Sermon: "A Tale as Old as Time", Christmas in July (July 26, 2026)

While there are many stories about Jesus’ life that have been passed down to us - both canonical and extracanonical - the Christmas story has a special place in our collective hearts. Part of it, I’m sure, has to do with the fact that we associate it closely with “the most wonderful time of the year”. But I think another part of the reason that we love this story so much is because it makes it clear that our Messiah is special. Long before he heals the sick or walks on water, Jesus' conception through the Holy Spirit, the shepherds, the star, all clearly tell us that we’ve hitched our wagon to the right savior. The Christmas story tells us that OUR messiah is someone that the world has never seen before and will never see again.

Or does it?

Sermon: “Stay (A)woke”, Mark 14:32-42 (July 12, 2026)

As we near the end of our sermon series about “disputing with God”, we’ve been given this text, Mark’s version of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane. It’s pretty clear why this passage wound up in the series: I can’t think of a more intriguing sermon topic than “God arguing with Godself”. I’m sure we’ve all wondered at some point how a prayer from one person of the Trinity to another would work - is it like talking to yourself? Or is it more like a “multiple personality” situation? How can something be both not what Jesus wants, and also what God does want at the same time? There are a lot of fascinating directions that this sort of sermon could take. But as I wrestled with which of these questions I should tackle this week, I found an entirely different one distracting me: why are the disciples reacting SO differently from Jesus in this passage?

Liturgy: Jesus in Gethsemane, Mark 14:32-42 (July 12, 2026)

   *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #451, “Open My Eyes, That I May See”

Hymn GTG #220, “Go to Dark Gethsemane” [vv. 1, 2, & 4]

Hymn GTG #343, “Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life” [vv. 1-3, 6]

Sermon: "The Deepest of Wounds", Matthew 15:21-28 (July 5, 2026)

This weekend (this whole year, really) our country has been celebrating 250 years of independence from British rule - the “birthday” of the United States. But even as we display our sense of national pride with waving flags, parades, and red, white, and blue EVERYTHING, many of us hold our sense of patriotism alongside complicated feelings. It’s not that we don’t love our country; it’s that we recognize a deep and painful divide between ourselves and our fellow compatriots. The wound is deep. Our seemingly insurmountable differences make us question whether we’ll be able to be “one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” ever again.

Liturgy: A Canaanite Woman Confronts Jesus, Matthew 15:21-28 (July 5, 2026)

  *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #620, “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven”

Hymn GTG #754, “Help Us Accept Each Other”

Sermon: "A Snapshot of the Soul", Psalm 88 (June 28, 2026)

In one of his commentaries, John Calvin calls the psalms, “an anatomy of all the parts of the soul,” because he believed that there was no human emotion that can’t be found within this collection of poetry. And he’s right: themes range the gamut from ecstatic joy to sorrowful remorse to righteous anger. In fact, many of the psalms incorporate several emotions all together at once: lament, repentance, thanksgiving, and praise all in one convenient package.  

Liturgy: A Psalm of Despair, Psalm 88 (June 28, 2026)

 *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #735, “I Need Thee Every Hour”

Hymn GTG #651, “I Waited Patiently for God”

Hymn GTG #67, “My Song Forever Shall Record”