Liturgy: Words, 2 Timothy 2:8-15 (August 23, 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 #459, “O Word of God Incarnate”

Hymn GTG #463, “How Firm a Foundation”

Hymn GTG #462, “I Love to Tell the Story”

Sermon: "Use Your Words", Genesis 1:1 – 2:4a (September 7, 2025)

Those of you who’ve met my dog, Maya, on the occasions that I’ve brought her into work with me know that she can be a little…vocal. Her three natural states are chilling out on the couch (which is my preference), whining like she’s being criminally neglected, and barking to wake the dead. We’ve tried to teach her the “quiet” command; we’ve tried to respond to her softly and with calm energy; we’ve tried ignoring her until it stops - it just never does. Nothing works.

Sermon: "Aaaaand ACTION!", 1 John 3:16-24 (July 7, 2024)

As some of you may remember, this past week was the biennial gathering of General Assembly, the national governing body of our denomination. This probably doesn’t seem like a big deal to most of you, but many clergy (myself included) watch the livestream of these meetings with the same fervor that regular people follow the Olympics. (In fact, I’m all but certain that I watched a lot more of GA than I’ll watch of the actual Olympics later this summer.) Anyway, the gathered body addressed many topics over the course of four VERY full days, including everything from online worship to divestment from the fossil fuel industry to an official policy of non-discrimination against our LGBT+ siblings. And while of course everyone always waits with bated breath to learn how the assembly will vote, in my opinion, the most riveting part of GA is actually the debate. It’s the most nuanced way to “check the pulse” of the denomination as a whole, and it’s where you can most clearly see the Holy Spirit moving throughout the week.

Sermon: "The Most Important Word", Deuteronomy 6:1-9/Mark 12:28-34 (Reformation Sunday--October 31, 2021

This sermon was preached to supplement a beautiful Reformation Sunday Worship service written by Rev. Carol Holbrook Prickett that we adapted for use in our congregation.

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I frequently hear (and maybe you have, too) a criticism of religion that goes something like this: “Why should I live my life according to outdated documents written by people who lived thousands of years ago?” And I mean, it’s a fair question. Modern society faces issues that our forebearers could never have imagined—healthcare, gun violence, climate change, bodily autonomy, and many more. The world we live in today is very, very different from the world in which people first proclaimed that “the Lord our God is one”.

Sermon: "Speaking in the Spirit", Acts 2:1-8, 12-13/Ezekiel 37:1-10 (May 23, 2021--Pentecost)

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When we think of the story of Pentecost, we usually think of the dramatic visuals: the individual tongues of flame alighting on each person; the confusion of the crowd; the jeering of the unbelievers. When we think of Ezekiel and the “Valley of Dry Bones,” we likewise think of the incredible imagery: the deserted low place full of dry, sun-bleached skeletons; the spectacle of these bones suddenly becoming covered in sinews and flesh and skin; the great earthquake that accompanies this miracle. If you close your eyes, it’s easy to picture these events. They’re two of the most vivid scenes in all of scripture. No wonder we’re drawn to them.