Sermons on Lent

The Transformative Power of the Eucharist Maundy Thursday April 18, 2019 Preaching Texts: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 & John 13:1-17, 31b-35 A couple of days ago, I found myself pondering the importance of the Eucharist when my husband came across a photo – of my father.  This is back in 1944 or 1945.  He is leading a Holy Communion Service on the hood of a jeep…

Spiritually Peaky Passion Sunday – The Fifth Sunday of Lent April 7, 2019   Preaching Texts Philippians 3:4b-14 If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as…

The Prodigal Son The Fourth Sunday of Lent March 31, 2019 Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So Jesus told them this parable: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said…

Turn Third Sunday of Lent March 24, 2019 The Text: Luke 13:1-9 At that very time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you…

Citizens of Heaven Second Sunday of Lent March 17, 2019 Sermon Texts Genesis 15.1-6 And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the…

Timshel First Sunday in Lent March 10, 2019 As Oscar Wilde, the British novelist and playwright famously said, “I can resist anything but temptation.”  Some of you know that I have a friend Gayle, and we talk to each other pretty much every day.  Sometimes we talk about what we are up to, sometimes it is about the kids, sometimes it’s moral dilemmas, and this…

Ash Wednesday For Wellesley College’s Midday Ecumenical Ash Wednesday Service and St. Michael’s Evening Ash Wednesday Service And Last week my daughter and I went to see the band Mumford and Sons in Providence, Rhode Island.  I think I was the oldest person in the Dunkin Donuts Center, and definitely the oldest person in the pit – such is my love for my daughter and…

Digging Deep Fifth Sunday in Lent March 18, 2018   John 12:20-33 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to…

Complaining The Fourth Sunday in Lent March 11, 2018 Numbers 21:4-9 From Mount Hor the Israelites set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest…

The Cleansing of the Temple The Third Sunday in Lent March 4, 2018 Do you think Jesus was having a bad day?  Do you think that something just hit Jesus the wrong way and that was it – he started turning over the tables of the temple?  Some people have argued that Jesus never did turn over the…