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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

But which is which? 

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

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

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

Real time.

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

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

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

Don't hold back. 

Monterey Church, UCC

Church on the Hill, Lenox (UCC)

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

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 EST

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 EST

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 EST

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