Scripture: Philippians 3:13 Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN November 26, 2017 Nancy, a fourth grader was instructed by her Sunday School teacher to draw a picture of something from the book of Genesis. Nancy drew a picture of a white stretch limousine. A middle-aged man drove the car and a scantlessly clad couple sat in…
Scripture: Philippians 4: 4-9 Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN November 12, 2017 The seminary professor was out of patience. His student had turned in a sermon with a dull, uninspired title. The professor knew that the young man was capable of better things, so he stayed after him to keep working. “The title is crucial,”…
Scripture: Genesis 1: 26 Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN November 12, 2017 Late one night, a burglar broke into a house he thought was empty. He tiptoed through the living room but suddenly he froze in his tracks when he heard a loud voice say: “Jesus is watching you!” Silence returned to the house, so the burglar crept forward again. “Jesus is…
Scripture: Matthew 7:12 Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN September 17, 2017 I once heard a story about a man who worked all his life, had saved all his money, had bought all kinds of gold, and was a real miser when it came to spending. Just before he died, he said to his wife, “When…
Scripture: Matthew 11: 28 – 30 Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN September 3, 2017 It is Labor Day weekend. The Labor Day holiday, however, emerged during one of the most dismal chapters in America’s history. At the height of the Industrial Revolution, in the 1800s, the average American worked 12 hour days and 7 day…
Scripture: Psalm 150 Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN August 27, 2017 Last month, Karen, Daniella and I visited a most fascinating place in Phoenix, Arizona – the Musical Instrument Museum. Home of 10,000 musical instruments from around the world. Raw materials stretched, hollowed, carved, pinned, bent, formed, shaped, sewn, wittled, strung, nailed and reinforced. The…
Scripture: Mark 5: 1 – 20 Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN August 20, 2017 Last Sunday a group of us from this congregation stood on the corner of Orange and Colton, we held up these quickly made signs and chanted, “Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, white supremacy/racism/anti-semiticism’s got to go!” I like to think that we…
Scripture: Matthew 8:23-27 Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN August 6, 2017 Imagine the smell of the ocean breeze. Warm wind blowing through your hair. Sunshine reflecting off the waves. The sails flapping in the air. Sea lions and dolphins swimming in the wake. And John Denver’s “Calypso” playing in the background. It is a magnificent…
Scripture: Acts 11: 1-18 Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN July 30, 2017 In our summer series, we have been exploring other faiths in order to build community. And in our exploration, we have discovered that each religion brings a unique gift. Hinduism brings the gift of tolerance and diversity with it many gods and goddesses.…
Scripture: Selected Readings July 16, 2017 Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN Last Sunday, we kicked off our summer series entitled “Holy Conversations: Exploring Other Faiths to Build Community” with Meenakshi sharing about her Hindu faith in both the morning worship and evening gathering. This morning we will look specifically at the connection between Jesus and…