Harvard-Epworth Church: Recent Episodes
Harvard-Epworth Church
Here you can listen to Harvard-Epworth's devotionals. Find our Sunday morning services at https://www.youtube.com/c/harvardepworthchurch/videos?view=2&flow=grid
Sermon by Rev Barb Lemmel and Rev Mitch Hay on January 21, 2024.
Gospel - Mark 1:14-20Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled; the Kin-dom of God has come near; let your lives be changed, trust in the good news.As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Hebrew Scripture - 1 Samuel 3:1-11, 19Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. The Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.”
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me."
Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if God calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Then the Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something inIsrael that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. . .”As Samuel grew up the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
Gospel - John 1:35-46The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’
The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’
They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city ofAndrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We havefound him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’
Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’
A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Hebrew Scripture - Genesis 1:1-5When God began the creatingof the heavens and the earthwhen earth was wild and waste (tohu wa vohu),darkness over the face of Ocean,rushing-spirit of God (ruach) hovering over the face of the waters—God said: Let there be Light! And there was light.God saw the light: that it was good.God separated the light from the darkness.God called the light: Day! and the darkness he called: Night!There was setting, there was dawning: one day.Gospel - John 1:1-5 & 14In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was present to God from the beginning. All things came into being through the Word, and without the Word not one thing came into being. What has come into being in Him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.And the Word became flesh and lived among us.
A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Gospel - Magnificat - Luke 1:46-55And Mary said, “My soul proclaims your greatness, O God, and myspirit rejoices in you, my Savior. For you have looked with favor upon your lowly servant, and from this day forward all generations will call me blessed.
For you, the Almighty, have done great things for me, and holy is your Name. Your mercy reaches from age to age for those who revere you. You have shown strength with your arm; you have scattered the proud in their conceit; you have deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places. You have filled the hungry with good things, while you have sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the aid of Israel your servant, mindful of yourmercy—the promise you made to our ancestors—to Sarah andAbraham and their descendants forever.”
A sermon by Adam McAllister.
Gospel Mark 1:1-8The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight,’” so John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Epistle - 2 Peter 3: 8-15 (NRSVUE)But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be destroyed with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and destroyed and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you arewaiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also, our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him.
A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Hebrew Scripture - Isaiah 64 selectionsOh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down!How the mountains would quake in your presence!As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the world tremble.For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you,who works for those who wait!You welcome those who gladly do mercy and justice,who follow your ways.Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
And yet, O Lord, you are our Parent.We are the clay, and you are the potter.We all are formed by your hand.
Gospel - Mark 13:24-37
But in those days, after that suffering,the sun will be darkened,and the moon will not give its light,and the stars will be falling from the sky,and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see The Promised One coming in clouds with greatpower and glory, sending out the angels, and gathering the chosen from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky.
From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know the Promised One is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Begotten One, but only Abba God. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like people going on a journey, when they leave home and put their workers in charge, each with a certain task, and those who watch the front gate ordered to stay on the alert.
A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Gospel - Matthew 25:31-46At the appointed time the Promised One will come in glory,escorted by all the angels of heaven,and will sit upon the throne of glory,with all the nations assembled below.Then the Promised One will separate them from one another,as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats.The sheep will be placed on the right hand, the goats on the left.
Then the Ruler will say to those on the right,‘Come, you blessed of my Abba God!Inherit the kin-dom prepared for youfrom the creation of the world!For I was hungry, and you fed me;I was thirsty, and you gave me drink.I was a stranger and you welcomed me;naked and you clothed me.I was ill, and you comforted me;in prison and you came to visit me. ’
Then these just will ask,‘When did we see you hungry and feed you,or see you thirsty and give you drink?When did we see you as a stranger and invite you inor clothe you in your nakedness?When did we see you ill or in prison and come to visit you? ’
The Ruler will answer them,‘Truly I tell you, every time you did thisfor the least of my siblings, you did it for me.’
“Then the Ruler will say to those on the left,‘Out of my sight, you accursed ones!Into the fire of the Age prepared for the Slanderer and the fallen angels!For I was hungry, and you gave me no food;I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink.I was a stranger and you gave me no welcome;naked and you gave me no clothing.I was ill and in prison and you did not come to visit me.’
Then they in turn will ask,‘When did we see you hungry or thirsty, or homeless or naked,or ill or in prison, and not take care of you? ’
The answer will come, ‘The truth is, as often as you neglected to dothis to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.’
And these will go into the chastening of the Ages,but the just will go off to the life of the Ages.”
A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Epistle - Ephesians 5:18b-21Be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritualsongs to one another, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to Abba God at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Gospel Mark 12:38-44As Jesus taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the crowd puttingmoney into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poorwidow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth apenny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you,this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Hebrew Scripture Joshua 24:1-3a; 14-15
Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, and called a summit of the elders, leaders, judges, and officials of Israel. Once they presented themselves before God, Joshua said to the whole assembly, “This is the word of YHWH, the God of Israel:
‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. But I took your ancestors Sarah and Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led them through the entire region of Canaan."
Joshua then said, “I now call upon you to revere and serve YHWH completely and sincerely. Cast off the gods that your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and worship YHWH alone. If you do not want to worship the Lord, then choose this day whom you will serve, even if it is the gods of your ancestors beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you live. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay.
Hebrew Scripture Joshua 3:1-4a; 3:14-4:7 NRSV
Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim with all the Israelites, and they came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing over. At the end of three days, the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place. Follow it, so that you may know the way you should go, for you have not passed this way before.”
When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of the people. Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest. So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing toward the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho. While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.
When the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Select twelve people, one from each tribe of Israel, and command them, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood, carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you camp tonight.’”
Then Joshua summoned the twelve whom he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe. Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on their shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, so that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever.”
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay.
Epistle1 Thessalonians 5:15-18
Make sure no one repays a wrong with a wrong.
Always seek what is good for each other—
and for all people.
Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
and give thanks for everything—
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Gospel Lesson Mark 12:28-34 The Inclusive Bible
One of the religious scholars who had listened to them debating and had observed how well Jesus had answered them, now came up and put a question to him: "Which is the foremost of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "This is the foremost: 'Hear, O Israel, God, our God, is one. You must love the Most High God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You must love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
The scholar said to Jesus, "Well spoken, Teacher! What you have said is true: The Most High is one and there is no other. To love God with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself — this is far more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice."
Jesus, seeing how wisely this scholar had spoken, said, "You are not far from the kin-dom of God." And after that no one dared to question Jesus any more.
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay.
Gospel Lesson Matthew 22:15-22 The Inclusive Bible
Then the Pharisees went off and began to plot how they might trap Jesus by his speech. They sent their disciples to Jesus, accompanied by sympathizers of Herod, who said, "Teacher, we know you're honest and teach God's way sincerely. You court no one's favor and don't act out of respect for important people. Give us your opinion, then, in this case. Is it lawful to pay tax to the Roman emperor, or not?"
Jesus recognized their bad faith and said to them, "Why are you trying to trick me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin which is used to pay the tax." When they handed Jesus a small Roman coin called a denarius, Jesus asked them, "Whose head is this, and whose inscription?"
"Caesar's," they replied.
At that Jesus said to them,"Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, but give to God what is God's."
When they heard this, they were astonished and went away.
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay.
Hebrew Scriptures Isaiah 25:6-10a, The Inclusive Bible
On this mountain,
YHWH Omnipotent will prepare for all peoples
a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines,
food rich and succulent, and fine, aged wines.
