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| 11/25/07 | John Kwan - "This is Our God?" Luke 23:33-43 - In today's scripture, we find Jesus at the cross. As we follow Luke's account of what transpires, we overhear Jesus' conversation with the two criminals who were next to him before his death. What they discuss are thoughts and questions we might be asking ourselves as observers to these events in Jesus' life. One of the criminals asks an obvious question while the other seems to notice something not so obvious to everyone else around them. |
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| 11/18/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Thanks-living" Deuteronomy 26:1-11. This week's scripture contains Moses’ instructions for celebrating the first harvest in the promised land. He reminds the people of Israel not to forget where they have come from, or who it was who led them to freedom. He also knows that their thanksgiving will not be complete without room for others at the table. |
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| 11/11/07 | Jonathan Chute - "42" Luke 20:27-38. This Sunday finds Jesus in his one and only conversation with the Jewish group known as the Sadducees. They were associated with the Temple in Jerusalem, where they served as priests. They saw only the first five books of the Bible as scripture and did not believe in the resurrection of the dead - a relatively new idea within the Jewish community. They come to Jesus after his arrival in Jerusalem, with something of a trick question. A man dies and leaves his wife childless. According to the law of Moses, his younger brother was required to marry her, so that she might have children. But the woman's second husband also dies, followed by her third through seventh husbands, and finally the woman herself. The Sadducees want to know "in the resurrection, whose wife will the woman be?" Jesus responds to their question with a very straight answer - one of the few times he does that. Jonathan's sermon title refers to the odd science fiction series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He explains the connection (he hopes!) at the beginning of the sermon. |
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| 11/4/07 | Jonathan Chute - "At the Table" Luke 19:1-10. This week Jesus experiences hospitality from an unlikely source, and resistance by those who should be his allies. He invites himself to dinner at the home of a well-known sinner, a man who has literally gone out on a limb to see Jesus. But his reception in one home causes a problem for others – why should Jesus associate with the likes of Zacchaeus? On All Saints' Sunday, the story of Zacchaeus shows us one way that people find their way to becoming followers of Jesus. It wasn't what they (or anyone else!) expected, but in acts of hospitality and welcome they find a new way to live. |
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| 10/28/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Above Average" Luke 18:9-14. Our gospel continues a series of parables that go against conventional wisdom. Jesus tells the story of two men who go to the temple to pray. One of them does everything he&'s supposed to. He follows all the rules, and then some. The other is a moral failure of the worst kind. He doesn’t have a leg to stand on, either at the temple or anywhere else. Most of us expect God to bless the righteous man and punish the sinner. But Jesus says that God sees us differently than we see each other. In a world where most people believe we are "above average," it is not our own goodness – but grace – that puts us right with God. |
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| 10/21/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Wearing Out the Judge" Luke 18:1-8. Our gospel is a story of what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object. A widow brings a legal grievance to a judge who has NO interest in justice. Whether he is lazy or corrupt is never clear, but the widow simply refuses to let the judge's inaction be the last word on her case. Though he does not care for her, and has no regard for God, ultimately he gives in simply because the woman wears him out. Jesus tells this story so that his followers will not lose heart, even when their prayers seem to go unanswered. |
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| 10/14/07 | Earl Butler Preaching |
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| 10/07/07 | World Communion Sunday Jonathan Chute - "Planting Trees in the Ocean" Luke 17:3-10. This Sunday the disciples ask Jesus for a big increase – in their faith. He's just told them about the need to forgive someone who wrongs them "seven times a day," and that seems too much to handle. They want more faith, if God is going to ask this much of them. But Jesus says even a little bit of faith gives us the power to do what seems impossible. It's hard to imagine why we would want to uproot a tree and plant it in the ocean, but if our faith is strong enough to do that, perhaps we could use it to forgive our neighbor instead. |
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| 9/30/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Rich Man, Poor Man" Luke 16:19-31. In this week's gospel Jesus tells a story in which the tables are truly turned. It's the tale of the rich man and Lazarus, two men from very different circumstances – but who live within an arm’s reach of each other. During their lives the rich man feasts every day while poor Lazarus gets by on crumbs. The rich man is dressed in purple and fine linen – Lazarus is covered only with sores. But when they die it is Lazarus who feasts at God's table, and the rich man who suffers. It paints a picture of the wide gulf which can separate us from each other in this life, and how our relationships here on earth may have lasting consequences. |
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| 9/23/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Friends with Money" Luke 16:1-13 This week’s gospel is one of the oddest and most difficult to understand of Jesus’ parables. A rich man fires his manager for squandering his property. So far, so good. But when the manager is later caught stealing, the rich man actually praises him for his shrewdness. The parable seems to encourage behavior we would hardly want to follow. |
