Ordinary Time

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In the Name of Jesus Christ

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When we serve in the name of Jesus, we are not left alone. We are given what we need to sustain us in ministry. Like Elijah in the wilderness, who was overwhelmed enough to ask that he might die, God’s messenger said to him, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” Jesus is our nourishment, our bread for the journey. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” “Taste and see”, the psalmist writes. You will see. You will see.

Click “Read More” to read or listen to Deacon Nancy Crawford’s entire sermon for the 11th Sunday after Pentecost.

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The Perpetual Feast

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Today’s Old Testament reading comes from the book of Exodus, the story of how God provided food for the Israelites as they made their way through the desert en route from Egyptian servitude to the land God promised to their ancestors. The story is part of a cycle of stories all gathered around the common theme of God’s provision for their needs during their sojourn to their new home. And these stories provided fertile soil in which later Jewish and Christian interpretations grew and thrived. This manna was not what the people expected. But if you’ll stay with me I’ll try to show you that God gives them what they really need, and that’s more than just a full belly.

Click “Read More” to read or listen to Dr. Loren Crow’s entire sermon for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost.

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We have what we need: Learning to Trust in God

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Our Gospel story today is that well known tale of the feeding of the multitudes, that time when Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fish, and was able to feed thousands of people. I would say that based on the conversations I have had with people over the years about this story, the primary interest, focus, attention, is on that miracle and how it was achieved. How was that possible? The Gospel doesn't actually say. It just says that the people were fed, and there was enough for everybody. Everyone was satisfied, and there were leftovers. But it doesn't say how this was achieved.

Click “Read More” to read or listen to the Rev. Bingham Powell’s entire sermon for the 9th Sunday after Pentecost.

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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.

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