SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2020

Rev. Jimmy Moore, preaching
Acts 1:1-11
Not All Who Loiter Are Lost: Waiting for the Spirit

If the pandemic has reminded us of anything, it is that there is much waiting in the world. Regardless of our status in life, our political positions, or our web of relationships, it is inevitable that we will find ourselves waiting. Some of that waiting is brutal, and some is downright immoral. Waiting to do the right thing is not just a passive retreat. It can contribute to evil by simply refusing to note its existence. But much of our waiting can be deeply powerful, transforming us for the good, and at the very least, can help us figure out who we are. As Henri Nouwen once said, “Waiting is a dry desert between where we are and where we want to be.”

Sunday in worship with St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, we’ll observe the Seventh Sunday of Easter and Ascension Sunday. The sermon is titled “Not All Who Loiter Are Lost: Waiting for the Spirit”, and arises from the Ascension Story in Acts 1: 1-11, where the risen Christ is with some of the gathered disciples. The disciples hear Jesus tell them that they are not to leave Jerusalem, but are to “wait” there. In that place, they will be empowered by the Holy Spirit, and will be witnesses to what is most deeply true. In effect, this time of waiting is a period of “readying”, in which they are to make themselves available for usefulness by God to share testimony, to speak and live in such a way that love and faith are enacted. To cite Nouwen again, when we are impatient, we expect the real thing to happen somewhere else, and we are eager to go there. When we are patient, Nouwen says, we dare to stay where we are, and live actively, nurturing the moment and readying for what is to come.

We’ll talk about this in the service, which is live streamed from the www.smumc.church website. We’ll also sing hymns, pray, have a children’s moment, and have a great musical presentation by Brandan Sanchez, Brianna Murray, and Stephanie and Patrick Conklin. We look forward to connecting with you on Sunday morning. The live stream goes active by 10:25 for the 10:30 service.

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Reverend Mary Beth Morgan, preaching
John 14:15-21
Come Along Side

This week I found myself remembering a day, a few months back, when I walked by the office doorway of Nursery School & Kindergarten Assistant Director, Robin Cole. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Robin sitting on the floor next to a young child who was probably around 4 years old, and who seemed to be having a challenging moment in his day. Even in that moment, I could feel how Robin’s gentle and caring presence was helping the child find a calmer space. In front of them, they had a collection of interesting objects, which we call “loose parts”, that they were exploring together. Immersed in this environment of care, wonder and possibility, this young one found some of his center again and enthusiastically shared what he was creating. Robin came along side him.

The scripture reading this week comes from the Gospel according to John. Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure from this world, but tells them he is not abandoning them. For, he will be sending paracletos, an Advocate which has a basic meaning of “come along side another.” Jesus did this in his time on earth, as does the Holy Spirit, and we are encouraged to do the same.

During the prelude this Sunday, we will share the pictures you sent of “Last Days of School” which have been very different this year. We will honor those who “came along side”: learners of all ages, teachers, parents, grandparents, all in education and others. And, we will honor and celebrate Robin, who is retiring (although Robin says “graduating”) after many years of inspiring and coming along side hundreds of children, parents, colleagues and others. Some of the pictures will be from the vehicle parade in front of her house.

Nursery School alumna, Yena Park, will read scripture (possibly with a little help from her brother Ian). We will sing hymns, pray, share in a Children’s moment, and be moved by some incredible music this week by our wonderful choir interns and Heather Orvek on the organ. To be a part, join the live stream by visiting the St. Mark’s website at www.smumc.church. We’ll look forward to connecting this Sunday at 10:30AM.

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Rev. Jimmy Moore, preaching
The Evidence of Things Unseen: Faith Lessons from Dealing with a Virus
John 20: 19-31

A little girl in Ohio once asked her grandfather while they were watching some Amish folk ride down the street on horse drawn buggies, “Why don’t they use cars?” The grandfather answered, “Because they don’t they believe in them.” She replied, “But can’t they see them?”

Are there things that you deeply believe but cannot see? Whatever our faith teaches us, it is really easy to come to the point that we believe most powerfully in things that we can easily see. As we say, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” But at heart, we know that some of the world’s most powerful things in our lives are things on which we cannot lay our eyeballs.

Thomas, that disciple of Jesus, said he would not believe the tales being told of Jesus’ resurrection until he had seen the nail marks in Jesus’ hands and put his hands in the wounds on Jesus’ side. For this, Thomas has earned the name, “Doubting Thomas”. But as many have said, it might be more accurate and kind to call him, “Honest Thomas”. After all, he really just said the thing that revealed what he had come to believe, that he did not see anything getting better from that point. His friend was gone.