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| 9/16/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Party Time" Luke 15:1-10. Last Sunday Jesus scared many of his followers with his talk of struggle and sacrifice. This week's text is a breath of fresh air. He tells two of his most well-known parables – the lost sheep and the lost coin. The shepherd's determination to find the sheep is relentless and risky. The joy of the woman who finds her coin is extravagant. But Jesus says that's what God's love is like. It won't stop searching for us, and celebrates the return of the lost, no matter what. |
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| 9/9/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Curb Your Enthusiasm" Luke 14:25-33. This week's gospel comes from a time in Jesus' ministry when large crowds were traveling with him. It's the kind of situation any good religious leader looks forward to facing! But Jesus tells the crowd some things virtually guaranteed to send some of them away. At first his words sound harsh and discouraging. But Jesus wants to be sure that those who are coming along are not doing so under false pretenses. Advertisers print their warning labels in small print at the bottom of the ads. Jesus lets people know up front what the cost of discipleship may be. |
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| 9/2/07 | John Kwan - "Where Should I Sit?" Jesus is a guest at the house of a Pharisee. As they prepare for their meal, Jesus observes the behaviors taking place among his fellow guests. Their actions are not out of the ordinary, but it does provide the occasion for Jesus to speak further about the Kingdom of God. So Jesus shares with them a parable. And as we know, his parables tend to challenge the way they understand the ways of the world. |
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| 8/26/07 | John Kwan - "Sierra Service Project Reflections" Jeremiah 1:4-10. This week we find ourselves in the Book of Jeremiah. In this book, we follow Jeremiah’s journey as a prophet of God. He witnesses some of the best and some of the worst times in ancient Israel. His work as a prophet helped his people in a very difficult time in its history. In today’s text, we start at the beginning when Jeremiah is called. Like many of the prophets before him, Jeremiah questions God’s call and offers reasons why. He is aware of what this means and what it will demand of him. He also knows that it is a heavy burden to carry and wants to be free of the responsibility. But God doesn’t take “no” for an answer and in this week’s text we see how God responds to Jeremiah’s reservations. |
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| 8/19/07 | John Kwan - "Multiplication Through Division" Luke 12:49-56 - The Jesus that we hear in today’s passage does not seem to be for the faint-of-heart. Jesus is far from subtle with his fiery declaration of what his message and ministry has caused. There is no getting around what he is saying and it must be dealt with directly. There is an edge to his message . . . but like a master craftsman, Jesus uses this edge to build hope and healing for world. |
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| 8/12/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Ready?" Luke 12:32-40. Jesus speaks to his disciples about investing their efforts in things that really matter. He reminds them that while earthly things wear out, the gifts of God are eternal. He encourages them not to build their hopes on what is only temporary, and to use their time to get ready for the coming of the Messiah. He says it's like having your house broken into. You can't stay awake all night "just in case". If only you had known when the thief was coming, you could have prevented it. So what should we be doing to be ready when God's time is right? |
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| 8/5/07 (3rd Service) |
Eric Scott - "Not a Square to Spare" Luke 12:13-21. Here Jesus speaks about the natural anxiety that comes with securing a living for our families. He tells the story of a man who finds that his old barns are too small to hold his recent harvest. In a burst of enthusiasm he decides to tear them down to build new and bigger ones. He can take it easy from now on. He's got all that he needs, and more. We understand his desire to provide a secure future, but has he gone too far? Is he greedy, or just being safe? Where is the balance between our desire for security and our willingness to trust in God? |
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| 8/5/07 (Morning) |
Diane Rehfield - "When Israel Was a Child" Hosea 11:1-11. The text for this morning portrays the love of God for Israel as the love of a parent for a child. Yet this love has not resulted in the child behaving as the parent might wish. Israel has rebelled against God by worshipping other gods and idols. God reflects upon the consequences that will follow. It is not so much that God will cause these consequences, as that they are the natural result of Israel's behavior. God has compassion for the people, but acknowledges anger too. Yet that anger will not be the deciding factor. God foresees a time when the people will return to God, and God will return them to their homes. |
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| 7/29/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Prayer for Dummies" Luke 11:1-13. This week we find Jesus alone with the disciples for a bit of a breather. This was often his pattern in the gospels – to engage actively with people, and then withdraw and renew. In Luke's gospel especially, we find Jesus at prayer during these times. As he finishes praying one of the disciples asks him for instruction on prayer. Jesus responds with the words we know as the Lord's Prayer. Then he encourages them on the need for persistence in prayer. The passage gives us an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of prayer. What is it? What is it supposed to accomplish? Is the purpose of prayer to change God's mind, or to change the mind of the one who prays? |
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| 7/22/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Martha's Steward Living" Luke 10:38-42. This Sunday's gospel tells one of the truest stories in the Bible – we easily recognize both the setting and characters. It also stirs strong feelings among those who hear it. Jesus visits the home of Martha and is joined by her sister, Mary, who sits at the feet of Jesus, listening. Martha becomes busy, and finally resentful, both at the work she has to do and at Mary’s apparent laziness. She chastizes Jesus for not telling her sister to lend a hand. But Jesus commends Mary for her attention – not to so many things, but to the one thing that really counts that day. |
