Category: The Prophets

September 30, 2015, Kevin Mesher preaching

Here’s my take away: The book of Jonah shows me that there exists in each and every person—and their animals, apparently—a latent potential to connect to some kind of “source” regardless of your or my personal conception of what that should look like or for whom you or I think is worthy of it. For aren’t we “all members one of another” (Eph. 4:25)? How absurd of me to think that I can apply limits to God’s mercy. How strange I would rue your homecoming!

September 23, 2015, George Moberly preaching

What can we do to call God to demonstrate his presence through us into a world that so needs us to return peace for violence, love for hate. Who knows what will grow from God’s love we bestow and release into God’s world?

August 23, 2015, The Rev. Doyt L. Conn, Jr., preaching

Blood is sort of an uncomfortable topic. It makes us wiggle in our seats, but the reality is that in the church blood is an underlying theme that runs through our worship. We talk about the body and blood of Christ. So today I’d like to do some teaching on the blood, and the mighty men of David are a good place to start; they give some Jewish context.

August 9, 2015, The Rev. Doyt L. Conn, Jr., preaching

There are four characteristics of a truth-teller that Joab exemplifies: understanding the equality of humanity, authenticity, empathy, and honesty.

July 19, 2015, The Rev. Kate Wesch preaching

Jesus, the incarnation of God in flesh, teaches us that God’s presence isn’t in the object, it’s merely a symbol, but it can be a powerful one.

June 7, 2015, Charissa Bradstreet preaching

Mystery asks us to look at what we cannot see. It invites us into uncertainty and discomfort—and it offers us freedom and relationship. Where is freedom and relationship calling you?

David Holversen preaching

During this time of Lent, let us convert our lives to one of more prayer and join hands on our journey to the Kingdom of God, so that we can raise the Paschal Candle in glory to the risen Christ.

July 29, 2012, The Rev Doyt Conn preaching

Here are some numbers on what it would cost to save the world’s environment:

Planting trees to reduce flooding and to capture carbon $ 23 b
Protecting topsoil on cropland $ 24 b
Restoring rangelands $ 9 b
Restoring fisheries $ 13 b
Protecting biological diversity $ 31 b
Stabilizing water tables $ 10 b

The total cost to save the world’s environment = $110 b

What do you think of that?

These numbers come from a book titled Plan B, 4.0 by Lester Brown from the Earth Policy Institute. He is a leading thinker on issues of aid, food and the environment… depending on whom you ask. Numbers and statistics always seem debatable. Rarely, do they seem a force for creating a like mind or galvanizing a future direction.

And I wonder why? Why doesn’t good research and good science serve to answer the world’s environmental problems? In school we certainly learn that there are right answers and wrong answers. So why doesn’t that play out when dealing with the great issues of our day, particularly issues surrounding the environment.

July 15, 2012, James Cowan preaching

We all sin. That’s one of the underlying assumptions of Christian theology. It’s why the Bible is filled with images of sin and repentance. Job cries out: “I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” David laments: “My sin is ever before me.” John the Baptist proclaims: “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Christ avows: “I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.” And Paul testifies “ to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus.”