“The Courage to Love” I John 4:7-8, 11-12, 16-18a; I Corinthians 13:1-8a Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark June 19, 2022 I was asking the wrong question. In preparation for today’s sermon, on this intriguing intersection of Father’s Day and Juneteenth, I interviewed four dads and one god-dad from our congregation. I was curious […]
Sermons
Repairers of the Breach
Repairers of the Breach Luke 4:14-21; Isaiah 59:1-12 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark June 12, 2022 “No more thoughts and prayers!” With each horrifying act of gun violence, the cries grow louder. Thoughts and prayers, devoid of action, are not only useless; they are hypocritical and offensive—a slap in the face of people who […]
Little Brown Streaks on Little Brown Jobs
Luke 12:6-7 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark July 10, 2022 I was underwhelmed. Once again, my experience of Cape Cod was being shaped by contrast to where I had just been—the high desert of New Mexico. In New Mexico, everything is big. Sandstone cliffs with dramatic variations in their coloring. Pedernal Mountain in the […]
Spirit of Courage
A dialogue Pentecost sermon by Karen Nell Smith and Debbie Clark When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, […]
Drinking from the Waters of Remembrance
Drinking from the Rock of Remembrance Exodus 17:1-7 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark May 29, 2022 War is hell. I speak these words with renewed conviction after three months of watching the evening news. War is destructive: we’ve seen so many pictures of entire cities reduced to rubble. War is brutal: we’ve heard interviews […]
One Egg at a Time
“One Egg at a Time” Isaiah 65:17-25, Luke 24:1-12 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark April 17, 2022 Christ is risen! The tomb is empty! The cross is flowering! Hope is alive! Love is more powerful than hatred and greed, fear and even death! I love that we make bold proclamations on Easter, […]
More Beautiful than Rose
“More Beautiful than Rose” Mark 1:9-11 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark April 3, 2022 A wash cloth. A watering can. A water bottle. An eye dropper. A snorkel mask. In my favorite children’s message about baptism, I use these objects to introduce our young people to the many layers of meaning behind […]
Everflowing Streams
John 4:1-15; Amos 5:21-24 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark March 27, 2022 Jesus is a poet—a creative genius whose vivid imagery challenges us to think and feel more deeply. Throughout the gospel of John he uses metaphors to awaken people around him to a new experience of the holy. Almost always, Jesus’ metaphors lead to […]
The Grace Cycle
Isaiah 55:10-11; Isaiah 58:9-11 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark March 13, 2022 This week I learned about hydrology—the study of the origin, distribution and properties of water on our planet. It is an interdisciplinary science, drawing on meteorology, climatology, geology, biology, ecology, and forestry. I found myself wishing I had paid more attention […]
“Down Here”
“Down Here” Luke 9:28-43a Selections from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speech in Memphis, Tennessee, April 3, 1968. (See text at bottom of post) Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark February 27, 2022 “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you?” Such harsh words from […]