tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55173546863785843742012-01-26T16:51:31.042-05:00Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.comBlogger1781100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-13179621471395521212012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:002012-01-26T16:51:31.051-05:00

Taking the Message on the Move Mark 1:14-20 Epiphany + 3 – January 22, 2012 Why are you here this morning? Really, I'd love to know what made you get up out of your warm, cozy bed on this cold winter day and decide to come to church? What is it about this place that caused you to get dressed and leave your house and the morning newspaper or the Sunday morning TV shows or that extra cup of

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-34034059278562448852012-01-23T21:31:00.001-05:002012-01-23T21:31:12.261-05:00

“You Will See Greater Things than These!” John 1:43-51 Epiphany + 2 – January 15, 2012 Lucy wasn't expecting anything unusual to happen on that rainy, dreary day. She and her siblings had recently arrived at the Professor's house, their temporary home during the war, and since they couldn't go outside to play, they decided to explore the big old house. In one room, there was an old wardrobe

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-61445635082416188372012-01-10T08:30:00.000-05:002012-01-10T08:30:01.163-05:00

Jesus Cures our Sin-sickness Mark 1:1-11 Baptism of our Lord – January 8, 2012 The TV show House is an entertaining medical drama. Every week follows the same basic formula – someone collapses in the middle of their everyday lives, and is raced to the ER, where the doctors are stymied, mystified at the cause, utterly unable to figure out what is causing the patient's symptoms. And so

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-25473726933618450062012-01-06T08:00:00.000-05:002012-01-06T08:00:14.350-05:00

Jesus Gives A New Name Luke 2:15-21 Name of Jesus – January 1, 2012 At 15 months, my daughter Norah is finally starting to use some recognizable words. Mainly, she's working on learning the names of things. She knows her own name when we use it, and she's starting to label the everyday things she comes in contact with or sees in books – Dog. Cat. Ball. Baby. Drink. Dolly. She's also learning

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-70026573461650229272012-01-05T08:30:00.000-05:002012-01-05T08:30:01.153-05:00

The Power of the Word John 1:1-14 Christmas Day – December 25, 2011 “In the beginning...” If we hadn't just heard the gospel of John read, when we hear the words, “In the beginning,” we might not think about this story. We might not think about Jesus. Instead, we might find our minds drawn to another Bible story that starts this exact same way, the story that John's gospel echoes. We

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That Little Baby?!? Luke 2:1-20 Christmas Eve – December 24, 2011 If you happened to be here this past Sunday at the 10 o'clock service, you got a chance to see our kids in action for the annual Sunday School Christmas play. This year, we shared in their wonder and excitement as they told the story of Jesus' birth from the perspective of the animals. A little lamb had fallen asleep and lost

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-48781160362132323272011-12-14T20:49:00.000-05:002011-12-14T20:50:36.920-05:00

Beauty from Brokenness Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 Advent 3 – December 11, 2011 On Sunday, May 22, of this year a tornado ravaged the Missouri city of Joplin. Several people died in the destruction and its aftermath. Peace Lutheran Church was demolished – its sanctuary, offices, classrooms, and gathering place leveled. This was a congregation that had already been facing difficult times. They

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-57905215940074317722011-12-14T09:00:00.000-05:002011-12-14T09:00:06.709-05:00

The Promise of the Promised One Mark 1:1-8 Advent 2 – December 4, 2011 People often ask me, since I'm not originally from around here, what I think of Long Island. Do I like it here? And in general, my answer is usually the same – “It's a good place to live. I like it here just fine – except when I wanna leave.” Because you know and I know that getting off this Island is a pain. Being on

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-55091317616058370052011-12-13T14:45:00.004-05:002011-12-13T14:45:51.180-05:00

Watching and Waiting Mark 13:24-37 Advent 1 – November 27, 2011 It's funny the things you remember. But every time I read this gospel passage, I remember a bookmark my Aunt Renie bought me a LONG time ago, back when I was in elementary school, I think. It was your standard bookmark, with a white background and a kind of yarn-y tassel, with a funny little cartoon figure on it. “Be alert!”

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-5669007185243842572011-11-20T21:25:00.001-05:002011-11-20T21:27:25.537-05:00

Jesus Cares for the Least of These Matthew 25:31-46 Christ the King Sunday – November 20, 2011 This gospel passage is one of my favorites. I love it because of the vision it gives of what it will look like, at least in part, it gives us one aspect, when the kingdom comes and God's will is done – the place where the hungry are fed, and the thirsty given something to drink, and the naked

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-39846159172742388902011-11-16T20:56:00.001-05:002011-11-16T21:05:34.918-05:00

The following sermon was delivered at St. Peter's, Baldwin, NY, as part of a pulpit swap with Pr. Ed Barnett for both churches' "Commitment Sunday" - the culmination of the fall financial stewardship program. God Entrusts Us with Great Resources Matthew 25:14-30 Pentecost + 22, November 16, 2011 Commitment Sunday, St. Peter's, Baldwin Good morning. I'm glad to be here with you in worship

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-53153974371074143282011-11-10T22:32:00.001-05:002011-11-10T22:35:00.583-05:00

