Harvard-Epworth Church

Sermon given by Rev Barb Lemmel and Rev Mitch Hay on January 12, 2025 Gospel -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22The people were filled with anticipation, wondering in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah. John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is mightier than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Sp...

Sermon given by Rev Mitch Hay and Rev Barb Lemmel on January 5, 2025 Gospel Matthew -- 2:1-12In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,some Magi, astrologer priests from the East, came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Judaeans? For we observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, a...

Sermon given by Rev Barb Lemmel and Rev Mitch Hay on December 29, 2024 Gospel -- Matthew 2:13-23Now after [the Magi] had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by nigh...

Sermon given by Pastoral Intern Jihyun Son Gospel Luke 4:1-13Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tested by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus an...

Reflection from Rev Barb Lemmel on Ash Wednesday 2025 TORAH -- Genesis 2 The Lord God formed the human one (adam) from the dust ofthe ground (adamah), and breathed into its nostrils the ruach,the breath of life; and the human one became nephesh, aliving being . . . They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the gardenat the time of the evening breeze, and the man (Ish) and thewoman (Isha) hid...

Sermon by Rev Barb Lemmel and Rev Mitch Hay on December 22, 2024 Gospel -- Matthew 1:18-25Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietl...

Sermon by Rev Mitch Hay and Rev Barb Lemmel on December 8, 2024 Hebrew Scripture -- Isaiah 58:9-12Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and God will say, “Here I am.”If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,then your light shall rise in the dar...

Sermon by Rev Mitch Hay and Rev Barb Lemmel on March 3, 2025 Gospel -- Luke 9:28-43aNow about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses andElijah, talking to him. They appeared...

Sermon given by Rev Barb Lemmel and Rev Mitch Hay on November 10, 2024 Hebrew Scriptures Micah 6:6-8 “With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before God with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body...

Sermon given by Rev Mitch Hay and Barb Lemmel Hebrew Scriptures - Micah 6:6,8 “With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before God on high?" . . . God has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? Gospel - Mark 12:28-34 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one a...

Sermon by United Methodist Bishop Peggy Johnson

Sermon by Rev Barb Lemmel and Rev Mitch Hay on January 21, 2024. Gospel - Mark 1:14-20 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled; the Kin-dom of God has come near; let your lives be changed, trust in the good news. As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—fo...

A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel. Hebrew Scripture - 1 Samuel 3:1-11, 19 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down i...

A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel. Hebrew Scripture - Genesis 1:1-5 When God began the creating of the heavens and the earth when earth was wild and waste (tohu wa vohu), darkness over the face of Ocean, rushing-spirit of God (ruach) hovering over the face of the waters— God said: Let there be Light! And there was light. God saw the light: that it was good. God separated the li...

A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel on Christmas Eve 2023

A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel. Gospel - Magnificat - Luke 1:46-55 And Mary said, “My soul proclaims your greatness, O God, and my spirit rejoices in you, my Savior. For you have looked with favor upon your lowly servant, and from this day forward all generations will call me blessed. For you, the Almighty, have done great things for me, and holy is your Name. Your mercy rea...

A sermon by Adam McAllister. Gospel Mark 1:1-8 The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight,’” so John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for...

A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel. Hebrew Scripture - Isaiah 64 selections Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence! As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the world tremble. For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait! Y...

A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel. Gospel - Matthew 25:31-46 At the appointed time the Promised One will come in glory, escorted by all the angels of heaven, and will sit upon the throne of glory, with all the nations assembled below. Then the Promised One will separate them from one another, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. The sheep will be placed on the right...

A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel. Epistle - Ephesians 5:18b-21 Be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to one another, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to Abba God at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Gospel Mark 12:3...

A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel. Hebrew Scripture Joshua 24:1-3a; 14-15 Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, and called a summit of the elders, leaders, judges, and officials of Israel. Once they presented themselves before God, Joshua said to the whole assembly, “This is the word of YHWH, the God of Israel: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah,...

A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay. Hebrew Scripture Joshua 3:1-4a; 3:14-4:7 NRSV Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim with all the Israelites, and they came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing over. At the end of three days, the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God b...

A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay. Epistle 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 Make sure no one repays a wrong with a wrong. Always seek what is good for each other— and for all people. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks for everything— for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Gospel Lesson Mark 12:28-34 The Inclusive Bible One of the religious scholars who ha...

A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitchell Hay. Gospel Lesson Matthew 22:15-22 The Inclusive Bible Then the Pharisees went off and began to plot how they might trap Jesus by his speech. They sent their disciples to Jesus, accompanied by sympathizers of Herod, who said, "Teacher, we know you're honest and teach God's way sincerely. You court no one's favor and don't act...

A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay. Hebrew Scriptures Isaiah 25:6-10a, The Inclusive Bible On this mountain, YHWH Omnipotent will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines, food rich and succulent, and fine, aged wines. On this mountain God will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples, the shroud covering all nations, destroying all death forever...