Mary

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A Church Like Mary

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A Marian church knows she is the object of gratuitous love, and that God has the heart of a mother.

A Marian church does not know the answers before the questions are asked. Her path is not mapped out in advance. She knows doubt and worry, the night and loneliness. She takes part in the conversation but makes no claim to know everything. She accepts that she is searching.

A Marian church stands at the foot of the cross. She does not take refuge in a fortress, or in a chapel, or in cautious silence, when others are being crushed. She is vulnerable, in her deeds and her words. With humble courage she stands with the most insignificant.

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

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Pregnant Singing Women

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What a great story we have in today’s gospel on the last Sunday of Advent. We are close, SO close to Christmas, but we’re not quite there yet, just a bit more time, just a bit more waiting. Time for us to hear and wonder about two pregnant women, a young woman, Mary, and a much older woman, Elizabeth. Yes, today’s sermon is all about two pregnant, singing women.

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

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Active, Courageous, Present – The Faith of Mary

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There is a theological concept called the Missio Dei. It is a Latin term and means the mission of God. It is a theological idea that we, the church and members of the church, do not have a mission in this world. This goes against everything we learn about corporate culture that defines an organization’s mission. We have no mission in the world. God has a mission and we can choose to join it or not.

Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon for Mary Sunday by clicking “Read More.”

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At the Threshold

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We are at the threshold of a new year, at the beginning of something new. We also sense that we are at the threshold of a new world. It’s not just a new year, it’s a new era. And we are filled with trepidation.

The story of the epiphany is a threshold story. King Herod hears that the wise ones from the East have seen a new star rising, the star of the Messiah. Herod hears this and he is frightened, he is greatly disturbed, and all of Jerusalem with him. And we know from history, that when Herod was disturbed, he was dangerous. He killed all the innocents in an attempt to kill Jesus.

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

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The Importance of Sharing Our Faith

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For the past several weeks we have been hearing stories about Jesus as an adult, his baptism, the beginning of his ministry, and the calling of his disciples. But our Gospel today takes us back to Christmas. It takes us back to his infancy when he was just forty days old. In some traditions, today is the end of Christmas. They have been singing Christmas carols, and have kept their decorations up until today because, as you heard at the end of the Gospel reading, today is the day Mary and Joseph went to the temple and then returned to Nazareth. This whole time they have been in Bethlehem, and some traditions celebrate that. It is not our tradition here because we have put that all aside after the Epiphany and have focused instead on the early years of Jesus’s ministry. But today we go back to his infancy. It might help us, as we hear the story, to get back into the Christmas mindset when we hear how Jesus was taken to the temple by his parents and is presented. We hear all the interesting details about that: they did what was customary under the law and offered a sacrifice of two turtledoves or two pigeons. This is an interesting detail, because it means they didn’t have quite enough money to get the lamb, but could only afford the bird offering.

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Just a little reminder for today.
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