Sermons

Epiphany 4 – Awesome Anna – February 2, 2020

Epiphany 3 – Look for the Light – January 26, 2020

January 26, 2020 The Rev. Susan Barnes Epiphany Matthew

Let There Be Light

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness– on them light has shined.

“Let there be light.” God’s first action in creation is calling light into being. In holy scripture, light is the sign of God’s presence.

Light is a recurring image in the readings of the Epiphany season. The stories celebrate God’s eternal action and presence, God’s continual breaking into history to transform the world through the lives of ordinary people.

These tales help us see how God breaks into our lives, claiming us as beloved children and inviting us more fully into the life of faith.

The life of faith calls us …

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Epiphany 2 – Come and See – January 19, 2020

January 19, 2020 The Rev. Della Wager Wells Epiphany John

Come and See

Well, this is the week! We will gather today after the 10:00 service for our Annual Meeting. I have been looking forward to seeing our congregation come together since my first day at Emmanuel in September!

It has been a whirlwind little over four months — about 19 weeks — and I’ve gone from trying to learn where all the light switches are to the joy of meeting more and more of you individually, and getting to know you better. This is where the really good stuff is — our connections with each other in Christian community, knowing each other and being known, and leaning into our common efforts here at Emmanuel.

I am thankful for the …

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Epiphany 1 – God Untamed – January 12, 2020

January 12, 2020 The Rev. Della Wager Wells Epiphany Matthew

God Untamed

Today we celebrate two beginnings in our church year: the First Sunday after Epiphany, and the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. Epiphany is at the beginning of Jesus’ life, when the Magi arrive in Bethlehem to worship the new baby king. And the Baptism of Our Lord is at the beginning of Jesus’ approximately three-year earthly ministry.

Both events challenge our assumptions and understandings about power and authority — and strength and weakness — and love and safety.

The Magi — mysterious VIPs from the East — leave Herod’s court in Jerusalem to follow the star to the manger side in Bethlehem to worship a baby, born King of the Jews, they …

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