Rev. Liz Goodman, Lenox & Monterey UCC

Here's a homily to follow the gospel readings of the nativity.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Christmas_Eve_2023.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:32pm EDT

The Virgin Birth: maybe the queston shouldn't be whether it's true but should be, "If it's true, what does it mean?"

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Hard_to_Believe.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:39am EDT

Advent is so short; Advent is so long!

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Not_Long_Now.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:54am EDT

Repentance might sound scary. It's so much more than that.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Its_Not_What_You_Think.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:18am EDT

Advent begins adventure. And there's no going back.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Next_Years_Troubles.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:11am EDT

The end of the church year brings us to what endures: love.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Love_Is_King.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:19am EDT

The question is whether we're going for with the mission or burying it for safe keeping.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: The_Mission_Is_Mercy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:28am EDT

We're but in the mdidle of it.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: The_Whole_Story.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:12am EDT

Would you take a course in the art of following.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: The_Art_of_Following.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:12am EDT

God's sovereinty is one more scanalandous claim of the Christian faith. History provides so many reasons to think otherwise.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Tacking_Into_the_Wind.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:59am EDT

Here's a sermon about true signs as opposed to graven images.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Know_Justice_Know_Peace.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:18am EDT

Church as sanctuary. Is this purpose enough to save us?

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Come_In_from_the_Storm.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:31am EDT

Will you do what you say you won't, or will you refuse but come around eventually?

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Monterey Church, UCC

Direct download: Yes_but_No._No_but_Yes..mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:12am EDT

Fairness or grace: which do you want? Becasue you can't have both.,

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: This_Had_Better_Be_Good.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:01am EDT

The forgiven must forgive.

It could have been a much shorter sermon that it is.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

 

Direct download: The_Forgiven_Must_Forgive.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:28am EDT

How to be community with out butting in. That's a tough one.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

 

Direct download: A_Keeper.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:12am EDT

God begs us to pay our attention to what's worthy of it. 

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Attention_Pleas.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:36am EDT

When religious people are short on faith.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Shocked_Shocked.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:01am EDT

What are you doing here? 

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Being_in_Love.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:36am EDT

God plays in the world as sufficiency. Enough can be a blessing.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Enough.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:23am EDT

The kingdom of heaven is as...

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Hiding_in_Plain_Sight.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:51am EDT

But which is which? 

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Evil_Twin.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:41am EDT

Following Jesus won't necessarily make your life easier or your relationships better. Some social structures would rather you compromise the truth than live into it. 

You've been warned.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Behave_Yourself.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:34am EDT

Sarah laughed, gave birth to Laughter, making us sons and daughters of laughter. So laugh it up, Fuzzball. Let your lung be filled with God.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Laught_It_Up_Fuzzball.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:44am EDT

As we embark into Ordinary Time, we'll be spending it together, which is itself the point.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Wandering_Sermon.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:43am EDT

Authority is the power to name what's real.

 

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Word__Deed.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:16am EDT

Prepared for surprise: the church is full of contradictions. 

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Surprise_Right_on_Schedule.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:27am EDT

The ten-day wait between Jesus ascending and the Holy Spirit: we endure it once again. 

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

 

Direct download: Word__Silence.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:45am EDT

The church isn't abut heroics, it's about creating communities where heroics are less in demand.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Ties_that_Gently_Bind.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:29am EDT

Jesus is going, but he is also staying.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Object_Permanence.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:45am EDT

The gospel has embodied imperitives. 

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Get_Real_Close.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:38am EDT

Hope comes calling, so get ready to move.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Resurrection_Day_2023.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:39am EDT

Real time.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Palm_Sunday_2023.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:22am EDT

Is it possible Jesus got attached to this life?

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Attachment_Theory.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:44am EDT

Jesus has come to complete the creation as it is not yet finished. It's going well, of course. But it could be better.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Not_Finished.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:34am EDT

God can be not a lot to go on it, but enough.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Barely.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:21am EDT

God's people are always called out of the familair. And God's people are also always out there.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Come_Out_Come_Out_Wheverever_You_Are.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:53am EDT

Lent is a good time to put it all back together, these shards of knowledge and suspicion, into a whole renewed wisdom.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Divided_Knowledge.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:14am EDT

It's Transfiguration Sunday, and maybe we're ready.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Trans_Figure.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:19am EDT

The church: we're supposed to be doing something, right?

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Do_to_Be.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:11am EDT

Don't hold back. 

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Critical_Thinking.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:09am EDT

You get what you get, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't get upset.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Get_Upset.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:21am EDT

When you don't know what you think you should know, it's hard to learn what you need to know. 

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Wheel_In_a_Wheel.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:31am EDT

You can't always get what you want. But with Jesus as beloved, we get what we need.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

Direct download: Dashed_Expectations.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:35am EDT

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