This is the third sermon in our Lenten series on “Spirit and Power.” John 15:1-17 Back in the mid-1990s, I was on retreat at a small retreat house near Carmel run by Catholic nuns. It was one of the the first retreats I had ever done, and it wasn’t a “programmed” retreat. It was me,…
This is the second sermon in our Lenten series on “Spirit and Power.” John 15:1-17 When I was growing up, we went to outdoor tent revivals put on by Helen’s uncle, George Brunk. Growing up in an isolated Amish-Mennonite farming community, we didn’t have ready access to live theater or dance clubs. Plus, all the…
This is the first sermon in our Lenten series on “Spirit and Power.” John 15:1-17 Have you ever had the experience, sitting with people in meditation or worship, where you felt this energy in the room or within yourself, like some bigger Spirit or bigger Power was present? Have you ever been pierced by beauty —…
This Sunday, two members — Kenda Horst and Jim Lichti — offered reflections on a lectionary passage of their choice. Reflection on 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 — Kenda Horst First, a short preamble: After I said yes to Sheri, I sat down at my computer and, seeing the blank screen, thought to myself: “What did I just…
By Joanna Lawrence Shenk 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 This year in discipleship group we’re reading the book “Romans Disarmed: Resisting Empire, Demanding Justice,” and reading the book of Romans. It’s my first experience with the writings of Paul in quite awhile and it has been illuminating in a number of ways. The authors of Romans Disarmed…
By Joanna Lawrence Shenk Epiphany Sunday Matthew 2:1-12 Today my sermon is an experiment in imaginative storytelling. I’m going to retell the story of Jesus’ birth and the visit of the wise people. In my story I’m going to bring to life Tree’s drawing of the holy family in a tent on the streets of…
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