Sermons

December 1, 2019

The First Sunday of Advent

Good Morning Seekers family and good morning to my family here today, my husband Will. It has been some time since I have preached, yet I still remember the sudden anxiety attack that occurs upon taking the podium. Prayer helps so let us begin with a prayer: Holy One, please continue to bless us today with your presence. Please bless my words and ideas that, however lacking, they might fulfill your purposes and touch the hearts of those for whom you intend them. Amen

When I asked to speak today, I knew that the theme for this advent season would be “what do you see? What do you hear?” That was it. I had not read ahead the lectionary readings for the day. But, having returned from a 10-week pilgrimage that required walking 520 miles, I had seen and heard some amazing things that I want to share with you.  As usual, the Holy One provided a gospel reading in Matthew 24:36-44 that fits my story. I like to call such synchronicities “God winks.”

First, a word on pilgrimage.  There are many reasons that one might go on a pilgrimage.  Some of the reasons that Will and I went were -to go to a place of sacred and historical value, to be in  a thin place where the Holy One might be heard-to remember the ideas and events that shaped our lives -to be inspired and transformed -to have (hopefully) a mountaintop experience – to be removed from everyday life distractions -to perhaps experience more healing – to get guidance from the Holy One on the direction of our lives -to walk with the Holy One and -to leave behind what was getting in the way of our soul journey and -to receive guidance. I suppose you could sum this up in one of the metaphors from today’s gospel, we went to make sure that our lamps were full, and we had extra oil while we waited for the Bridegroom.

November 24, 2019

The Feast of the Reign of Christ

A few months ago I had talked with Deborah about signing up to preach again, so I started looking through the lectionary for this fall. The first scripture I looked at was interesting, but nothing immediately came to mind. Same with the second. I got to the third, and my reaction was, “Nope! No siree. Nopity NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE.” So I moved on to the fourth and fifth. Nothing resonated. Finally the Holy Spirit nudged, You might as well stop wasting your time and turn back to reading number three because clearly we’ve got some work to do.

What was it that so agitated me in today’s gospel? Two words: “Save yourself.” They show up three times in this scripture, and all three times they are put in the mouths of people who, if not exactly enemies of Jesus, certainly aren’t the heroes of the scene: the mocking rulers, sneering soldiers, and of course, the criminal hanging beside him.

Yet I found myself in their company when I read this passage. “Save yourself, Jesus.” Those were my words, too.

After all, what’s so awful about asking Jesus to save himself? Surely some of his friends, disciples, and family members must have been thinking the same? Setting aside some very heavy theological questions about the reason for and meaning of Jesus’s death, surely it’s fair for his followers to be concerned: will a Messiah who wouldn’t save himself… save me? If Christ did not not spare himself the worst, does he expect me to the same?

November 17, 2019

Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost

Mike Tabor reflected on the agricultural origins of the yearly Jewish festival cycle. Using the diagram shown here, he pointed out that the Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur/Sukkot/Hoshanah Rabah group of observances in early fall as one of four “new year” observances that mark important moments in the agricultural cycle in the Middle East. The others include the late winter observance of Purim, which is similar in many ways to Carnival; the early spring festival of Pesach (Passover), which coincides with the barley harvest; and the early summer observance of Shavuot (Pentecost) at the time of the wheat harvest.

November 10, 2019

Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

Rev. Charlene Belsom Zellmer, interfaith minister, key person in the Congregation Action Network (CAN), and the leader of the Sanctuary for Rosa team at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church, spoke on the Sanctuary movement, the current Supreme Court case involving DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), and her own experiences near the border in southern Arizona. The text of this sermon is not available.

November 3, 2019

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

Never ever have I imagined that I would stand in front of any congregation to deliver any type of sermon, but the speed of the good Universe happens on its own time and here I am. Randomly, I chose November third to deliver my experience of Wise, VA to you, not knowing the lectionary, a word that I only learned of recently. (Thanks Pat!) Once I was finished reading Habakkuk, these words that spoke of, patience, and hope gave depth and meaning to how I view communities and Wise, VA.

In chapter 1, we hear the Prophet’s prayer 1:2 “O Holy One, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to Violence! And you will not save?”, and Habakkuk, 1:3 “Why do you make me see wrong-doing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.”

For most of my life, my solution to this was to simply turn off the TV, but that’s not a fix all. Now my spirit tells me, it is virtuous to witness these afflictions because we have an ethical role to stand up and speak for those whom are unwilling or incapable to act for themselves. SAMS (Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards) along with others in similar mining areas speak for the mountains, streams, and lives within their communities.