Previous Sermons Available at RHUMC

Jonathan Chute - "Speaking the Language"
Acts 17: 22-31. This week's scripture tells of Paul's experience in Athens, where he has gone to bring the message of the gospel. Before he speaks, Paul familiarizes himself with Athenian ways in order to better communicate with the people in this new culture.

Jonathan Chute - "When God Calls"
Acts 9: 1-27. In the early days of the church, Jesus' followers were accused of heresy by other faithful Jews, Saul among them. Then, while traveling on the road to Damascus, Saul hears the voice of Jesus call to him, and Ananias, a follower of Jesus in Damascus, also hear Jesus' call. Although he is exactly the kind of person Saul would want to pursue, the voice tells Ananias to go and care for Saul, who has been struck blind. It would be hard to decide which of the two had a harder time hearing what God had to say.

Jonathan Chute - "Person to Person"
Acts 2: 42-47. This week's scripture describes the life of the church in its earliest days. The worship is warm and welcoming. There is generosity and sharing. They are growing in the knowledge and love of God, and they are full of joy and hope.

John Kwan - "Same But Different"
Luke 24: 13-35. Earlier in the day, women have said they visited Jesus' tomb to find it empty and seen angels proclaiming that Jesus was alive, but when some of the disciples go to the tomb they see no sign of either angles or Jesus. In this week's text, we find two of the disciples walking down the road to Emmaus later that day when they encounter a stranger who doesn't seem to know what has been going on.

Jonathan Chute - "Breathing Room"
John 20: 19-23. This week's gospel describes what took place in the evening of Easter. Far from celebrating new life and hope, the disciples are in hiding. In the midst of their anxiousness and fear, Jesus comes to them. He gives them his peace and sets them free for the work of forgiveness that the world needs.

Jonathan Chute - "First Sight"
John 20: 1-18. This Sunday we celebrate the central truth of the Christian story - that God's grace is more powerful than sin and death.

Jonathan Chute - "Broken"
Matthew 26 and 27. This Sunday morning we move through a series of readings which take us through the passion and death of Jesus. Our text includes several brief episodes from the last day of Jesus' life. The grace of God is present in each of these events, though it shines through them quite differently.

Jonathan Chute - "Leaving the Tomb"
John 11: 1-45. The stakes are getting higher, and the sense of anticipation and anxiousness of those around Jesus is growing. In our gospel we learn that Lazarus, Jesus' friend, is sick, and by the time Jesus arrives Lazarus is dead and buried. Jesus mourns, along with the friends and family gathered at the tomb. But he has something else in mind.

Jonathan Chute - "Not Everyone Sees"
John 9: 1-41. This week's gospel tells of the controversy around the healing of a blind man on the Sabbath. Though the gift of sight could be seen as an occasion for rejoicing, some saw only the breaking of a Sabbath law and missed this example of God's grace.

Youth Sunday Sermons - "What Are You Thirsting For?"
John 4: 5-15. In this week's scripture, Jesus begins a conversation with a woman, a foreigner, of questionable reputation, at a well located in Samaria. The woman comes seeking water but leaves with something much more instead.

Jonathan Chute - "The Shape of God"
John 3: 1-17. This week Nicodemus, a leader in the Jewish community, wants to know more. Jesus tells him the Spirit of God is like the wind, and so are those who live in it. You can see what the Spirit is up to, by the movement of the things it touches. But you don't know where it came from, or even less where it is going.

Jonathan Chute - "Alone"
Matthew 4: 1-11. On this first Sunday in Lent, we begin the journey that lies at the heart of the Christian story. We look to Jesus as the example of a life of courage, compassion and hope. During Lent, we walk with him from his temptation in the desert to his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The story does not end there, we know. But this week we pay attention to how it all begins....

John Kwan - "In Good Company"
Matthew 17: 1-9. In this week's scripture, Matthew tells the magical and mysterious story of Jesus' transfiguration on the mountain. As Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James and John, Moses and Elijah join Jesus on the mountaintop.

Jonathan Chute - "What Really Counts"
Matthew 6: 24-34. In this week's gospel, Jesus speaks about our tendency to be anxious. Yet, if we focus on our worries, we risk losing sight of something even more vital - the care and compassion of God that is with us every day. Jesus knows that when we trust in God's grace, we can keep our fears in check, and our worries in perspective.

Jonathan Chute - "Leading"
Matthew 5: 38-48. In what we call the Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches that when confronted by evil, to give love in return. He understands that his followers will face opposition and threats, but he wants them to remember, even then, that it is God's grace that sets the terms of our relationships with others. They may treat us unjustly, but God is still in charge.

Jonathan Chute - "Life Support"
Matthew 5: 21-30. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount teachings continue as he offers his commentary on the 10 commandments, making clear that God's ways are not always easy. We might be able to follow the letter of the Law, but Jesus has higher hopes for his followers. He wants us to honor the spirit of compassion and grace that are its foundation. Where the Law says "Do not murder," Jesus says "Do not be angry with a brother or sister."

Jonathan Chute - "Low Salt"
Matthew 5: 13-16. This week's gospel continues Jesus' teaching from the Sermon on the Mount. He wants his followers to know that they are like salt, an ingredient that makes all the difference. They are light, that cannot be hidden.

