Sermons
The paths we take on our faith journey are as different and complex as each one of us. The path is smooth or rough at different places. The stumbling blocks for each of us are found here or there. The mountains, valleys, and oases are at different places along the way. If you stop and be still, or if you turn and look around, you can discover that God is with you, delighted to be on the path with you.
Read Nancy’s full sermon for Trinity Sunday by clicking “Read More.”
We live in highly anxious times. For those of us who read or watch or listen to the news, this week has been very difficult. Think about some of the anxious words we have read or heard recently. The planet is warming up, it is heating up, the ICP warns us again. Wildfires rage across the west. Oakridge prepares to evacuate; it is so close to us. Hospitals are buckling under Delta, ICUs are running out of beds. A man in Roseburg died this past week because there weren't enough beds in the ICU. Children's hospitals across the country are filling up. A devastating earthquake hit Haiti again. Afghanistan falls to the Taliban again, and refugees are desperately trying to flee the country. And all of these anxious words come after a year and a half of the pandemic which has worn us down and thinned our resilience. Resilience that might have already been frayed going into the pandemic in the first place.
To read or listen to Bingham’s entire sermon for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost click “Read More.”
Just as Jesus is gaining friends and followers, he is also gaining enemies, people who are not concerned about the danger of the crowd, but rather concerned about Jesus and the danger that he and his teaching pose. So they are going around saying things like, "We are not so sure about this Jesus guy and all the stuff that he is doing and saying. We are not really sure the spirit behind him is of God. Maybe it is a different kind of spirit--you know what I mean--an evil spirit." They are trying to sow the seeds of doubt in the people and to rile up the crowds against Jesus.
Click “Read More” to read or listen to Bingham’s entire sermon for the Second Sunday after Pentecost
“You know me. I love the Church Year. The Church Year has a shape to it, and when we allow that shape of the Church Year to shape our lives, it can draw us closer to God. It can draw us into holiness. There are so many beautiful things about the Church Year. Each season has a richness and meaning that can help form us. But the year is also beautiful in its larger overarching shape as we have been talking about the last few weeks.”
Click “Read More” to read or listen to Bingham’s entire sermon for Trinity Sunday.
As we talked about last week, Paul is writing this letter to a community that he misses immensely and desperately wants to see in person, but he can’t. So he is writing a letter using the technology of his day in order to communicate with them and to connect with them. It is not unlike what we are doing here, using the technology of our day, the video and internet, in order to connect with one another. As you read Paul’s letter you will see that it is quite clear that Paul is deeply affectioned to the people there in Thessalonica. Again, not unlike today. We are deeply affectioned to one another. I miss you immensely, I care for you deeply. This is what Paul was feeling.
Read Bingham’s entire sermon, or listen to the audio version, by clicking on “Read More.”