God Makes A New CovenantJeremiah 31:31-34Reformation Sunday – October 30, 2011 Marriage vows are meant to be kept. They're meant to be forever. That's built right into the traditional vows. The two people getting married promise each other something like this: “I take you to be my spouse; to have and to hold from this day forward, in joy and in sorrow, in plenty and in want, in sickness and

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-65916861409871023382011-10-31T21:05:00.000-04:002011-10-31T21:05:05.596-04:00

Jesus Loves God – and Us Too! Matthew 22:34-46 Pentecost +19, October 23, 2011 Years ago, Bonnie Raitt sang a song lamenting an unrequited love, and the chorus went like this: “I can't make you love me if you don't. You can't make your heart feel something it won't...” It's a beautiful, moving song – I liked it a lot, but it reveals a pervasive belief or opinion about love – that

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0St. Johns Lutheran Church40.657939 -73.67359440.6564335 -73.67606149999999 40.6594445 -73.6711265tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-82346326209666917872011-10-28T12:27:00.005-04:002011-10-28T12:27:46.830-04:00

Jesus Doesn't Play Gotcha Matthew 22:15-22 Pentecost + 18, October 16, 2011 If ever there was a “gotcha” question, the one we hear in the gospel this morning is it! “Gotcha” questions, of course, are designed to show someone up in front of an audience, asked to catch them off guard and trap them with their own words, and certainly, that is what the disciples of the Pharisees who

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-66677822786071331492011-10-20T16:08:00.000-04:002011-10-20T16:08:47.819-04:00

The King Invites Everyone He Sees Matthew 22:1-14 Pentecost + 17 – October 9, 2011 Guest lists are tricky things, aren't they? When Andy & I got married, the guest list was the subject of much conversation and debate, and - sometimes - verged on the edge of outright argument. We had a limited budget, so we had to limit who could come, and what with both of our big extended families and our

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-76304748942425926532011-10-18T15:53:00.001-04:002011-10-18T15:53:36.062-04:00

Giving Back to Jesus  Matthew 21:33-46 Pentecost + 16, October 2, 2011  Several years ago, Mark Alan Powell, a professor of mine at seminary, wrote a book called Giving to God, and in it, he tells a story about how he and his wife sometimes go away, and need someone to come stay at their home – both to keep an eye on their house and belongings, but also to take care of their cats. Typically

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-81160609086193260912011-09-24T15:49:00.002-04:002011-09-24T15:52:54.821-04:00

God Gives Grace GenerouslyMatthew 20:1-16Pentecost + 14, September 18, 2011 Years ago there was an investment company – I don't remember which one –but the tagline of their commercials was, “They make money the old-fashioned way – they earn it.” The idea as I remember it was that the investors worked hard for their money, that nobody gave them anything for free – and I guess by extension, that

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-87578210000701547572011-09-24T15:49:00.001-04:002011-09-24T15:49:22.715-04:00

God Forgives without LimitsMatthew 18:21-35Pentecost + 13 – September 11, 2011 It's pretty clear to me today what the take home message of this gospel lesson is. I'll admit that there are lots of times that I have to spend a lot of time trying to dig below the surface of the various stories in the Bible, trying to figure out what God's word is to us, to our congregation, in our day and time.

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-65945983403469378332011-09-24T15:46:00.001-04:002011-09-24T15:46:04.757-04:00

Resolved to ReconcileMatthew 18:15-20Pentecost + 12, September 4, 2011 Last weekend, while we were cooped up waiting out the hurricane,Andy & I watched a movie called You Again. It centered around a young woman named Marni. Now poor Marni had had a rough go of it during high school. For whatever reason, she was singled out by the popular kids in her school, and made fun of, tormented, bullied

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-52861445111141619322011-09-24T15:41:00.001-04:002011-09-24T15:41:08.534-04:00

Jesus Tells Us Who We AreMatthew 16:13-20Pentecost + 10 – August 21, 2011 “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” This question crosses Jesus' lips in our gospel this morning, but it's not a question unique to Jesus. Sure in that particular form, it is, but all of us at one point or another have found ourselves wondering who people say that we are. Maybe not all the time, but at those

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-16633937686052335742011-09-24T15:36:00.002-04:002011-09-24T15:36:28.901-04:00

Jesus Brings Outsiders In Matthew 15:10-28 Pentecost + 9, August 14, 2011  Today's gospel with its story of this persistent Canaanite woman made me think of the movie What About Bob?. It starred Bill Murray as Bob. Now, Bob was kinda crazy. He had a list of phobias as long as your arm. He's so afraid of so many things that it's hard for him to leave his apartment. Bob really relies on his

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-8688556933549223132011-08-09T11:16:00.003-04:002011-08-09T11:24:54.356-04:00

Jesus Gets In the Boat! Matthew 14:22-33 Pentecost + 8 – August 7, 2011 “Dear Lord, Be good to me. The sea is so wide, and my boat is so small.” This prayer is known as the Breton Fisherman's Prayer. But it's also used by the Children's Defense Fund, and for years I saw it every day, hanging on the wall of the office where I worked with at-risk teens and their families – a piece of art

