Category: Readings

Developing Practical Skills for Living Well: Be Open Pentecost Pastor Mitch Coggin September 8, 2024 Pentecost As I prepare my weekly sermon, I read all the lectionary passages and write words or thoughts that jump out at me. In the two passages chosen for today, the idea “be open” captivated me. This phrase seems to… Continue reading Developing Practical Skills for Living Well: Be Open

Developing Practical Skills for Living Well: Forming Spiritual Habits Pentecost Pastor Mitch Coggin September 1, 2024 Pentecost For a minute or two, will you consider what is at the heart of your relationship with God? What do you do daily to nurture God’s presence in you? Today’s story from Mark comes on the heels of… Continue reading Developing Practical Skills for Living Well: Forming Spiritual Habits

What did you bring to the picnic? Pentecost Pastor Mitch Coggin August 25, 2024 Pentecost The passage in Mark is about the feeding of the 5,000 – a story that we think we know well. But, the story is not only about food and feeding a hungry crowd. If we only look at that story… Continue reading  What did you bring to the picnic?

Choosing the Path Pentecost Pastor Mitch Coggin August 18, 2024 Pentecost The Call to Worship reflects two Psalms, portions of Psalm 34 and Psalm 111. They serve as a background for understanding why we worship. What do you take away from worship? How do you experience a new understanding of your relationship with God in… Continue reading Choosing the path

Quiet Enough to Listen Pentecost Pastor Mitch Coggin August 11, 2024 Pentecost Spending the week with my young grandchildren and their parents, I remembered the joys and the challenges of parenting. There are many times in our lives when we feel we are going it alone and parenting seems to be one of them. You… Continue reading Quiet Enough to Listen

Choosing between the liturgy of generosity and the myth of scarcity Pentecost Pastor Mitch Coggin August 4, 2024 Pentecost I recently read an excerpt from the book What’s in a Phrase: pausing where scripture gives you pause. The reflection was titled “Eat the Manna” by religious author Marilyn Chandler McEntyre. She describes being asked to… Continue reading Choosing between the liturgy of generosity and the myth of scarcity

Where Abundance Begins and Ends Pastor Mitch Coggin July 28, 2024 Pentecost Imagine a sermon in the form of a prayer. Elizabeth read Paul’s prayer written to the new congregation in Ephesus. Paul knows that he cannot provide what they would need to get through the struggles they would face. Paul knows all too well… Continue reading Where Abundance Begins and Ends

One Helluva Gift Pentecost Rev. Cathy Victor July 21, 2024 Pentecost (With thanks to Andrew Prior, Robert F. Capon, Frederick Buechner and Philip Yancey. ) A little piece of hell. What does that phrase make you think of? Gone to hell in a hand basket. Bloody ‘ell. A living hell perhaps. I’ve never preached a… Continue reading One Helluva Gift

Is The Church We Want Hiding In The Church We Have? Pentecost Rev. Wayne Stretch July 14, 2024 Pentecost 8B The other day I had coffee with a long-time member of St. Andrew’s who, like so many here, is a very committed, dedicated Christian. The conversation turned to the future of St. Andrew’s and how… Continue reading Is the church we want hiding in the church we have?

What is saving your life right now? Pentecost Pastor Mitch Coggin July 7, 2024 Pentecost 7B In her book, Altar in the World, Barbara Brown Taylor tells this story. She writes, Many years ago now, a wise old priest invited me to come speak at his church in Alabama. ‘What do you want me to… Continue reading What is saving your life right now?