Advent is a season of hopeful tension, embracing the idea that God's new world is both Already here (seen in moments of grace and peace, like Jerusalem's relief from Assyria) and Not Yet fully realized. Drawing on Isaiah 2:1-5 and Matthew 24:36-44, this sermon encourages us to live in what Parker Palmer calls the "Tragic Gap" between the real and the ideal.

We explore how glimpses of compassion, justice, and peace—like turning guns into trumpets—are signs of what could be, calling us to live as though Christ's peaceful reign has already begun.

Watch the full worship service

Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com

On this Reign of Christ Sunday, we explore the political and spiritual tension surrounding the Messiah. The prophet Jeremiah pronounces "Woe" to the bad shepherds (the corrupt kings of Judah) and promises a "Righteous Branch" (Jeremiah 23:1-6).

But the King who arrived defied all expectations: where people expected a Sword, they received a Towel; where they expected Vengeance, they found Mercy. This sermon challenges us to recognize that Christ's reign is not a political victory confirming our own biases, but a shocking act of God's radical, universal grace. How do we make room for such unwelcome mercy in our hearts?

Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/t4xZtdpzmL8

Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com

When we look back at the glory of the past or forward to an impossible ideal, it’s easy to feel like we've fallen short, much like the people rebuilding the Temple in Haggai's time. In this sermon, we reflect on this "small temple problem"—our collective failure to achieve lasting peace—as we observe Peace Sunday ahead of Remembrance Day.

We explore atonement as not just saying "sorry," but as a commitment to live like we mean it, working for peace despite systemic violence. We find our strength in God's assurance: "Be strong... and work, for I am with you."

Scripture Reading: Haggai 1:15b-2:9

Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/Ij9Ejwc4xwQ

Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com

Gazing up at the night sky can make us feel small, but it also compels us to ask life’s biggest questions. In this sermon, we join the prophet Habakkuk on his watchtower, grappling with the injustice, violence, and suffering he witnessed and asking, "Where is God?"

This message suggests that true faith is not about rushing to easy promises, but about the stubborn, defiant choice to keep watch—to look out, ask big questions, and remain expectant even when the heavens seem silent. Keeping watch is the foundation of hope against despair.

Scripture Reading: Habakkuk 2

Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/q3uWd8DcBFU

Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com

This sermon for Anniversary Sunday challenges us to embrace the "gift of failure." We dive into the deep sea's bioluminescence and the Japanese art of Kintsugi (golden repair) to argue that true renewal and the outpouring of God's Spirit (promised in Joel 2) often come after we risk breaking. We must stop freezing in fear and take the necessary leaps, knowing that the greatest danger isn't failure itself, but refusing to admit and reflect on it. The world needs the church to risk failure for the sake of grace and compassion.

Scripture Reading: Joel 2:21-32

Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/fXI-_lDABnA

Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com

What do we do when our world is crumbling and false prophets (or even AI) only tell us what we want to hear?

Drawing on Jeremiah 29, this sermon introduces the concept of "Marble Hope"—a tough, resilient hope that asks us to "seek the well-being of where you are," rather than waiting for a future rescue. This message is paired with Deuteronomy 26, which reminds us that true gratitude requires remembering our difficult past as the only journey that could have brought us to this one, precious, controllable moment.

This reflection calls us to sow hope right here, right now, in the single moment where we have a say in what we do and who we are.

Scripture Readings: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14 and Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/kLNu6JSkx9Y

Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com

Is Communion just a ritual, or is it the defining feature of discipleship?

This sermon moves beyond the bread and cup to explore the radical heart of Jesus’ ministry: a table of welcome and a call to communion with the wounded world. We dive into how Jesus' practice of eating with everyone defined his spiritual project. Salvation, we realize, comes not from checking off boxes, but from building real relationships—with the marginalized, the lonely, and even the earth itself.

What does it look like to follow Christ by communing with the broken world?

Watch the full worship video: https://youtu.be/7mexmDkzvY0Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com

Jeremiah’s vision of a world "uncreated" and returning to "formless and empty" isn't just an ancient story—it's a reflection of our own anxieties about a world that feels like it's unraveling. In this sermon, we explore how Jeremiah found a way to find a firm footing when everything he knew was crumbling, and we consider how we can do the same. This isn't a sermon with easy answers, but a search for a story that helps us make sense of a world that doesn’t make sense anymore.

Scripture: Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28Learn more: www.youngunitedchurch.com

Have you ever felt like your life was getting a little too "set"? In this episode, we explore the ancient image of the potter's clay from Jeremiah 18 and 19. It's not about making mistakes, but about whether we allow ourselves to be molded and remade or if we become brittle and break. Using personal stories and powerful metaphors, this message is a reminder that we are invited to remain malleable and open to renewal through grace, rather than becoming a finished, easily shattered product.

This sermon was preached at Young United Church on September 7, 2025. For more information on Young United Church, visit our website. For video of the full worship service click here.