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…
(Scripture: Psalm 119:105-112 and Matthew 5:13-16 ) “Salt of the Earth.” “Light of the World.” Pastor Jeffrey asks us what these lovely, familiar metaphors really mean as a guide for living today. What, in practical terms, is a life filled with “salt” and “light?” The answer should be familiar to any parent or teacher coaching…
Scripture: Psalm 15, and Matthew 5: 1-12 (The Beatitudes) – Being “Blessed” is not just a synonym for happiness. It represents a deeper form of happiness based on positive change and a fuller understanding of life. That’s why this short set of precepts from the Sermon on the Mount retains the power to move us.…
Pastor Jeffrey and his wife recently survived an extended cross-country move that required a LOT of tough decisions about what to bring with them and what to leave behind. Scripture offers much advice on the subject, from the story of Lot’s wife in Genesis to Jesus recruiting his first band of followers. That advice is…