Drawing on the Book of Tobit in the apocrypha plus her own adventures in urban chicken-raising*, Pastor Tracy addressed the tragic dilemma that faces people forcibly removed from their homeland. From the Jews of the Old Testament to Africans brought here as slaves, these refugees are told they must assimilate into a new culture while that same culture refuses to accept them as…
“If you want to save the Earth, teach your children to love nature.” For the Sunday before Earth Day, we re-visited the familiar creation story from Genesis. Pastor Tracy argued that this was never intended as a factual explanation of where we came from. Rather, it was meant to instruct us on the importance of cherishing our connection to the…
The Sunday after Easter is traditionally the time to preach on the story of “Doubting Thomas.” However, Pastor Tracy contends that this story is widely misunderstood. If you trace Thomas’s several appearances in the Gospels, it’s clear that doubt is an essential part of a strong, resilient faith. Its opposite, after all, is called “Blind Faith” for a…
On Easter morning, Pastor Tracy explored the other miracle of the first Easter — Mary Magdalene’s story as recounted in John. She also told us of a very real miracle she saw herself one icy morning in Portland.
Scripture: Mark 11:1-11 For Palm Sunday, Pastor Tracy points out that everything about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was a clear break with tradition for a champion of the people taking on the Romans. Why? Because that tradition – repeated again and again – didn’t work. She illustrates the futility of trying the same thing over…
Pastor Tracy continues her exploration of the social justice message in the Gospels with the familiar Parable of the Sheep and Goats. She connects this to a life-changing encounter she had with one of “The least of these” while working in a local soup kitchen. Her conclusion: “It is not our job to bring Christ…
Pastor Tracy explores the most pervasive theme in the Hebrew Bible: people as refugees, uprooted and forced to create a home amid people of different ethnic, political and religious backgrounds. She notes that our country’s history as an ongoing gathering of people from diverse backgrounds gives us a unique connection to this ancient story. Also,…
Pastor Tracy examines the familiar Parable of the Talents (Luke 19:11-27,) noting that it has been misinterpreted over the ages by the well-off as a rationale for not helping the poor. She shows that if you understand the historical context and the original language, it is actually the opposite — one of the most forceful…
Pastor Tracy examines the origins of Communion as a worship practice intended to create a single, genuine “community” that embraces all sectors of society. Her starting point is Paul’s angry letter to the church in Corinth, who just don’t seem to understand this essential idea.
For the first Sunday in Lent, Pastor Tracy examined the familiar story of the Devil offering Jesus three temptations. She showed how each of these related specifically to real-world aspects of oppression under the Romans and how Christ’s answers evoked the promise of the Messiah in the Hebrew Bible.