Knox Church Sermons

A big thanks to Beth Ehrsam for sharing a story this morning about how mission has been transformative in her life; and a big thanks is due to our Mission and Social Concerns Committee and its dedicated members who have prepared a Mission Fair for us today, highlighting the work of five of our Knox […]

Some Sundays, we talk about church holidays:  Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, or Reign of Christ Sunday; days that most people don’t think about outside of church, and the biblical message we share that day.  We continue to observe them because, as some people go deeper in their Christian journey, marking these moments in the story of […]

Today’s sermon is called “Easter—Part 3.”  When it comes to sermon titles, I am dependably lazy and uncreative and this one is certainly proof of that, but it is also my way of making a point:  Most of us think of Easter as a day, and yes, that’s true.  But it is also meant to […]

It’s wonderful to be with you on this Easter morning, what’s not to love about this bright holiday in the height of springtime, new life all around us. I wonder if you’ve noticed, as I have, that the parts of Easter you can simply buy in a store keep growing and growing.  The Easter section […]

We should try never to take it for granted that everyone knows the stories we tell in church, so whether you are newer to Knox, or have been coming here all your life, let’s start by reminding each other that, but today’s story is one of the most important ones of our faith.  It is […]

Over the past several weeks I’ve been away more than usual—particularly on Sundays—and have been doing a lot of things that give me a real sense of gratitude. I spent the first weekend in March in Chicago, preaching at a funeral for a friend and mentor I dearly loved. I spent part of the following […]

During Lent I’m going to preach a few sermons on Stories Jesus Tells, and with each one I’m going to focus on an idea that is at the heart of Jesus’ ministry.  We’ll be talking about ideas like justice, mercy, sacrifice, love, and today we’re going to start with joy—not momentary happiness, or naïve fleeting […]

Today we’re going to talk about mountaintop spiritual experiences—and we’re also going to talk about everyday spiritual experiences, which are frankly a lot more common. Today’s scripture is a story that I found a bit strange and irrelevant for most of my life, but more recently I’ve started to see why it is a suggested […]

I imagine some of you have heard this old church joke.  One day in a Sunday School class the kids are gathered around listening to the pastor, and he’s describing something:  It’s big he says, and gray in color, it has four legs and tusks and a trunk.  The kids sit there looking confused until […]

Last Sunday, I went to a feast.  It wasn’t the best feast of my life or a perfect feast, but it was a very good one, and it got me thinking about this Sunday’s story. Many of you joined me for the feast, it was our visit to the Guru Nanak Society, the gathering place […]

This is one of those weeks in the life of a preacher when you come with a sermon plan but the news of the day wants to take over.  This week we’ll inaugurate a new US President, on Martin Luther King Day; this week saw a tenuous breakthrough in the peace talks between Hamas and […]

I just love thinking about the Magi, the wise men, the kings—these icons of curious faith.  I admit, I’m going to wander around a bit in this morning’s sermon, because there’s just so much I could talk about; the magi themselves were wanderers too, so I hope that’s ok. What do we know about the […]

I wonder how many among you are, like me, feeling a bit hurried or overwhelmed on this Fourth Sunday of Advent, just days before Christmas.  This week of the year is synonymous with stress.  Perhaps you have presents left to buy, packing or cooking or cleaning to do, and with a few days left it […]