Sermons from the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer

"And for Redeemer as a congregation - I can't wait, I'll be on the sidelines to watch and see what happens next - but same thing here. And, let's not focus too much on being a tall, stately cedar. But instead, a boundary breaking invasive contagious weed like the mustard bush. Allow God to work in new ways. Sometimes setting aside the old way of doing things to make way for the new. I'm excited to hear about the next chapter in this congregation's story, and i know that it will happen as you sow seeds, cultivate them, nurture them, water them, and watch while they grow."

Ezekiel 17:22-24

Mark 4:26-34

"We need to be reminded to do our job - to plant seeds. And, to not be afraid that the seeds that we have to plant are too small. And then to trust God to do the growing. Trust God to grow that seed in peoples' hearts. And be there when it's time for the harvest."

Mark 4:26-34

"What does it look like for us to be unbound? And not only to be unbound in our personal lives, more free to be who we are and what God calls us to be, but to move out to free others. To free others who are bound by poverty, by injustice. To be both unbound ourselves, and unbind the wounds of others in our world."

Mark 3:20-35

[...] whatever brings us here, what we find in our common ground, our common life together, is Jesus. And, we find that message of love - our call to love God, our call to love each other, our call to love ourselves. That's the abiding message here. That's what ties us together. That's what makes us brothers and sisters in Christ.

Mark 3:20-35

"Jesus is an artist in this world who is creating a new genre of living - a new way of being in the world. That's what Jesus is. He is creating a new way of living and loving in the world. He's not starting from scratch, and he's not scrapping everything. He understands the rules of his people, but more importantly he knows what they're for. He knows that the rules are there to help people to be in tune with how God speaks - to help them listen for God's voice... for God's song."

Mark 2:23-3:6

"We in institutions and we as individuals can fall prey to the same dilemma. We can get caught up in our structures. We can get caught up in our legalistic thinking. And, we can fail to see the message of love - the miracle in front of us, the opportunity right in front of us - to reach out and touch someone with love... to lighten someone's load with love."

Mark 2:23-3:6

"But here's the big secret about God's love - and it shames me to say that this is any kind of a secret, but somehow for centuries the church has kept this secret from people - God's love isn't fair. It couldn't be less concerned with being fair. It's concerned about being love. Loving the world so much to send a son into the world, and sending that son not to condemn the world, but for love. This shouldn't be a secret."

John 3:1-17

"God so loved the world. He didn't love just a political party, just a faith tradition, just people of a certain continent. The message is God so loved the world. So often the focus is on this scripture in a way that divides us, but the opening could not be clearer - God so loved the world."

John 3:1-17

Love wins over sin and death and even... this is what the Holy Spirit is. It's that feeling in your heart when your heart breaks at the brokenness of the world - that's the Holy Spirit. When you see people out there making a difference in this broken world and you're inspired to go and help - that's the Holy Spirit. And, when you do the best you can and you lay down at night assured that love will win over sin and death and evil - that's the Holy Spirit.

John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15

The people around us are not alone because God is with them when we love them. Today the Holy Spirit comes upon you, not just so you can know that you're loved - although you are, you are so loved - but the Holy Spirit comes upon you so that you may be the presence of God in the lives of the people around you.

Acts 2:1-21

Romans 8:22-27