In John 11, the Gospel for this fifth Sunday in Lent, we hear how Jesus calls his friend Lazarus out of the tomb and restores him to life. When he came out of the tomb, Lazarus was bound in bandages. Jesus told the others to unbind Lazarus and set him free. Pastor Beth reminded us the…
The 9th Chapter of the Gospel of John, verses 1-41, is long and tells the story of Jesus using mud in the healing of a man who had been born blind. The congregation joined with Pastor Beth in reading it out loud. Today we are brought back to ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Lent…
At Jacob’s well, things happened. Jesus asked the Samaritan woman to give him a drink. He told her that those drinking this water will be thirsty again. But, “those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty”. The Samaritan woman went into the city and told of meeting a…
On this second Sunday in Lent, the Gospel is taken from the third chapter of John. Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the night and asks a difficult question about being born again. Nicodemus asks if someone can be old then born again from the mother’s womb. Jesus explains to him that being born again requires…
Matthew’s Gospel tells the story of Jesus going into the desert where he fasted for forty days and nights. The devil appeared to him and tempted Jesus a number of times but Jesus rebuffed him every time. Pastor Eric told us that Baptism is for us again and again. Jesus experienced temptation the same as…
Today’s Gospel is the 17th chapter of Matthew in which Jesus takes three Disciples, Peter, James and John, up on a mountain and there Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with Jesus. When the voice of God came from the heavens, the Disciples became afraid but Jesus calmed them with his own words. Pastor Eric…
On the 7th Sunday after Epiphany, the Gospel of Matthew (5:38-48) gives us the familiar lesson from Jesus: “You have heard it said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” But how do we do that in the face of…
Love and Logic Parenting. A way of empowering and guiding children to make good choices. They learn the consequences of those choices that they make. Moses was using Love and Logic when he was talking to his people explaining the joys and struggles of being God’s people. The Ten Commandments were given to guide their…
“You are the salt of the earth.” This is the pronouncement Jesus gave in the Gospel of Matthew (5:13), for the 5th Sunday after Epiphany. In his sermon based on this Gospel, Pastor Eric said that when salt is added to food, it disappears and creates a flavorful, savory taste. It gives depth to the recipe and draws out…
In Sunday’s Gospel, Matthew 5: 1-12, Jesus names those who are blessed in the “reign of God”. He pronounces blessings on the outcasts, the sinners, the unwelcome and the spiritually poor, and he made their broken world a new world. These Beatitudes created a new reality for the crowds who followed him. When our world seems…