On this mountain God will remove
the mourning veil covering all peoples,
the shroud covering all nations,
destroying all death forever.
God will wipe away
the tears from every cheek,
and will take away the shame
of God’s people on earth, wherever they live.
YHWH has spoken.
On that Day it will be said,
“This is our God,
this is the One for whose liberation we waited,
YHWH is the One in whom we had hoped!
We rejoice exultantly in our deliverance,
for the hand of YHWH rests on this mountain!”
Epistle Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.
Do not worry about anything,
but in everything
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, beloved,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,
whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable,
if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing the things
that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me,
and the God of peace will be with you.
A sermon by Rev. Mitch Hay
Hebrew Scriptures Exodus 20:1-17
Then God spoke all these words,
“I am YHWH your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, YHWH your God, am a passionate God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not make wrongful use of the name of YHWH your God, for YHWH will not acquit anyone who misuses the divine name.
“Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to YHWH your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days YHWH made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore YHWH blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.
“Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
“You shall not murder.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female slave, ox, donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay.
Hebrew Scriptures Exodus 16 selections
The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of YHWH in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Then YHWH said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day . . .
So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was YHWH who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of YHWH, because God has heard your complaining against God. For what are we, that you complain against us?”
YHWH spoke to Moses and said, “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am YHWH your God.'"
In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground.
When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “Man-hu?” (“What is it?”) For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that YHWH has given you to eat.”
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay.
Hebrew Scriptures Exodus 14:5-7, 10-11, 19-25; 15:19-21
When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the minds of Pharaoh and his officials were changed toward the people, and they said, “What have we done, letting Israel leave our service?” So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him; he took six hundred elite chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them.
As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt?
The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. YHWH drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. At the morning watch, YHWH, in the pillar of fire and cloud, looked down on the Egyptian army and threw the Egyptian army into a panic. God clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for YHWH is fighting for them against Egypt.”
When the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his chariot drivers went into the sea, YHWH brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.
Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron's [and Moses’] sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. And Miriam sang to them: “Sing to YHWH, for God has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider God has thrown into the sea.”
A sermon by Rev. Mitch Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Hebrew Scriptures Exodus 12:1–4, 7, 11–14
(Note: The Exodus passage tells the story of the preparations for the original Passover, as the enslaved Hebrew people made ready to leave their oppression behind. What do you hear in these words? What piques your interest? What makes you cringe?)
YHWH said to Aaron and Moses in the land of Egypt,“This month will be the first of all months to you. You will count it as the first month of the year. Say this to the whole community of Israel: On the tenth day of this month, every family in Israel will take an animal from the flock, one for each household. If your household is too small for a whole animal, join with your next door neighbor, and divide the animal as the number of persons requires.
"Some of the blood must then be taken and applied to the two doorposts and the lintel of every house where the animal is eaten.
"This is how you are to eat it: with your belt buckled, your sandals on your feet, and a staff in your hand; you will eat it in haste. It is the Passover of YHWH. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night and strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both humans and animals. I will execute this judgment on all the gods of Egypt: I am YHWH. The blood will mark the houses where you live. When I see the blood I will pass over you, and no harm will come to you when I strike the land of Egypt. This day will be for you a memorial day, and you must celebrate it as a feast to YHWH. All generations are to observe it forever as a feast day."
Epistle Romans 13:8-14
Pay your debts as they come due. However, one debt you can never finish paying is the debt of love that you owe each other. The one who loves another person has fulfilled Moses’ Teachings. The commandments, “Never commit adultery; never murder; never steal; never have wrong desires,” and every other commandment are summed up in this statement: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Love never does anything that is harmful to a neighbor. Therefore, love fulfills Moses’ Teachings.
You know the times in which we are living. It’s time for you to wake up. Our salvation is nearer now than when we first became believers. The night is almost over, and the day is near. So we should get rid of the things that belong to the dark and take up the weapons that belong to the light. We should live decently, as people who live in the light of day. Wild parties, drunkenness, sexual immorality, promiscuity, rivalry, and jealousy cannot be part of our lives. Instead, live like the Lord Jesus Christ did, and forget about satisfying the desires of our corrupt nature.
A sermon by Rev. Mitch Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Hebrew Scriptures Exodus 3:1-15
Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock deep into the wilderness, Moses came to Horeb, the mountain of God. The messenger of YHWH appeared to Moses in a blazing fire from the midst of a thorn bush. Moses saw— "The bush is ablaze with fire, and yet it isn’t consumed!” Moses said, “Let me turn aside and look at this remarkable sight—and see why the bush doesn’t burn up!”
When YHWH saw Moses coming to look more closely, God called out to him from the midst of the bush: “Moses, Moses!” Moses answered, “I am here.” God said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from our feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground! I am the God of your ancestors,” the voice continued, “the God of Sarah and Abraham, the God of Rebecca and Isaac, and the God of Leah and Rachel and Jacob!” Moses hid his face, afraid to look at the Holy One.
Then YHWH said, “I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt; I have heard their cries under those who oppress them; I have felt their sufferings. Now I have come down to rescue them from the hand of Egypt, out of their place of suffering and bring them to a place that is wide and fertile, a land flowing with milk and honey—the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and Jebusites. The cry of the children of Israel has reached me, and I have watched how the Egyptians are oppressing them. Now go! I will send you to Pharaoh, to bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?” God answered, “I will be with you, and this is the sign by which you will know that it is I who have sent you: after you bring my people out of Egypt, you will all worship at this vast mountain.”
“But,” Moses said, “when I go to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ if they ask me, ‘What is this god’s name?’ What am I to tell them?” God replied, “I am as I am. This is what you will tell the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God spoke further to Moses: “Tell the people of Israel, ‘YHWH, the I AM, the God of your ancestors, the God of Sarah and Abraham, the God of Rebecca and Isaac, and the God of Leah and Rachel and Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever; this is the name you are to remember for all generations.”
A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Hebrew Scriptures Exodus 1:8-21
Now a new Pharaoh arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.”
Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Ra'amses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians subjected the Israelites to hard servitude and made their lives bitter with hard servitude in mortar and bricks and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.
The king of Egypt said to the midwives to the Hebrews, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.”
But the midwives were God-fearing women; they disobeyed the king of Egypt's commands, but let the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this and allowed the boys to live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “These Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”
So God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong. And because the midwives were God-fearers, God gave them families of their own.
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Gospel Lesson Matthew 15:21-28
Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.”
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that moment.
A sermon by Rev. Grace Killian.
New Testament Lesson Acts 16:11-15
We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.
A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay.
Epistle Romans 8:26-39
The Spirit, too, comes to help us in our weakness. For we don’t know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit expresses our plea with groaning too deep for words. And God, who knows everything in our hearts, knows perfectly well what the Spirit is saying, because her intercessions for God’s holy people are made according to the mind of God.
We know that God makes everything work together for the good of those who love God and have been called according to God’s purpose. They are the ones God chose long ago, predestined to share the image of the Only Begotten, in order that Christ might be the firstborn of many. Those God predestined have likewise been called; those God called have also been justified; and those God justified have, in turn, been glorified.
What should be our response? Simply this: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Since God did not spare the Only Begotten but gave Christ up for the sake of us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that God will freely give us everything. Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones? Since God is the One who justifies, who has the power to condemn? Only Christ Jesus, who died—or rather, was raised—and sits at the right hand of God, and who now intercedes for us!
