Tag: refugee

Courage

Courage (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Genesis 12:1-3, Romans 12:1-2
June 10, 2018

But now they desire a better Country
that is an heavenly: wherefore God
is not ashamed to be called their God:
for he hath prepared for them a city

Do you recognize these words?  They are printed on the plaque that hangs in the South Street entrance of our church, honoring our six charter members: Abram Hosford, John Leavitt, Joseph and Cynthia White, and Levi and Mary Worcester. … Continue reading ...

Life in all its fullness

Life in all its fullness (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
John 10:1-10
May 7, 2017

Jonathan Yarngo has made his home among us.  He was born in Liberia, but he has lived for twelve years now in the United States, in Minnesota and in Iowa.  Four years ago, Jonathan became a naturalized citizen of this country.

Jonathan Yarngo has made his home among us, the members of the First Congregational United Church of Christ family. … Continue reading ...

And shared our common lot

and shared our common lot
Matthew 25:31-46
April 2, 2017

Where was Jesus?  Eighty-some generations ago, when Jesus lived and worked in Palestine, where would you find him?

You would find him sitting by a well, starting up a conversation with a woman, a Samaritan woman, crossing ethnic and gender boundaries to ask from her a drink of water, and to offer her a drink of living water.… Continue reading ...

Look

Look (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Revelation 1:4-8
November 22, 2015

Look!  What do you see?

You see a choir loft, filled with choir members, and over their heads the gleaming pipes of our pipe organ and you see tables covered with soft black cushions for our bells and bell players, emblems of the importance of music to us, to our ears and to our hearts.… Continue reading ...

Love is happy with the truth

Love is happy with the truth (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Matthew 7:13-14
February 5, 2017

So, what is it that is on everybody’s mind today? I’ll give you a hint. It’s not a football game.

I am used to over-the-top Super Bowl hype, all Super Bowl, all the time, news coverage of every little detail. What is Tom Brady eating for breakfast on the big day?… Continue reading ...

You

You (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Luke 17:11-19
October 9, 2016

Your name is Rahm and you are a leper.

You were not always a leper.  There was a time — it seems now like another lifetime or the lifetime of another person, not your own life — a time when you were happy, at least as happy as you could be, considering.… Continue reading ...