April Herron - "What Elizabeth Knew"

Christmas is a time for family visits, much singing, and many expressions of love. It has been so from the very beginning. This Sunday's scripture text recounts Mary's visit to Elizabeth after both women had learned that babies were on the way. We find Elizabeth exclaiming in wonder and Mary rejoicing over God's amazing activity in the world. April's sermon title is "What Elizabeth Knew." Worship will include joyful music and the lighting of the fourth candle on the Advent wreath, the candle of Love.

Jonathan Chute - "Shaking the Family Tree"

Wake the dog! Phone the neighbors! Get the kids out of bed! You won’t want to miss this Sunday, when we present – not more than twice in a decade – “The Annotated Genealogy of Jesus.” It grew out of an accident in worship many years ago and far, far away, when the liturgist read THE WRONG SCRIPTURE. To make things worse, the passage is widely considered one of the most boring in the whole Bible, and is full of unpronounceable names. It goes something like this: “So and so was the father of so and so. So and so was the father of so and so….” It goes on like that for quite a while. The preacher that day was one of Jonathan’s seminary professors, and later discovered that those verses actually contain some of the most hopeful truth in the whole gospel. He filled in what we know about those mostly unknown characters, and created “cue cards” so that the congregation could participate more fully in the story, cheering the heroes and booing the villains. The Third Sunday of Advent is “Rejoice Sunday,” so we’ll light the candle of Joy and share laughter and good fun in the sermon as well.

Mark begins his gospel with the ministry of John the Baptist. Luke tells us about the angel’s announcement to Mary. But Matthew opens with what he sees as the real beginning of the story, telling us the names of the people in Jesus’ family tree – all the way back to Abraham. In a culture that placed high importance on family and heritage, the genealogy of Jesus has some surprises in it. If God could work with this family, then there’s hope for ours as well! The text for the sermon is Matthew 1:1-16, and Jonathan’s sermon is titled “Shaking the Family Tree.”

Jonathan Chute - "Step Back"

Mark 1: 1-8. This Sunday’s scripture begins quite literally at the beginning. Mark opens his gospel with these words “the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ.” But then the story does not actually start where we expect. There is no manger, no stable, no newborn child or anxious parents. We find ourselves not in Bethlehem, but out in the desert with John the Baptist. In that day people were anxious, looking with hope to the coming of the Messiah. But John knew that they were not ready. He came to prepare the way for one who was coming after. Sometimes, before something new can begin, you have to back up. The text for Jonathan’s sermon is Mark 1:1-8, and his title is “Step Back.” We’ll also be lighting our second Advent Candle, the Candle of Peace.

Doug Dickson - "Boring Faith"

Mark 13: 24-37. In our scripture for the first Sunday of Advent, Jesus reminds us to avoid complacency and remain awake to the presence and coming of God. From the outside, Jesus’ imagery appears dark and foreboding. However, for the faithful comes the promise of hope. The text for Doug’s sermon is Mark 13:24-37 and his title is “Boring Faith.'” We’ll be lighting the first Advent Candle, the Candle of Hope.

Jonathan Chute - "Who Could Forget?"

Deuteronomy 8: 7-18. Our scripture comes from Moses’ address to the people of Israel, as they are about to enter the promised land. He knows that God will bless them in this new place, but worries that they will forget who brought them there. He invites their gratitude even before they reach their destination, sharing pictures of the blessing and bounty that await them. He knows that sometimes when things are going best we lose sight of where we came from, and who saw us through those struggles. The text for Jonathan’s sermon is Deuteronomy 8:7-18, and his title is “Who Could Forget?”

Jonathan Chute - "The God You Believe In"

Matthew 25: 14-30. This week, Jesus tells the story of a man who puts his finances in the hands of his servants and goes away on a journey. When he returns he finds that each of them has responded rather differently to his favor and trust. He praises two servants who took risks with what he had given them. They might have lost it all, but returned even more than they were given. But he reprimands the one who gave him everything back, safe and sound. His resentment and fear prevented him from doing anything at all with the wealth entrusted to him. The text for Jonathan’s sermon is Matthew 25:14-30, and his title it “The God You Believe In.”

Jonathan Chute - "Late"

Matthew 25: 1-13. In our gospel for this Sunday Jesus tells a story of preparation and readiness. Ten bridesmaids wait up to meet the groom, whose arrival at the wedding is much later than expected. Because of the delay, it turns out that five of them do not have enough oil to last the night – their lamps will run out too soon. Just before he arrives they go out to purchase more oil. By the time they return the doors of the hall are locked and they end up missing the feast. The text for Jonathan’s sermon is Matthew 25:1-13, and his title is “Late!”

Jonathan Chute - "You Be Jesus"

Matthew 23: 1-12. This week, Jesus teaches his followers that the way to honor and glory in God’s kingdom is through humility and service. He proclaims an upside-down approach to getting ahead – one that may not come easily to those accustomed to privilege. In his day that included the religious leaders, who were used to special treatment. But he brings this message to everyone, rather than just the few. It is a word of caution to some, and of comfort to others.

Jonathan Chute - "Like It"

Matthew 22: 34-40. This week, our gospel tells of another encounter with someone who wants to test Jesus. A lawyer asks him, “What is the greatest commandment?” It is a fairly straight question and Jesus gives him a fairly straight answer – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind.” But Jesus wants him to see that how we treat God and how we treat each other are two sides of the same coin. We cannot love God and ignore the needs of our neighbors.

Jonathan Chute - "Yes, AND..."

Matthew 22: 15-22. Our gospel for this Sunday includes one of the most often misunderstood sayings of Jesus. While he and the disciples are in Jerusalem a group of religious leaders tries to paint him into a corner. They ask him a question to which there is no easy answer, hoping that he will stumble. The question is about taxes, a very hot topic in the Roman occupied city. He finds a way to turn the question around, leaving us with an even more important question to ponder.