What will separate us from the love of Christ? Trouble? Calamity? Persecution? Hunger? Nakedness? Danger? Violence? As scripture says, "For your sake we're being killed all day long; we're looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered."
Yet in all this we are more than conquerors because of God who has loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, neither heights nor depths—nor anything else in all creation—will be able to separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus, our Savior.
Gospel Matthew 13:31-33
Jesus put before them another parable: “The kin-dom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
Jesus told them another parable: “The kin-dom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay.
Epistle Romans 8:14-25
Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. For the Spirit that God has given you does not enslave you and trap you in fear; instead, through the Spirit God has adopted you as children, and by that Spirit we cry out, “Abba!” God’s Spirit joins with our spirit to declare that we are God’s children. And if we are children, we are heirs as well; heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, sharing in Christ’s suffering; and sharing in Christ’s glory.
Indeed, I consider the sufferings of the present to be nothing compared with the glory that will be revealed in us. All creation eagerly awaits the revelation of the children of God. Creation was subjected to transience and futility, not of its own accord, but because of the One who subjected it—in the hope that creation itself would be freed from its slavery to corruption and would come to share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that from the beginning until now, all of creation has been groaning in one great act of giving birth. And not only creation, but all of us who possess the first fruits of the Spirit—we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free.
In hope we were saved. But hope is not hope if its object is seen; why does one hope for what one sees? And hoping for what we cannot see means awaiting it with patient endurance.
Gospel Matthew 13:24-30
Jesus presented another parable to those gathered: “The kin-dom of heaven is like a farmer who sowed good seed in a field. While everyone was asleep, an enemy came and sowed darnel-weed among the wheat and then made off. When the crop began to mature and yield grain, the darnel-weed became evident as well.
“The farmer’s workers came and asked, ‘Did you not sow good seed in your field? Where is the darnel-weed coming from?’
“The farmer replied, ‘I see an enemy’s hand in this.’
“They in turn asked, ‘Do you want us to go out and pull them up?”
“‘No,’ replied the farmer, ‘if you pull up the darnel-weed, you might take the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until the harvest, then at harvest time I will order the harvesters first to collect the darnel-weed and bundle them up to burn, then to gather the wheat into my barn.’”
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay.
Gospel Matthew 13:1-9, 19-23, Barnstone translation
On that day Yeshua went out of the house and sat by the sea. And a great multitude gathered before him, so that he got into a boat and sat there, and all the crowd stood on the shore. And he told them many things in parables. He said:
Look, a sower went out to sow
and as the seed was scattered,
some of the grain fell on the path
and some birds came and ate it.
Other seed fell on stony ground
where there was not much soil
and the grain sprang up quickly,
for the soil had no depth.
But when the sun came up
the seedlings were parched
and, having no roots, withered.
Some fell among the thorns
and the thorns grew and choked them.
But some fell on good earth and bore fruit.
A hundredfold and sixty and thirty.
Whoever has ears to hear, hear . . .
Now listen to the parable of the sower.
When someone hears the word of the kingdom
and does not understand it,
the evil one comes and seizes what was sown in the heart.
That is what was scattered on the path.
The one who received seed dropped into the stony ground is the one
who hears the word and at once accepts it with joy.
But since that one has no internal roots,
all is brief and transitory,
and when affliction or persecution comes because of the word,
that one weakens and falls away.
Now the seed dropped among the thorns is the one
who hears the word, but the worries of the age
and the lure of riches choke the word, and it gives no fruit.
But the seed sown in the good earth is the one
who hears the word and understands
and who bears fruit a hundredfold and sixty and thirty.
A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Gospel Matthew 10:24-39
"A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!
"So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops!
“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from Abba God. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
"Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before Abba in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before Abba in heaven.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a son against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
["Don't think I've come to make life cozy. I've come to cut—make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law—cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God.” -The Message paraphrase]
Whoever loves parents more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves children more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
A sermon by Rev. Mitch Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Epistle Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Gospel Matthew 9:35-38
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kin-dom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay.
Hebrew Scripture Genesis 1:26
Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have radah [caretaking authority] over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
Gospel Matthew 9:9-17
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax-collection station, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.
And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “The wedding attendants cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are ruined, but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Hebrew Scripture Genesis 1:1-5
At the beginning of God’s creating
of the skies and the earth
when earth was wild and waste (tohu va bohu),
darkness over the face of Ocean,
rushing-spirit (ruach) of God (elohim)
hovering over the face of the waters--
God said: Let there be Light! And there was light.
God saw the light: that it was good.
God separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light: Day! and the darkness God called: Night!
There was setting, there was dawning: one day.
Epistle 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Finally, friends, farewell. Be restored; listen to my appeal; agree with one another; live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
Gospel Matthew 28:16-20
The Eleven made their way to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had summoned them. At the sight of the risen Christ they fell down in homage, though some doubted what they were seeing. Jesus came forward and addressed them in these words:
“All authority has been given me both in heaven and on earth; go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations. Baptize them in the name of Abba God, and of the Only Begotten, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you. And know that I am with you always, even unto the end of the age!”
A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
New Testament Lesson Acts 2:1-18
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they all met in one room. Suddenly they heard what sounded like a violent, rushing wind from heaven; the noise filled the entire house in which they were sitting. Something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each one. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as she enabled them.
Now there were devout people living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled. But they were bewildered to hear their native languages being spoken.
They were amazed and astonished: “Surely all of these people speaking are Galileans! How does it happen that each of us hears these words in our native tongue? We are Parthians, Medes and Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya around Cyrene, as well as visitors from Rome – all Jews, or converts to Judaism – Cretans and Arabs, too; we hear them preaching, each in our own language, about the marvels of God!”
All were amazed and disturbed. They asked each other, “What does this mean?” But others said mockingly, “They’ve drunk too much new wine.”
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed the crowd: “Women and men of Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem! Listen to what I have to say! These people are not drunk as you think – it’s only nine o’clock in the morning! No, it’s what Joel the prophet spoke of:
In the days to come – it is our God who speaks –
I will pour out my Spirit on all humankind.
Your daughters and sons will prophesy.
Your young people will see visions,
and your elders will dream dreams.
On all my people, both women and men,
I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy.
A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Hebrew Scripture Jeremiah 29, excerpts
These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon . . .
The letter read: "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and husbands for your daughters, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.
"But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare . . . For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope."
New Testament Lesson Acts 1:1-11
In my earlier account, Theophilus, I dealt with everything that Jesus had done and taught, from the beginning until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
After the Passion, Jesus appeared alive to the apostles — confirmed through many convincing words — over the course of forty days, and spoke to them about the reign of God.
On one occasion, Jesus told them not to leave Jerusalem. “Wait, rather, for what God has promised, of which you have heard me speak,” Jesus said. “John baptized with water, but within a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
While meeting together, they asked, “Has the time come, Rabbi? Are you going to restore sovereignty to Israel?” Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or dates that Abba God has decided. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down upon you; then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”
Having said this, Jesus was lifted up in a cloud before their eyes and taken from their sight. They were still gazing into the heavens when two messengers dressed in white stood beside them. “You Galileans — why are you standing here looking up at the skies?” they asked. “Jesus, who has been taken from you — this same Jesus will return, in the same way you watched him go into heaven.”
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay.