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-32665019864588002472011-08-09T11:12:00.002-04:002011-08-09T11:15:58.836-04:00

Jesus Multiplies Our “Nothing” Matthew 14:13-21 Pentecost + 7 – July 31, 2011 Do you know the term “compassion fatigue”? It's what happens when people are faced with the on-going suffering of others over time. It can strike health care professionals or home health aides. It's also used to talk about what happens to the public at large, as we see images and hear stories of tragedy and are

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-66256005567127393232011-07-26T11:51:00.001-04:002011-07-26T11:53:40.237-04:00

God's Kingdom Comes UnexpectedlyMatthew 13:31-33, 44-52Pentecost + 6 – July 24, 2011This past week, I heard a story on the radio that greatly disturbed me. It was about the drought in the Horn of Africa, which is on the eastern coast. It's where Ethiopia is. Where Somalia is. Somalia – where the UN has recently declared a famine to be taking place. The radio host and his guests were talking

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-19997538835415093952011-07-26T11:49:00.001-04:002011-07-26T11:51:22.307-04:00

Wheat vs. WeedsMatthew 13: 24-30, 36-43Pentecost + 5 – July 17, 2011 It's no wonder to me that when the disciples get Jesus alone, they pull him aside and say, “Explain that parable to us please.” Because it doesn't make a whole lot of sense on the surface of it. Jesus tells the crowds this story about the kingdom of heaven, and it's yet another farming parable – this one about weeds among the

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-26077103551224262822011-07-26T11:42:00.003-04:002011-07-26T11:49:12.837-04:00

Jesus Rescues Us From SinRomans 7:15-25aPentecost + 3 – July 3, 2011I want to look this morning at the reading from Romans. Because of all of the apostle Paul's writings (and he wrote a great majority of the New Testament), this is one section that makes sense to me. His writing is full of deep ideas, rich images, great theological explanations, but sometimes, don't you feel like you need to

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-73094210962045364542011-06-29T15:49:00.002-04:002011-06-29T15:53:44.563-04:00

Sent to Share the StoryMatthew 10:40-42Pentecost + 2 – June 26, 2011Before I begin today, I want us to take a minute or 2 to think about what you would say if you wanted to let someone know what's at the heart of your relationship or belief about God, Jesus, your faith. Imagine you're making a cardboard sign to hold up. In 10 words or less, what is at the center of your life with God? Don't

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-68587026745450844182011-06-29T15:43:00.002-04:002011-06-29T15:46:56.845-04:00

Jesus Trusts Disciples to Share the StoryMatthew 28:16-20Holy Trinity Sunday – June 19, 2011 I've got a big reunion coming up in a few weeks. It's my 20th high school reunion. And I have to tell you, I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. I'm both excited and a bit nervous. You see, I haven't seen most of these people since we graduated or shortly after that. I've reconnected with some

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-79159811148820804932011-06-29T15:38:00.002-04:002011-06-29T15:42:59.034-04:00

The Spirit Gives Gifts for the Common Good1 Corinthians 12:3b-13Pentecost A – June 12, 2011 Several years ago, there was a movie called Splash. Any of you remember it? It starred Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah, and I'll be honest: I don't remember all that much about the plot of the movie, except that he was a human, and she was a mermaid who somehow was able to come out of the ocean and live on

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-81848963164551664472011-06-29T15:30:00.002-04:002011-06-29T15:38:29.255-04:00

God's Work. Our Hands. Acts 1:6-14; John 17:1-11Easter 7A – June 5, 2011 God's work. Our hands. That's the tagline of the ELCA. You may have heard it a time or two, or seen it on the front page of our website, or read it on the synod poster that hangs on the bulletin board as you enter the church building. It's a pretty straightforward slogan, revealing both our denomination's mission

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-34959752553185868512011-06-01T12:40:00.001-04:002011-06-01T12:42:37.205-04:00

Jesus Will Never Leave Us AloneJohn 14:15-21Easter 6A – May 29, 2011 One of my favorite fantasy fiction series is a set of books about the Dragonriders of Pern. In the world of Pern, dragons exist. They are living, breathing sentient beings who partner with humans to fight against the deadly Thread that periodically falls from space and eats its way through anything organic. When the dragon

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-7607295428235714412011-06-01T12:37:00.002-04:002011-06-01T12:40:19.777-04:00

Trusting Jesus Along the WayJohn 14:1-14Easter 5A – May 22, 2011 “Do you trust me?” - That's what Aladdin says to Princess Jasmine after they've been chased by the local law-enforcement from the marketplace, and find themselves cornered in the upper floor of a tower with no place to run, no escape, as the men who have been chasing them are almost upon them. Aladdin stands in the open window and

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-5912411242906422402011-06-01T12:34:00.001-04:002011-06-01T12:36:38.301-04:00

Jesus Leads To Abundant LifeJohn 10:1-10Easter 4 – May 15, 2011 Once upon a time, (okay, just a few summers ago), shortly after Andy & I had gotten our dog Kosar, we needed to go out of town overnight for a wedding on the 4th of July. Not knowing that we could board him at any of the local vets, we ended up hiring a dog-sitter – someone who would come to the house to feed him & let him out &