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| 7/15/07 | Jonathan Chute - "The Longest Journey" Luke 10:25-37. This week's gospel is one of the most familiar and beloved of Jesus' parables. We know it as the story of the "Good Samaritan," but the text really begins with a question from a lawyer. He wants to know what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells him to love God and his neighbor. It sounds simple, but the lawyer wants to know more. "And who IS my neighbor?" he asks. So Jesus tells him about a man on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, who falls into the hands of robbers. It is a story of compassion from an unlikely source. In the minds of Jesus' listeners, there would have been no such thing as a "good" Samaritan. |
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| 7/8/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Rules for the Road" Luke 10:1-11. The weather is warm, the sky is blue, and Jesus sends seventy of his followers out on a road trip. They're going to meet both resistance and hospitality as they go, and he wants them to know how to handle either one. He gives them a number of simple rules to follow, so that they will not lose their balance no matter how people receive them (or don't). They still work, too! |
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| 7/1/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Misdirection" Luke 9:51-62. Throughout his ministry Jesus faces many potential distractions. He encounters opposition and threats from different individuals and groups. But those who challenge him most seem to be either his actual followers, or those who want to follow, but feel they just can't. Once he begins his journey to Jerusalem his patience seems to grow thin with those who hold back. Is Jesus being hard on those around him, or just letting them know the true cost of being a disciple? |
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| 6/24/07 | Jonathan Chute - "A Series of Unfortunate Events" Luke 8:26-39. Jesus finds himself on the “other” side of the Sea of Galilee. This is gentile territory, where the customs are different but many of the problems are much the same. Outside one of the cities there they come across a man who is possessed. It’s not just one demon terrorizing him, but many. He lives out among the tombs, naked and out of control. Jesus heals him, but rather than celebrating, the people of the town seem troubled at what happens. One who was broken and lost has been restored to life, but the community still has a ways to go. |
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| 6/17/07 | Fathers Day Jonathan Chute - "Crashing the Party" Luke 7:36-8:3. The gospel for the day is a story of generosity and hospitality. Jesus is at the home of Simon, a Pharisee. But Simon doesn't seem to be taking care of his guest. Instead, a "woman from the city," a sinner, washes Jesus' feet with her tears and wipes them with her hair. She anoints Jesus with a jar of expensive oil. Simon is offended at her actions, and wonders how Jesus could really be a prophet if he doesn't even see what kind of woman she is. Jesus sees her extravagance as a sign of her gratitude. Simon, who doesn't see himself as much of a sinner, doesn't feel the need for God's forgiveness. The woman knows what God's grace really means, and she shows it. |
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| 6/10/07 | John Kwan - "Reasonable Doubt" 1 Kings 17:8-24. Under the rule of King Ahab, the Northern Kingdom of Israel finds itself in a precarious position. King Ahab has married Jezebel, a devotee of the Canaanite god Baal, and has built an altar and a temple for Baal in Samaria. With Queen Jezebel’s encouragement, worship of the pagan god spreads throughout the kingdom. This puts the king and Israel at odds with God – usually not a good thing to do. The prophet Elijah appears and announces to King Ahab that there will be a severe drought for turning away from God. Angering the king, Elijah is told to flee to the east of the Jordan River and eventually to Zarephath, where he meets a widow and her son. In today’s passage, we find out what happens when they meet. |
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| 6/3/07 | Trinity Sunday Jonathan Chute - "The Eye of the Beholder" Psalm 8. This is the only Sunday in the Christian year whose theme is a doctrine. Still, Jonathan promises no lectures on theological controversies of the Fourth Century. Psalm 8 is a song of praise to God for the gift of creation. It expresses the sense of awe we feel when we first see the stars at night. How could the God who made all this even think of human beings, down here on earth? What is our place in creation? Why are we here?Yet this same God has placed the world in our hands, as a gift and a trust. What was God thinking? |
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| 5/27/07 | Pentecost Sunday Jonathan Chute - "The End of Babel" Acts 2:1-18. Fifty days after Easter, the disciples were in Jerusalem for a festival celebrating the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai. When the Holy Spirit comes to them, it comes with the sound of rushing wind and fire, signs of God's holiness and power. As the Spirit makes its presence felt people from all parts of the Mediterranean, who have come to the city for the festival, hear the disciples speaking in their own languages. The scene calls to mind another day, when God scattered the human family and confused our language to prevent the building of the Tower of Babel. Instead, at Pentecost, God gathers the human family and helps people from different cultures hear the gospel in their own language. It is a picture of inclusion that will both encourage and confound the church for about the next twenty centuries. |
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| 5/20/07 | John Kwan - "Waiting to Exhale" Scripture: Acts 1:1-11 Today’s passage puts us at the beginning of the book of Acts. It is here that Luke shifts his focus from the good news of Jesus' life to the good news of the Holy Spirit's activity within the Christian community. We now see that Jesus begins transitioning his ministry to his disciples and ultimately to the community at large. But, before that happens, he prepares them for one final gift – a gift that will fill them with all of the strength, passion, joy and love they will need for their journeys ahead. |