Epistle 1 Peter 3:13-18a
Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect. Maintain a good conscience so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God.
Gospel Lesson John 14:15-20, 25-27
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask Abba, and God will give you another Advocate
to be with you forever.
This is the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees nor knows her.
You know the Spirit, because she abides with you, and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.
On that day you will know that I am in Abba,
and you in me, and I in you. …
I have said these things to you while I am still with you.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom Abba will send in my name,
will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay.
Epistle 1 Peter 2:2-5, 10
Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Once you were no people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Gospel Lesson John 14:1-9, 11a
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God, trust also in me.
In Abba’s house there are many dwelling places.
If it were not so, would I have told you
that I go to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again and will take you to myself,
so that where I am, there you may be also.
And you know the way to the place where I am going.
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him,
I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to Abba except through me.
If you know me, you will know Abba also.
From now on you do know God and have seen God.
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us God, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him,
Have I been with you all this time, Philip,
and you still do not know me?
Whoever has seen me has seen Abba.
Trust that I am in Abba and Abba is in me.
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay.
Acts Lesson Acts 2:42-47
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.
All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.
And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Gospel Lesson John 10:1-10
“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay.
Gospel Lesson Luke 24:13-35
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.
Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.”
Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.
They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking ofthe bread.
A sermon by Rev Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay
Gospel Lesson Matthew 21:1-11
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:
Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds weresaying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay.
Gospel Lesson John 11: 1–3, 5–6, 17–41a, 43b–44
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarusof Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one whoanointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brotherLazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” .. . Though Jesus loved Martha and hersister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two dayslonger in the place where he was. …
When Jesus arrived, he found thatLazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem,some two miles away, and many friendshad come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Marthaheard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home.
Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, mybrother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give youwhatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again inthe resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and thelife. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyonewho lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said tohim, “Yes,Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming intothe world.”
When she had said this, she went backand called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is callingfor you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesushad not yet come to the village but was still at the place where Martha had methim. The neighbors who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary getup quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she wasgoing to the tomb to weep there.
When Mary came where Jesus was and sawhim, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, mybrother would not have died.”
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the neighbors who came with her alsoweeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” Theysaid to him, “Lord,come and see.”
Jesus began to weep. So the neighbors said, “See how he loved him!” But some ofthem said, “Couldnot he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed,came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, thesister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stenchbecause he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if youbelieved, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. …
[Jesus] cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead mancame out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrappedin a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
A sermon by Rev. Mitch Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Gospel Lesson John 4, selected verses
So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.
A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’. (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’
The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’
Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’ …
The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am he, the one who is speaking to you.’
Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you want?’ or, ‘Why are you speaking with her?’ Then the woman left her water-jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’ They left the city and were on their way to him. …
Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there for two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.’
A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Gospel Lesson Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel.
Gospel Lesson Matthew 6:24-34
“No one can serve two masters, for a servant will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Abba feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will God not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and indeed your heavenly Abba knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kin-dom of God and God's righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Gospel Lesson Matthew 17:1-9
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white.
Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
Choir This Is My Beloved Son Knut Nystedt
He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them,
and a voice from the cloud said: "This is my beloved Son, with whom
I am well pleased; hear ye him.
When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay.
Gospel Lesson Matthew 5:38-48, New Jerusalem Bible
“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you: don’t use violence to resist evil! Instead, when someone hits you on the right cheek, turn the other one toward him. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.
“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of Abba in heaven; for God makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.
“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
“You must therefore set no bounds to your love, just as your heavenly Abba sets none.”
A sermon by Rev. Mitch Hay and Rev. Barb Lemmel
Gospel Lesson Matthew 5:21-24, 27-37
As you know, our ancestors were told, ‘You must not kill’, and ‘Whoever kills will be subject to judgment’. But I tell you: Those who are angry with a companion will be brought before a tribunal. And those who say to the companion, ‘You moron,’ will be subject to the sentence of the court. And whoever says, ‘You idiot,’ deserves the fires of Gehenna.
So, even if you happen to be offering your gift at the altar and recall that your friend has some claim against you, leave your gift there at the altar. First go and be reconciled with your friend, and only then return and offer your gift…
As you know, we once were told, ‘You are not to commit adultery.’ But I tell you: Those who leer at a woman and objectify her have already committed adultery with her in their hearts.
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into Gehenna.
We were once told, ‘Whoever divorces his wife should give her a bill of divorce.’ But I tell you: Everyone who divorces his wife (except in the case of infidelity) makes her the victim of adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Again, as you know, our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break an oath,’ and ‘Oaths sworn in the name of God must be kept.’ But I tell you: Don’t swear at all. Don’t invoke heaven, because it is God’s footstool, and don’t invoke Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great king. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the Evil One.”
A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel
Hebrew Scripture Isaiah 58:6-10
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday.
Gospel Lesson Matthew 5:13-16
“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Abba in heaven.
A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel
Gospel Lesson Matthew 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain;
and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.
Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you
and utter all kinds of evil against you
falsely on my account;
rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.”
A sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel
Gospel Lesson John 1:35-46
The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’
He said to them, ‘Come and see.’
They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.
One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’
Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’
A sermon by Rev. We Chang
Gospel Lesson Matthew 3:13-17
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. John tried to dissuade Jesus, saying, I should be baptized by you, and yet you come to me!”
But Jesus replied, “Leave it this way for now. We must do this to completely fulfill God’s justice. So John reluctantly agreed.
Immediately after Jesus had been baptized and was coming up out of the water, the sky suddenly opened up and Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and hovering over him. With that, a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Own, my Beloved, on whom my favor rests.”
Hebrew Scripture Lamentations 3:19-24
(TIB translators' note: "The Hebrew name of this book, 'ekah, is an expletive, a cry of anguish . . . A contemporary English equivalent might be to call the book 'Aaugh!' The first four chapters are acrostic poems: the first word of each stanza begins with a subsequent letter of the Hebrew Alphabet.")
Zayin
I remember my woes and wanderings—
The wormwood and the gall.
Those memories are so clear to me,
And they fill me with despair.
Yet it is because I remember all this
that I have hope.
Heth
YHWH’s favor is not exhausted,
Nor has God’s compassion failed.
They rise up anew each morning,
So great is God’s faithfulness.
“YHWH is all I have,” I cry.
“So I will wait in patience.”
A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson John 1
In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God. From the very beginning the Word was with God. And with this Word, God created all things. Nothing was made without the Word.
Everything that was created received its life from the Word, and its life gave light to everyone. The light keeps shining in the dark, and darkness has never put it out. The true light that shines on everyone was coming into the world. The Word was in the world, but no one knew him, though God had made the world with the Word. He came into his own world, but the nations did not welcome him. Yet some people accepted him and put their faith in him. So he gavethem the right to bethe children of God.
They were not God's children by nature or because of any human desires. God’s own self made them children of God.
The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of Abba God. From him all the kindness and all the truth of God have come down to us.
A sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay.
Gospel Lesson Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth to a young woman named Mary; she was engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. Upon arriving, the angel said to Mary, “Rejoice, highly favored one! God is with you! Blessed are you among women!”
Mary was deeply troubled by these words and wondered what the angel’s greeting meant. The angel went on to say to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God. You’ll conceive and bear a son, and give him the name Jesus—‘Deliverance.’ His dignity will be great, and he will be called the Only Begotten of God. God will give Jesus the judgment seat of David, his ancestor, to rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his reign will never end.”