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-6168187877973584102011-06-01T12:29:00.001-04:002011-06-01T12:34:21.631-04:00

Jesus Walks With Us Along the WayLuke 24:13-35Easter 3A – May 8, 2011 Some events are just incomprehensible. We start out with so much hope, so much promise, so much anticipation. We dream our dreams and plan our plans, thinking about what it will be like some day. And sometimes those dreams come to pass. But there are other times, other dreams, that don't come to fruition, that somehow go

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-59888426149043095002011-05-05T12:50:00.001-04:002011-05-05T12:52:21.343-04:00

“But You Don't Have to Take My Word For It...”Matthew 28:1-10Easter Sunday – April 24, 2011 I was a PBS kid growing up. We watched a lot of public television in my house, and one of the shows I always enjoyed was “Reading Rainbow”. You know, the one with LeVar Burton of Roots and Star Trek: the Next Generation fame as the host. I think it's ironic that there are TV shows designed to encourage

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-35844216648700381002011-05-05T12:46:00.002-04:002011-05-05T12:50:00.003-04:00

Victory at the CrossJohn 18:1-19:42Good Friday – April 22, 2011 When I was a kid, my brother got the original Nintendo video game system (or as my mother always called it, an “Intendo”). Kind of funny now to look back on how basic those games were, how low-end their graphics were, but still, we played for hours on the little 13-inch television that it was hooked up to. Mostly I liked to play

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-80471271243624299722011-05-05T12:39:00.002-04:002011-05-05T12:46:24.906-04:00

Will You Let Me Be Your Servant?John 13:1-17, 31b-35Maundy Thursday – April 21, 2011 I've had a song running through my head these past few days as I've been reading this gospel & thinking about it. It's a newer one to us – Will You Let Me Be Your Servant? (ELW, #659) We've sung it a few times, but it may not be all that familiar to you. It's the kind of melody that gets stuck in your head –

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-30999816736267752412011-05-05T12:35:00.002-04:002011-05-05T12:39:34.904-04:00

Jesus Comes With Power to Destroy DeathJohn 11:1-45Lent 5A – April 10, 2011 This past week in confirmation class, one of our kids asked me a question. And that question was: “If you could ask God one question, what would it be?” If you could ask God one question, what would it be?Well, he had actually asked me that the week before, and I told him I needed some time to think about it – and then

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Jesus Gives 3D GlassesJohn 9:1-41Lent 4 – April 3, 2011 You may or may not have noticed that there has been an explosion in 3D technology over the past several months. It started slowly, first with a movie here and there, and then more & more movies – and now every time I go into Costco, in the electronics section that's right by the entrance, half of the TVs come with 3D, and the displays come

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-959765891311955632011-05-05T12:29:00.002-04:002011-05-05T12:32:45.077-04:00

Jesus Gives Living WaterJohn 4:5-42Lent 3 – March 27, 2011 This week's gospel story is a world away from what we heard last week. Last week, just one chapter ago, we heard another story of a person's encounter with Jesus – only that one took place under the cover of darkness. This one happens right out in the open, under the bright noonday sun. Nicodemus was a man, a Jew – a leader of the

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-71831755347554671172011-05-05T12:24:00.002-04:002011-05-05T12:28:40.838-04:00

God Sends JesusJohn 3:1-17Lent 2 – March 20, 2011 I've always had a certain affection for this story, and for the character of Nicodemus. It started back in college, when our Lutheran Campus Ministry pastors came up with a Bible study called “Nic at Nite” - you know, like the TV channel, except it was based on this story from the gospel of John. And it wasn't your typical Bible study. It was

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-11724066519433460132011-05-05T12:17:00.002-04:002011-05-05T12:24:12.402-04:00

God's Word Gives IdentityMatthew 3:16-4:11Lent 1 – March 13, 2011 Most of you know that my husband Andy is also a pastor. And his church is what they call a mission start congregation, a new church that is still trying to get off the ground. So periodically, they have these big outreach events – last summer it was a big cook-out; just recently it was a special afternoon worship & fellowship

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Jesus Stays When the Glory FadesMatthew 17:1-9Transfiguration Sunday – March 6, 2011 Did you know there's an awards “season”? I'm kind of amused by that, that there's a whole season dedicated to the giving of film awards. But there is – and last Sunday night was the pinnacle of the award season – the Oscars. Now I have to admit that since I don't get to the movies much, I'm not much of one for

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God Provides What We NeedMatthew 6:24-34Epiphany + 8 – February 27, 2011 One of my favorite stories when I was a kid was the book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I know, the title doesn't sound like it's much to love, huh? But I loved it then, and I still love it now, because it tells it like it is. Poor Alexander has one heck of a day – a terrible, horrible, no

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Jesus Practices What He PreachesMatthew 5:38-48Epiphany + 7 – February 20, 2011Another reading from Matthew, from The Message."Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt

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Jesus Cares More About Relationships than RulesMatthew 5:21-37Epiphany + 6, February 13, 2011 There's a movie Andy & I like to quote to each other from time to time, because it portrays so well the way people in relationships so often communicate with each other. It's from the movie The Break-Up with Jennifer Aniston & Vince Vaughn, about a couple whose relationship has hit the breaking point.

