Most weeks, our worship leader offers a 15–20 minute sermon based on the Scripture texts for the day.
Our regular preacher is pretty versatile. She’ll tell stories, pull together different ideas, lead a meditation, give the congregation an “assignment” to talk about in twos or threes, show a slide show or video, or sometimes even sing to the congregation. The sermon functions to deepen our reflection on the Scripture themes of the day, and often leaves us with a challenge or a question.
Scripture texts are outlined in the Revised Common Lectionary.
Heart-to-Heart
After the death of King David, Solomon takes the throne. In 1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-15, God meets Solomon in a dream, asking, “What would you like me to give you?” “A discerning heart,” Solomon replies. This week, Lydia explores the story of God’s heart-to-heart with Solomon, and how this intimate conversation transforms Solomon’s own heart.
A Parent’s Grief
The passage this week is the story of the death of David’s son, Absalom, found in 2 Samuel 18. David, usually depicted as a strong King and warrior, is a parent in this passage, vulnerable and in grief over the death of his son. Lydia explores through this story what grief is, and how important…
Bread of Life
This week Lydia focuses on the question: “What must we do to perform the works of God?” This is a question that the crowd asks Jesus in John 6:24-35. Jesus gives a surprising response, “This is the work of God: to believe in the whom God has sent.” So, how do we “believe”? How do we have…
Immeasurably More
The story of the feeding of the five thousand found in John 6:1-21 mirrors the story of Elisha feeding one hundred in 2 Kings 4:43-44. How does reading these two passages side-by-side help us see each in a new way? And, what do these passages tell us about the character of God?
By God’s Grace
This week, Lydia explores Ephesians 2:1-10, considering the meaning of “grace.” How does grace “save” us? What does it mean to follow the way of God rather than “the ways of the world”?
The Ark of the Covenant
The text this week is 2 Samuel 6:1-23, the moving of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, a complicated text that includes celebrations, trumpets, cakes, blessings as well as a death, some fear, and a spousal disagreement. In the sermon this week, Lydia focuses on the death of Uzzah, exploring the meaning of the…
Astheneia
In 2 Corinthians 12:2-10, Paul declares, “power is perfected in weakness,” and “for when I am weak, then I am strong.” These are confusing phrases, yet powerful ones. This week, Lydia considers how weakness (“astheneia” in Greek) implies “unravelling.” How can unravelling give us strength? How can untangling ourselves lead to wholeness and new life?
The Hem of God
This week, Lydia preaches on the stories of the woman with the hemorrhages and the healing of the young girl in Mark 5:21-43, two “wonder” stories that go against the typical wonder-story structure. What do these stories tell us about belief and trust in God? What might touching the hem of God be like?
The Living God
The scripture this week is 1 Samuel 17:1a, 4-11, 16-23, 32-49, the story of David and Goliath. Lydia explores how the Deuteronomistic Historians interwove multiple Davidic traditions into our scripture, depicting a very complicated character in David, both very faithful and very human. The Caravaggio painting referenced can be found here: https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/david-with-the-head-of-goliath/c3895900-73d4-4257-97fb-240e3aaf0402
The Mysterious Seed
Lydia preaches on Mark 4:26-34, focusing on the Parable of the Growing Seed. What could this seemingly unexciting parable tell us about the Reign of God? What is the importance of this mysterious little seed? And, how can parables help us to see our world in new and beautiful ways?