Pastor Tracy examines the subtle ways people use language to separate “us” from “others” as part of the process of discrimination and oppression, from the ancient story of the Israelites in Egypt to the geo-politics of today.

Starting from the story of The burning bush, Pastor Tracy explores the timeless urge to avoid big challenges in hopes someone more worthy will step forward. Her message is that when God challenges us, He also promises to walk with us and, often in very unexpected ways, gives us what we need to succeed.

This was the sermon Pastor Tracy preached on her first Sunday as our new settled Pastor.  In it, she explores the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the life story of the abolitionist John Newton (writer of Amazing Grace) and finds that “Love your neighbor as yourself’ is a more challenging idea than we may think.

Rev. Tracy Barnowe preached this sermon as the candidate recommended by the Search Committee to be our next settled Pastor. In it, she examines supposedly unlikely heroes and finds that they are often in fact the person best-prepared to address the larger, unacknowledged problem of the day. Scripture: the “unlikely” choice of David as King (1 Samuel 15:34 –…