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Let Your Light Shine.Matthew 5:13-20Epiphany + 5 – February 6, 2011Wipers on? Lights on. You've all probably seen that sign as you drive along the highway, here in New York and in other states. It's a not-so-subtle reminder about the law – if your wipers are on, your headlights should be too. Because when you're driving through bad weather – rain or snow or sleet or freezing rain or any

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God Blesses UnexpectedlyMatthew 5:1-12 & 1 Cor. 1:18-31Epiphany + 4, January 30, 2011Outwit. Outplay. Outlast. I'm not a big fan of the TV show Survivor. I've only ever seen bits and pieces of a couple of episodes. But even I know that these three words define the strategy & the goal of the show. Outwit. Outplay. Outlast.Three words that aren't just the tagline for a TV show – no, they

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I wrote the following sermon for two of our youth group members to preach on Youth Sunday. The numbers (1 & 2) designate the 2 different speakers. If you weren't in church on this day, you'll just have to imagine 2 young people (a 7th grader and an 11th grader) having a dialogue during the sermon time...Follow MeMatthew 4:12-23Epiphany 3 – January 23, 20111. That's quite a story in the gospel.

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-86004663701456573762011-01-16T16:47:00.000-05:002011-01-16T16:53:55.959-05:00

“Come and see!” John 1:29-42Epiphany 2 – January 16, 2010“What are you looking for?” That's the crucial question, isn't it? “What are you looking for?” Former bishop of the ELCA, H. George Anderson (many of you just know him as Bishop George) once said, “People are hungry for God, yet are settling for spiritual junk food.” Looking around the world, looking inside myself, I know that's true. We

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Sticks and StonesMatthew 3:13-17The Baptism of Our Lord - January 9, 2011"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."That's what we say; even young children know this rhyme. “Sticks & stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” We say them almost as a magical incantation, as though by saying them loud enough, believing in them hard enough, they might come

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Today was a service of lessons and carols. We let the 7 readings stand for themselves on this day, and don't have a sermon, hence there isn't one here. =)

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The Need for ChristmasMatthew 2:13-23Christmas 1 – December 26, 2010 I sometimes wonder about the people who put the lectionary cycle together. The lectionary is the 3-year schedule of readings that we and many other churches and denominations use each Sunday. I know that a lot of thought and prayer and discussion went into coming up with the order. But today, I have to wonder what they were

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Light Shines in the Darkness!Isaiah 9:2-7 & Luke 2:1-20Christmas Eve – December 24, 2010 I've always been a fan of candles. When I was a kid growing up, my mom had all sorts of sconces with votive candles hanging on the walls. She & I were of differing opinions about what the candles were for – she thought they were mainly for decoration, but I always wanted to light them. Candles enhance my

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God Is With UsMatthew 1:18-25Advent 4A – December 19, 2010Christmas is a tricky time. On the one hand, we have the twinkling of Christmas lights, the fresh smell of Christmas trees (or pine-scented candles that help us pretend we have a real tree), the sweetness of Christmas cookies, the anticipation of being with loved ones, far and near, the sounds of the seasonal music that we love (even if we

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Stop, Look, and ListenMatthew 11:2-11Advent 3 – December 12, 2010 When I was a kid growing up out in the country of rural Pennsylvania, my parents taught me a very important lesson about crossing the street, 1 most of you probably heard growing up too. When you get ready to cross the road, before you do anything else, you stop, look, and listen. Stop, of course, so you wouldn't rush out into

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Jesus Finds a WayMatthew 3:1-12Advent 2 – December 5, 2010 One of my favorite books from when I was a kid was The Monster at the End of this Book, starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover. It's a fun book – Grover talks to you the whole way through. You open it up to the 1st page, and Grover, it seems, has seen the title. And poor old Grover is in a panic – because there's a monster at the end of

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Get Ready – Jesus is ComingMatthew 24:36-44Advent 1 – November 28, 2010 “Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming,” Jesus says. “Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” Keep awake – be ready. Important words to hear as we enter this new church year, as we begin Advent – a season of waiting and watching and getting ready for Christ to

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Christ Comes FirstColossians 1:11-20Christ the King Sunday – November 21, 2010 So let's talk stewardship. Today is what we call “Commitment Sunday” after all. It's the day when we as a church ask our members to make a financial commitment, to write down and turn in a pledge card of what you'll give over the course of the coming year. It's something I hope you've thought about, talked to your

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Jesus' Love EnduresLuke 21:5-19Pentecost + 25 – November 14, 2010I'm going to play Captain Obvious this morning and say buildings are important to us. There's a practical reason for that of course – they protect us from the extremes of the weather, they give us a place to keep our stuff. But it's more than that, right? One building is not the same as the next. We get emotionally attached to

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From September 26 - November 7, I was out on maternity leave - hence, no sermons here from that time.

