular moniker: I’m spiritual not religious.

May 13, 2012, Charissa Jones preaching

Today we dive into the Old Testament. In our current age we often wrestle with questions about the scientific and historical accuracy of the Old Testament, and wonder therefore, whether it is more than just an interesting anthropological document belonging to a people from a long distant time. Yet the Old Testament itself wrestles with core questions that still grip us today. At the heart of the Hebrew narratives, declares Robert Alter, we find two recurring tensions.

First: a tension between the divine promises made to Abraham, Moses and the prophets – and the seeming impossibility of fulfillment, amidst the disorderly character of events that unfold. The second is related: it is a tension between God’s will and human freedom. Old Testament narratives repeatedly draw us into the question, “How do we trust in the promises of God when the divine plan appears to be in the hands of people with an unruly nature – in the midst of circumstances that feel most unpromising?”

May 6, 2012, The Rev. Kate Wesch preaching

The parable from John’s gospel is about gardening in the kingdom of heaven. In it, God is the vine grower while Jesus is the true vine and we are the branches. If some of the branches are just lying about, disconnected from the vine, they are gathered, cast aside, and burned. But, the branches, which remain connected to the vine, the branches that dwell and remain deeply rooted to their source, those branches bear fruit, are pruned, and continuously bear more and more fruit.

So, how do we stay connected to the vine and why should we care about staying connected at all? And what does it mean in our modern context to “bear fruit”?

April 29th, 2012, Rev. Doyt Conn preaching

We have a salamander in the basement. There is some debate as to his name. I call him Slinky. My son calls him Sandy. My daughter, the driving force for our possessing a salamander in the first place, has yet to commit to a name.