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have never been with a man?”
The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you–hence the child to be born will be called the Holy One of God. Know too that Elizabeth, your kinswoman, has conceived a child in her old age; she who was thought to be barren is now in her sixth month. Nothing is impossible with God.”
Mary said, “I am the servant of God. Let it be done to me as you say.”
With that, the angel left her.
Gospel Lesson Luke 1:46-55
Mary said:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
who has looked with favor on me, a lowly servant girl.
From this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me:
holy the name of the Lord,
whose mercy is on the God-fearing
from generation to generation.
The arm of the Lord is filled with strength,
scattering the proudhearted.
God cast the mighty from their thrones,
lifting up the lowly.
God filled the hungry with good things,
sending the rich away empty.
God has come to the help of Israel,
the Lord's servant, remembering mercy,
the mercy promised to our ancestors
to Sarah and Abraham and their descendants forever.
A sermon by Rev. Mitch Hay
Hebrew Scripture Isaiah 11:1-2
Then a shoot will sprout from the stump of Jesse; from Jesse’s roots, a branch will blossom: The spirit of God will rest on you—
a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and strength, a spirit of knowledge and reverence for God.
Gospel Lesson Matthew 3:1-8
At this time John the Baptizer appeared in the desert of Judea, proclaiming, “Change your hearts and minds, for the reign of heaven is about to break in upon you!”
It was John that the prophet Isaiah described when he said, “A herald’s voice cries in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of our God, make straight the paths of God!’”
John was clothed in a garment of camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist. Grasshoppers and wild honey were his food. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him.
When he saw that many of the Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to be baptized, John said to them, “You pack of snakes! Who told you to flee from the coming wrath? Give some evidence that you mean to reform!
Gospel Lesson Matthew 11:2-6
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you The One who is to come, or do we wait for another?”
Jesus answered them, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:
those who are blind recover their sight;
those who cannot walk are able to walk;
those with leprosy are cured;
those who are deaf hear;
the dead are raised to life;
and the anawim-- the 'have-nots'--
have the Good News preached to them;
blessed is the one who finds no stumbling block in me."
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel
Hebrew Scripture Isaiah 2:1-5
The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation;
neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the Lord!
Epistle Romans 13:11-14
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is already the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone; the day is near. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us walk decently as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in illicit sex and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
A sermon by Katelyn Robbins.
Hebrew Scripture Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of the city, it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
The nations are in an uproar; the kingdoms totter;
God utters God’s voice; the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations God has brought on the earth.
God makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
God breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
God burns the shields with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations; I am exalted in the earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Epistle Colossians 1: 11-20, adapted
May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from Christ’s glorious power, so that you may have all endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to God, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. God has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of God’s beloved Child, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in Christ all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through and for Christ. Christ is before all things, and in Christ all things hold together. Christ is the head of the body, the church, and is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that Christ might come to have first place in everything. For in Christ all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Christ, God was pleased to reconcile to Godself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of the cross.
A sermon by Grace Killian
Gospel Lesson Luke 6:20-31 (NRSV)
Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.
“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
A sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson Luke 18:1-8 (TIV)
Jesus told the disciples a parable on the necessity of praying always and not losing heart:
“Once there was a judge in a certain city who feared no one—not even God. A woman in that city who had been widowed kept coming to the judge and saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’
For a time the judge refused, but finally the judge thought, ‘I care little for God or people, but this woman won’t leave me alone. I’d better give her the protection she seeks, or she’ll keep coming and wear me out!’”
Jesus said, “Listen to what this corrupt judge is saying. Won’t God then do justice to the chosen who call out day and night? Will God delay long over them? I tell you, God will give them swift justice.
“But when the Promised One comes, will faith be found anywhere on earth?”
A sermon by Katelyn Robbins, Ministerial Intern at Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church.
Hebrew Scripture Jeremiah 31:31-34
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord.
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts;
and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
No longer shall they teach one another,
or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’,
for they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord;
for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
Gospel Lesson Luke 18:9-14
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
A sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
HEBREW SCRIPTURE Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 NRSV
These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon . . .
It said: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.
But seek the shalom of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
GOSPEL LESSON Luke 17:11-19 NRSV
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan.
Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
A sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay
Gospel Lesson Luke 16:19-31
Now there was a certain rich man, and he used to don a purple robe and fine linen and make merry every day in splendid fashion. And a certain destitute man by the name of Lazarus had been laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to have his hunger sated with the things falling from the rich man’s table; and instead, the dogs came and licked at his sores.
And it happened that the poor man died and was carried off by the angels into the Vale of Abraham; but the rich man also died and was entombed. And lifting up his eyes in Hades, being in torment, he sees Abraham far off and Lazarus in his vales. And calling out he said, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he might dip the tip of his finger in water and might cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame.”
But Abraham said, “Child, remember that you received your good things during your life, and Lazarus in the same way the bad things; and now he is comforted here and you are in torment. And, besides all that, a great chasm has been firmly fixed between us and you, so that those wishing to pass to you from here cannot, nor may anyone cross over from there to here.”
And he said, “Then I ask you, father, that you might send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers; thus he might bear witness to them, so they might not also come to this place of torment.”
But Abraham said, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.”
But he said, “No, father Abraham, but if someone should go to them from the dead, they will change their hearts.”
But he said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded even if someone should arise from the dead.”
A Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson Luke 16:1-13
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management because you cannot be my manager any longer.’
Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’
So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’
And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly, for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone they may welcome you into the eternal homes.
“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If, then, you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
A Sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay
Hebrew Scripture Jeremiah 18:1-6
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.
Then the word of the Lord came to me: Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
Epistle Lesson Hebrews 13:1-3, 15-16
Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies . . .
Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
A Sermon by Rev. Mitch Hay
GOSPEL LESSON Luke 13:10-17
One Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues. There was a woman there who for eighteen years had a sickness caused by a spirit. She was bent double, quite incapable of standing up straight.
When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are free of your infirmity.” He laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight and began thanking God.
The head of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the congregation, “There are six days for working. Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.”
Jesus said in reply, “You hypocrites!
Which of you doesn’t let your ox or your donkey out of the stall on the Sabbath to water it? This daughter of Sarah and Abraham has been in the bondage of Satan for eighteen years. Shouldn’t she have been released from her shackles on the Sabbath?”
At these words, Jesus’ opponents were humiliated; meanwhile, everyone else rejoiced at the marvels Jesus was accomplishing.
A Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Epistle Colossians 1:15-20
Christ is the image of the unseen God,
and the firstborn of all creation;
for in Christ were created
all things in heaven and on earth:
everything visible and invisible,
Thrones, Dominions, Sovereignties, Powers—
all things were created through Christ and for Christ.
Before anything was created, Christ existed,
and all things hold together in Christ.
The church is the body;
Christ is its head.
Christ is the Beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
and so Christ is first in every way.
God wanted all perfection to be found in Christ,
and all things to be reconciled to God through Christ—
everything in heaven and everything on earth—
when Christ made peace
by dying on the cross.
Gospel Lesson Luke 10:38-42
Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying.
But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.”
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
A sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Hebrew Scripture Lesson Amos 7:7-8
This is what God showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in hand. And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,
“See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people . . .
Gospel Lesson Luke 10:25-37
An expert on the law stood up to put Jesus to the test and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit everlasting life?”
Jesus answered, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”
The expert on the Law replied: “You must love the Most High God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus said, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you’ll live.”