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-19216168584117122272010-11-24T11:53:00.002-05:002010-11-24T11:59:09.483-05:00

Jesus Zeroes Our Balance SheetLuke 16:1-13Pentecost + 17 – September 19, 2010 “Once upon a time,” Jesus says, “there was a rich man. And it comes to his attention that his senior manager has not been doing such a good job – that he's been squandering the rich man's property. Well, understandably, this doesn't make the rich man happy, so he calls the manager into his office, and says, 'that's

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-12273593704590396522010-09-14T11:38:00.001-04:002010-09-14T11:40:17.636-04:00

Jesus Finds the LostLuke 15:1-10Pentecost 16 – September 12, 2010One beautiful spring day when I was in kindergarten, my class took a trip to this little local place that was designed just for kids. You know the kind of place I'm talking about. This one was called Fairyland Forest, and it lived up to its name. It was complete with scenes straight out of Mother Goose, different nursery rhymes

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Jesus Commits CompletelyLuke 14:25-33Pentecost + 15 – September 1/5, 2010Today's gospel lesson is hard; it's demandingWe join Jesus as he is traveling around& large crowds are with him;crowds that likely have mixed motivations; compromised commitments.Jesus was the equivalent of a rock star/celebrity:healing, teaching, holding his own in religious debates,offering words of hope, deliverance,but

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-39253909312255951172010-08-31T10:30:00.002-04:002010-08-31T11:05:00.722-04:00

Jesus Gives Golden Tickets to ShareLuke 14:1, 7-14Pentecost + 14 – August 25/29, 2010Willy Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryMysterious, marvelous chocolate factory5 golden tickets to tour + lifetime supply of chocolateAs expected, tickets go to those w/ $ & resources to buy candy bars in mass quantities & up odds of finding ticketWith 1 exceptionCharlie, poor kid,Lives with his mom, 4 bed-ridden

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Set Free on the SabbathLuke 13:10-17 & Isaiah 58:9b-14Pentecost + 13 – August 18/22, 2010Old Testament reading & Gospel linked by idea of sabbathwhat people can/can't; should/shouldn't doLeader of synagogue has a strong sense of what sabbath was for– a letter of the law kind of guy,And law says,Remember the sabbath day & keep it holy;The law says,it is a day set aside for God – so you shall rest

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-90329745403545372822010-08-31T10:16:00.002-04:002010-08-31T10:17:35.853-04:00

Mary's SongLuke 1:39-55Mary, Mother of Our Lord – August 15, 2010Fan of musicearliest memories are of singingas a babySesame Street records that told a story, that invited us in – to sing along, to dance, to laugh, to imagine we were there with them, that we were a part of whatever was going onSo it makes some sense that I would like musicals. The Sound of Music, West Side Story, Singing in the

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Getting Ready For the KingdomLuke 12:32-40Pentecost + 11 – August 4/8, 2010"Jesus is coming – look busy!" bumper stickerReminds me of elementary school –teacher leaving the room for whatever mysterious reason;no teacher's aides;leaving us w/ instructions to work on something productive– reading assignment or math worksheet or spelling wordsWe'd start off okay – but the longer she was gone, the

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Jesus Offers More than StuffLuke 12:13-21July 28/August 1, 2010 – Pentecost + 10House Hunters TV showShows people – a couple, a family, a single person starting out – all looking for a new homelay out where they're coming from, what they are looking for, then follows them on the huntAlmost everyone looking for a bigger place – more bedrooms, bigger garage, more closet space, bigger yard – b/c

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Jesus Teaches the Disciples About the One They Pray ToLuke 11:1-13Pentecost + 9 – July 21/25, 2010“Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples”The disciples want to learn how to pray.There was a Jewish custom of learning set prayers for prayer in AM & PM & meals,Prayers they learned by heart;John the Baptizer may have taught his followers such a prayer or prayers.Disciples have watched

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Luke 10:38-42July 14, 2010I was away on Sunday, July 18, but here for our worship on Wednesday, 7/14. Rather than preach a traditional sermon, we had a discussion about the gospel, about the many distractions that we encounter when we try to spend intentional time focused on our relationship with God/Jesus/Holy Spirit.So here are some thoughts & questions to encourage you to join the discussion.

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Jesus is Our Neighbor Luke 10:25-37Pentecost + 7 – July 7 & 11, 2010Neighbor:State Farm (Like a good neighbor...)Sesame Street (who are the people in your neighborhood?)Mr. Rogers - invited everyone, every day to be his neighbor– “I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you; I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you... Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won't you be my

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Jesus Sends to Good News Straight to Your DoorLuke 10:1-11, 16-20Pentecost + 6, June 30 & July 4, 2010Door-to-door sales experience?Wouldn't want to do it –Knocking on strangers' doorstrying to sell something they don't want or needPolitely/not-so-politely turned downJust doesn't appeal to meSounds like what Jesus is telling his followers to doAppoints 70 to go 2x2 into various towns &

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Jesus Keeps His CommitmentsLuke 9:51-62Pentecost + 5 – June 23/27, 2010The Gospel story today is about making a commitmentNot always easy for me to doStarted young – piano lessons (too much practice); Brownies (need for familiar face); dance classes (didn't fit my schedule)Making a commitment hard for lots of usdiet & exercise? Overscheduled, overworked, too many other commitmentsCome to this