Jonathan Chute - "Unlikely Blessings"
Matthew 5: 1-12. Our scripture for this Sunday includes the opening verses of the Sermon on the Mount, some of Jesus' most beloved - and most provocative - teaching. He describes a range of people who are usually not seen as blessed: Those who mourn, the meek, and those who are persecuted, are often seen by the world as victims. Jesus makes it clear that God sees us differently.

Jonathan Chute - "Timing"
Matthew 4: 12-23. This morning we find Jesus by the Sea of Galilee. After he hears about the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus leaves home in Nazareth and begins his active ministry. As he travels along the shore, he meets two sets of brothers and invites them to come with him. With nothing more to go on than Jesus' few words, they leave their nets and follow.

Jonathan Chute - "I Came, I Saw . . ."
John 1: 29-42. Some of Jesus' first disciples were already followers of John the Baptist who go to see what John means when he calls Jesus the Lamb of God. Jesus sees them following and invites them to "come and See." In part, the story illustrates how some people come to faith. We may not remember when we began to believe or know exactly the moment it happened or, like John's disciples, may have been influenced by seeing the difference faith has made in the life of another, and when we open ourselves to that possibility, we find that we see the world differently, ourselves.

John Kwan - "One of Us"
Matthew 3: 13-17. In this week's text, we find ourselves at the Jordan River where John the Baptist first wishes that Jesus baptize him but then agrees to baptize Jesus as Jesus has requested. As the baptism proceeds, we begin to understand who Jesus is and what he hopes to accomplish in the world.

Jonathan Chute - "To Become Children"
John 1: 1-14. The meaning of the incarnation.

John Kwan - "What to Pack"
Matthew 2: 13-23. We have just witnessed the glory and majesty of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. The candles have all been lit. The carols have been sung. Celebrations and hallelujahs abound. The baby Jesus has arrived! But Joseph is warned in a dream to have the family flee to Egypt to escape Herod's reach. Thus begins Jesus' journey to make a difference in the world and the attempts to thwart those efforts.

Jonathan Chute - "Who Counts?"
Luke 2: 8-20. Luke wants to be sure that we understand the social and political circumstances surrounding the night of Jesus' birth. He reminds us that the birth took place in Bethlehem, during the reign of Caesar Augustus, under the governorship of Quirinius, when an important census was being taken. Yet this story takes place out of the sight of the famous and powerful. The angels announce the good news to shepherds, out in the fields. The baby Jesus is born in the humblest of conditions, welcomed into the world almost as a refugee.

Jonathan Chute - "The Waiting Room"
Matthew 1: 18-25. The story of Jesus' birth as told by Matthew is seen through the eyes of Joseph. In this account the father of Jesus does not say a single word. Matthew tells us what he thinks and dreams, but no one hears Joseph speak. Joseph is a decent man - a just man, but God asks of him something far greater than simply doing what is right. Much is at stake. The rest of the story will depend on his response.

Jonathan Chute - "Beginning at the Begetting"
Matthew 1: 1-16. Matthew sets the stage for the coming of Jesus in an unusual way. He opens with what he sees as the real beginning of the story, telling us the names of everyone in Jesus' family tree - all the way back to Abraham. In a culture that placed such importance on family and heritage, the genealogy of Jesus has some surprises in it.

Jonathan Chute - "Which Came First?"
Matthew 3: 1-12. This Sunday we are greeted by John the Baptist, who calls the people to repentance and urges them to show their results of their faith in their daily lives. But John knows that this is just the beginning - there is still more work to be done. He knows that someone is coming after him, who will bring God's project to completion.

Diane Rehfield - "Seeing What's Impossible"
Isaiah 2: 1-5. A good vision is something that is achievable, but at the same time, something that is a stretch. If we are bold in our visions, there will be some who say that what we envision is not possible. In our scripture this morning, the prophet Isaiah speaks an incredibly bold vision that continues to call to us, requiring us to believe in what seems impossible, and inviting us to walk in the light of the Lord toward peace.

Jonathan Chute - "From Wandering to Wondering"
Deuteronomy 26: 1-11. Deuteronomy 26: 1-11. The scripture for Thanksgiving Sunday this year includes Moses' instructions for dedicating the harvest, when the people of Israel had come into the promised land and were ready to enjoy its bounty. He knew that their feast would not be complete without room for others at the table. In that sense and others, the first Thanksgiving had much in common with our own celebrations. It was a time to remember the goodness of God, and to reach out to share with those around us.

Jonathan Chute - "Things Change"
Luke 21: 5-19. This week's gospel comes from a time near the end of Jesus' ministry and includes some of his last teachings. He speaks of a time of coming crisis, when the temple in Jerusalem will stand no longer, and when others will compete for the loyalty of his followers. In the midst of the turmoil, Jesus offers a word of encouragement and hope: God is still in charge. Do not be afraid.

John Kwan - "Whose Hat to Wear?"
Luke 20: 27-38. In this week's text, the Sadducees come to Jesus with a question about resurrection. Their question does not appear to be an attempt to trick Jesus but rather centers on an issue that the Sadducees and the Pharisees disagree over and Luke shares with us how Jesus responds to their question.