Sermon Transcripts

May 28, 2023 ~ PENTECOST Rev. Beckie Sweet       PRAYER:                                      Come, Holy Spirit, Come. Renew your whole creation, nature and grace, soul and body. Move in and around us and fill us with your creative energy And extravagant light ~ wind and fire. May our hearts be open, may our hearts be stirred, For the work of love to which you call us And the hope of the world for which we labor. In Jesus’ name. ...

May 21, 2023 ~ 7th Sunday of Easter Rev. Beckie Sweet   What are the most familiar words in the Bible?  The New Testament?  The Old Testament?  I mentioned yesterday at the Celebration of Gene Bartell’s life that the 23rd Psalm is one of the most familiar and most comforting passages of scripture for most of us.  “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.  He leadeth me beside the...

May 14, 2023 ~ 6th Sunday of Easter ~ Festival of the Christian Home Rev. Beckie Sweet   Some of us probably have stashed away in a box somewhere, some old 45 rpm records.  If you have some from the 50’s and early 60’s (before my time!) you have have Elvis grinding out “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog,” or Buddy Holly and the Crickets hiccupping “Peggy Sue;” Chuck Berry’s joyful hot licks in “Maybellene,” the Coasters slapstick...

April 16, 2023 ~ 2nd Sunday of Easter Rev. Beckie Sweet   A pastor was speaking to a group of second graders about the resurrection of Jesus, which is not an easy concept for adults to grasp, and even more challenging for children.  One of the second graders asked, “What did Jesus say right after He came out of the grave?”  The pastor explained that the Gospels do not tell us what Jesus said.  At that, the hand of one little girl...

April 9, 2023 ~ EASTER Sunday Rev. Beckie Sweet     One evening a couple of years ago, two pastors, Philip and Joseph, went out for a beer after a long Wednesday at work.  Before we get too far into this, let me just say that it is okay for ME to tell weird stories about my colleagues, or stories about my weird colleagues.  Whichever the case may be…something weird is going on!  So, Philip and Joseph drove down to a trendy...

March 26, 2023 ~ Fifth Sunday in Lent Rev. Beckie Sweet   “Wade in the water, wade in the water children, wade in the water, God’s gonna’ trouble the water.”  I love that Spiritual!  I am so thankful that the Festival Chimes played it for us this morning.  If you are familiar with this Spiritual, which happens to be in our Faith We Sing Hymnal, then like me, you likely had the lyrics going through your mind, too.  “Wade in the...