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Jesus Changes PeopleLuke 8:26-39Pentecost + 4, June 20, 2010Everybody loves Raymond episodeDebra's sister comes to visitand drops a bombshellDebra's hippie, free-spirited, free-love sisterthe one who lived in a commune & smoked pot & hung out w/ all sorts of questionable charactersthe one who blows in & out of town w/ little communication in between visitscomes to visitonly to tell them that she

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Jesus Sees More than a LabelLuke 7:36-8:3Pentecost + 3, June 13, 2010 A few years back, I went out and bought a label-maker. I like it. It makes me feel organized. I've used it for my files & folders here in the office and at home, for binders with old class notes. I've used it a lot in the kitchen so I can remember what's in all of the different Tupperware containers of food – different

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If You See Something, Do SomethingLuke 7:11-17Pentecost +2 – June 6, 2010“If you see something, say something.” Anyone who's lived in the New York area or visited for even a little bit knows this public safety slogan – that if we all work together, we can catch something bad before it happens. It's easy enough – if you see something, say something – but it implies that we are all paying

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A Promise and A CallActs 2:1-21Pentecost – May 23, 2010 Today is Pentecost, and in this church, it's also the day when we traditionally confirm our 8th graders. They will come up here in a few minutes & stand in front of everyone and make a public affirmation of their baptism, claiming this life of faith for themselves. It's an important step on their faith journey, and one that we always

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Singing in PrisonActs 16:16-34Easter 7 – May 16, 2010 Well, today is the 7th Sunday of Easter. Next week is Pentecost, & we'll hear the story of how the Spirit descended on the disciples in Jerusalem. But all through these weeks since Jesus' resurrection, we've been looking at what happened after Pentecost, hearing the stories of how the Spirit inspired and enabled those early apostles to carry

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Good News is for Sharing!Acts 16:9-15Easter 6 – May 9, 2010 I want you to think for a minute of a time you got good news. I mean really good news. Maybe it was when you got that acceptance letter from the college you always wanted to go to and that you got a scholarship too! Maybe it was that big promotion at work or when you closed on your house. Maybe it was finding out that the cancer was

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-72705166433961631782010-05-07T15:35:00.002-04:002010-05-07T15:38:48.050-04:00

God's Lunch Table is Open to EveryoneActs 11:1-18Easter 5 – May 2, 2010 Who you socialize with, who you sit down and eat with is a big deal. It was true in Jesus' day, and it's true about our world too. Maybe the place I remember experiencing this most of all was in the high school cafeteria come lunch time. You'd come out of the lunch line into that room and there at all of those long tables

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-72240506985696751832010-04-27T11:15:00.001-04:002010-04-27T11:17:14.401-04:00

Get Up!Acts 9:36-43Easter 4 – April 25, 2010I've been thinking in these weeks after Easter about what it means to be a people of a resurrection faith. What does it look like when we have experienced Christ's resurrection, when we have felt that power of new life at work in our own experiences and our own situations? What do we do? How do we live? Well, today's story from Acts gives us an

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-30901776460435888992010-04-23T11:22:00.003-04:002010-04-27T11:17:54.376-04:00

God Opens Our EyesActs 9:1-20Easter 3 – April 18, 2010I've been known to become the victim to my own one-track mind. Maybe you know what I'm talking about. Sometimes I'll come up against a problem to solve or just have a situation to figure out. It doesn't have to be anything dramatic. It can be while I'm playing a game or working on a puzzle or trying to organize a room in my house. And I

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Set Free to WitnessActs 5:27-32Easter 2 – April 11, 2010I don't know if any of you have ever had to go to court, or what your experiences there were. In my old job, I used to have to take my clients to Family Court periodically. For the most part, I sat out in the hallway with them and their social workers and wait for their case to be called. And then, once they were up, I usually wasn't

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-1078378095104982362010-04-09T13:59:00.004-04:002010-04-09T14:02:46.078-04:00

Okay, so technically as I share this, Easter is past. Easter Sunday, anyway. (Easter is a full season, starting at Easter Sunday and going through Pentecost, 7 weeks later.)Anyway, I found this video in my meanderings around the web - It surprised me, actually, and made me want to share it. Hope you enjoy!

