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Walking on the Waves
Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; Matthew 14:22-33
Sunday, August 9th, 2020 : 9:15 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
Storms are going to come, and we will have to face them. This story has some clues for us staying above the waves when they come.
Music: “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Paul Simon
Standing Up to Jesus
Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32; Matthew 15:21-28
Sunday, August 16th, 2020 : 9:15 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
This Canaanite woman stood up to Jesus’ rebuff and won his admiration. What bones do we have to pick with Jesus? Might we be surprised at the consequences if we stand up to Jesus?
Keys to the Kingdom
Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20
Sunday, August 23rd, 2020 : 9:15 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
Jesus offers us the Keys to the Kingdom. Is his offer to flatter our egos and desire for power, or is it a recognition that entrance into a new mind, the Kingdom, is always available to us and that we have the Key?
The God Who Will Not Be Named
Exodus 3:1-15; Matthew 16:21-28
Sunday, August 30th, 2020 : 9:15 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
God’s answer to Moses’ request for God’s name is probably not what Moses wanted to hear. It offered no comforting guarantees. God remains unnameable and untameable. Peter finds the same dynamic at play with Jesus.
Which Side Does God Choose in Conflict?
Exodus 12:1-14 and Matthew 18:15-20
Sunday, September 6th, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
It is one thing to adopt a Christian ideal. It is another thing to put it into practice amid the brokenness which shows up in human communities and human history. How do we live out our Christian faith in times of conflict?
Mirrowing Mercy
Romans 14:1-12 and Matthew 18:21-35
Sunday, September 13th, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
Perhaps the reason we have difficulty being gracious to others is that we have not understood the depths of God’s love for us, nor how dependent upon God’s grace we are. Until we see God’s mercy for us it may be difficult for us to mirrow God’s mercy for others.
Grumbling and Gratitude
Exodus 16:2-15 and Matthew 20:1-16
Sunday, September 20th, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
Life is challenging. Often it does not go according to our desires. Frequently, it seems to us that others have an easier path than we do. We are tempted to grumble. When we are challenged, can we learn to practice gratitude?
Running on Empty
Philippians 2:1-13 and Matthew 21:23-32
Sunday, September 27th, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
The pattern of Christ is one of emptying and letting go of privilege. We see such a pattern as foolishness. It is the pattern, however, which leads to true life.
The Seduction of Self
Philippians 3:4b-14 and Matthew 21:33-46
Sunday, October 4th, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
In Jesus’ parable, we are no more than tenants of all that God has planted – the world and all that lies within it. We have been seduced by the idea that we are masters of the universe, that we answer to no one but ourselves and our desires. Such an illusion is unsustainable.
Majoring in Minors
Philippians 4:1-9 and Matthew 22:1-14
Sunday, October 11th, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
This parable shows how blind we are to the true purpose of our lives, which is about soul work. We major in minors, relegating inner work to the fringes of our lives and spending our energies on things which do not truly count or last.
The Unbearable Weight of Presence
Exodus 33:12-23 and Matthew 22:15-22
Sunday, October 18th, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
John Mark Green wrote, “Grief is love’s shadow. The presence of an absence. An unbearable weight of emptiness.” Perhaps we refuse to encounter life’s depths because we fear its ultimate emptiness. The story of Moses suggests that we might not be able to bear the depth of presence. Therefore, we get seduced by lesser gods like power and wealth.
Learning to See the Grandeur
Deuteronomy 34:1-12 and Matthew 22:34-46
Sunday, October 25th, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
Moses caught a glimpse of what his work was leading to. Jesus saw the depths of accepted religious truths which most of us reduce to manageable size, making our lives small in the process.
What Are We Becoming?
1 John 3:1-3 and Matthew 5:1-12
Sunday, November 1st, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
These readings point to the nature of our ultimate identity in Christ. Do we find ourselves being led into the qualitied of being of Christlikeness? If not, what changes do we make to more fully embrace our destiny now?
Like Calls to Like
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 and Matthew 25:1-13
Sunday, November 8th, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
We are made in the image of God and called to likeness with God. The image is a gift. The likeness is our work and decision and cannot be given without our striving. What stands in the way of our move to likeness with God? What may we need to get to find likeness? What may we need to give up?
Growing the God Gene
Judges 4:1-7 and Matthew 25:14-30
Sunday, November 15th, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
If we think of the talents in this parable as our capacity for spiritual sight and wisdom, then it reads as a warning not to bury this capacity. It takes courage and fortitude to grow our spiritual capacity. How are we doing with this?
The Arc of the Moral Universe
Ezekiel 34:11-16 and Matthew 25:31-46
Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Is this not what this parable tells us, what the prophet Ezekiel too?
The Cost of Being Called
1 Corinthians 1:3-9 and Mark 13:24-37
Sunday, November 29th, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
We like to think of ourselves as part of those called into God’s fellowship, but the call comes with a cost. It demands a response, a readiness not to coast, not to be unconscious, but always vigilant and awake.
Preparing for God’s Deliverance
Isaiah 40:1-11 and Mark 1:1-8
Sunday, December 6th, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
Both texts sparkle with good news, proclaiming comfort and deliverance from God for us. Now the call for us is to prepare our hearts for this new work of God within and among us.
Preparing for Transformation
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 and John 1:6-8, 19-28
Sunday, December 13th, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
Again, we hear of the call of John to prepare the way, to witness to the coming light. Paul drives home the implications for us – the transformation of our lives at their core.
God’s Promise and Our Yes
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 and Luke 1:26-38
Sunday, December 20th, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
God’s promises are sure, but are fulfilled over a long stretch of time and in unexpected ways. God’s promise requires our trust and welcome and our willingness to give birth to the promise.
The Intimacy of God
Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14
Thursday, December 24th, 2020 : 4:00 & 8:30 PM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
At Christmas, our eyes and hearts are opened to see the miracle of life and human birth as tied to the intimate presence of God among us.
The Light That Burns
Galatians 4:4-7 and Luke 2:22-40
Sunday, December 27th, 2020 : 9:45 AM
Rev. John W. Monroe III
Simeon glories in seeing the Christ child, yet foresees opposition to God’s sign, perhaps because as light he will reveal our hidden inner life. God’s intimate presence is joyous and intimidating.