Readings: 2 Samuel 5: 1-3; Colossians 1: 12-20; Luke 23: 35-43 Preacher : Nancy J. DeRycke Just as the attention has settled down around Queen Elizabeth’s death and King Charles’ reign, the Church is celebrating Christ the King—another reflection on “Royals.” Our world (and church?) has a fascination with royalty and power. So perhaps that’s part of the reason why the… read more →
Readings: Ecclesiastes 1: 2, 2: 21-23; Colossians 3: 1-5, 9-11; Luke 12: 13-21 Preacher: Nancy DeRycke “NOW” is a very important word. I remember a poster: “Do it now.” And a Lenten song in college: “Love them now…don’t wait ‘til they go away; love them now, while they’re still around…” We all may have regrets about questions (a favorite recipe…a family… read more →
Readings: Acts 5: 12-16; Revelations 1: 9-11a, 12-13, 17-19; John 20: 19-31 Preacher: Nancy De Rycke When I was born, in the days before ultrasounds, I was predicted to be a boy; my name was to be Thomas. I wasn’t Thomas. Things aren’t always what we plan on. My parents had to change gears pretty quickly to adapt to this baby… read more →
Readings: Genesis 15: 5-12, 17-18; Philippians 3: 17- 4:1; Luke 9: 28b-36 Preacher: Nancy J. DeRycke Remember times in your life, growing up or as an adult when you needed a “guiding light?” In this Transfiguration story that we hear every 2nd Sunday of Lent, Jesus goes up the mountain to pray, to sort things out as he struggles with the… read more →
Readings: 1 Kings 17:10-16; Hebrews 9: 24-28; Mark 12: 38-44 Preacher: Nancy DeRycke No one is a justa! We’ve probably heard the story of the kiddo who, because of the prayer, thought God’s name was: “Our father who art in heaven, HAROLD be thy name!?”There are many kinds of names, but the one name God doesn’t like is “justa.” (That… read more →
Readings: Acts 4: 8-12; 1 John 3: 1-2; John 10: 11-18Click here to download a PDF of this homily.Preacher: Nancy DeRyckeDid you ever find yourself saying: “I just wish someone would tell me what to do”? Whether it’s praying for the proverbial thunderbolt from heaven so there can be no mistake …or whether, when we’re tired or hassled, we just… read more →
Readings: Deuteronomy 18: 15-20; 1 Corinthians 7: 32-35; Mark 1: 21-28Click here to download a PDF of this homily.Preacher: Nancy DeRycke As Chaplain at a local nursing home, I often marvel at people’s insights. I was leading a floor service recently and was interrupted by Joel, a resident and a self-proclaimed agnostic. He told of his boarding an airplane on… read more →
Readings: Isaiah 55: 10-11; Romans 8: 18-23; Matthew 13: 1-23Click here to download a PDF of the homily.Preacher: Nancy DeRycke Pay Attention! When I was in early teen years, my Dad and I were out for a ride. We were in his truck, coming home on a quiet road. He pulled over on the side of the road and said,… read more →
Readings: Malachi 3:19-20A; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21:5-19Click here to download a PDF of this homily. Preacher: Nancy DeRycke Many Scripture scholars think that Jesus was an apocalyptic preacher, that he thought the end was coming soon. So when his followers began to realize that the end might not be coming as soon as first anticipated, they had to figure… read more →
Readings: 1 Kings 19: 16B, 19-21; Galatians 5: 1, 13-18; Luke 9: 51-62Click here to download a PDF of this homily.Preacher: Nancy DeRycke I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get overwhelmed. Preparing today’s readings, I was overwhelmed. • Overwhelmed by the freedom we will celebrate on the 4th of July: Freedom we have as citizens won by the… read more →