But the expert on the law, seeking self-justification, pressed Jesus further: “And just who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied, “There was a traveler going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, who fell prey to robbers. The traveler was beaten, stripped naked, and left half-dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road; the priest saw the traveler lying beside the road, but passed by on the other side. Likewise there was a Levite who came the same way; this one, too, saw the afflicted traveler and passed by on the other side.
But a Samaritan, who was taking the same road, also came upon the traveler and, filled with compassion, approached the traveler and dressed the wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then the Samaritan put the wounded person on a donkey, went straight to an inn and there took care of the injured one. The next day the Samaritan took out two silver pieces and gave them to the innkeeper with the request, ‘Look after this person, and if there is any further expense, I’ll repay you on the way back.’
Which one of these three, in your opinion, was the neighbor to the traveler who fell in with the robbers?”
The answer came, “The one who showed compassion.”
Jesus replied, “Then go and do the same.”
Gospel Lesson Luke 9:51-62
As the time approached when he was to be taken from this world, Jesus firmly resolved to proceed toward Jerusalem, and sent messengers on ahead. These entered a Samaritan town to make preparations, but the Samaritans would not welcome Jesus because his destination was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Would you not have us call down fire from heaven to destroy them?” Jesus turned toward them only to reprimand them. Then they set off for another town.
As they were making their way along, someone said to Jesus, “I will be your follower wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “The foxes have lairs, the birds of the sky have nests, but the Chosen One has nowhere to rest.” To another Jesus said, “Come after me.” This one replied, ”Let me bury my father first.” Jesus said in return, ”Let the dead bury their dead; come away and proclaim the reign of God.” Yet another approached Jesus in this way, “I will be your follower, but first let me take leave of my people at home.” Jesus answered, “Whoever puts a hand to the plow but keeps looking back is unfit for the reign of God.”
A sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Hebrew Scripture Lesson Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Does not wisdom call,
and does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights, beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
“To you, O people, I call,
and my cry is to all that live.
The Lord created me at the beginning of God’s work,
the first of God’s acts of long ago.
Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth—
when he had not yet made earth and fields,
or the world’s first bits of soil.
When God established the heavens, I was there,
when God drew a circle on the face of the deep,
when God made firm the skies above,
when God established the fountains of the deep,
when God assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when God marked out the foundations of the earth,
then I was beside the Lord, like a master worker;
and I was daily God’s delight,
rejoicing before the Lord always,
rejoicing in God’s inhabited world
and delighting in the human race.
Epistle Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we are vindicated by faithfulness, we have peace before God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Gospel Lesson John 16:12-15
I have much more to tell you, but you can’t bear to hear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, she will guide you into all truth. She won’t speak on her own initiative; rather, she’ll speak only what she hears, and she’ll announce to you things that are to come. In doing this, the Spirit will give glory to me, for she will take what is mine and reveal it to you. Everything that Abba God has belongs to me. That is why I said that the Spirit will take what is mine and reveal it to you.
A Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Hebrew Scripture Genesis 11:1-9
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and fire them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.”
The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. And the Lord said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”
So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth, and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
New Testament Lesson Acts 2:1-11.
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”
A sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson John 14:25-27
“I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom Abba will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."
New Testament Lesson Acts 16:9-15
During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days.
On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.
Gospel Lesson John 5:1-9
After this there was a Jewish festival, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.”
Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Epistle Lesson Revelation 21:1-6
Then I saw new heavens and a new earth. The former heavens and the former earth had passed away, and the sea existed no longer. I also saw a new Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down out of heaven from God, beautiful as a bride and groom on their wedding day.
And I heard a loud voice calling from the throne, “Look! God’s Tabernacle is among humankind! God will live with them; they will be God’s people, and God will be fully present among them. The Most High will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death, mourning, crying and pain will be no more, for the old order has fallen.
The One who sat on the throne said, "Look! I'm making everything new!" and added, "Write this, for what I am saying is trustworthy and true."
And that One continued, "It is finished. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To those who are thirsty I will give drink freely from the spring of the water of life."
Gospel Lesson John 13:31-33a; 34-35
Jesus said: “Now is the Chosen One glorified and God is glorified as well. If God has been glorified, God will in turn glorify the Chosen One and will do so very soon. My little children, I will not be with you much longer.
I give you a new commandment: Love one another. And you are to love each other the way I have loved you. This is how all will know that you are my disciples: that you truly love one another.”
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel
Gospel Lesson John 21:1-17 (NRSV)
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.
That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep."
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson John 20:19-31
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.'
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.'
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Epistle Lesson Colossians 3:1-4
So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from Christ's perspective.
Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. Christ is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. (The Message)
Gospel Lesson Luke 24:1-12
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body.
While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two beings in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but they said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”
Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.
But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
A Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay.
Gospel Lesson Luke 19:28 40
Having said this, Jesus went ahead with the ascent to Jerusalem. Approaching Bethphage and Bethany, near what is called the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of the disciples with these instructions: Go into the village ahead of you. Upon entering it, you’ll find a tethered colt that no one has yet ridden. Untie it and lead it back. If anyone should ask you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Rabbi needs it.’” They departed on their errand and found things just as Jesus had said. As they untied the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you doing that?” They explained that the Rabbi needed it. Then the disciples led the animal to Jesus and, laying their cloaks on it, helped him mount. People spread their cloaks on the roadway as Jesus rode along.
As they reached the descent from the Mount of Olives, the entire crowd of disciples joined them and began to rejoice and praise God loudly for the display of power they had seen, saying, “Bless ed is the One who comes in the name of our God! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” Jesus replied, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the very stones would cry out!”
A sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel.
Hebrew Scripture Isaiah 43:16-21
Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters,
who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.
Gospel Lesson Luke 15:11-32
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”
A sermon by Rev. Mitch Hay
Epistle 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.
So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Gospel Lesson Luke 15:11-32
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”
A sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel
Hebrew Scripture Isaiah 55:1-9
Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for God has glorified you.
Seek the Lord while God may be found,
call upon God while God is near;
let the wicked forsake their way,
and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord, that God may have mercy on them,
and to our God, for God will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Gospel Lesson Luke 13:6-9
Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson Luke 13:31-35
At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
Sermon by Rev. Mitch Hay and Rev. Barb Lemmel
Scripture Readings
Torah Lesson Exodus 34:29-31
Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them.
Gospel Lesson Luke 9:28-36
Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.
Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.
Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” —not knowing what he said.
Choir This Is My Beloved Son Knut Nystedt
He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them,
and a voice from the cloud said: "This is my beloved Son, with whom
I am well pleased; hear ye him."
When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson Luke 6:27-38
But I say to you who listen:
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
And praise those who curse you.
Praise those who curse you.
Pray for those who abuse you.
When one slaps you on the cheek,
Offer the other cheek as well.
From one who takes your coat,
Do not withhold your shirt.
To all who ask you,
Give what you have.
From one who takes what is yours,
Ask nothing back.
As you wish people to do for you,
Do for them.
If you love those who love you, what grace is yours?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
What grace is yours? Sinners do the same.
If you lend to those from whom you hope return,
what grace is yours?
Even sinners lend to sinners for a like return.
But love your enemies and do good,
And when you loan, ask nothing in return.
Your reward will be great.
You will be the children of the highest.
God is kind to the ungrateful as God is to the cunning.
Be compassionate as your father is compassionate.