So from the standpoint of the resurrection story, Thomas was facing a test. He could not find a way to believe anything better could be true unless he saw it with his own eyes. But as with all good tests, there was an opportunity to learn something remarkably new that would change him. In a similar way, the coronavirus, something we cannot see, has brought a test upon us. It is asking us what we see, and is asking how we see the risen Christ working grace in the midst of it.

And that’s what we’ll talk about in worship from St. Mark’s on Sunday. We’ll hear Sonia Lee read scripture; we will sing hymns, pray, have a time for children, and hear Stephanie and Patrick Conlin sing, “How Can I Keep From Singing?” The sermon is titled, “The Evidence of Things Unseen: Faith Lessons from Dealing with a Virus,” arising from John 20:19-31. To be a part, join the live stream by visiting the St. Mark’s website at www.smumc.church. We’ll look forward to connecting this Sunday at 10:30 AM.

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Reverend Jimmy Moore, preaching
Psalms 13:1-6; Jeremiah 29:4-7, 10-14
How Long, O Lord?: Spiritual Resources for Living in Exile

“How…much… longer?” Parents know the question very well. It is a version of the “Are we there yet?” question that the little ones in the back seats ask of the adults in the front seats on a long drive. But now, many of us are asking this question in a hundred different ways. How much longer will we be facing the challenge of this virus? When will I be able to get my hair cut? When can I quit worrying about whether we will find enough paper towels? Sometimes the question is much more poignant. How much longer before my business can reopen? When will I be able to get a job again? How much longer shall those in health care be inundated with such an incredible patient load under such risky circumstances? When will my health or the health of my loved one return? Will it?

These questions, and the growing body of information we are receiving, help us know that we’re going to be at this for a while. As many have said, our ways of doing health, church, business and life are going through a radical change. How does our faith help us manage?

There is a biblical word that could open some windows to understand and hope: exile. Our experience has become, at least for some of us, an exile. In many ways, we are cut off from life as we have known it. And in the Hebrew Scriptures, the themes of Exodus and Exile play prominent roles in helping the people of God understand who we are called to be. The exile experienced by the southern kingdom of Judah that began in 586 BC, called the Babylonian Captivity, did not involve taking everyone to Babylon. But many, including leaders and influential people were taken to live in Babylon. And this lasted for seventy years.

Those who went had choices to make: Would they accept this destiny easily? Would they despair? Would they find a third way? Would they be able to recover from a loss of residence, from a disruption of community fellowship, finding a completely way to worship, since they could no longer be near the temple? What lessons have they and others in exile learned that might help us?

In our online worship service on Sunday, the sermon is titled, “How Long, O Lord?: Spiritual Resources for Living in Exile,” arising from Psalm 13:1-6, and Jeremiah 29:4-7, 10-14. Brianna Murray will sing and we will celebrate Holy Communion virtually. Just have some bread and juice, or whatever you have available, and through the permissions of the bishop for this special time, we’ll take the sacrament together.

Join us on the livestream at 10:25AM for the 10:30 Service by going to the St. Mark’s Website at www.smumc.church and clicking on the Live Stream button. The service is recorded and you can access it about an hour after the service ends by clicking on the archive section.

We look forward to connecting with you this Sunday.

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Reverend Phil Amerson, preaching
Rediscovering the Essentials
Scripture: Luke 24:13-35

 Phil Amerson writes, “Twenty-five years ago Marcus Borg published the book: “Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time”.  In it, Borg challenged the easy images and assumptions many contemporary Christians have about Jesus of Nazareth.  The gospel lesson we are using in worship at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church this Sunday, Luke 24:13-35, is the compelling story of two of the earliest Jesus-followers.  They have witnessed the horror of the crucifixion but have missed the resurrection.  Traveling away from Jerusalem toward a place called Emmaus, they are joined by a stranger.  Upon arriving "home" they invite this fellow-traveler to their table and "met Jesus again for the first time." The story is so familiar for many of us.  Today, what might it help us see for the first time?  In this season of pandemic and fear, eager to get back to business-as-usual and back to something "normal," who and what might we re-discover to be essential?  Where is our true home? What might our eyes be opened to see for the first time?”

 We are very happy that Phil will be preaching for us this Sunday. He has served as pastor of Broadway United Methodist Church in Indianapolis and First United Methodist Church in Bloomington. In addition to other academic posts, Phil has also served as president of the Claremont School of Theology and of the Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary on the campus of Northwestern University. In retirement, he continues his writing and speaking, and he shares life with Elaine in downtown Bloomington. We are fortunate that Elaine and Phil connect with the St. Mark’s community.

