Sermons

Rev. Cari’s third Stump the Preacher sermon is in response to a pointed question about the Christian tradition’s betrayal of the body. The follow-up question asks whether there are any resources in Scripture that move toward recovery of embodiment, and integration. So she addresses parts of Genesis 1, and John 1 (the prologue to the…

Rev. Cari received the question, “Why do Crossroads leaders use language like “stolen land” and “genocide” in the opening of our service? How does this language contribute to Reconciliation?” This sermon is her effort to clearly explain the choices that we have made at Crossroads regarding Indigenous justice, and to place those decisions in the…

On July 2, 2023, Rev. Cari opened the Bible to Mark 6:30-44, the very first text from Scripture she ever preached on at this church, twenty years ago. Then she proceeded to lift stories from her journey of ministry with the congregation of Crossroads (and its predecessor congregation), and weave those stories together with the…

For the fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Rev. Cari preached on Matthew 10:24-39, a text full of “hard sayings” from Jesus. She started with a reference to a sermon by the Rev. Ha Na Park at the recent meeting of the Pacific Mountain Regional Council, called “Break.” Then, she reminded herself and the congregation of the…

Two days before World Refugee Day, Rev. Cari invited members of our first (Syrian) family sponsored by the North Delta Refugee Project, as well as our second individual sponsored (from Uganda), to join her in conversation. After hearing the Biblical story from Genesis 18:1-15, with its themes of hospitality and hope, the group launched right…

For the second Sunday after Pentecost, Rev. Cari preached on a series of moments, from Matthew’s gospel, in which Jesus was repeatedly interrupted. The text was Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26, and she invited the listener to consider their own response to being interrupted. She also framed the whole text with Jesus’ quote from Hosea 6:6 –…

For Pentecost Sunday, Crossroads worshipped as an all-ages community, and Mary shared a Godly Play story about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The community wondered together about that story, and then the children engaged in response activities. Rev. Cari then offered a spoken word (she called it testimony, rather than a sermon) amplifying the…

For Ascension Sunday, Rev. Cari preached on the first eleven verses of the book of Acts. After identifying that the disciples had already “fallen down” in their response to Jesus crucifixion, Rev. Cari notes that their question after his resurrection is actually quite predictable. It is in the nature of humans to want a leader…

May 14, 2023 was not only Mother’s Day and the 6th Sunday after Easter at Crossroads, but also “Mama’s Day” – a Sunday when we focus on the partnership with Mama Orphans Children’s Home in Busia, Kenya. Rev. Cari preached on John 14:15-21, a part of Jesus’ long discourse in John’s Gospel to the fearful…