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| 5/13/07 | Mothers Day Jonathan Chute – "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors..." Acts 16:9-15 This week we catch up with Paul on his journey into Europe. The last time we saw him he was recovering his sight in Damascus. Now he is one of the key leaders of the Christian movement. Along with others he is traveling around the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, in what is now Turkey. But he has a vision that will take him on a new course, to the Greek city of Philippi. While the culture is somewhat new to them, they find that people there are just as responsive as they have found anywhere. There weren't any United Methodists in Philippi, but that didn't stop them from living out our denominational slogan... |
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| 5/06/07 | Jonathan Chute – "Them" Acts 11:1-18 As the early Christians continued to tell the story of Jesus they found themselves in some tricky situations. They faced opposition from faithful Jews, who did not see him as the Messiah. They were threatened by Gentile crowds, who saw them as undermining the traditional Greek or Roman gods. But no one was more concerned about what they were doing than other Christians. As the ministry continued to expand they found themselves in uncharted waters. In this Sunday's scripture we see Peter defending himself against the serious charge of eating with Gentiles. Peter tells the Jerusalem Christians about a strange dream he had while staying in a little coastal town. It was just one step in their journey toward a wider understanding of God's call, but a most important one. |
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| 4/29/07 | Jonathan Chute – "Clues to the Kingdom" Acts 9:36-43 When the first Christians began to live out their faith, no one had a plan of what that should look like. They didn't know that there would be an organized church to follow after them. What they shared were deeds of compassion and care, and a deep sense of community. In the coastal town of Joffa, a woman named Tabitha was a legend for all that she did for others. When she died the members of her community sought the help of Peter, who happened to be nearby. He showed that the work of healing would continue as they reached out to others. It's still early in what will be a long journey, but you can see that they're starting to get a handle on what it means to be the body of Christ. |
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| 4/22/07 | Jonathan Chute – "Where We Don't Want to Go"
Jonathan Chute – "Where We Don't Want to Go" Acts 9:1-20. The first weeks and months of life for the early Christians were especially tense and threatening. They were accused of heresy by other devout Jews, none more zealous and energetic than Saul. He had witnessed the stoning and death of Stephen and was out looking for more followers of Jesus to arrest. On the way to Damascus, something happened which would change not only the course of his life, but the whole future of the Christian movement. |
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| 4/15/07 | Jonathan Chute – "Causing Trouble after Easter" Acts 5:27-42. In the weeks after Easter Jesus' followers began to get into trouble. They continued his work of healing and preaching, and people were drawn to them in growing numbers. The authorities tried to put a stop to this and jailed them. The next morning they were back in the temple, teaching. When asked why they were doing this when they'd been clearly told not to, they said that they must answer to a higher authority. The disciples see themselves doing what God is calling them to do. But it puts the council in an awkward position. How do they know whose authority they're really following? How do we know what God wants of us, especially when those in charge tell us otherwise? |
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| 4/8/07 | Easter Sunday Jonathan Chute – "Nothing to See Here..." Luke 24:1-12. Easter celebrates the central truth of the Christian story, that God's grace and love are more powerful than sin and death. This is a message that we yearn to hear and long to believe. We see evidence of resurrection in the return of Spring and fill the sanctuary with beautiful flowers. We sing joyful "Alleluias" and dare to hope in the truth of this good news. Yet the stories of that first Easter show us that Jesus' followers were at least as confused by the resurrection as they were hopeful. As the women came to the tomb early that morning they were prepared for something completely different from what they found. They could not find the body. It took a pair of angels to help them remember what Jesus had said before – that his death would not be the end of the story. They go to tell the other disciples, who have as much trouble believing as the women did before them. |
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| 4/1/07 | Palm Sunday Jonathan Chute – "Who Comes Closest?" Luke 22 & 23, selections. From triumph to tragedy, courage and compassion to betrayal and fear, the events of Jesus' last days embody a wide range of human experience. Throughout the week some people come close to Jesus. Others seem to move farther away. But some of the people who come close intend to harm Jesus. And some of those who keep their distance remain faithful to the end. Without a program it's not easy to tell who the good guys are. |
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| 3/25/07 | Matthew Levan & Kyle Walsh - "Give and Take" John 12:1-8 - Jesus had just raised Lazarus back to life. The crowd that had witnessed this was astonished and amazed. However, there were those in town who did not appreciate what Jesus was doing and plotted with the Pharisees to kill him. Following Lazarus’ resurrection, Jesus shares a meal with Lazarus’ family and some of his disciples. As they shared the supper, Mary does something quite unexpected. |
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| 3/18/07 | Jonathan Chute – "Lost" Luke 15:1-2, 11-32. Jesus spent lots of time with people considered unacceptable by upstanding religious types. In this week's gospel they criticize him for welcoming sinners and eating with them. In response Jesus tells them a story about two brothers – and the father who seeks to hold his family together. Traditionally known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son, it is a portrait of how far away we can go from those who love us – even if we live under the same roof. It also suggests that no one can go far enough to be beyond the reach of God's compassion. |
