First Sunday of Lent March 10, 2019 Alice J Stewart Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. For forty days he was tempted by the devil. Not just one day. Forty. Jesus was tempted and tried the same way that we are and resisted that temptation not by using his divinity, but by showing faith and obedience. Jesus could have avoided human suffering, human temptation. But he didn’t. Jesus shows us how we too may use faith and obedience to resist the … [Read more...]
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Who do you love? – Sermon for February 24th
*Audio available at bottom of the page*“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” ~ Luke 6:27 If there was ever a time for us to hear Jesus’ words in the passage, we heard this morning from the Gospel of Luke it is now. Like no time in our lifetime, or at least my lifetime, has our society been so fractured and divided.We need only look at the complete polarization of the political landscapes across the globe: the rise of Trumpism in the US, the … [Read more...]
Encountering God – Sermon for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
First Sunday of Lent March 10, 2019 Alice J Stewart Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. For forty days he was tempted by the devil. Not just one day. Forty. Jesus was tempted and tried the same way that we are and resisted that temptation not by using his divinity, but by showing faith and obedience. Jesus could have avoided human suffering, human temptation. But he didn’t. Jesus shows us how we too may use faith and obedience to resist the … [Read more...]
Come and See me – Sermon for Epiphany 2
When we think about discipleship, about following Jesus, we probably begin to think about learning. After all, much of the Christian life is about learning from Jesus, learning about Jesus and learning to live the life that God is growing in our lives. We make a big deal about learning. Jesus is described in the Bible as a teacher, as a Rabbi a great religious instructor; we think of the disciples as students taking in their lessons at the feet of Jesus.And they were. And so it is important … [Read more...]
Dearly Beloved – Sermon for Baptism of Christ 2019
*Audio available at the bottom of the page*"You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." - Luke 3:22 Whenever we baptize someone these days, it often becomes a pretty big deal – perhaps it’s because we don’t baptize as often as we used to or because we love a big spectacle, but it seems that more and more the baptism of a child has become an event.Everyone gets dressed in their finest clothes (the child is often in a fancy dress or suit), family from all over are invited … [Read more...]
Jesus is Coming – Sermon for the First Sunday of Advent 2018
First Sunday of Advent - December 2, 2018 Alice J Stewart So... our reading from the Gospel of Luke today sounds... scary. All those signs and portents and sufferings that precede Jesus' return don't sounds terribly pleasant. But when we meet Jesus again in his full glory, everything is going to change. And change of any sort is accompanied by suffering among us mortals. Small changes, like rearranging the church furniture, can be slightly uncomfortable at first. Ordinary life … [Read more...]
What is faith? – Sermon on Habakkuk
What is faith? What does it look like to have faith? Is faith a matter of trust, or belief, or hope, or choice?I bet that if we took a survey of the sanctuary today – we’d probably come up with at least a dozen different definitions and understandings of faith, and they probably all wouldn’t agree with one another.Even though it’s kind of our thing, faith is a complex word and idea to define. How do we explain something that is on the one hand a gift and on the other a choice that we … [Read more...]
You are Worthy – Sermon for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost
Sermon for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost October 7, 2018 Alice J Stewart In our reading today, the prophet Joel calls for repentance after devastation, illustrates a vision of promised abundance, and suggests a mystical union with God in the future. Have you noticed the same message Joel speaks is a lot like other prophets? Have you noticed the same message, God's same plan for salvation, seems to have a hard time getting into our collective heads. What is it about this message that's … [Read more...]
Return to Me: Sermon on Hosea
“Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall!” – Hosea 14:1 As a father of two young girls who love books, and love to be read to – I read a lot. Bedtime, morning, afternoon, you name the time and there is a good chance a book is being read in the house. There are undoubtedly a lot of cringe-worthy books in publication (books I eventually need to hide for my own sanity), and there are a lot of cute or funny books that we love to read, but it really is remarkable how … [Read more...]
Sermon for Pentecost 18 – Mark 9:30-37
In Round 1 of this year’s World Cup, Spain and Portugal played to a 3-3 draw. The game was one of the most entertaining of the whole tournament. One highlight was Portugal’s superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, scoring all three of his team’s goals.His third goal was the most impressive, tying the game in the final few minutes by just clearing the wall of Spanish defenders before tucking under the crossbar out of reach of the Spanish keeper. But it was the celebration after his first goal that … [Read more...]