The Preaching Moment

Summary

Community Missioner Ed Carrette draws on the Parable of the Sower to invite us not only to cultivate receptive hearts but to sow the word of God freely and fearlessly wherever we go. Grounded in the assurance of Romans 8:1 — that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" — Ed reminds us that this parable is not a verdict on our failures, but an invitation to trust the Sower and join in the sowing. Like Grace Church's Thursday food ministry, we are called to fling seeds of hope, dignity, and compassion without worrying about where they land, because the harvest belongs to God.

A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew                 Matthew 13:1-9,18-23

Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!”

“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” 

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Mother Nan Doerr draws on Matthew's invitation — "Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest" — to remind us that Jesus calls us into partnership with him, sharing the weight of whatever burdens we carry. Like two oxen yoked together, we are not meant to shoulder life's struggles alone, but to trust God to bear the greater portion of the load. Through prayer, stillness, and a willingness to return to God, we find the rest and renewal that only he can give.

A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew                              

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Jesus said to the crowd, “To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,

‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
 we wailed, and you did not mourn.’

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 

Artwork:  The Burden, Honore Daumier (1853)

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Grace Community Missioner Ed Carrette reflects on Matthew 10 and the powerful simplicity of discipleship, centered on Jesus' words: "Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward." Ed reminds us that following Jesus doesn't always demand heroic sacrifice — it is often found in the thousand small gestures of love, hospitality, and presence we offer each day. These acts, however quiet or ordinary they may seem, carry cosmic significance in a world that desperately needs to know it is loved by God.

A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew                                            

Matthew 10:40-42

Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple-- truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

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Mother Nan Doerr draws on the reluctant prophets of Scripture — particularly Jeremiah — and the sending of the disciples in Matthew to remind us that God never promises an easy road, only a faithful companion for the journey. Even in the midst of trials, heartache, and honest complaint, the message that rings clearest is one of hope and presence: God is with us. Like Jeremiah's fire shut up in his bones, we are called not to a life of ease, but to a life of faithfulness, sustained by a peace that passes understanding.

A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew                                            

Matthew 10:24-39

Jesus said to the twelve disciples, “A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!

“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

“Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I have come to set a man against his father, 
 and a daughter against her mother, 
 and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 
 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” 

Artwork:  Calling of the Apostles, Antonio Arias (1481)

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Community Missioner Ed Carrette challenges the common notion that blessing equals good fortune or material comfort, offering instead a richer, gospel-rooted understanding: blessing is God's faithful presence with us, in both the good times and the hard ones. Drawing on Genesis, Matthew, and the lived experience of Grace's ministries, Ed invites the congregation to see God showing up not in the absence of struggle, but right in the middle of it. We are blessed, he reminds us, not because life is easy, but because God refuses to leave us.

The Gospel

Matthew 9:35-10:8

Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. 

Artwork:  Disciples at the Harvest, Gustave Doré (1832-1883) 

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Mother Nan Doerr reflects on three condensed stories from Matthew's Gospel, exploring how Jesus reaches out to sinners, the sick, and the outcast with mercy and compassion. Through the calling of Matthew, the healing of Jairus' daughter, and the woman suffering from bleeding, she reminds us that Jesus came to restore the lost and the forgotten. In return, we are called to share that same love and mercy with those on the fringes of our own society.

The Gospel

Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.”

And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district.

Artwork: "The Resurrection of Jairus' Daughter" by Vasily Polenov, 1871

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On Trinity Sunday, Mother Suzanne leads her congregation through an exploration of one of the Christian faith's most central and mysterious doctrines — the Trinity. Drawing on images like St. Patrick's shamrock and the concept of the "divine dance," she unpacks the three-in-one nature of God as not merely a theological abstraction, but an intimate, living reality that shapes how believers relate to God, to themselves, and to one another. Ultimately, she reminds her congregation that we are forever pursued by a God whose very nature is love and relationship.

THE GOSPEL                                                                                                                                              Matthew 28:16-20

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Artwork: The Trinity, Laurent Girardin - 1455

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On the Day of Pentecost, Mother Suzanne invites her congregation to celebrate the birthday of the church — the moment when the Holy Spirit transformed a small, frightened group of 120 disciples into a fearless, Spirit-filled body of thousands. Just as the disciples were empowered to go into the world as the hands and feet of Jesus, so too are believers today called to inhale God's breath and carry that same Spirit into their communities. Mother Suzanne closes by inviting those who have been led to Grace Church to sign the Book of Belonging and claim it as their spiritual home.

THE GOSPEL John 20:19-23

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Artwork:  The Pentecost

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In this Mother's Day sermon, Grace Community Missioner Ed Carrette draws on the image of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage to remind us that the spiritual life cannot be rushed. Drawing from Jesus' promise, "I will not leave you orphaned," Ed calls us to slow down, pay attention, and discover that God has been walking beside us all along. The goal, he reminds us, is not to arrive faster, but to become aware of the presence that has never left us.

A reading from the Gospel of John                                                                                                   John 14:15-21    

Jesus said, ”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

”I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

Artwork:  Mother Suzanne and Andrew at km. 0.000 The Camino De Santiago

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Mother Nan Doerr draws on the letters of Peter and the Gospel of John to remind believers that even when rejected by the world, they are chosen and precious in God's sight. Just as the early followers of the Way were cast out of synagogues yet continued to spread the Gospel, so too are we called to become living stones in God's spiritual house. To know God, we need only look to Jesus — the way, the truth, and the life.

THE GOSPEL                                                                                                                                                            John 14:1-14
Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.” 

Artwork:  Carl Bloch (Collection 1865-1879) 

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