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| 3/11/07 | John Kwan - "Excess Baggage" In today’s passage, we find that Jesus is well into his ministry and has spent considerable time speaking about the future that is coming. But those around him seemed more concerned about events in the past – specifically the tragedies involving the Galileans and the fall of a tower in Siloam. So Jesus offers to them a parable. |
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| 3/04/07 | Second Sunday in Lent Jonathan Chute – "Dodging Herod" Luke 13:31-35 Jesus continues his journey toward Jerusalem. Along the way some Pharisees come to him and warn him that Herod has plans to kill him. The tension has been mounting for some time and Herod has already responded with violence to a religious uprising. The threat seems credible. But Jesus is focused on his own purposes and refuses to be distracted either by Herod or anyone else. He is headed to Jerusalem and knows how it has treated God's prophets in the past. It must have been tempting to want to preserve his life instead. But Jesus will not be sidetracked from the way of sacrifice, reconciliation and peace. |
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| 2/25/07 | First Sunday in Lent Jonathan Chute - "Ordinary Temptations" Luke 4:1-13. Following his baptism Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he faces a series of temptations by the devil. There is nothing typically evil about the temptations themselves. Turning stones to bread would help feed the hungry. Putting Jesus in charge of earthly kingdoms sounds positively hopeful. Seeing God protect Jesus from harm would help convince those whose faith is weak. But Jesus refuses to take these shortcuts. He chooses what is harder and better over the quicker, easier alternatives. His experience shows us that real temptation may not look evil on the outside, but appeals to our deepest needs and hopes. That's what makes it so tricky. |
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| 2/18/07 | Transfiguration Sunday Wendy Komori Stager – "Seeing Jesus in a New Light" Luke 9:28-36. Jesus asks Peter, James, and John to go with him up a mountain to pray. The disciples witness Jesus’ transfiguration and are awed by the appearance of Moses and Elijah speaking with him about his death. In the mystery of the moment, a voice directs them to listen to “my Son, my Chosen”. The Rev. Wendy Komori Stager, who grew up in our congregation, will the story of her call into ministry as part of our Women's Sunday celebration. In keeping with this week’s text Wendy will speak about how Christ has been transformative in her life and can be transformative in others’ lives as well. |
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| 2/11/07 | John Kwan - "Level Ground" Luke 6:17-26. Jesus has been preaching and teaching for some time now since his first sermon in the temple. So far, he has received mixed results. Some have left all that they had to follow him while others wanted to hurl him off a cliff. Not being the type to give up, Jesus offers one of his more lengthy sermons in the hope of sharing what the Kingdom of God is all about. |
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| 2/04/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Objects in Mirror..." Luke 5:1-11 – This Sunday we find Jesus preaching by the shore. His reputation is spreading and people are gathering to hear him wherever he goes. Hemmed in by the crowd, he gets into a boat so that he can be heard. Afterwards he encourages the fishermen, whose boat he has been using, to let down their nets. The catch is so large it threatens to sink them all. As he realizes what Jesus has done Peter is overwhelmed by the power and presence of God. He sees himself in a new and clearer light. When Jesus asks him and the others to follow, they leave everything behind. |
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| 1/28/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Capturing God" Luke 4:21-30 This week's gospel shows us the congregation’s reaction to Jesus’ first sermon. What begins as a warm welcome home ends up in outrage and attempted violence. The people of Nazareth have different ideas about the size and scope of God’s compassion than Jesus does. It seems that they want to keep God’s love for themselves alone. When that becomes clear, they try to capture Jesus instead. |
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| 1/21/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Today" Luke 4:14-21 - Jesus comes home to Nazareth near the beginning of his ministry. It's his first sermon in his home congregation, and he reads from the prophet Isaiah. The passage lifts up a number of themes that will be with him the rest of his life – preaching good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind, freedom for the oppressed. These were not new ideas for the people of Israel. But Jesus adds a new twist to Isaiah's prophecy, because he claims that these are not God's plan for a far-off, distant future. Instead he says that they are being fulfilled right then and there, in the present. |
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| 1/14/07 | Jonathan Chute - "Beyond Compassion" John 2:1-11 - The wedding at Cana of Galilee, where Jesus transformed water into wine, is thought to be Jesus' first public miracle. The story only appears in John's gospel, and is more complicated than first appears. The wine for the wedding feast has run out. At first it seems that Jesus provides the perfect answer to the groom's wine shortage. Jesus makes much more wine than is needed, and much BETTER wine than has already been served! But now the groom faces a new problem. It looks like he had been holding back the good stuff, in the hope that he wouldn't have to serve it! One crisis is solved, but a new one created. |
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| 1/7/07 | John Kwan - "Star Trek" In today’s scripture, we hear the story of the Magi literally becoming “star-struck.” These ancient astrologers noticed that an unfamiliarly bright star has risen in the night sky. They aren’t certain but they have interpreted this as a sign that a new king has been born and set out to discover if this is true. We join them in their journey as they seek out this new king. |
