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.
You Restore My Soul
Today’s sermon was part “Earth Day” and part “Shepherding Sunday” and concluded with an unexpected invitation to the whole congregation. Many thanks to Dennis and Sheila Linn for the story of “Holy Saturday in Hell” with which Rev. Cari opened the sermon. It’s from their book, Simple Ways to Pray for Healing.
Witnesses of These Things
Preaching on Luke 24:36b-48, Rev. Cari weaves together stories from her own life, from a recent visit with our Syrian Refugee family, and this “heart and gut” story about the Risen Christ. She notices in the story that the disciples begin in anxiety, move through the acknowledgment of the wounds of Jesus, and then are…
Living with Doubt
Gabrielle focussed on the story found in John’s resurrection narrative, when the Risen Christ appears to the disciples in a locked room, and Thomas is not present. Later, he wants “proof” in order to believe, which gives him the name “Doubting Thomas.” Listen for Gabrielle’s perspective on this account of our great mystery.
Easter Storytelling
As you listen to Gabrielle tell the story of the first Easter (according to the Gospel of Mark) imagine three young women acting out what she describes, their body language, the looks on their faces. That’s what the congregation experienced this morning in worship. And after you have listened to this short storytelling moment, take…
What Do You Cling To?
After the “palm parade” at the beginning of the service, we settled in with the reading from Philippians 2 for Palm-Passion Sunday. This sermon is a reflection on the discomfort of our age with the non-grasping, self giving humility of Jesus. It’s also an invitation to relinquish those ideas, people, or things to which we…
Shout Out to the ‘Nones’
For the fifth Sunday in Lent, guest preacher the Rev. Joan McMurtry opens up the reality of many families today, which is that they mark “none” on their census form, regarding religious affiliation. She refers to the work of Bishop John Spong (whose controversial work invites the church to “ditch” outmoded explanations of theology). She…
Invitation to God’s Love
Candidate for ministry from Crossroads, Nam Ok Yoo, returns to Crossroads to offer the sermon on this fourth Sunday of the season of Lent. The text for the day is John 3:14-21. It includes John 3:16, one of the most foundational texts of the New Testament, and, Nam Ok confesses, a challenging one for her….
Tipping the Balance
For the third Sunday in Lent, Rev. Cari preached on the story of Jesus turning the tables in the Temple, as found in John 2:13-22. As she explains, this is not your typical version of the turning of the tables, as found in the Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark & Luke). Eventually, we land on Jesus…
It’s Not Fair
For the second Sunday in Lent, the Rev. Edith Baird preached on Mark 8:31-38, in which Jesus begins to orient the disciples to the reality of the cross. Edith points out the difference between a common misunderstanding of the “crosses we bear” and Jesus’ true invitation. Following Jesus, we can choose, like him, to experience…
Lent: Ground Orientation
For the first Sunday of Lent, Rev. Cari preached on Mark’s succinct version of the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, from Mk 1:9-15. Our journey with Jesus through the wilderness began on a snowy February morning in North Delta. Some of the plans for the day needed changing because not everyone could make…