Hope Central Church

September 1, 2019

Rev. Terry Steeden

Labor Day Blessings

Readings: Galatians 6:2-5, John 21:15-19

August 18, 2019

Rev. Benjamin Perkins

West of Eden: The Journey from Innocence to Freedom

Readings: Psalm 103:1-14; Matthew 19:16-22, 25-26

Many consider the Garden of Eden a myth of our origins, how we came to our human condition, particularly why we suffer. At the heart of the story is the question: are we essentially good or evil? Original Sin or Original Blessing frameworks are attempts to answer this question, but are they most truthful? In this sermon, “West of Eden:  The Journey from Innocence to Freedom,” I will explore a different way to approach this question that has profound implications for how we view ourselves and our world.  Please join us!

August 11, 2019

Rev. Laura Ruth Jarrett

The White Gaze

Readings: Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Luke 12:13-21

July 28, 2019

Rev. Laura Ruth Jarrett

A Kind of Hell: Scorpions for Children

Readings: Psalm 138, Luke 11:1-14

This Sunday, I’m preaching on the radically inclusive vision of Jesus, as told by Luke. Luke understands that Jesus taught the kind of economy which requires the needs of the people met, including daily bread, the forgiving of the indebted, and the care of children. My sermon is called “Scorpions For Children.”

July 21, 2019

Rev. Courtney Jones

Being and Doing

Readings: Luke 10:38-42, Psalm 15

This Sunday’s scripture lesson is Luke 10:38-42. The story of Mary and Martha so aptly captures the tension between “being” and “doing” that we described at our all-church retreat. When is the work enough, and when is it appropriate to slow down and be in the presence of the Divine in the present moment? How do busyness and stillness coexist in each of us, in who we are called to be as individuals and as a community?

July 7, 2019

Rev. Laura Ruth Jarrett

Flourishing

Readings: Isaiah 66:10-14; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

June 30, 2019

Susan Clinkenbeard

Personal Discipleship

Readings: Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20; Luke 9:51-62

I am preaching from Luke, one of those difficult texts where Jesus responds to his followers with cryptic statements, “because his face was set toward Jerusalem.” What does it mean to follow Christ? Disciples have been trying to answer that question, as individuals and as community, ever since Jesus’ death. Join us for an exploration of discipleship in our own lives.

June 23, 2019

Rev. Laura Ruth Jarrett

Stories from Montgomery, Selma, and Boston

Readings: Psalm 43, Luke 8:26-39

I’m back from Montgomery, from the Pettis Bridge in Selma, from the Lynching Memorial, and from an asylum hearing in Boston, a hearing that saved a man’s life. I’m preaching from Luke, the story of the healing of the man who had in him so many demons they called themselves Legion. Come hear all these stories.

June 16, 2019

Rev. Benjamin Perkins

The Tracks of Our Tears: A Meditation on the Humanity of Men

Readings: Psalm 56, John 11:35

One of the greatest gifts a father can give their child is their full-bodied emotional availability, not the least of which includes their tears. In fact, the Syrian Fathers Ephrem and Simeon actually proposed that tears be considered a sacrament!  In this week’s gospel reading, which contains the shortest verse in the Bible, Jesus wept, we will explore the significance of tears as a kind of portal into the heart of the Divine.  Please join us for this Father’s Day reflection.

June 9, 2019

Rev. Courtney Jones

The Spirit of Pentecost

Reading: Acts 2:1-21

I am preaching on the story Pentecost, widely understood as the birthday of the Church. We engage the spirit and Spirit of Pentecost all the time as we speak and listen across difference, code switching and learning new ways to talk about our experience of the Divine.