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| 12/31/06 | First Sunday of Christmas Jonathan Chute - "No Child Left Behind" Luke 2:41-52 – Our gospel this week is the only story from the childhood of Jesus. He's about 12 years old, and he and his parents have gone to Jerusalem for the Passover. They are among many pilgrims who've come from the countryside to the big city. When the group is on their way home a couple of days later, Joseph and Mary realize that Jesus isn't with them. They trace their steps back to Jerusalem, where they find him in conversation with the elders in the temple. Mary seems short with him, but Jesus dismisses her concern, saying "did you not know I must be in my Father's house?" If his parents had forgotten who this child was, and would be, Jesus seems to be growing in his understanding. |
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| 12/24/06 | Christmas Eve Service Jonathan Chute - "For All the People" Luke 2:1-20 – Our gospel is the familiar nativity story as told by Luke. He wants us to see that Jesus' birth is a gift not just for a few, but is a special sign of hope for the poor and outcast. The birth of the Messiah takes place not in Jerusalem, not in Rome, or some other place of power and influence, but in Bethlehem, a little backwater village. Yet even in the quiet of that night there are signs that the coming of the Messiah is going to touch the whole world. |
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| 12/24/06 | Fourth Sunday of Advent Jonathan Chute - "A Conspiracy of Hope" Luke 1:39-45 – Jonathan preaches on the story of Mary and Elizabeth – two women who share an important secret. Both are pregnant, but with very different experiences of what that will mean. Elizabeth is quite old to be carrying a child, while Mary's pregnancy threatens her reputation, marriage, and even her life. The two women share the knowledge that God is up to something special through them. |
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| 12/17/06 | Third Sunday of Advent Jonathan Chute - "The Good News?" Luke 3:7-18 – The text shows us the continuing ministry of John the Baptist, as he addresses the crowds who came out to be baptized by him. He doesn't exactly treat them with kid gloves. He seems to think that some of them are lacking the proper approach and attitude of those truly seeking a new life. John speaks frankly to them, but the people aren't scared away. They seem anxious to prepare for whatever God is about to do. |
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| 12/10/06 | Second Sunday of Advent Jonathan Chute - "You Can't Miss It" Luke 3:1-6 -- This week marks the second Sunday in the season of Advent, a time of hopeful waiting for God's people. We join John the Baptist out in the wilderness of the Jordan, where he is proclaiming a baptism of repentance and forgiveness. John helps pave the way for what God plans to do through the ministry of Jesus. He offers the people an opportunity for renewal as they look with hope to the future. Some people see religion as a quiet, private, personal affair. John's ministry is "out there" in the great wide open, and he asks the people to make real change in their lives. |
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| 12/3/06 | First Sunday of Advent
Jonathan Chute - "When Tomorrow Comes" Luke 21:25-36 -- In this week's gospel, Jesus speaks to the disciples about what the coming of God's future will look like. He wants them to be ready for a dramatic change in the ways of the world. For some people this kind of talk seems scary and threatening. TV evangelists and Hollywood filmmakers are especially good at hyping that angle. But Jesus seeks to encourage his followers that it is a time of expectation and hope, not anxiousness and fear. |
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| 11/26/06 | John Kwan - "It’s Good
to be the King" Jesus has just been betrayed by Judas and arrested in the garden by the soldiers and chief priests. He is taken to Pilate, the governor of the province, for interrogation. The chief priests have charged him with blasphemy and want him put to death. Pilate knows that this man poses no threat to Rome and that he holds the power of life and death over this prisoner. Pilate sees this as an opportunity to mock the Jewish community and to further demonstrate Rome’s hold over them. As Pilate attempts to exert his power over the person that is before him, we find that it is Jesus who has the last word and is ultimately in control. |
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| 11/19/06 | Thanksgiving Sunday
Jonathan Chute - "A God for All Seasons" 1 Samuel 1:4-20 -- This week's scripture tells the story of Hannah, who goes to the temple at Shiloh to pray for a child. She asks God to deliver her from the humiliation and pain she feels and promises to devote her child to God’s purposes. Her visit surprises the old priest, Eli, who sees her praying and believes that she is drunk. His sons have corrupted the temple, and he seems genuinely startled to find someone using the house of the Lord for its intended purposes. Though Hannah didn't know it, the temple was effectively broken at that time. Yet God blessed her through it anyway. It's a lesson for those who feel that the religious, social, or political institutions around us aren't working the way they're supposed to – that God can, and does, work through them still. |
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| 11/12/06 | Jonathan Chute - "Who's Who in the Kingdom of God" Mark 12:38-44 Our text this week finds Jesus and the disciples at the temple in Jerusalem. He has been teaching for some time when he observes people who show two very different approaches to being religious. The first are the official religious leaders, those who enjoy, and are used to, the privilege that comes with their position. The second is a poor widow, who puts two small copper coins into the treasury. Her act is small – nearly invisible – but Jesus holds her up as an example of true generosity. No one would have noticed her before, but now we can’t forget her. |
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| 11/5/06 | All Saints Jonathan Chute - “Remembering the Future” Isaiah 25:6-9 -- The prophet Isaiah paints a picture of God’s future, a gathering of all the world’s people at a feast of celebration and thanksgiving. It is a day of promise and hope, when mourning and sorrow have been destroyed forever. We know that day has not arrived in full, but those who live in faith catch glimpses of it every day. |