 Phil’s sermon this Sunday is titled, “Rediscovering the Essentials”. In addition to his sermon, we will sing hymns and read scripture, pray and have a children’s moment, and hear a musical piece from Brandan Sanchez.

To worship with us, join the service by visiting the St. Mark’s website at www.smumc.church. The stream will go active by 10:25 for the 10:30 service. The recording of the service is available under the video archives, also accessible by visiting the website, about an hour after the service ends.

 We look forward to connecting with you this Sunday!

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Rev. Mary Beth Morgan, preaching
John 20:1-18
Messengers, Prophets and Helpers



This is a challenging time to be in the hospital, or other healthcare facility, due to COVID-19 or another illness or injury. It is also hard to have a loved one there, when there can be no visiting. There was a story, in the news, of an 88-year-old man desperate to see his wife, who is in a nursing facility. His family arranged the use of a bucket truck so he could reach his wife’s third floor window to see her. It is a great story, knowing few have those creative options.

When I talk with loved ones of those hospitalized these days, I hear the pain and anxiety of being separated. I also often hear gratitude for those healthcare workers who, even in the busyness, have gotten to know their loved ones and call them by name. Phone calls, or messages, from these caregivers are often a gift of grace to families.

This Sunday, we enter into the account of the resurrection of Jesus from the Gospel of John (20:1-18). In the second part of the passage, Mary Magdalene is weeping at the tomb, where Jesus’ body had been. She notices someone is behind her, but does not recognize that it is Jesus, and she assumes he is the gardener. It is not until Jesus says her name, “Mary” that she recognizes him and goes to tell the disciples. We are reminded, again, that God calls each of us by name, and in our own unique ways, to be Messengers, Prophets and Helpers.

On this 2nd Sunday of Easter, we will share Easter Sunday pictures from our community, during the prelude. We also look forward to a children’s moment, prayer, word and reflection, and are fortunate to have, in music leadership, Stephanie and Patrick Conklin and Heather Orvek. We are also especially lifting up, in gratitude and prayer, all those who serve in health care, We will have names of those you send on the screen during the closing hymn.

HELP US TO HONOR THOSE WORKING IN HEALTH CARE
THIS SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2020
We continue to be inspired by the dedication and courage of all those working in health care during this pandemic. This includes nurses, doctors, aides, lab techs, first responders, chaplains, those who clean and prepare rooms, cook and deliver meals, and all who support patients, families, and the countless other essential workers on the front lines of this crisis. This Sunday in worship, we want to honor these dedicated people by lifting them up in prayer and gratitude. 

We invite you to recognize those in healthcare you know by sending us the first name and first letter of their last name: for example, “David R.” Please send these names to Mary Beth Morgan marybethmorgan@smumc.church by 5pm on Friday. Sunday morning, during the hymn that closes our livestream service, we will display the collected names as a testimony to the many brave souls who are modeling love and faith for us all.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community or are joining us for the first time, we look forward to worshipping together, via live stream, on Sunday! 

Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020

Reverend Jimmy Moore, preaching
Matthew 20:1-10
A Primer on Finding Easter

“We need a little Easter, right this very minute.” Of course, the words of the actual song say “Christmas”, but I think you’ll acknowledge that we’re facing an Easter unlike any we in the Christian community have ever known. On a typical Sunday morning, we glory in the sanctuary adorned with stunning flowers, with many of our fellow worshippers dressed to the nines, the joyful singing of “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”, and the profound Easter affirmation, “Christos Anesti! Christ is risen!” And to know we won’t be able to experience that in with the full congregations that we have come to expect makes us more than a little sad.

 But this year, this is the Easter we are given. It is an Easter in which most of us are largely confined to home, an act of service that we pray will slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Some among us are undergoing considerable risk to provide medical care and emergency and essential services to our community. And we are cut off from many we hold dear, those whose presence is really part of the relational air that we breathe. Maybe now, more than ever before, for all of the difference of this year, we need a little Easter, right this very minute.

So Sunday, on the Livestream that you will find by clicking on the “Watch the Livestream” button on the St. Mark’s website, you will enter into Easter Worship. Brianna Murray will sing a solo and some of our singers will help us sing Easter Hymns. The sermon, arising from Matthew 28:1-10, is titled “A Primer on Finding Easter”. And we will celebrate virtual communion together. (Our Bishop has granted permission for us to celebrate communion virtually. At your home, you are welcome to use bread and juice, or whatever you have at home, as we celebrate the sacrament together.)