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-82763596696012796262010-04-09T10:29:00.002-04:002010-04-09T10:35:41.389-04:00

With God, Nothing Will Be ImpossibleLuke 1:26-38SW Nassau Conference WorshipLent 2010 Do any of you remember the board game Perfection? I don't know if it's around anymore; it was the one with all of little yellow plastic pieces in a bunch of different shapes. The board got pushed down into its plastic case & that started the timer – and the object of the game was to get all of the pieces into

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God Reminds Us Who We AreIsaiah 43:1-7L-ER Ministerium Evening Prayer – March 18, 2010When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do with my brother & sisters was to watch movies together on the VCR. And you know how kids are – they have movies that they just love to watch over and over again. And one of those movies for us was The Muppets Take Manhattan. Now in this movie, the Muppets have

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Jesus Changes LivesLuke 24:1-12Easter Sunday – April 4, 2010Sometimes one event, one encounter, can change your life, change your whole perspective, change what you do from that point on. Sometimes one event, one encounter can change how you live and what you live for.I was reminded of that this week when I was watching the TV show Bones.It's one of those law enforcement shows, with the forensic

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It Is FinishedJohn 18-19Good Friday – April 2, 2010“It is finished.” - Three short words, but they carry so much meaning. “It is finished.” - the last words Jesus speaks from the cross as he bows his head and gives up his spirit. “It is finished.” - words that echo in the ears and minds and hearts of his disciples, words that probably rang within them from the moment Jesus was taken into custody

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-60639135165000563362010-04-08T11:05:00.004-04:002010-04-09T10:07:58.344-04:00

Jesus Blesses His DisciplesJohn 13:1-17, 31b-35Maundy Thursday – April 1, 2010Maundy Thursday – it's kind of a weird name. Some churches just call it Holy Thursday. That would make more sense, wouldn't it? It's easier to say; we have some idea of what the word “holy” means. But we in the Lutheran church call this day when we remember Jesus' last meal with his friends and followers Maundy

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Abundant Love Leads to Abundant GivingJohn 12:1-8Lent 5 – March 21, 2010Have you ever seen the old joke about a church's search for a new pastor? The one I'm thinking of has the call committee addressing a memo to the leadership of the church, getting them up-to-speed on their progress so far. The chair of the committee says that they've been considering a number of applicants and then lists

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-23479694132893307762010-04-08T10:47:00.004-04:002010-04-09T10:08:33.624-04:00

God Restores RelationshipsLuke 15:1-3, 11b-32Lent 4 – March 14, 2010So, anyone who thinks that the Bible is filled with stories about goody-two-shoes and holier-than-thou folks has clearly never read this story. It's one of the reasons that I love this parable, and so much of the Bible – it tells us about life as it really is. It tells us stories about people we can relate to, because the

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-85759111321630542162010-03-02T11:08:00.001-05:002010-03-02T11:10:00.724-05:00

Jesus Opens His Arms to Embrace AllLuke 13:31-35Lent 2C – February 28, 2010“Jerusalem, Jerusalem... How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” Jesus speaks these words as he looks ahead to the day when he will come to Jerusalem. The Pharisees in this tale are trying to get him to leave Galilee, Herod's

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God Offers Grace and MercyJoel 2:1-2, 12-17Ash Wednesday – February 17, 2010“Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love...”These are the words of our gospel acclamation during Lent, words taken from the Old Testament lesson from Joel. There's another version I know (you know how they take all these same basic words and put them

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Jesus Does Not Face Temptation AloneLuke 4:1-13 February 21, 2010 – Lent 1 A few years back, there was a TV show called “Jericho”. It wasn't on TV long – I caught its 1 full season after it came out on DVD. It was kind of this post-apocalyptic scenario, set in the small town of Jericho in rural Kansas. All at once, nuclear bombs detonate across the country in all major cities. Jericho isn't

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Jesus Comes DownLuke 9:28-43Transfiguration Sunday – February 14, 2010 I was struck this week by this line in the gospel, verse 32, where it says “Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep.” Because I can identify with that. I think most of us know that feeling, where you can barely keep your eyes open, where your eyelids just stay closed longer and longer, where you start to do

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Jesus Inspires Us to FollowLuke 5:1-11Epiphany 5 – February 7, 2010 The book of Hebrews says that the Word of God is living and active. As a reader & a preacher of that Word, I have always appreciated that – because it means that every time you come to a story, you can expect that you might find something new, that God might speak to you in a new way, that you might see it with fresh eyes.

Rebecka Fettershttps://profiles.google.com/109600340327283407039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517354686378584374.post-78318801279432807152010-02-10T12:27:00.002-05:002010-02-10T12:30:34.421-05:00

God Equips Us for God's CallJeremiah 1:4-10Epiphany 4C – January 31, 2010 About a month or so ago, Andy & I watched the movie Sunshine Cleaning. It's the story of Rose, a single mother, struggling to make ends meet for herself & her young son, Oscar, on what she gets paid as a waitress. Her son's dad, her high school sweetheart, who she's still involved with, even though he just happens to be

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Jesus Changes Us!John 2:1-11Epiphany 2 – January 17, 2010 I don't know how many of you have seen this wine commercial. I'm not even what kind of wine it is, but it has a woman & a man outside. The woman is drinking a glass of wine, w/ the bottle on the table & somehow, the bottle gets knocked over, along with her glass, and it spills everywhere – and the woman breaks into song, this dramatic

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Called, Claimed, Commissioned!Luke 3: 15-17, 21-22The Baptism of Our Lord – January 10, 2010Baptism of our Lord SundayMy nephew Chase's baptism,the reason I wasn't here 2 weeks ago,to meet my newest nephew,to celebrate God's gift of baptism,to welcome him to God's family.But also to welcome him into my family -the 1st time I got to meet him, to hold him, to see him in person.And so we all got

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