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| 10/29/06 | Celebration Sunday Jonathan Chute -- “No Strings Attached” Genesis 1:1-2:2 -- What does it mean for us to be made “in God’s image?” From the beginning of time God has been at work in Creation, giving, sharing, and blessing. The opening chapter of Genesis tells a story of both simplicity and grandeur, as God speaks, and brings the universe into being. The story offers us clues of who we really are, and how God hopes we will live – with generosity and grace in the world. |
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| 10/22/06 | Jonathan Chute - “The Incomplete Picture” Mark 10:35-45 -- Jesus finds two of the disciples, James and John, seeking places of privilege in God’s kingdom. The other disciples hear about it and get angry. Jesus uses the occasion to teach, yet again, that the path to greatness in God’s realm is the path of service rather than self. Though they have spent much time with Jesus on their journey, it seems the disciples still have a long way to go. They struggled to understand Jesus' message of sacrifice and service. But even as they messed up, they kept following him. And they kept growing as they did. |
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| 10/15/06 | Laity Sunday Earl Butler “Side Effects” Matthew 6:25-33 and 22:34-40 Earl is preaching from two texts that offer advice on how Jesus’ followers should live. In the first passage he encourages us not to be anxious about everyday needs, but to trust first in God’s care. In the second Jesus answers a lawyer's question about which is the greatest commandment – to love the Lord our God, and to love our neighbor as ourself. There are lots of “self-help” strategies out there in the world these days. Like medication, all of them have side effects. Being a follower of Jesus also has side effects – but they’re good ones! |
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| 10/8/06 | Jonathan Chute - “Kids Ride Free” Mark 10:13-16 -- Our story is one of people’s favorites – Jesus blessing the little children. But before he blesses them their parents have to fight through the disciples, who don’t want the children to waste Jesus’ time. Jesus suggests that they, rather than the disciples, are examples of how we enter the kingdom of God. It’s not because of our accomplishments, but through our vulnerability, that God is able to reach us. |
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| 10/1/06 | World Communion Sunday Jonathan Chute - “Outside the Lines” Mark 9:38-41 -- Mark tells yet another story of the disciples missing the point. They report to Jesus that they saw someone healing in his name, but tried to stop him "because he was not following us." Jesus suggests that others can be on our side, even if they aren't officially approved. Jonathan's sermon title is "Outside the Lines," which is where it seems God does a lot of coloring. |
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| 9/24/06 |
Jonathan Chute - “How Not to Be So Great” Mark 9:30-37 -- The disciples are still having a hard time seeing the kingdom of God as Jesus pictures it. He tells them for the second time that he is going to be killed. But rather than hearing him they are preoccupied with the question of which one of them is really the greatest. Compared to what Jesus is facing their discussion seems ridiculous. He wants them to see that greatness in God’s kingdom isn’t measured the way they think. |
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| 09/17/06 |
John Kwan - "Can I See Some ID?" Mark 8:27-38 The disciples have been following Jesus for some time now and Jesus is clearly a man constantly on the move. They have been up and down the mountains, across the sea and back, and everywhere in-between. In all of their travels, Jesus has been preaching and teaching, healing and telling stories. His disciples have been intimately involved with him and the people that he has come into contact with. On their way to Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asks his disciples what the people are saying about him and ultimately who they think Jesus is. In this passage of Mark, Jesus begins to unveil the true nature of his mission to the world |
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| 09/10/06 | Jonathan Chute - Rally Sunday “The Leap of Faith”
Mark 7:24-37 -- This passage from Mark’s gospel tells the story of a most unusual healing. First, Jesus is in Gentile territory, ministering to the unclean – to those who would have been outsiders to his own community. A woman seeks healing for her daughter, and Jesus tries to put her off, using rather offensive language. Some see Jesus as testing her faith, but his words seem out of character. Even so, she refuses to let go of the hope she has in him. She takes his dismissal and turns it upside-down, insisting that he follow through on what he has said. Among all his other encounters with people, no one else ever gets the better of Jesus in an argument. |
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| 09/03/06 | Jonathan Chute - “Summer Love”
Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- The Song of Solomon is one of the most beautiful and poetic texts in the whole Bible. It is a love song between a bride and a groom. They express the passion and delight they share in each other’s presence, and sing of each other’s beauty and wonder. It’s one of two books in the Bible that never mentions the word “God.” But over the centuries it been taken as a metaphor for the love of God for the people of Israel, or the love of Christ for the Church. You can judge for yourself. |
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| 08/27/06 | SSP Youth - “Sierra Service Project Reflections”
Psalm 84 expresses the deep longing of the Psalmist to be in the house of the Lord. He writes, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!” A sense of home is important to all of us. Our physical home provides shelter and comfort – but home means much more. Our youth have been working with the Sierra Service Project for the past four years, helping repair, renew and rebuild homes of Native Americans in the western states. Several of our youth share their reflections on the meaning of this work to them and to the families they met and served. |
