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By Pastor Mack Owings
Scripture: John 20:19-31 Our scripture for today is the infamous story often called “Doubting Thomas,” and no doubt, you have heard many sermons on this particular passage. Maybe some used this story as a cautionary tale warning against the dangers of too many questions, or maybe some were just the opposite, encouraging questions as a way to deepen faith. With that in mind, I hope to bring a different perspective to this story, to illuminate it such that you get something new out of it, and not the message you’ve heard a bazillion times before. In the Fall of 2019 my fiancé, Pastor Monica, had to have surgery. Now this was a fairly minor procedure, it was to have her gallbladder removed, and she’d be able to go home the same day. But right before she went back for the procedure, the surgeon came in and told us everything that could possibly go wrong, every way that the surgeon could accidentally kill Monica. And even though all of those things had a .0001% chance of happening, I was still terrified. The whole time she was in surgery and I was out in the waiting room with her mother, my legs were bouncing up and down. I was so nervous that I couldn’t even stay distracted by Twitter or games on my phone. Especially after the two hour mark had passed, the amount of time they said it would take. I sat in my uncomfortable, green chair going over every possible outcome and praying incessantly, trying to calm myself and to believe that everything was okay. Finally, after close to 3 hours, the surgeon came out and told us that Monica was now in the recovery room and that the surgery went well with no complications. She said that we weren’t allowed to see Monica until she woke up. So for the next 20 or so minutes, my legs continued to bounce with anxiety and I continued to pray. I did not believe that Monica was okay until a nurse brought us back and I saw her with my own eyes sitting there eating a popsicle.
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By Rev. Tracey Leslie
Scripture: John 20: 1-18 In 1969, Joni Mitchell, disappointed at having missed the flight to Woodstock, wrote her now famous song, bearing that title. The song, Woodstock, however, is more than a tip of the hat to the music festival in upstate New York. It celebrates that, despite some rather “suspect” activities during the festival, many were motivated to attend because they were looking for a space with beauty and song, a sense of community and peace. Mitchell’s song includes some profound lyrics. Yet most spiritual were the lyrics of the chorus: We are stardust, we are golden, we are billion year old carbon, caught in the devil’s bargain And we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden. By Rev. Tracey Leslie
Scripture: John 12: 20-26 This morning, Palm/Passion Sunday, we conclude this Lenten sermon series around the five stages of grief, as we arrive at the final stage of acceptance. Now, it’s important for us to remember that acceptance doesn’t mean we become “OK” with our loss; that it no longer matters to us. It will always matter to us and life will never be exactly the same. Rather, acceptance means that we are able to move forward with our lives, finding meaning and establishing new connections. We will continue to grieve. But, in arriving at acceptance, our grief no longer prevents us from living. |
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Pastor Tracey
On a lifelong journey of seeking to live out God's call on my life and to reflect His grace. 10 Minute SermonsCategories
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