Sermons
The Long Term
By Roy Stetler
September 3, 2023
More trees will be turning colors this week as they respond to the heat and dryness. There is no decision for the trees. They just know. Chlorophyl gives leaves their green color and allows trees to use the energy of the Sun. But chlorophyl contains minerals that a tree cannot replace each year, so as the tree prepares to lose…
You Feed Them
By Roy Stetler
August 6, 2023
When we hear the story of 5 loaves and 2 fishes providing for a crowd of 5,000 plus people, we can be distracted by the numbers. Jesus and his disciples are grieving the recent execution of John the Baptist. They must have been exhausted in so many ways. They ask Jesus to disperse the crowd since they lack resources to…
One in Christ
Julian of Norwich simply sums up our unity in Christ. “Christ himself embodied all humanity. His sweet incarnation and blessed passion will liberate us all, because he is our head and we are all the parts of his body. . .” (tr. Mirabai Starr, The Showings of Julian of Norwich, p. 139) Jesus does not demand unity in John 17.…
The heavens torn open
Imagine the heavens being torn open when Jesus is baptized. Then, imagine the heavens torn open in your baptism. Newness. Barriers to God removed. God present, here, now, forever. Space made for you. A spiritual home—where you belong—wherever you are. Wherever Jesus was—in his birth, his baptism, in the wilderness—hungry, tempted, with people or without–he was at home. He didn’t…
Don’t be afraid
The disciples are impressed by the temple’s architecture. But Jesus unexpectedly flips their amazement into deep foreboding. “All of this will be destroyed.” Don’t trust in this—it will not last. They lived in difficult times with rampant poverty and injustice. The Roman Empire was great if you had resources, but not if your main resource was your body. Jesus continues…
