Middlebury Congregational Church UCC

The gospel accounts of Jesus' resurrection take pains to show that Jesus is physically risen from the dead. he has a body. What is the good news for the risen Christ having a body?

See His Hands and Side

John 20:19-31

The Rev. Katrina Manzi

Middlebury Congregational Church

April 12, 2026

Through the faithfulness of the female disciples of Christ, we learn the good news of the resurrection. In Christ, God shakes apart the old order of sin and death and brings us to eternal life.

Shaking Up the World

Matthew 28:1-10

The Rev. Katrina Manzi

Middlebury Congregational Church

April 5, 2026

The passion narrative reminds us of our participation in the collective sins of the world, the sins that put Jesus on the cross. Holy Week also reminds us that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.

On Palm Sunday we explore how Jesus shows us a different view of what heroes look like and how we humans are keen to build people into heroes and also sometimes even more keen to tear those same people down.

The Rise and Fall of a Hero

Matthew 21:1-11

The Rev. Katrina Manzi

Middlebury Congregational Church

March 29, 2026

The valley of dry bones and the raising of Lazarus are lessons about hope and possibility. They tell us there is possibility for us, for our church, and for our world

In 1 Samuel 16, it says God does not see as mortals see; God looks on the heart. What does it mean to see as God sees? And what does the selection of a lowly shepherd boy as king tell us about how God sees?

Seeing as God Sees

1 Samuel 16:1-13, Ephesians 5:8-14

The Rev. Katrina Manzi

Middlebury Congregational Church

March 15, 2026

In John 4, Jesus decides to return to Galilee by going through Samaria. In Samaria, he meets a woman at a well, and in that encounter we realize that Jesus goes through Samaria to show the scope of God's salvation. Jesus goes to a place no one would expect, and the Samaritans show themselves to be model disciples.

Finding God in the Last Place You’d Look

John 4:3-42

The Rev. Katrina Manzi

Middlebury Congregational Church

March 8, 2026

2/15/26 Sermon: On the feast of the Transfiguration, how do we hold together the Jesus we see in the transfiguration and the Jesus we see in Calvary? Jesus is bringing God’s kingdom, and the kingdom of God involves turning the world’s expectations and values upside down

The Mountain(s)

Matthew 17:1-9

The Rev. Katrina Manzi

Middlebury Congregational Church

February 15, 2026

2/8/26 Sermon: What does it mean in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus tells the church you are the salt of the earth and the light of the world? What is the purpose and good news of being salt and light?

A Dash of Salt and a Spark of Light

Isaiah 58:1-12, Matthew 5:13-20

The Rev. Katrina Manzi

Middlebury Congregational Church

February 8, 2026

2/1/26 Sermon: Proclaiming and worshiping a crucified savior requires a radical redefinition of values. We see the values of our crucified savior in the beatitudes, where Jesus calls the church to live kingdom values in a world that often values different things

The Values of the Kingdom

1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12

The Rev. Katrina Manzi

Middlebury Congregational Church

February 1, 2026