Sermon Archives
next page »If At First You Don't Succeed ~ Acts 4: 32-37
The sermon begins just before the 33 minute mark.
According to Time Magazine these products were among the most successful technology failures of all time. read more »
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Can't Box God In ~ Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; Mark 2:23-3:6
When I was growing up in Arlington, Virginia back in the 60s you couldn’t get beer or wine at the grocery stores on Sunday due to “blue laws.” Mothers came home from church and the pot roast appeared. How come the Sabbath used to be sacrosanct except for the pastor and the cook of the Sunday meal? I’m just sayin.’ read more »
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Talitha Cum ~ Psalm 139: 7-12; Mark 5: 35-43
Shannon Headen’s sermon begins at 39:55
I couldn’t write a sermon for today. The more I tried, the more difficult it became. The weight of this, all of this- just got too heavy. I prayed. I cried. I re-read the scripture. I binged watched Jane the Virgin on Netflix. I wanted God to give me the perfect words to end this perfect story. read more »
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Are These Bones Going to Live? ~ Ezekiel 37:1-14
The Pentecost sermon begins at minute 24.
The foot bone’s connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone’s connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone’s connected to the back bone,
The back bone’s connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone’s connected to the head bone,
Oh, hear the word of the Lord!
I remember a cassette tape that we played in the car when our kids were little. But the vision of the dry bones that Ezekiel had was no children’s tale. It is a vision of complete and utter desolation. read more »
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Signposts on the Way to God ~ Psalm 139:1-18; 1 John 4: 7-19
Rev. Annich’s sermon begins at the 40 minute mark.
Happy Mother’s Day. Having said that with absolute sincerity, I must admit that Mother’s Day is always a complicated day for me as both pastor and preacher. I’ve sat with too many women who’ve lost their mothers or children, or been unable, for any number of reasons, to have children, to see it as a one size fits all Sunday. I know other women who have been emotionally wounded by mothers whose own legacies of abuse or dysfunction were all they could pass on to their daughters.
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Bide a Wee ~ John 15:7-17
John’s sermon, Bide a Wee, begins about 20 minutes into this recording.
Several times, when Deanne and I lived in Scotland, we were invited to “Bide a wee.” Stay a little longer – have a wee dram before returning to the city. It was an expression of warm friendship and hospitality. read more »
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Holy Conversation ~ Acts 8: 26-40
Pastor John’s sermon begins around the 21 minute mark.
I agree with St. Francis that we should “preach the gospel at all times, and use words only when we have to.” But what do you say when you have to? How do you talk about your faith to those who ask–your children, a workmate, a person from another faith, or a complete stranger. read more »
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Holding the Vision ~ Psalm 8; Colossians 1: 15-20
On this Earth Day Sunday, we celebrated with an opening Prelude by the Cherub Choir (min. 9), Rev. Annich’s sermon on the theology of science (min. 28:30), and Anne Wilson’s Love Your Neighbor offertory (min. 55:15).
Last Monday night Richard and I were channel surfing in search of a baseball game. My dear husband gets very sad at the end of October and counts the days until Pitchers and Catchers, and even more importantly till Opening Day, which is a day of holy obligation in our household, complete with hot dogs, team tee shirts, and the ritual playing of Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s On First.” read more »
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Leading Together ~ 1 Corinthians 12: 12-26; John 21: 15-17
Highlights from this Sunday’s worship audio recording include the Sine Nomine’s Zulu Choral Introit We Sing Praise, O God accompanied by Chris Vandal on percussion at around 4:30 and their jazz anthem Listen at around 11:30, John Dugard’s entertaining and encouraging words on leadership and serving as a Deacon at 14:15, and the Come Thou Font offertory by Jack Lentz and the Chancel Choir at minute 53. And of course, the sermon Leading Together by John Lentz at minute 29.
Remember Marilyn Gifford? Many of you who joined this church 15 years ago did so because Marilyn Gifford stood at the Fellowship Hall entrance every Sunday and said “Good morning!” to you. And now Dene Young “womans” that post. How would we eat if Morag took her gift and left? Or if Nancy, Chuck, Dick, and Elspeth didn’t count the collection money? read more »
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Facing Uncertainty ~ John 20: 19-31
Jean Reinhold’s sermon begins at the 28 minute mark.
Before I begin, I was speaking to the Pathways kids this morning, as a member of the Co-pastor Nominating Committee, to update them on our progress. I asked them to write some advice for our new Co-pastor, whoever she will be. As for preaching, they said: Don’t give wordy and seemingly endless sermons. Make them interesting, engage the audience. Make sad topics funny, no one wants to be too sad. Well, I can promise none of those, today, but I will do my best. read more »
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