Love Has the Final Move Texts: Psalm 46:1-3, 10-11; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35; Exodus 14:19-31; Revelation 18:11-16 Juxtaposing the text from Exodus against the various riders in Revelation reminds us that though our back may seem up against a wall, though we may be at the end of our rope, and though it feels like…
The Church as the Chosen People of God Texts: Psalm 24; Exodus 19:1-6; Matthew 5:43-48; I Peter 2:1-11 Today we celebrate 100 years of the Church of the Nazarene. Pastor Jon reminds us that we don’t celebrate a denomination, but the movement of God through His people. As the Church, we are part of the…
The Church as the Temple of God Texts: Psalm 84:1-4, 10-12; I Kings 8:23-30; John 2:13-22; Ephesians 2:19-22; I Peter 2:4-5; I Corinthians 3:16-17 The third in a four-part series celebrating the Centennial of the Church of the Nazarene, Pastor Jon looks at what it means to be Living Stones built in the Temple of…
The Church as the Body of Christ Texts: Psalm 108:1-5; Exodus 18:13-24; John 15:1-13; 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 The second in a four-part series celebrating the Centennial of the Church of the Nazarene, Pastor Jon looks at what it means to be a one part of a unified body. In particular, we discuss the tension between…
The Church as Covenant Community Texts: Psalm 111; Deuteronomy 5:1-21; Matthew 22:36-40; 2 Corinthians 3:4-18 The first in a four-part series leading up to the Centennial of the Church of the Nazarene, this sermon also fell on our Homecoming Weekend at the Cape Elizabeth Church of the Nazarene. We consider what it means to be…
Standing on Holy Ground Texts: Revelation 21:1-4; Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28; Exodus 3:1-15 Pastor Jon takes a look at the narrative of Moses and the Burning Bush, asking if the church comes together expecting God to speak to us. Are we prepared for worship? Are we expecting God to transform us? Or do we simply…
Of Baskets and Mangers Texts: Psalm 124; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20; Exodus 1:8-2:10 Pastor Jon discusses ways that we can be agents of the Kingdom of life and hope, by committing faithful acts of subversion against the kingdom of power, death, and oppression. Oskar Schindler, Shiphrah & Puah, and Pharaoh’s daughter are presented as examples…
Laying Down Your Birdstick Texts: Psalm 133; Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32; Matthew 15:10-28; Genesis 45:1-15 Pastor Jon continues the exploration of the Joseph narrative, looking specifically at the way in which he offered grace and forgiveness to his brothers when they came to Egypt looking for grain. Even in the deepest moments of our lives, we…
Where is God Texts: Psalm 105:1-4; Matthew 14:22-33; Romans 10:5-15; Genesis 37:12-36; Romans 8:28 Pastor Jon explores the story of Joseph and his brothers, noting that nowhere in Genesis 37:12-36 are we able to find mention of God. And yet, as the Joseph narrative comes to a conclusion, Joseph is able to affirm that God’s…
Forgiveness: Seeing the Face of God Texts: Psalm 17:6-8; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:13-21; Genesis 32-33 Pastor Jon looks at the narrative of Jacob’s return to Esau, as found in Genesis 32-33. As we read the text, we try to imagine that we are reading it for the first time, hoping to learn the lessons that…