trust

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Trusting God’s Unbreakable Promise in a Fragile World

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When everything around us seems so overwhelming and we cannot do anything to change it, when it seems that there is fear and hatred spilling out everywhere, and powers and principalities are winning the day, Jesus says keep trying. Keep giving. Keep serving. Keep loving. Keep caring. Keep working toward the dream that God has for a world in which injustices end, where every single person is nourished, people are liberated, the eyes of the blind are opened, and those who are bowed down can stand up straight, in which the stranger, the resident alien, are cared for and treated as one of our own, in which the orphan and widow are sustained. Keep working towards that dream that God has. The tiny little bit that you can do in your place, in your school, in your work, in your home, in your community, even if it feels insignificant, it is not. It matters. It matters to God.

Listen to or read Bingham’s full sermon for November 10th by clicking “Read More.”

John the Baptist: The Trustworthy Witness

In today’s Gospel reading we heard a story that included John the Baptist. We have been hearing a lot about John the Baptist recently. He showed up on two separate Sundays in December, and this is the second Sunday he has showed up in January. So, who is this John the Baptist we have been hearing so much about?

To read Bingham’s full sermon, click “Read More.”

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Learning to Trust

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I do worry about the impact on our ability to trust in general and the implications of that. Surveys also indicate that we do not trust each other – our neighbors and our fellow citizens as much. And how does that general distrust impact our ability to trust in God? Have we lost the ability to trust?

Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”

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Trust in God

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“In 1853, when my great great great grandparents walked across a good bit of this county in order to move to Oregon, they were told they could not bring along a lot of stuff with them. Loads needed to be light, so they were told to bring only the bare necessities that were needed to survive the trip and to start a new life in Oregon. The bare necessities is not everything needed. A lot of stuff they were going to need would have to be found along the way, like most of the food. Soon after setting off, they discovered they had brought too much stuff. What was necessary was even less than what they thought. So like a lot of wagon trains, the people in the party started dumping things along the road. It is hard sometimes to figure out what is necessary. With hindsight, we might question some of their decisions. One of the things that my great great great grandparents dumped was a bunch of shoes. I'm not sure that was the right decision, since by the time they got to Eugene they were barefoot.”

Click “Read More” to read or listen to the Rev. Bingham Powell’s entire sermon for the 6th Sunday after Pentecost.

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Our Companion on the Way

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“Today’s gospel lesson is jam-packed. We have three different characters interacting with Jesus, a healing that comes from a cloak, and the resurrection of a 12-year-old girl. Wow! Our first character is Jairus, the synagogue leader, a man of considerable importance and stature in the Jewish community. Second, there is a woman who is not named, only introduced as “a woman who had been suffering for 12 years.” Her position is doubly lowered, the intersection of being female and afflicted with a debilitating sickness. Two people from very different positions of power. Finally, there’s Jairus’ 12 year-old daughter. A young girl without much agency or power herself, but born into a powerful household. What’s striking to me, is how these people are treated by Jesus, how they approach him in their own ways, and how Jesus responds.”

Click “Read More” to read or listen to Ryan’s sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost.

Doubting Thomas? No. Faith-filled Thomas

Poor Thomas, saddled with that nickname “Doubting Thomas”, and for what? Wanting the exact same things the other disciples got? It doesn’t seem very fair. He finds himself in a remarkably similar situation. He has just heard the news that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, but he doesn’t quite believe it. He wants something more. That is the same situation the other disciples found themselves in. As we heard last week, Mary Magdalene had had the experience. She had seen him, she had touched him, and she went and told the others. They didn’t believe her. 

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