UCC Longmont Sermons

08 28 22 by UCC Longmont

This week we turn to a story of healing, liberation and Sabbath controversy from Luke. We'll read a picture book with a surprising message about listening, and we'll think about what it means for God to hear us.

This Sunday we'll wrap up our Fruits of the Spirit sermon series with Gentleness. All week I've heard and seen gentleness throughout the day. The realization that emerged and surprised me was... Tune in on campus or online and I'll finish that thought.

This week our attention turns to self-control. We'll discover what Cookie Monster, the apostle Paul and marshmallows have in common. We'll also be blessing students and teachers as they prepare to head back to the classroom.

With echoes of Faithfulness lingering about, this week we will consider generosity- as a fruit of the Spirit and how generosity can act like fertilizer and lead to new growth.

This Sunday we celebrate First Congregational UCC Longmont's 150th anniversary!

Has an act of kindness ever changed your life? As we turn to this next gift of the spirit, we'll hear old and new stories of kindness. We'll ponder why it matters, and how it changes the doer and the receiver.

This Sunday we'll continue to explore the fruits of the Spirit with a closer look at...wait for it...patience "wink wink"

This week we turn to "Peace" as a gift of the Spirit. We'll imagine together the possibilities of a peaceful world. We'll draw on the learnings from Peace Camp to bring a sense of lightness to this work. If you're joining online, have paper and something to write with nearby. It's a communion Sunday as well, so have juice and bread or join us in person as we gather together around the table.

This image is often called "Laughing Jesus," but the original art was titled "Jesus the Liberator." This week we'll consider how joy liberates us and others. As we explore the silly, serious work of being a joyful people, we'll encounter images of joy and experiment with practices to sustain our joy.

This Sunday is Juneteenth which offers a special opportunity to consider God's liberating love. Associate Conference Minister, Rev. Dr. Anthony Scott has provided resources for this week's service. Tune in and let's see what the Spirit will do.

I'm not sure when June became "Pride Month" for the LGBTQ+ community but it seems like a good time to revisit our historic commitment to being an Open and Affirming (ONA) church community. Like many commitments, ONA continues to require adjustments along the way. We'll hear from some community members about the ongoing challenge and invitation that is before us.

This Sunday join Rev. Amelia as we celebrate Pentecost with a service full of story and song.

This Sunday will be a time of remembering the first peoples who lived on the land that is now Longmont and imagining some of what the land has witnessed over the years.

This Sunday we'll welcome Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt as a guest preacher. Rev. Berndt is the UCC Minister for Environmental Justice, as well as the author of several books about creation care. Together we'll ponder where we see "nuggets of hope" in the movement for earth care.

Have you ever been surprised by the situations (or things) that uncover the restrictions or narrowness of your thinking? Pizza and sneakers come to mind for me. What comes to mind for you? As it turns out, the early Christian community bumped up against restrictive and narrow thinking too. We'll explore a few of those situations this Sunday as we read an account from the Book of Acts.

This week we hear the story of Tabitha, the only woman explicitly listed as "disciple." Our reflection time will include gratitude for the people in our lives who shaped us, and a powerful, practical question for us to use as we walk alongside people who are struggling.

This week's story could have been called "The Big Catch." We'll spend some time exploring the details about the "who" and the "what" of that catch this Sunday. This is also a communion Sunday so please have elements on hand if you are joining in online.

Our celebration of Easter will continue this week as we consider some places where the risen Jesus has been seen and heard. We'll begin in a garden, move to a locked room, and then we'll create space for more possibilities in a time of prayer.

Easter Sunday will be full of celebration! Come for a service of music and story, where we'll encounter again the risen Christ.

If you were to create a soundtrack for Palm Sunday, what tunes would you use? Join Rev. Sarah as we explore what faithfulness might look like and sound like.

Do you notice that smells have memories? If a new box of crayons takes you back to kindergarten, or a perfume reminds you of someone special, this week's Bible story will fill your senses.

Storyteller Pam Faro and the choir will share stories with us this week as we explore the gift of mercy.

What do a seaside cottage, a desert and a fig tree have in common? This week we are joined by Rev. Amelia as we look at each of them through the lens of story and scripture as we seek spiritual refuge. We'll have a Story for All Ages, using a picture book as a modern parable. After that, we'll continue our ponderings with David and Jesus as companions.

Joined by Rev. Sarah, this week we continue the journey of Lent, as we travel to the West Wall in Jerusalem. If you're listening in, have a piece of paper on hand for our prayer time.