Readings: Ecclesiastes 1: 2, 2: 21-23; Colossians 3: 1-5, 9-11; Luke 12: 13-21 Preacher: Brigit Hurley I spent last week at the Alex Haley farm in Tennessee attending the Hall-Proctor Institute for Faith-based Child Advocacy. The Children’s Defense Fund holds this event annually as a gathering place for faith leaders and children’s advocates who work to improve the systems that serve… read more →

Readings: Genesis 18: 20-32; Colossians 2: 12-14; Luke 11: 1-13 Preacher: Margot VanEtten Today’s readings might at first seem to contradict one another. Abraham bargains with God like a customer at a merchant’s stall, bidding him down from 50 innocent people to just 10 whose presence will move God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah.  Jesus teaches a prayer with no pressure,… read more →

Readings: Genesis 18: 1-10a; Colossians 1: 24-28; Luke 10: 38-42 Preacher: Christine Nowak Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries shared on social media last week about a man named Carlos. Here’s an excerpt from their post: “After what seemed like a reasonable hearing of the man’s case and even attempts to support him in his case for asylum, including scheduling another hearing… read more →

Readings: Deuteronomy 30:10-14; Colossians 1: 15-20; Luke 10: 25-37 Preacher: Cathy (Kamp) Glisson The Good Samaritan. For centuries, Luke’s parable has prompted Christians the world over to reflect and ask: Who is my neighbor? How am I called to treat my neighbor with the mercy of Jesus? The parable and questions have never been more relevant than they are today. In… read more →

Readings: Isaiah 66: 10-14c; Galatians 6: 14-18; Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20 Preacher: Sr. Karen Dietz Last week I was on vacation up in the Adirondacks with a few friends. As the week progressed, we accumulated a couple of bags of garbage, intending to take them to the nearest transfer station (dump) as in years past. Two of us were delegated to… read more →

Readings: Acts 12:1-11; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18; Matthew 16:13-19 Preacher: Marilyn Catherine  “Who do you say that I am?” I wonder why Jesus posed this question to his disciples. Was he acting the part of a teacher springing a pop quiz on his students to test how well they were doing? Jesus was pretty aware he had chosen a bunch of… read more →

Readings: Genesis 14: 19-20; 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26; Luke 9; 11b-17 Preacher: Sr. Barbara Moore For more than a month since Easter, the Church has and continues to celebrate pivotal feasts.  Easter moves to the Ascension and on to Pentecost, the Feast of the Holy Trinity and now, we focus on the Body and Blood of Christ.  In a way it… read more →

Readings: Proverbs 8:22-31; Romans 5:1-5: John 16:12-15Preacher: Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler Have you ever given much thought to what it means that you and I are made in the image and likeness of God? What is our image of God? Yours and mine? When we bless ourselves, we say “in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Right?… read more →

Readings: Acts 2:12-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13; John 14: 15-16, 23b-26 Preacher: Deni Mack These are times when we know we need the Holy Spirit. ICE handcuffed people who were born here, who worked here for years.  Their families and lawyers searched for days to find them after their wives and children saw ICE throw them into unmarked vans.  Their search… read more →

Readings: Acts 7: 55-60; Revelation 22: 12-14, 16-17, 20; John 20-26 Preacher: Gloria Ulterino I used to go into prison on a regular basis.  You see, I was invited there to preach every month by a good friend, a deacon in our local Church.  He thought I’d love it.  And I did!  It was always safe.  And the prisoners generally responded… read more →