Readings: Ezekiel 33: 7-9; Romans 13: 8-10; Matthew 18: 15-20 Preacher: Margot Van Etten If you are old enough, the name “Nickel Mines” might spark a shudder. Or wonder. On October 10, 2006—an innocent age where mass shooting was rare, if you can imagine that —thirteen girls ages 6 to 13 were shot in a one-room Amish schoolhouse in a horrifying… read more →
Readings: Jeremiah 20:7-9; Romans 12: 1-2; Matthew 16: 21-27 Preacher: Ruth Marchetti The life of a prophet is racked with hardship. The Old Testament stories show us that God sends prophets when God’s people have lost their way; they’ve forgotten the God of love and justice. Getting lost is a subtle process. It sneaks up on us in the guise of… read more →
Readings: Isaiah 22: 19-23; Romans 11: 33-35; Matthew 16: 13-20 Preacher: Marlene Bessette My husband has been a deacon for 12 years now and we have become an effective homiletics team. He spends a great deal of time crafting his homilies after researching and praying over what message would speak to the community to draw them closer to God. I support… read more →
Readings: Isaiah 56: 1, 6-7; Romans 11: 13-5, 29-32; Matthew 15: 21-28 Preacher: Brigit Hurley “Are you a believer?!” I struggled to answer this question, posed to me by a work acquaintance I ran into at a concert featuring Christian artists many years ago. Growing up Roman Catholic, I attended Mass and was active in youth group, but I never used… read more →
Readings: 1 Kings 19: 9a, 11-13a; Romans 9: 1-5; Matthew 14: 22-33 Preacher: Sonja Livingston Does this happen to you? You need to read the tiny script on the back of a bottle or take a quick drive to the store, so you reach for your glasses, only to find they’re not there. You check the kitchen counter. No luck. You… read more →
Readings: Daniel 7: 9-10, 13-14; 2 Peter 1: 16-19; Matthew 17: 1-9 Preacher: Cathy Kamp Who among us likes to hear that change is coming? No matter how predictable or inevitable a change in life circumstances might be, we most often seem to be caught off guard. Whether it’s welcome and positive news like a new job or a new relationship… read more →
Readings: 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52 Preacher: Irene Goodwin When some of us were young our religious training mainly consisted of memorizing answers to questions. One of the questions asked was: “Where is God?” Our answer was, “God is everywhere.” To a young seven-year-old this was quite an intimidating image. A God-like figure hovering about watching all we… read more →
Readings: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19; Romans 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-43 Preacher: Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler The first time I reflected on these readings, I was overwhelmed with a sense of God’s great love for each of us. This God that Wisdom tells us cares for all. Twice emphasizing that God is lenient. Our psalm sings of a God who is loving and forgiving. Slow… read more →
Readings: Isaiah 55: 10-11; Romans 8: 18-23; Matthew 13: 1-23 Preacher: Gloria Ulterino Have you ever felt at a loss? Not sure which way to turn? So did St. Paul, it seems, as he groaned over human suffering. Surely there must be a way through this mess! We know it’s not magic. But, what is the answer? Come, take a look… read more →
Readings: Zechariah 9: 9-10; Romans 8: 9, 11-13; Matthew 11: 25-30 Preacher: Deni Mack Jesus invites us to come to him when we are heavily burdened. Rochester is burdened with smoke so heavy we are advised to stay inside or limit our time outside and wear a mask. I listened to eleven young adults talk about the air quality alerts. First,… read more →