Sermons by Jill A. Kirchner-Rose (Page 2)

“God is on the Loose”

Luke 24: 1 -12 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – I went to bed on Monday night devastated. The Cathedral of Notre Dame was on fire. It had been burning for twelve hours. It “had” (how horrible to say) “had” one of the oldest surviving wood frames in Paris’ history, comprising 52 acres of trees. Workers cut down those trees in…

“Naming the Unnamable: God as Greening Power”

Luke 19: 28 – 40 and John 15:5 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – There are many people who find God in books, buildings, and even other people. I have found God in those places too, but the most reliable meeting for me has always been nature. I do not see any separation between Spirit and nature. In fact, seeing Spirit…

“Naming the Unnamable: God as Silence”

1 Kings 19: 3 – 13; Psalm 46:10 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – (Silence for one minute) That was one minute of silence. Did it feel a bit uncomfortable? We call it an “awkward silence.” It was a bit awkward for me. I was wondering, “What are you thinking?” And maybe you were wondering, “What is she doing? Did she…

“Naming the Unnamable: God as Divine Masculine”

Luke 15: 11 – 32 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – For thirty years, the Gillette company had a tagline: The best a man can get. For over a century, Gillette has championed the alpha man. A new ad, however, released a couple months ago, cuts the other way, channeling the #MeToo movement and undercutting toxic masculinity. Have you seen this…

“Naming the Unnamable: God as the Cause of Wonder”

Psalm 139: 17 – 18 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN Daniella and I just returned from a trip. A trip to the moon! Not exactly. But we did visit the Kennedy Space Center in Florida where this picture was taken a few months ago. The Kennedy Space Center is called the Greatest Space Adventure on Earth! It is the only place…

“Naming the Unnamable: The Divine Feminine”

Deuteronomy 32: 11 – 12 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN Happy St. Patrick’s Day! On this day, we eat corned beef and hash, wear funny hats, attend parades, search for leprechauns under four leaf clovers, follow the end of the rainbow to a pot of gold, pretend to be Irish and drink too much green beer. Today is a day of…

“Naming the Unnamable”

Exodus 33: 1 – 14 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – Today we begin our Lenten sermon series entitled, “Naming the Unnameable.” It is based on a book by Matthew Fox with the same title. Matthew Fox asks, “How many names for Divinity are there? Do the names for God change? Do we have permission – and may be a serious…

“A Tribute to Mary Oliver”

Isaiah 55:12 Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN Last year at this time, our Lenten devotional was entitled, “The Poetry of Lent: A Lenten Companion to Mary Oliver’s Devotions.” It was then that many of us immersed ourselves deeply into Mary Oliver’s writings, opening our hearts to wonder and mystery. Little did we know that between last Lent and this Lent, Mary Oliver…

“And the Oscar Goes To…”

Exodus 15: 20 – 21 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN February is Black History month. This morning I would like for us to transcend the ages and begin our celebration in Africa, two thousand years before the birth of Jesus. Two thousand years before the birth of Jesus, Moses traveled to Midian, in the southern part of the fertile crescent. There,…

A Mosaic of Life and Love

Ephesians 2:10 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN How many of you attended the Beyoncé Mass last Monday night at the University of Redlands? About 600 people turned out for the Beyoncé Mass and the reviews are in. Karen Rose called it “Powerful! Evocative! Thought-provoking!” Loring Fiske-Phillips said, “It was like the best concert and church service you ever went to.” Barbie…