Are you an “Early Adopter?” It’s a term that describes someone who is one of the first to buy and try some new piece of technology. Early Adopters are the first customers. They are always eager and willing to try new things, especially new gadgets. On a bell-curve of who buys a new tech gadget, first there are the Innovators, the people who create and market the items. Then come the Early Adopters, the first people in town to own one. If you have a “Smart speaker” like an Amazon Alexa … [Read more...]
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Found when lost – Sermon for Lent 4
*Audio can be found at the bottom of the page* “We had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” – Luke 15:32 There is something reassuring about old familiar stories: they are like the old family recipe that has been passed down for generations – warm cookies, cake with that special family ingredient. They are comfortable, they often bring warm memories to mind. Our story from the Gospel of Luke this morning … [Read more...]
Repent and Live – Sermon for Lent 3
*Audio Available at the bottom of the page* During the season of Lent we rightly focus on repentance and the call for us to confess our sins and such. It is a season of prayer and fasting, a season where we can assess our lives of faith and discipleship, determine where we are lacking and areas where we need to grow – on Ash Wednesday we are encouraged to observe a holy lent, by self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting and almsgiving and meditating on the word of God. Repentance … [Read more...]
Tempted – Sermon for First Sunday of Lent 2019
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...]
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
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany February 10, 2019 Alice J Stewart Many years ago I read a science fiction story where a fourth primary color was discovered. Which is absurd. There really are only three primary colors. But the story got me to thinking. What could a fourth primary color possibly look like? It couldn't look LIKE anything. It's impossible to imagine. But if I ever did see it, I think it would change how I see everything. And I don't think I would be able to describe it to … [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...]
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