Let God Judge

An excellent list of how to fashion our lives after Jesus. Genuine love, hate for evil, mutual affection, honoring others, serving God with gusto, rejoicing in hope, finding patience amidst suffering, remembering to always pray and bring our lives to God, sharing and helping others, and welcoming the stranger. These are solid actions for us aspire to as we seek to live out God’s love today, but…but what about when people are stupid, or mean, or judgmental, hateful, or just plain wrong? Then what? 

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Generosity of Spirit

When Paul talks about gifts we realize quickly that these aren’t the ones from which great performances arise, rather they’re the ones that enrich our lives on a day-to-day basis. They’re the gifts that are too often taken for granted rather than as something important to the recipient of that gift as well as everyone around them.

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Nourishing the Five Thousand

God loves us and gives us gifts too numerous to name, more than we can ask for or imagine. It is our responsibility to receive the gifts and pass them on to others. God chose us to be God’s children, and we can live a life where we are ready to respond with generosity and a belief in abundance.

Listen to or read Deacon Nancy’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”

The Kingdom of God

Deacon Nancy told us there were more parables to come and here we are! Today’s parables are all about one thing, The Kingdom of Heaven. Would you be surprised to hear that The Kingdom of Heaven, also known as The Reign of God, is the thing that Jesus talks about more than anything else in the gospels? By some accounts up to 126 times! But what is it? And what do today’s parables have to say about it?

Listen to or read Ryan’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”

What If We're the Weeds?

My first summer in the northwest, back in 1973, the friends I was staying with heard that a strawberry farmer in the area was looking for field bosses for the harvest.  Since teachers were highly prized candidates for this role, they suggested I go see Mr. Tsigawa about a job, which I did.  After exchanging pleasantries Mr. Tsigawa asked if I’d ever been a field boss.  Oh, heavens no I replied. 

Read or listen to Sharon’s entire sermon by clicking “Read more.”

The Parable of the Hundredfold Harvest

For today I would like us to consider the Parable of the Hundredfold Harvest. 

“But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

In first Century Palestine sevenfold meant a good year for a farmer, and tenfold meant true abundance. The words of Jesus use thirtyfold which could feed a village for a year. Imagine when he says sixtyfold or a hundredfold.

If the parable ended with a sevenfold harvest from the good soil, then Dayenu, as our Jewish brothers and sisters would say. It would have been enough. Let me explain.

Listen to or read the rest of Deacon Nancy’s sermon by clicking “Read More.”

Come to Me

The last section of this gospel is truly lovely. “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Ahhh. Sweet, right? What are you carrying today? What’s weighing on you? Weighing you down? Holding you back? This human life can be SO hard. It’s exhausting at times. Our lives are complicated, they are tough, confusing, stressful, overwhelming. Jesus, the divine human invites us to bring our worries, anxieties, ALL of our burdens TO HIM.

Listen to or read Ryan’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”