Two Faces of God

Scriptures: Various gospel verses Happy New Year!  This sermon has its origins in the New Year holiday, even though it probably won’t seem much like a sermon that has anything much to do with the New Year.  I don’t seem to be able to get through the beginning of a New Year without giving at … Read more

Voices

Scripture: Amos 5:14-24 I’ve been hearing voices. I realize that’s a statement that could be interpreted to mean that I need professional help or that I need to be medicated or some such thing, but before we go there, let me tell you about the voices I’ve been hearing. One of the voices I’ve been … Read more

Silence

Scripture: Psalm 46 I don’t know if I really have to explain to you where I get my sermon topics. I get the feeling that most of the time most of you are willing to pretty much go along with whatever I come up with. “Oh…he’s preaching on silence this morning. OK. Not sure why, … Read more

Who We Are

Scripture: Deuteronomy 26:1-11 I could have a lot to say today. The story of the Amistad is an important piece of UCC history and has a direct connection to Sojourners in several ways. There are lots of details in the story that could be elaborated on. There are lots of things about the story that … Read more

Politics, State, Curch, Faith, and Other Matters

Scripture: Mark 11:1-11: John 18:33-38 As the title of the sermon might suggest, I have several things on my mind this morning, and when I started writing I wasn’t sure what would make it into the sermon or how it would all fit together. I do have Palm Sunday on my mind of course. It’s … Read more

In the Shadows of Death

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10; Psalm 23 Back in those days long ago—I’m referring now not to the times of Jesus but to those times before the airwaves were pretty much filled up with the economic troubles of our country and the political troubles of the Obama campaign—back in those days long ago before Bear Stearns and … Read more

Clay Jars

Scripture: 2Corinthians 4:1-12 I have known for quite some time what I wanted to preach about this morning. In January, at our congregational meeting, we adopted a proposal regarding how we intended to live out the outreach and social justice commitments, which are important to us here at Sojourners. We agreed at that time to … Read more

Alien

Scripture: Luke 24:13-35 I have some comments today directly related to the scripture reading, which is a traditional one in the Sundays following Easter. You may have noticed that sometimes scripture is more in the background in my sermons, not always front and center, not always obviously what I am talking about. Most of the … Read more

Covenant

Scripture: 1Corinthians 12: 1, 4-13, 27-31 In a few minutes we will be coming forward to sign our names—each of us signing our name to one of the nine proposed social justice/outreach groups that are being proposed as a way to organize our efforts in this area. Every time I have said or written a … Read more

Mercy

Scripture: Micah 6:6-8 and others I decided that this morning would be a good time to say some words about mercy. I came to that thought because there is this scripture that has been in my head for as long as I have been a Christian, and before that actually since the minister in the … Read more