JR.'s Sermons

US economics is based on principles of making profit and supply and demand. But does the invisible hand that guides the market belong to God? Elijah's encounter with a widow illustrates that God does not live in a world of scarcity. So as God's people, we can reject any system that insists on my success over your failure.

There are few things we value more than our individualism. But the early church identified pride as the root sin. Why is individualism so dangerous? And how can we resist the temptation to set ourselves up as gods?

Who ever wants to come back from vacation? Or go to the office on Monday? Or leave any of those places where we feel free to be most fully ourselves? Jesus shows us that God invites us into these spaces not to hide, but to receive strength and courage to take Jesus' love to the world.

Over the last several years, we've all experienced strained and broken relationships. What is the faith-filled path forward in these relationships? How do we create space for forgiveness and reconciliation? Joseph's reunion with his brothers illustrates how we can seek real healing.

How do we prepare for the work God calls us to? Spiritual practices create space for the Holy Spirit to work in us. They are not self-care, but joining with God for healing and restoration!

One of the biggest complaints about churches today is that we're too political. What we mean though, is that churches are too partisan. Because God calls us to love our neighbors the same way we love ourselves and our families - and that's a political act. So how can we be political without becoming partisan? Isaiah's vision of God's throne room is good news for anyone who's sick and tired of politics as usual.

Most of us struggle to hear God's call. Isn't that something reserved for preachers and prophets? But God calls each of us. And God calls ALL of us. Our calling is something for good - not just our own good, but the good of our community, and of the world around us. So what is God's call for us?

It's pretty hard these days to muster the energy to worship. Whether it's an ongoing weariness with virtual, guilt over feeling defeated and exhausted or a more general malaise, just showing up feels like a miracle. Would it surprise you to know that experience is common? And that it's a sign that the best place for us to be is... in worship together?

We don't like to admit we're hurting. We want to present ourselves as strong, competent, able to shoulder the burdens of life. But a strong facade actually keeps us from healing. Naming our pain, our trauma, is essential to healing. Our pain matters to God. Our trauma matters to God. Naming it is how we learn to hope.

As the pandemic wears on, more and more of us experience a deep sense of loneliness. At the beginning of this new year, how can we find God present with us in a way that doesn't ask us to ignore that pain? How does God's solidarity with us actually speak to this deep sense of isolation so many of us carry right now?