Sermon text: John 15: 1-8 Even though it was 70 degrees in the morning sun I stood before my beloved tomato plants in a cold sweat, pruning shears at the ready in my hand. Last spring I got the gardening bug along with every other person stuck at home during the pandemic. I had a …
Sermon text: John 10: 11-18 I consider myself to be a good swimmer. I am comfortable in the water. I learned to swim when I was very young, I spent many a summer day in pools and oceans, I did some competitive swimming in my youth, and twice I passed lifeguard certification tests. I love …
Sermon text: Luke 24: 36b-38 Recently I watched a TV series on the Second World War called World War II in HD. The series was produced by the History Channel about a decade ago using newly discovered film from the era that was enhanced into high-definition quality. However, as impressive as it was to see …
Sermon text: 1 John 1:1:-2:2 and John 20: 19-31 This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about joy. There’s two lines of scripture that really caught my eye in this week’s readings, and both of them have to do with joy. The first is from 1 John. John writes, “We are writing these things so …
Sermon text: Mark 16: 1-8 I will begin this sermon with a little performance art. Today, I will sing for you the classic tune “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” beginning with the second word. Me out to the ball game take Me out with the crowd buy Me some peanuts and Cracker Jack …
Passion text: John 18:1- 19:42 This week I was driving through Hollidaysburg and I spotted a very black billow of smoke rising into the air. My immediate reaction was alarm; something was on fire! But the billow was short lived. It turned out to be only a puff drifting up into the sky. A moment …
Sermon text: John 13: 1-17, 31b-35 In the 1960s Peter Scholtes was working as a Catholic priest on the South Side of Chicago. At the time he was directing a youth choir and was looking for an appropriate song for an ecumenical and interracial event. After a long search he came up empty and decided …
Sermon text: Mark 11: 1-11 Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the back of a colt and in Mark we read, “Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields.” Now, as we celebrate Palm Sunday we follow suit with our shouts of “hosanna!” and …
Sermon text: John 12: 20-33 In the Gospel of John, Jesus and his disciples make the journey to Jerusalem three times to celebrate the Jewish Passover. This will be the final journey to the holy city. The last journey. And frankly, this chapter of John, chapter 12, marks the end of Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus …
