Sermon Archive
Growing a Discernment Community
The recording of this sermon sounds a little bit like it picks up in the middle of something because it was preceded by the Spiritual Practice of dwelling in the word (described below). It also captures some of the discussion at the end of the preached word; the final...
Listening for the Fruit of the Spirit
Texts: John 15:12-17, Matthew 13:31-33 “And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.” Introduction to Listening This little snippet comes from the John text we heard this...
Embracing Ambiguity and Indifference
Texts: John 15:1-9; 1 Corinthians 2:7, 10-16 Jesus said just “abide in me” and Paul said God's wisdom is a mystery. It sounds like a riddle when it’s put like that. The riddle how to discern the Spirit and will of God? On the one hand Jesus makes it sound so...
Grounded in God: A Series on Spiritual Discernment
While there hasn’t been much movement toward decision-making around a big question or two before Evergreen - or maybe because of this - Leadership Council invited me to develop a worship series that would invite reflection on discernment. Specifically, we’ll be...
Revealing
Text: Luke 24:13-36 As we become more isolated and separate from each other, we do well to be reminded that, as Fannie Lou Hamer famously proclaimed, “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free!” Eric Massanari, Executive Conference Minister of PNMC, brings a...
The Memory in a Seed
Luke 24:1-12 Lesson for All Ages: Show: purple pole bean seeds - invites guesses about what they are and what they’re like Notice: they’re hard and small, dry, pretty unremarkable Show: sprouted bean seed - invite observations about what has changed Notice: sprout,...
The Loud in the Land
Luke 19:29-46 I know that a few folks from this congregation went to the big Hands Off protests last weekend. I didn’t. I don’t always avoid protest and rallies, but I don’t particularly like them. Even for fun joyous events like the Pride Parade I need to gird...
Site of Restoration
Text: Luke 18:31—19:10 My focus this morning is going to be on the two stories where Jesus engages with people along his journey. They are both of the stories about restoration of sight - not for the blind man - or Zacchaeus but for the crowd of witnesses who...
Memory and Resurrection
Text: Luke 15:1-32 Image: from "Praise the Lord" by Randy Horst from Voices Together Pastor Tyler brings a message of hope and comfort as he recalls the ways that the shepherd of life and a loving father remember the belovedness of the lost and celebrate their...
A Gate and a Gulf
Text: Luke 16:19-31 The Tiger Woman is a Chinese folk tale. The following is a summary of the picture book by Laurence Yep with illustrations by Robert Roth. An old woman, who loves and savors bean curd more than anything, stands in her doorway relishing her...