 We look forward to celebrating the Resurrection of Christ with you this Sunday!

Good Friday, April 10, 2020

In recent years for Good Friday services at St. Mark’s, we have invited members of the St. Mark’s community to share reflections on the seven last sayings of Jesus, uttered during the crucifixion. These ‘words’ are collected from the various gospels, and the order we follow is one that has been commonly practiced in the Church. We will livestream the service, but most of the reflections have been recorded. We hope that you find this a brief contemplative time meaningful for your faith.

TO CONNECT TO OUR LIVESTREAM GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE:
FRIDAY EVENING AT 6:55PM, PLEASE GO TO OUR WEBSITE

SMUMC.CHURCH

AND CLICK ON THE LIVESTREAM BUTTON.

Maundy Thursday, April 8,2020

Hello, St. Mark’s Family and Friends! For the last few years, it has been our tradition, on Maundy Thursday, to gather around tables and enter into the story of the Last Supper with word, music and the Celebration of Communion. This year, we will do the same, but virtually though livestream. Bishop Trimble has blessed the sharing of the Sacrament of Communion virtually, during this necessary time of social distancing. 

You are invited to have some bread (or crackers, etc.) and juice (or what you have on hand) to serve as the communion elements. If you are living with others and gathering around a table, or at a table alone at home, we will all be part of one community of faith. United Methodists practice open communion, and are welcome around the table. We look forward to sharing this special evening together.

TO CONNECT TO OUR LIVESTREAM MAUNDY THURSDAY SERVICE: THURSDAY EVENING AT 6:55PM, PLEASE GO TO OUR WEBSITE SMUMC.CHURCH AND CLICK ON THE LIVESTREAM BUTTON.

ST. MARK'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
MAUNDY THURSDAY
APRIL 9, 2020

Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020

Reverend Mary Beth Morgan, preaching
Matthew 21:1-11
Choosing which Parades to Follow or Lead

What parade might you be following, or leading, in these days? That may seem an odd question, when reality for many is lots of closeness (or closed-in-ness) at “home” and distancing everywhere else. In our Christian tradition, we will be celebrating Palm Sunday this week. We recall Jesus, seated on a donkey, traveling slowly along the dusty roads with many following or joining the parade (Matthew 21:1-11). He did not choose a tall, majestic horse that would distance him from the people who were shouting “Hosanna” and placing “palms” and garments on his path. Rather, Jesus was close enough to see the faces, make eye contact, and hear the voices of those he passed. As he was entering into those last days ahead, which we name Holy Week, Jesus focused on connecting with all the people along his path.

This Sunday, we are invited to explore together (via live-stream) what this means for us as a community, nation and world. In this difficult time, we also see metaphorical parades of people who remind us of deep goodness, faith and hope. Last Sunday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo shared that soon after a call went out for help, over 76,000 retired doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals volunteered. Across the globe, more are leading and joining the essential “stay-at-home” parade. There are parades of voices of advocacy, those of encouragement and care, those delivering groceries to neighbors, and others sharing music, stories and things that warm our hearts and help us smile.

On this Palm Sunday, everyone is welcome to be part of a virtual “Palm Sunday Parade”. Everyone is invited to find, or make, something palm-like. It could be something from nature, palms drawn (or cut out from construction paper), or something else creative.  If you are willing, send a photo of you and/or others with you at home - with your “palms”- or just a picture of yourself.  We will put these pictures together in a slideshow and create a virtual parade of palms!  It will be nice to see each other’s faces.  (Please note that these will be shown, and recorded, on the live stream of the worship service on YouTube.) Please send any pictures (in jpeg format, if possible) to Mary Beth Morgan (marybethmorgan@smumc.church) by noon on Friday (4/3) if you can.

We are also looking forward to a children’s moment, and are fortunate to have, in music leadership, Stephanie and Patrick Conklin who will offer the duet, “Jerusalem: The Holy City” by Charles Parry, and Heather Orvek will play piano. We look forward to worshipping together, via live stream, on Sunday!

Sunday, March 29

Reverend Jimmy Moore, preaching
Luke 10: 1-6 and Galatians 6: 17-18
That’s Gonna Leave a Mark

“Ouch! That’s gonna leave a mark.” Most of us have said this, or something similar to it, when we experienced a painful bruising. Our bodies bear a visual witness to many of the hurtful things we have experienced. And those bruises and wounds and scars are part of the story of our lives, both in terms of what caused the pain and how we have healed from them. And as everyone knows, there are scars and bruises that are not visible to sight, because they have happened in our personal hearts and in the souls of our community. What wounds do you carry today? How will much of what we are experiencing today, including the coronavirus phenomenon, mark us for a very long time to come. How do we respond?

