Good Friday 2018-03-30

Good Friday

For the 11:00 a.m. service on Friday, the Rev. Dr. G. Malcolm Sinclair is calling his sermon “The Perpetual Pattern to Eternal Life.” “Some of the church's finest writers created the story Jesus. They wrote their faith into a pattern of words: interesting, compelling, and memorable. They took that pattern from themes in the Old Testament. Isaiah 53, the Fourth Servant Song, tells how God brought life out of death for the despised but ever faithful servant. Jesus models that servant as the writers craft his story.”

The Bible readings are excerpts from Isaiah 53 and John 18 and 19.

Download the sermon here.

Palm Sunday 2018-03-25

Palm Sunday

For the 11:00 a.m. service on Sunday, the Rev. Dr. G. Malcolm Sinclair is calling his sermon “Lent as the Ride of your Life.” “The crowd can always go in one of two directions: follow the man on the horse, or the one on the donkey. Keep the ritual of the status quo, or dare to animate the dream that makes things better. On Palm Sunday we choose a rider, and make Jerusalem a commercial tourist trap or a truer sanctuary.”

The Bible readings are Isaiah 50:4-9a (the servant’s humiliation and vindication), Romans 8:31b-39 (God’s love in Christ Jesus), and Mark 11:1-11 (Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem).

Download sermon here.

Fifth Sunday of Lent 2018-03-18

Fifth Sunday of Lent

For the 11:00 a.m. service on Sunday, the Rev. Dr. G. Malcolm Sinclair is calling his sermon “Lights, Camera, Action.” “We can put things off for a long time, misreading them, denying them, or just hoping against hope for the best, but at some point comes the time to act, to face the threat, to take the stand. When something is essential, and we are an instrument, hard choices must be made.”

The Bible readings are Jeremiah 31:31-34 (a new covenant), Hebrews 5:5-10 (Jesus the great high priest), and John 12:20-33 (some Greeks wish to see Jesus).

Download sermon here.

Fourth Sunday of Lent 2018-03-11

Fourth Sunday of Lent

For the 11:00 a.m. service on Sunday, the Rev. Dr. G. Malcolm Sinclair is calling his sermon “Lent as Snakebite and Antidote.” “Sometimes life’s choices are so complex, and its themes so deep that only stories and symbols can lead us through the maze. Snakebite and its relief strike a deep chord in us, a good launch pad for pondering and for preaching.”

The Bible readings are Numbers 21:4-9 (the bronze serpent), Ephesians 2:1-10 (from death to life), and John 3:14-21 (Nicodemus visits Jesus).

Download the sermon here.

Third Sunday of Lent 2018-03-04

Third Sunday of Lent

For the 11:00 a.m. service on Sunday, the Rev. Dr. G. Malcolm Sinclair is calling his sermon “Lent as List-Making and House Cleaning.” “Lent is like the pattern of our life paralleled in story and liturgy. How do we prepare and pack for every eventuality? Tradition says keep it simple, travel light, and carry your essentials close to your heart. The one who loses luggage for the sake of the journey will find it!”

The Bible readings are Exodus 20:1-17 (the Ten Commandments), 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 (Christ the power and wisdom of God), and John 2:13-22 (Jesus cleanses the temple).

Download the sermon here.