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Saturday Evening Service- Informal “Sermon Ball” 

Questions for discussion in small groups from the Gospel of Mark appointed for this week:

• What is the difference between compassion and sympathy?
• Why do you think Jesus showed compassion rather than sympathy?
• How do you know when to be compassionate and when to be sympathetic?
• Have you ever felt like a sheep without a shepherd?
  • What helped you find you way back?
  • What was not helpful?
  • How can we translate this into our ministry to our parish family and ...

It’s the bottom of the 9^th. The score is tied at 3-3. Bases are loaded with two outs. And up comes a batter- the one with the worst record, wouldn’t you know it! Sighing, you settle deeper in your seat and prepare yourself for overtime.  You don’t want to leave even though it’s late. This game will determine who goes on to the playoffs. You’ve supported this team the whole season long. They need to know that you are here ...

Did you hear Ezekiel? Mortals! Stand up and listen! God is sending you to a rebellious house, full of impudent and stubborn folks. Your job is to go tell them, “listen up – here’s the deal, from the Big Man himself.” And if they don’t listen, at least they will have met a prophet.

Garrison Keillor is famous for noting that nobody wants a prophet at a birthday party. Our image of prophets is something like fire-breathing dragons or maybe Nunzilla, ...

Mark 5:21-43  Is life playing with me?

Prayer: God, increase our understanding of life and of you so that when we leave this place today we will be better equipped to face the challenges that face us.

In the middle of the night, as a full moon illuminated the sky, a mother werewolf watched as her son chased a man through the woods. Every time the man was about to get away the little werewolf would dart in front of him, block ...

Why are we so afraid to let go of our fear? Why do we want to hang on to something that constricts our life because we are afraid?

At the beginning of the gospels- the birth narratives- the angels say “do not be afraid”. At the end of the gospels- when the women go to the tomb to find the body of Jesus is missing, the angels say “do not be afraid.” And yet, we are so often afraid. And our ...

Our Saturday evening services, held once a month, are informal and the “sermon” is really a discussion among those gathered about one of the lessons for the day. This month we talked about the “mustard seed” parable found in Mark 4:26-34. We identified the various people and things in that passage (e.g. Jesus, seed, harvest, quick action, scythe, birds, seed-to-bush, etc.). Then we talked about what role each had to play in the whole and the relationship of each to ...

“Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention. If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it. We are now far into the fifth year, since a policy was initiated, with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation. Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only, not ceased, but has constantly augmented. In my opinion, ...

Whenever you go to the doctor, among the first things they do is to measure your height and your weight. Your height is used, among other things, to calculate your body mass index- BMI- which is an important indicator of where you fit statistically – and a measurement that can help a doctor evaluate which medical risks you may face. Growth- it’s important to know when you’re growing taller as well as when you’re shrinking, which most of us do as ...