Lessons: Proverbs 9:1-6 Psalm 34:9-14 Ephesians 5:15-20 John 6:51-58 The novelist Salman Rushdie has a line about storytelling, about crafting words, that goes like this. Rushdie says: Good metaphors shock. Good metaphors don’t merely surprise us or delight us or invite us into curiosity – although they certainly do most or all of those things.ContinueContinue reading “Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Category Archives: Sermons
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: 1 Kings 19:4-8 Psalm 34:1-8 Ephesians 4:25-5:2 John 6:35, 41-51 l three Synoptic Gospels – so, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke – Jesus tells us that he is bread. We repeat his words, we pray them together, when we celebrate the Eucharist on Sunday morning. Jesus holds out the bread and he says toContinueContinue reading “Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost by Holly Puckett
Lessons: Exodus 16:2-4,9-15 Psalm 78:23-29 Ephesians 4:1-16 John 6:24-35 This week’s readings are about a lot of things, but here are the big picture parts that I’m going to focus in on: faith that God will provide, we are all tied together with unique gifts as separate parts of a whole (the body of Christ),ContinueContinue reading “Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost by Holly Puckett”
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Dick Toll
Lessons: Jeremiah 23:1-6 Psalm 23 Ephesians 2:11-22 Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 There is not a person here who does not have the memory of being a part of a large crowd. It may have been a sports event, it may have been a musical event, it may have been to hear the Beatles, Elvis Presley orContinueContinue reading “Ninth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Dick Toll”
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Dick Toll
Lessons: Amos 7:7-15 Psalm 85:8-13 Ephesians 1:3-14 Mark 6:14-29 Today I want to address the subject of memories and reflections. We are a people with many stories to tell and we always need to be able to tell our stories and listen to the stories of others. First of all, I want to hold upContinueContinue reading “Eighth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Dick Toll”
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Ezekiel 2:1-5 Psalm 123 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 Mark 6:1-13 Mr. Rogers is all over the news these days, all over social media these days. A big part of the catalyst for that is the new documentary about him, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? It’s a film that I cannot wait to see. I’mContinueContinue reading “Seventh Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Wisdom of Solomon 1:13-15; 2:23-24 Psalm 30 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 Mark 5:21-43 Today, Mark gives us a story about holy interruption. Or maybe I should pluralise that: Today, Mark gives us a story about holy interruptions. I count no fewer than six interruptions. Maybe there are more. With each interruption, I am goingContinueContinue reading “Sixth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Corbet Clark
Lessons: Job 38:1-11 Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 Mark 4:35-41 / I’m always intrigued when public figures quote sacred scripture to support some political policy, and there was an example of this the last couple of weeks. As you’re probably aware, the Attorney General of the United States used some verses from Paul’s LetterContinueContinue reading “Fifth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Corbet Clark”
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Ezekiel 17:22-24 Psalm 92:1-4,11-14 2 Corinthians 5:6-10,[11-13],14-17 Mark 4:26-34 One of the gifts of this past week at the College for Congregational Development was spending part of an afternoon with the Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry. (Those of us who went on the pilgrimage to the Holy Land will remember that weContinueContinue reading “Fourth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Third Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Genesis 3:8-15 Psalm 130 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 Mark 3:20-35