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Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 17—July 25, 2021
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: 2 Samuel 11:1–15 | Psalm 14 | Ephesians 3:14–21 | John 6:1–21
Summary: Our Gospel from John brings together the stories of Jesus feeding the five thousand and walking on water, two stories that are treated separately by other gospels. As John tells them, each begins with fear on the part of the disciples and concludes with Jesus showing the disciples the way through those fears. Over the last year and more, fear has seeped into almost all aspects of our existence. Rather than following our desires without regard to consequences, as David does in the first lesson, we need to hear Jesus telling us that at the core of our existence God calls us to put away fear and live in peace and love.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 16—July 18, 2021
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: 2 Samuel 7:1–14a | Psalm 23 | Ephesians 2:11–22 | Mark 6:30–34, 53–56
Summary: In our Gospel, Jesus and the disciples are looking for rest, but everywhere they go, people are clamoring to see Jesus. The crowds give them no rest, and Jesus has compassion and ministers to them. Jesus understands the need for rest, but the mission takes precedence. Our hopes to be together physically today were dashed, but God is with us, no matter what. In our first lesson, God does not require a temple from David; God promises to tabernacle with David and his descendants. God camps out with us wherever we are—alone in our homes or together in church.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 15—July 11, 2021
Preacher: Intern Pastor Bree Lloyd
Lessons: 2 Samuel 6:1–5, 12b–19 | Psalm 85:8–13 | Ephesians 1:3–14 | Mark 6:14–29
Summary: Our coconut tree has been dropping nuts, so I have been trying to learn more and found the work of Niu Now, an organization dedicated to revitalizing Native Hawaiian practice around coconut palms. Native wisdom holds that ceremonies focus attention so that attention becomes intention. However, in modern times, ceremonies have withered away. Rachel Carson told us that as humans, we are part of the stream of life, so that when we destroy the beauty of the natural order, we damage ourselves spiritually. Faced with the changing climate, we are called, as David before the Ark, to dance for the renewal of the world.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 14—July 4, 2021
Preacher: Intern Pastor Bree Lloyd
Lessons: 2 Samuel 5:1–5, 9–10 | Psalm 123 | 2 Corinthians 12:2–10 | Mark 6:1–13
Summary: Our first lesson tells of God being with David as he grows greater as king, while in the Epistle Paul talks about God’s presence in suffering. On Independence Day, we often hear of of American exceptionalism, which is derived from one passage in a sermon of John Winthrop. However, the larger message of that sermon says we need to share what we have and attend to each other’s needs. In nature, we see how plants interact with each other and living things around them. God is with us both in our thriving and our despair. How can we tend to each other?
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Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 13—June 27, 2021
Preacher: Pastor Phyllis Hörmann
Lessons: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17–27 | Psalm 130 | 2 Corinthians 8:7–15 | Mark 5:21–43
Summary: Listening to the Gospel, we can imagine the fear of Jarius who comes to Jesus because of his dying daughter, and we can imagine the fear and isolation of the woman with a hemorrhage who stops Jesus along the way. They reach out to Jesus in hope, Jesus responds, and God’s in-breaking love is manifest in healing and welcome to the family of God. We have all experienced similar feelings, and we have our own stories to tell. With God’s help, we are finding our way through the pandemic and other woes. I pray that we continue to reach out to Jesus for healing and welcome and that we show up to support others.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 12—June 20, 2021
Preacher: Intern Pastor Bree Lloyd
Lessons: 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4–11, 19–23), 32–49 | Psalm 107:1–3, 23–32 | 2 Corinthians 6:1–13 | Mark 4:35–41
Summary: I recently went kayaking with family members and a wise guide who shared his delight in the life of the reef—a David way of living in our Goliath world. We ask how to make sense of the web of life around us, and Jesus responds by asking us why we afraid and telling us “Peace. Be still.”
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 11—June 13, 2021
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: 1 Samuel 15:34—16:13 | Psalm 92:1–4, 12–15 | 2 Corinthians 5:6–17 | Mark 4:26–34
Summary: Our Gospel draws on the agrarian imagery of planting and harvesting, Jesus is not talking about us in this parable. Grain is scattered and grows, but we are not the sowers. God sows love, hope, and joy. It is beyond our understanding and our capacity, yet it persists and moves us to justice, peace, and love. May we listen to what is growing in the quietness of the field and be open to the work of the Spirit around us in the lush garden of the kingdom.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 10—June 6, 2021
Preacher: Intern Pastor Bree Lloyd
Lessons: 1 Samuel 8:4–11, (12–15), 16–20, (11:14–15) | Psalm 130 | 2 Corinthians 4:13—5:1 | Mark 3:20–35
Summary: In our first lesson, the people ask for a king, even though God warns them of the burdens a king will bring. Throughout history and in our own time, we can see the ways human authority—in government, business, and other realms—oppresses people. In our Gospel, Jesus calls us into community where we can support each other. We are made for much more than control and power, and we care called to a life of love, grace, and community.
The Holy Trinity—May 30, 2021
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Isaiah 6:1–8 | Psalm 29 | Romans 8:12–17 | John 3:1–17
Summary: Trinity Sunday is dedicated to a doctrine that has perplexed people over the centuries, but humans always fail when we try to describe the unfathomable God. We thought we had it with Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; began to understand that these metaphors can be hurtful and confusing; and now try other metaphors. In our Gospel, Nicodemus comes to ask a question of Jesus and encounters a new concept of God. We encounter the holy in many forms and places, and God abides, waiting for us. God loves us that much.