Sermons
Good Judgment
By Roy Stetler
December 15, 2024
In my experience, most biblical references to judgment concern our relationship with God, creation, and neighbor. They invite us to listen to a Word from God which allows us to see clearly, understand what is important, and live in the light of that Word. Good judgment is inward, personal, and it leads to joy. Living in the clear light of…
The King
By Roy Stetler
November 24, 2024
Each year, the last Sunday of the church year, we proclaim Jesus Christ as King. The challenge with the metaphor is that he is such a different kind of King. He rules from the cross, spending his last human moments, utterly vulnerable. His resurrection promises that when we suffer like him for the sake of mercy, our suffering does not…
The Saints
By Roy Stetler
November 3, 2024
The story of Lazarus raised by Jesus is the story of the saints. Lazarus does not raise himself but is brought back to life by Jesus. Likewise, the saints do not save themselves, nor do they save the world. They are nurtured and mercifully healed in the presence of God. They cling to Christ’s love. In the New Testament, the…
Rather to serve
By Roy Stetler
October 20, 2024
James and John (Mark 10) and the other disciples are distracted by shortcuts to power and prestige. They want to benefit from being close to Jesus. They are focused on personal power rather than love of neighbor. Jesus responds (v. 43), “But it is not so among you.” True relationships driven by sacrificial love are characterized by humble service. In…
Surrender
By Roy Stetler
September 15, 2024
Jesus is on a journey to reveal the compassionate mercy of God for all. “Who do people say I am?” asks Jesus. Peter confesses he is the Anointed one, Messiah. He is the servant of the Lord, in the prophet Isaiah’s language. Jesus knows that Isaiah speaks of the servant of the Lord also as a suffering servant. This servant…
Trust overcomes fear
By Roy Stetler
September 8, 2024
Jesus brings hope and healing to a woman begging for her daughter’s mental and spiritual health (Mark 7). She is desperate– she will sacrifice anything to convince Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus suggests that her request for healing cannot be a priority for him. We learn that her faith is strong not because she believes he can heal, but…
What are you doing here, Elijah?
By Roy Stetler
August 11, 2024
In the middle of 1 Kings we find the ministry of the prophet Elijah. To begin, he proclaims that it will not rain until he says so. Fed by ravens, he lives in the wilderness until the creek dries up. Then according to God’s (Yahweh) command, Elijah travels outside of Israel and provides food for a widow and revives her…
Jesus, manna
By Roy Stetler
August 4, 2024
Having delivered the Hebrew slaves from bondage in Egypt (Exodus), God then provides them daily manna for their journey in the wilderness. Later, John the Gospel writer re-envisions manna in terms of Jesus, the bread of life. All that we need, we find in Jesus. Our deepest spiritual hunger and thirst are satisfied by the grace, wisdom, and healing mercy…
Spirit Signs
By Roy Stetler
July 28, 2024
In John 6 Jesus provides bread and fish for a large hungry crowd. Then, after some rest, he comes walking on the water to help his disciples as they row against the wind, to trust. These signs reveal God at work in Jesus for salvation, for love, for hope. The Spirit of Christ comes among us today with signs. What…
Healing Shepherd
By Roy Stetler
July 21, 2024
What does “the Lord is my Shepherd” mean to you? Imagine God shepherding every person, and beyond that, the entire universe. Jesus and his disciples seek rest in Mark 6, only to be found by crowds of people, sheep without a shepherd, seeking healing and hope. Each time the crowds find him, Jesus’ compassionate care reveals the gracious love of…
Home in God’s Presence
By Roy Stetler
July 7, 2024
When Jesus returns to his hometown, his townsfolk resist the presence of God in him. They prefer long-established assumptions and resist anything new breaking into their world. The atmosphere is so stifling that Jesus must move on. Jesus then sends his disciples to seek and find God’s presence in the work by sharing the Good News in acts and words…
Healing Awareness
By Roy Stetler
June 30, 2024
The crowd surges forward with Jesus and the synagogue leader at the front. The crowd follows to see whether a 12-year-old girl will be healed. In a distressed world, they long for good news. Will Jesus heal her? Yet the older child is not the only person in need. An older woman is threading through the crowd, reaching forward, “If…