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| 08/20/066 | John Kwan - “The IQ Test” 1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14 -- As David came to the end of his reign it was unclear who would follow him. He had numerous sons who were interested in the position. Solomon uses cunning and guile and “a little bit” of force to establish his hold on the throne. His story is every bit as much the “biblical soap opera” as David’s was. This apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Knowing that he is inexperienced in war, Solomon looks for other ways to win the hearts and minds of his people. In today's scripture, we find that Solomon is presented with an opportunity . . . a gift . . . to accomplish his goals. |
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| 08/13/06 |
Jonathan Chute - "What the King Can't Do" 2 Samuel 18:5-15, 21, 31-33 -- Absalom, the son of King David, leads a rebellion against his father. It nearly succeeds. But David orders his army to spare his son's life. When David learns that Absalom has been killed anyway, he is overcome with grief. David wishes he could take his son's place, and undo all the damage his own behavior has caused. His sorrow and sadness remind us of our own limits in the face of tragedy. What David wants to do is beyond him. Only God can take away such suffering. |
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| 08/06/06 |
Jonathan Chute - "Four Little Words" 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13 -- Nathan the prophet had a terrible job to do. He knew that David had ordered the murder of an innocent man after the man's wife had become pregnant by the king. God was unhappy with David and sent Nathan to tell him so. Nathan risks his own life to confront the king over the sin he has committed. But when David hears his own story from Nathan's lips, he knows that he has done wrong. |
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| 07/30/06 |
Jonathan Chute - "Leading Ourselves First" 2 Samuel 11:1-15 -- David, the king of Israel, was a popular and effective leader of other people. But he had a harder time knowing how to manage his own life. He had so many things going for him, but when he put himself above the law, he made a mistake that threatened to destroy everything he'd worked for. |
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| 07/23/06 |
Jonathan Chute - "The Real Hunger" Mark 6:30-56 -- When Jesus and the disciples were tired one day, they went away to rest. But when they got to a lonely and quiet place they found 5,000 more people waiting for them still. They're hungry, so he feeds them. But he also wants to feed the deeper hunger that has brought them there in the first place. |
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| 07/16/06 |
Jonathan Chute - "Faith and Failure" Mark 6:14-29 -- John the Baptist was arrested and killed for speaking the truth about Herod. At the time, it looked like Herod had won and John lost. Herod used one kind of power to kill one of God's faithful servants, but the power of truth is greater still. In John's death God takes what looks like defeat and failure and turns it into something powerful and true. |
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| 07/09/06 |
Jonathan Chute - "Traveling Light" Mark 6:1-13 -- Jesus sent the disciples on a mission trip carrying almost nothing but the clothes on their backs. He wanted them to meet and serve people in the towns and villages where they were going. With no money, no extra clothes, or even food, he knew they would have to depend on the kindness of strangers. Guess what. It worked. |
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| 07/02/06 | John Kwan - "Touched by God" |
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| 06/25/06 | Martha Rowlett - "We Believe in God" |
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| 06/18/06 | Jonathan Chute - "Our Fathers, Ourselves" |
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| 06/11/06 | Jonathan Chute - "Where the Wind Blows" |
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| 06/04/06 | Jonathan Chute - "Jesus, Judas and the Gospels" |
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| 05/28/06 | Jonathan Chute - "Are We There Yet?" |
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| 05/21/06 | Jonathan Chute - "Playing Catch-Up" |
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| 05/14/06 | John Kwan - "Family Matters" |
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| 05/07/06 | Jonathan Chute - "The Same Old Story" |
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| 04/30/06 | Children's Music |
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| 04/23/06 | Jonathan Chute - "First Steps in Faith" |
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| 04/16/06 |
Easter Sunday Jonathan Chute - "Open Ended" |
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| 04/09/06 |
Palm Sunday Jonathan Chute - "Moments of Truth" |
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| 04/02/06 | Jonathan Chute - "Time for a Change" |
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| 03/26/06 |
Youth Sunday Kyle Walsh, Matthew Levan - "Stories of Grace" |
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| 03/19/06 | Jonathan Chute - "10 Simple Rules" |
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| 03/12/06 | Jonathan Chute - "When Life Begins" |
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| 03/05/06 |
First Sunday in Lent Jonathan Chute - "After the Flood" |
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| 02/26/06 |
Transfiguration Sunday Jonathan Chute - "Fast Forward" |
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| 02/19/06 |
United Methodist Women Sunday Nan Grissom Self - "The Power of Persistence" |
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| 02/12/06 | Jonathan Chute - "The Sound of Healing" |
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| 02/05/06 | Jonathan Chute - "Popular Resistance" |
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| 01/29/06 | Jonathan Chute - "The Powerful One" |
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| 01/22/06 | Jonathan Chute - "Telling Time" |
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| 01/15/06 | Jonathan Chute - "The Widening Circle" |
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| 01/08/06 |
Baptism of Jesus Jonathan Chute - "What Comes After" |
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| 01/01/06 |
New Year's Day John Kwan - "Forward Thinking" |
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