Do not judge and you will not be judged.
Do not condemn and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and you will be given.
A good measure of wheat shaken, packed down
And overflowing will be placed in your lap,
Since the measure of what you give
Will be the measure of your return.
Sermon by Rev. Mitch Hay and Rev. Barb Lemmel
Hebrew Scripture Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’
Gospel Lesson Luke 5:1-11
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
Sermon by Rev. Mitch Hay and Rev. Barb Lemmel
Epistle Lesson 1 Corinthians 13
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
Gospel Lesson Luke 4:21-30
Then Jesus began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’”
And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Sermon by Rev. Mitch Hay and Rev. Barb Lemmel
Gospel Lesson Luke 4:14-21
Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
What I want to talk about now is the various ways God’s Spirit gets worked into our lives. This is complex and often misunderstood, but I want you to be informed and knowledgeable. Remember how you were when you didn’t know God, led from one phony idol to another, never knowing what you were doing, just doing it because everybody else did it? It’s different in this life. God wants us to use our intelligence, to seek to understand as well as we can. For instance, by using your heads, you know perfectly well that the Spirit of God would never prompt anyone to say “Jesus be damned!” Nor would anyone be inclined to say “Jesus is Master!” without the insight of the Holy Spirit.
God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but the self-same God is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful:
wise counsel
clear understanding
simple trust
healing the sick
miraculous acts
proclamation
distinguishing between spirits
tongues
interpretation of tongues.
But it is one and the same Spirit who produces all these gifts, and distributes them as She wills. MSG, mod.
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Sermon by Sarah Harbaugh
Gospel Lesson Matthew 2:1-12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him;and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23
Now after [the magi] had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”
Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.”
Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson Luke 1:39-55 NRSV
Within a few days Mary set out and hurried to the hill country to a town of Judah, where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice, she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why am I so favored, that the mother of the Messiah should come to me? The moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who believed that what our God said to her would be accomplished!”
Mary said:
My soul magnifies you, O God
and my spirit rejoices in you, my Savior.
For you have looked with favor
upon your lowly servant,
and from this day forward
all generations will call me blessed.
For you, the Almighty, have done great things for me, and holy is your Name.
Your mercy reaches from age to age
for those who fear you.
You have shown strength with your arm;
you have scattered the proud in their conceit;
you have deposed the mighty from their thrones
and raised the lowly to high places.
You have filled the hungry with good things,
while you have sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the aid of Israel your servant, mindful of your mercy–
the promise you made to our ancestors–
to Sarah and Abraham and their descendants forever.
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson Luke 3:1-6, 10-16 NRSV
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make God’s paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation and be satisfied with your wages.”
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson Selections from Luke 1
After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived and gave birth to a son. When her neighbors and relatives heard that God had been merciful to her, they shared her joy. When all had assembled for the circumcision on the eighth day, they intended to name the baby after his father Zechariah. But his mother spoke up, “No, he is to be called John.”
They pointed out to her, “But no one in your family has this name.” Then they made signs to the father to find out what he wanted the child to be named. The father asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” They were all astonished.
Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. All who heard them pondered them and said, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.
Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
who has looked favorably on the people and redeemed them.
God has raised up a mighty savior for us
in the house of David,
as God spoke through the mouth of the holy prophets from of old,
that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Thus God has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered the holy covenant,
the oath that God swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness
before God all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare God’s ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to God’s people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.
Sermon by Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson John 18:33-38
So Pilate went back into the Praetorium and spoke to Jesus.
“Are you the King of the Jews?” he asked.
“Was it your idea to ask that?” asked Jesus. “Or did other people tell you about me?”
“Am I Jewish?” retorted Pilate. “Your nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me! What’ve you done?”
“My kingdom isn’t the sort that grows in this world,” replied Jesus. “If my kingdom were from this world, my supporters would have fought to stop me me being handed over to the authorities. But for now, my kingdom is not the sort that comes from here.”
“So!” said Pilate. “You are a king, then?”
“You’re the one who’s calling me a king.” replied Jesus. “I was born for this; I’ve come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
“Truth?” said Pilate. “What is truth?”
With those words, he went back out to the hand-picked crowd.
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson Luke 21:25-36
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Epistle 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.
Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Epistle Philippians 1:3-11
Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God’s Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.
It’s not at all fanciful for me to think this way about you. My prayers and hopes have deep roots in reality. You have, after all, stuck with me all the way from the time I was thrown in jail, put on trial, and came out of it in one piece. All along you have experienced with me the most generous help from God. He knows how much I love and miss you these days. Sometimes I think I feel as strongly about you as Christ does!
So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.”
The Message Translation
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Hebrew Scripture Micah 6:6-8
“With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before God with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
“God has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God.”
Gospel Lesson Mark 12:38-13:2
As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Scripture Reading Ruth 1:1-18
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had considered his people and given them food . . .
But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.”
But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die— there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!” When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Gospel Lesson Mark 10:46-52
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, bar-Timaeus, son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the side of the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.”
So, throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.
Then Jesus said to him, “What do you wish that I might do for you?”
The blind man said to him, “Rabbouni, that I might see again.”
Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you whole.”
Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the road.
Sermon - The One Thing by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay.
Scripture Reading Mark 10:17-31
As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.”’ He said to him, ‘'Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, 'Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.’
Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Scripture Reading Job 1:1, 2:1-13, 3:1, Robert Alter translation
A man there was in the land of Uz— Job his name. And the man was blameless and upright and feared God and shunned evil . . .
And one day, the sons of God came to stand in attendance before YHWH, and the Adversary, too, came among them to stand in attendance before YHWH. And YHWH said to the Adversary, “From whence do you come?”
And the Adversary answered YHWH and said, “From roaming the earth and walking about in it.”
And YHWH said to the Adversary, “Have you paid heed to My servant Job, for there is none like him on earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and shuns evil and still clings to his innocence, and you incited Me against him to destroy him for nothing.”
And the Adversary answered YHWH and said, “Skin for skin! A man will give all he has for his own life. Yet, reach out, pray, Your hand and strike his bone and his flesh. Will he not curse You to your face?”
And YHWH said to the Adversary, “Here he is in your hands. Only preserve his life.” And the Adversary went out from before YHWH’s presence. And he struck Job with a grievous burning rash from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.
And he took a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he was sitting among the ashes. And his wife said to him, “Do you still cling to your innocence? Curse God and die.”
And he said to her, “You speak as one of those base women would speak. Shall we accept the good from God, too, and evil we shall not accept?”
With all this, Job did not offend with his lips.
And Job’s three companions heard of all this harm that had come upon him, and they came . . . to grieve with him and to comfort him . . . And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that the pain was very great.
Afterward, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Reading
Gospel Lesson Mark 9:38-50
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to the Anointed will by no means lose their reward.
“If anyone puts a stumbling block before one of these little ones who have faith, it would be better for them if a great millstone were hung around their neck and to be thrown into the sea.
“If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life limping than to have two feet and to be cast into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the Realm of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be flung into Gehenna, where their worm never dies, and the fire is not quenched.
“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Keep the salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.”
Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay
Readings
Psalm 1:1-3 Nancy C. Merill translation
Blessed are those
who walk hand in hand with goodness,
who stand beside virtue,
who sit in the seat of truth;
For their delight is in the Spirit of Love,
and in Love’s heart they dwell
day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water,
that yield fruit in due season,
and their leaves flourish;
And in all that they do, they give life.
