JR.'s Sermons

Life is miraculous and - from the perspective of the universe - much rarer than we realized. How does the miracle of life invite us to know God as our creator. What can we discern about our purpose from the fact that we're alive?

The New Year is a great excuse to soar up to 30,000 ft and look at the big story of God's plan. Christmas isn't a day or even a season. It's a new reality Jesus invites us into. Now we can all be part of God's giant story of redemption!

None of us can wait for 2020 to be over - but secretly we all know that nothing *magical* happens at midnight on January 1. Fortunately, our assurance for the future comes not from a calendar, but from the Christmas story: God is with us!

It's a bit of an understatement to say that this Christmas isn't what any of us planned. But disruption is part of the first Christmas. Mary shows us - unlike her ancestor David - what faithfulness in the midst of disruption looks like as we prepare to welcome Jesus this Christmas.

As we decorate our homes and shop for gifts, it's easy to forget that Christmas is about peace on Earth and goodwill for everyone. The work of justice can be hard - and believe it or not, sometimes the bravest thing we can do is celebrate loud and proud. Because we know how the story ends!

Too many Christians today wonder what the point of caring for the world is if we all go to Heaven after we die. But at the heart of the Advent message is an insistence that Jesus' coming is good news for the whole world. What does that look like? And how is the fact that we're waiting for Jesus to return good news?

2020 has been a rough year - rough enough that many of us are rushing to celebrate Christmas as soon as possible. But the Scriptures caution us not to rush past our pain. What healing is available to us when we choose to wait with God's people on Christmas?

It's hard to be a pilgrim when you can't go anywhere. But being a pilgrim is more than just a desire to travel. It's a commitment to seek God in the unexpected. And we've had plenty of unexpected this year. So how can we seek God in the disruptions of 2020?

One of the ongoing realities of the COVID pandemic is how thoroughly our routines have been upended. God created us to be creatures of rhythm, so how can we recover some routine as we live out this extended 'in-between' time?

Real diversity is tough. Sticking to people who are just like us is easy. Tokenism is pretty easy. But authentic diversity that values and respects everyone takes a lot of work. What does true diversity look like in the Church? And why is it essential for the people of God?