Scripture: John 14:1-14 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. In God’s house are many rooms.” These were Jesus’ words to his disciples. They are also his words to us. “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.” I can’t tell you how many…

Scripture:  Psalm 23;  John 10:1-10 This is the 4th Sunday of Easter in the church lectionary, and the 4th Sunday is often referred to as “Shepherd Sunday.”  The image of the Good Shepherd is one of Christianity’s most cherished depictions of Jesus, and indeed, throughout the bible. Almost everyone grew up with the 23rd Psalm.…

Scripture:  Luke 24:13-35 Two people — Cleopas and an unnamed one were walking to Emmaus, a small village near Jerusalem. They had been in Jerusalem for the Passover, and were just returning home. They very well may have been present at Jesus’ crucifixion. These two men were talking with each other about the terrible events…

Scripture: John 20:19-31 In today’s gospel lesson, we find ourselves in the aftermath of Easter. There they were – the disciples huddled together in a house, behind locked doors, shuttered in fear when Jesus unexpectedly entered the room. He didn’t even knock. Sounds an awfully lot like today, with people shut in their houses, sheltering…

Scripture:  Acts 10: 39-43; Matthew 28:1-10 He is Risen. He is risen indeed! The message of Easter and resurrection is a time for excitement and celebration for Christians – yes, even UCC folks get excited and a little carried away. I love the story of the charismatic man who wandered into a UCC church in…

Scripture: Zechariah 9:9-10; Matthew 21:1-11  I read an article this past week by the writer Jill Duffield who, who poses the question: What if Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem happened now, when we are told to shelter in place, and groups of ten or more are banned? (1) The crowds that would have lined the…

March 29, 2020 Fifth Sunday in Lent Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-10,14; John 11:1-6, 17-19, 30-45 Today our lectionary visits Ezekiel, as he finds himself in a valley full of dry bones. And we find Lazarus who has been dead in a cave for four days. It doesn’t get much more dire than that. It reminds me…

Open My Eyes Psalm 130; John 9:1-17 March 22, 2020, 4th Sunday in Lent John is very intentional and systematic in the way he writes his gospel. There are often multiple levels of meaning, ranging from the simple to the complex. Chapters 2-12 in the book of John are often called The Book of Signs,…

This was the first of Pastor Jeffrey’s online sermons during the weeks our Sanctuary has been closed for the COVID-19 virus crisis. It was part of our first online “virtual service.”  In the weeks that followed, we added rough video of the sermon and then a complete video service recorded in the FCCSR sanctuary. Living…

As part of our celebration of Black History Month, Jeffrey introduced us to Prof. Howard Thurman, one of the architects of liberation theology and an important influence on Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr’s education and thinking. Thurman’s book Jesus and the Disinherited was widely read and quoted during the Montgomery bus boycott. Some historians credit…