Sermons from February 2012
The Safest Road To Hell is a Gradual One
By The Rev. Sherry Deets 1 Lent – February 26, 2012 Mark 1:9-15 This morning I’d like to talk about the wilderness experience. We heard that Jesus was driven out into the wilderness for 40 days and tempted by Satan. Sooner or later, almost everyone experiences that uncomfortable feeling that, no matter how confident we were at the start of a journey, we are now lost. The feeling may come on gradually. Something doesn’t seem quite right. There’s this odd…
“Fire Drill!”
By The Rev. Sherry Deets Ash Wednesday, February 22, 2012 A friend shares one of childhood experiences. He said there was an assumed rule in the house. Whenever someone in the family saw an important person come up the driveway, he or she was legally, ethically and morally responsible to scream, “Fire Drill!” Whoever was within earshot of those resounding words was obligated to find anything on the floor that did not belong—like clothes, dishes, magazines, newspapers—gather them up and run…
Aquatic Daredevils Catching a Wave
By The Rev. Sherry Deets Last Sunday after the Epiphany (The Transfiguration) – February 19, 2012 Mark 9:2-9 Surfing is a sport that confounds popular wisdom. Most of us outsiders can marvel at the beauty of the ocean and the obvious joy that riding waves brings to surfing enthusiasts. But at the same time, most outsiders view surfing as inherently too dangerous. The most common question asked of surfers is: “Aren’t you afraid of getting attacked by a shark?” Most…
Naaman and His Leprosy
By The Rev. Sherry Deets 6 Epiphany – February 12, 20122 Kings 5:1-14 This morning I want to talk about the passage from 2 Kings – Naaman and his leprosy. This is a wonderful story for many reasons. It is a passage about the breaking down of barriers and the beginning of new life. You know, one of the oldest story lines in literature is “a stranger comes to town.” In this case, the stranger is Naaman, a powerful commander…
He Took Her By the Hand and Lifted Her Up
By The Rev. Sherry Deets 5 Epiphany – February 5, 2012Mark 1:29-39 As Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee he has called disciples. In the Capernaum synagogue he healed a man with an unclean spirit by “rebuking” the spirit and calling it out of him. The amazed local folks talk about this new teacher and exorcist everywhere. Meanwhile, after this healing in the synagogue, Jesus returns to Simon Peter’s house. There lies Simon Peter’s mother-in-law in the grip of a…