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Courage to be Community: Message for Fifth Sunday of Easter 2012

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Courage to be Community: Message for Fifth Sunday of Easter 2012

May 06, 2012 Sermons by James Ravenscroft Edit

Like in marriage or family, in a community we support each other in hard times and celebrate the good times. Also like in marriage or family, in a community differences of opinion can emerge, conflict occurs and feelings are hurt. Like in marriage or family what we do with the conflict is what matters: we're invite to listen to each other and work together. It's not always easy. The image of Jesus as the vine with us as his branches reminds us of the importance of staying connected to him. Read more at sermon.120506.pdf. To listen, pageant.101212.pdf To comment, click on the message title.

Grace at the Margins: Message for Third Sunday of Easter 2012

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Grace at the Margins: Message for Third Sunday of Easter 2012

April 22, 2012 Sermons by James Ravenscroft Edit

In the intro of his book Marginality: Keys to Multicultural Theology, Jung Young Lee paints a picture of a jumping fish creating waves of concentric circles that ebb to the edge of a pond and then reflect back. That image captures the story of Acts as Jesus' disciples go out from Jerusalem to share the gospel and how in cultural contexts the message was reshaped and reflected back. In the particular story of Peter and John healing a lame man, we see someone on the margins experiencing the good news and Peter and John being shaped by that meeting. As followers of Jesus we too are called out to the margins. It's scary but the Risen Christ stands with us at the margins bringing grace. Read more at sermon.120422.pdf. To listen, sermon 2012 04 22.mp3 To comment, click on the message title.

We All Need Grace: Message for Easter Sunday Communion 2012

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We All Need Grace: Message for Easter Sunday Communion 2012

April 08, 2012 Sermons by James Ravenscroft Edit

The original ending of Mark's Gospel, that is, the women being told that Jesus has been raised but then running away in fear and not telling anyone, is an unsettling ending but Mark told the Easter story that way for a reason. The women stumbled at the end as badly as the men did on Good Friday, a reminder that we all need grace if we are to understand the message of Jesus and to share it with others. Read more at sermon.120408.communion.pdf. To listen, sermon 2012 04 08 9 am.mp3 To comment, click on the message title.

Dragonfly Spirit: Message for Easter Sunday Family Service 2012

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Dragonfly Spirit: Message for Easter Sunday Family Service 2012

April 08, 2012 Sermons by James Ravenscroft Edit

The classic story of a waterbug's journey of transformation into a dragonfly gives us a glimpse of the Easter story - Jesus is raised. It's the same Jesus but a transformed Jesus. The question we need to ask though is not how does Easter happen but why? Jesus appears to reveal to them that the people who thought they had won by killing him had not after all. God raised Jesus to show the world that his vision of how we should relate to one another is the path that brings fullness of life. He wants us to to experience the world not as waterbugs but as dragonflies. Read more at sermon.120408.family.pdf. To listen, sermon 2012 04 08 11 am.mp3 To comment, click on message title.

Called by Grace: Message for Fifth Sunday in Lent 2012

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Called by Grace: Message for Fifth Sunday in Lent 2012

March 25, 2012 Sermons by James Ravenscroft Edit

Lent is lie a 40 day retreat in preparation for baptism or to renew our baptismal promises. If that is the case, what is baptism? baptism is more than being welcomed in the the church. We share in new life through God's nurturing and transforming love within a particular context - experiencing union with Christ. In this we take on his identity, his roles as priest, prohet and king. We share in this by living in our own lives what it means for him to have died and be raised. Like the seed that dies to bring forth life, we die to self so that others can live. Read more at sermon.120325.pdf. To listen sermon 2012 03 25.mp3, To comment, click on the message title for this week.