New Testament Lesson James 3:13-18 (TIB translation)
If there are any wise and learned among you, let them show it by good living—with humility, and with wisdom in their actions. But if you have the bitterness of jealousy or self-seeking ambition in your hearts, be careful or you’ll find yourself becoming arrogant and covering up the truth with lies. This kind of “wisdom” doesn’t come from above. It is earthbound, unspiritual, and demonic.
Where there is jealousy and ambition, there is also disharmony and wickedness of every kind. The wisdom from above has purity as its essence. It works for peace; it’s gentle and willing to yield. It’s full of compassion and shows itself by doing good. Nor is there any trace of partiality or hypocrisy in it. Peacemakers, when they work for peace, sow the seeds which will bear fruit in holiness.
Sermon by Mitchell Hay and Barbara Lemmel
Readings: James 1:17-25 and Song of Songs 2:8-13
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20
New Testament: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
Hebrew Bible: Genesis 11:1-9
New Testament: Acts 2:1-13
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
Hebrew Bible: Ruth 1:1-18
New Testament: 2 Timothy 1:3-7
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
Gospel: Matthew 28:1-10
New Testament: Acts 10:34-43
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Alyssa Burleson
Readings
Hebrew Bible: Jeremiah 31:31-34
Gospel: John 12:20-33
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
Hebrew Bible: Isaiah 58:5-9a
Gospel: Matthew 25:34-46
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
Hebrew Bible: Genesis 17:1-8, 15-16
Gospel: Mark 8:31-38
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Sarah Harbaugh
Readings
Gospel: John 13:12-17
New Testament: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
Gospel: Luke 6:17-26
New Testament: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
New Testament: Philippians 3:12-16
New Testament: Hebrews 10:19-25
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
Hebrew Bible: Isaiah 40:28-31
Gospel: Luke 24:13-34a
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
Gospel: Mark 12:41-44
New Testament: Ephesians 1:15-21
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Dominic Mejia
Readings
Hebrew Bible: Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Gospel: Matthew 22:34-40
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
Gospel: Luke 18:9-14
New Testament: 2 Timothy 4:1-8
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
Hebrew Bible: Amos 5:6-7, 10-15
Gospel: Luke 17:5-10
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
Gospel: Luke 16:19-31
New Testament: 1 Timothy 6:6-19
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Sarah Harbaugh
Readings
New Testament: Philippians 2:1-13
Gospel: Matthew 21:23-32
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
Hebrew Bible: Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
Gospel: Matthew 11:7-19
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings:
Hebrew Bible: Micah 6:6-8
New Testament: 1 John 4:7-18
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Graham Kelder
New Testament: Romans 11:1-2a, 11-12, 29-32
Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org
Sermon by Graham Kelder
Hebrew Bible: Genesis 28:10-19a
Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org
Sermon by Rev. Natalie Hill
Hebrew Bible Psalm 119:105-112
Gospel Matthew 13: 1-9, 18-23
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring an audio devotional to you every week, released on Tuesday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
Hebrew Bible Micah 4:1-4
New Testament Galatians 5:1, 13-15
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
Hebrew Bible Isaiah 40:28-31
New Testament Ephesians 1:15-19
Sermon by Rev. Herb Taylor
Readings
New Testament Acts 2:42-47
New Testament 1 Peter 2:9-10
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring two audio devotionals to you every week, released on Tuesday and Thursday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring two audio devotionals to you every week, released on Tuesday and Thursday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring two audio devotionals to you every week, released on Tuesday and Thursday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring two audio devotionals to you every week, released on Tuesday and Thursday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring two audio devotionals to you every week, released on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Hosted by Dominic JS Mejia. Harvard-Epworth is happy to bring two audio devotionals to you every week, released on Tuesday and Thursday morning. Questions and concerns can be directed to dom@harvardepworthchurch.org.
Sermon by Graham Kelder
Readings
Hebrew Bible Psalm 32:6-7
Gospel Matthew 20:25-26
New Testament 1 John 4:7-9
Message given by Barbara Cracknell, Seokweon Jeon, and Sarah Louise Adamczyk
Gospel Reading: Luke 5:1-11
New Testament Reading: Romans 12:1-8
Message given by Nancy Wichmann
New Testament Reading: 1 Corinthians 1: 21-31
New Testament Reading: Romans 9:20-26
Message given by Jenna Maxfield
Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:28-30
New Testament Reading: Romans 8:18-28, 35-39
Message given by Steve Dry
Gospel Reading: John 21:1-19
New Testament Reading: Acts 9:1-19
Message given by Grace Killian
Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 17:5-10
New Testament Reading: Luke 6:17-26
Message given by Rev. Natalie Hill
Hebrew Bible Reading: Isaiah 6:1-6
Gospel Reading: Matthew 2:1-12
Message given by Dominic Mejia
Hebrew Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 23:1-7
Gospel Reading: John 18:33-38a
Message given by Grace Killian
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 104:1-9,24 and 35c
Old Testament Reading: Job 38:1-7, 34-41
Message given by Rev. Natalie Hill
Hebrew Bible Reading: Esther 4:11-5:3
Gospel Reading: John 12:23-28
Message given by Steve Dry
Hebrew Bible Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14
New Testament Reading: Acts 2:1-21
Message given by Suze Booth
Old Testament Reading: Proverbs 31:10-31
Gospel Reading: John 2:1-11
Message given by Rady Roldan-Figueroa
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 4:1-8
Gospel Reading: Luke 24:36b-48
Message given by Rev. Natalie Hill
New Testament Reading: I John 1:1-7
Gospel Reading: John 20:19-31
Message given by Dominic Mejia
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 40:21-31
Gospel Reading: Mark 1:29-39
Message given by Rev. Anne Marie Hunter
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 111
Gospel Reading: Mark 1:21-28
Message given by Rev. Cody Nielsen
Gospel Message: Mark 1:1-8
New Testament Reading: 2 Peter: 3:8-15a
Message given by Graham Kelder
Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 34:1-6, 15-16
Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:31-46
Message given by LaTanya Zibi
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 40:1-10
New Testament Reading: 2 Corinthians 9:7-15
Message given by Rev. Cody Nielsen
Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-10
New Testament Reading: John 12:24-26a
Message given by Deacon Natalie Hill
Old Testament Reading: Exodus 16:2-15
Gospel Reading: John 6:30-35
Message given by Alfredo Garcia
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 27:1, 11-14
New Testament Reading: Romans 8:28-37
Message given by Kim Yeasir
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 69:1-5 & 13-15
New Testament Reading: Hebrew 10:24-25
Easter 2017 Message
Gospel Reading: Matthew 28:1-10
New Testament Reading: Acts 10:34-43
Message given by Karl LaClair
Gospel Reading: Matthew 4:12-17
New Testament Reading: James 5:7-11
Message given by Karl LaClair
Old Testament Lesson: 1 Kings 19:11-13a
Gospel Lesson: Luke 4:31-37
Message given by Karl LaClair
Old Testament Lesson: Jeremiah 1:4-9
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 14:22-33
Message given by Deacon Natalie Hill
Epistle Lesson: Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Gospel Lesson: Luke 12:32-40
Message given by Ian Boley
Old Testament Lesson: Isaiah 54:9-14
Gospel Lesson: John 13:3-7, 12-15
Message given by Tim Seery
Old Testament Lesson: Esther 1
New Testament Lesson: Hebrews 12: 1-2