 This question arises as we move through the season of Lent at St. Mark’s, a time we are calling “Holy Curiosity”. During Lent, the sermons are shaped by responses to questions from our congregants. In this sermon, the question came, “Could a Christian of very great spirituality & devotion to Jesus, such as St. Francis of Assisi, be actually afflicted by with the stigmata?” Francis was the first, but other devout Christians have claimed that when the contemplated deeply the suffering of Jesus, that they too would develop wounds in their bodies that mirrored his. As theologian Ivan Illich would have it, “Compassion with Christ... is faith so strong and so deeply incarnate that it leads to the individual embodiment of the contemplated pain.”

 Whether one believes that kind of thing is even possible, it is true that we all carry various kinds marks of our experience, and in some cases, of our devotion. For example, we’ve seen pictures  of marks left by masks worn by health care professionals to keep them safe in treating COVID-19 patients. Those wounds are part of our story, and our stories are shaped by and shape our faith. We’ll explore this in our Live Stream worship on Sunday. The sermon is titled “That’s Gonna Leave a Mark,” rising from Luke 10: 1-6 and Galatians 6: 17-18. We will sing, pray, have a children’s moment, read scripture and have a sermon. We look forward to our online time together at 10:30 on Sunday morning.

Sunday, March 22

Reverend Mary Beth Morgan, preaching
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Through the Seasons of Our Lives, How Might We LIVE?

More often, these days, I am hearing (and reading) personal stories and memories that begin with the words  “I remember when . . .”.  These come from our young children to our senior adults, and those of ages in-between.  They recall times of not being able to leave home because of weather, war, unsafe air quality, illnesses  . . .  Often, those stories include how they lived their lives during these difficult times.  Almost without exception, memories include people who gave of themselves to care for them and others, helped them to feel safe, created new adventures and experiences, and nurtured faith, wonder and hope.

In this Lenten Season of “Holy Curiosity”, we have invited all of you to send us questions to help guide our sermons.  This week’s sermon title is Through the Seasons of our Lives, How Might we LIVE?  This comes from a reflection and questions from one of our wise senior members.  She reminds us that in our Lenten journey, we are moving towards the final season of Jesus’ life on earth. What ways might we follow Jesus’ example of how to live, even in those days?  We will also explore a scripture passage from the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 30:15-20), which is often considered to be the end of Moses’ farewell speech to the people of Israel, in which they are encouraged to embrace life.

We will be worshipping together by live-stream again this Sunday, and not in person.  We will pray together, engage in a children’s moment and sermon, be moved by music shared, and have an opportunity to bless gifts of self and resource we offer.  We hope you can join us on the Live-stream by going to the home page on our website at www.smumc.church. Scroll down to find the link for Live Stream. Or, bookmark this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRug8vCO_eMZv7FepvZBrww/live.

Sunday, March 15

Reverend Jimmy Moore, preaching
Whose Feet Are You Washing"?
John 13:1-15

Sometimes it is very clear that science and faith, often thought to be at odds, are actually working in significant harmony. In accord to the knowledge we have, and as a faith response, we are all doing our part to make sure that we are keeping each other healthy. We are washing hands often and for twenty second, using hand sanitizer when we cannot wash hands, keeping some “social distance” from others, and staying home when we are sick. And at St. Mark’s this Sunday, we’ll take the additional step of worshipping only via a live stream on the internet. That means we will not worship in person, nor we will we have breakfast, Sunday School or scheduled small groups. These are interesting days to be sure.

Handwashing, of course, has multiple understandings, both literal and metaphorical. Obviously, we wash to make sure that we can eat safely and not pass along communicable diseases. Historically in faith communities, the washing of the hands has served as a ritual purification that happens before and after a meal, on waking in the morning or upon returning from a cemetery. Then, of course, the governor Pilate famously “washed his hands” as if to declare that he was entirely innocent of the death of Jesus.

But what about the washing of feet? Sunday’s sermon, which is included in the live stream worship service, flows from the foot washing passage in the Gospel of John, ironically chosen weeks before the focus on healthy precautions of sanitary cleaning. The sermon arises as a response to one of the questions Mary Beth and I have received as a part of our Lenten theme of “Holy Curiosity”. The questioner asks if we are ready to undertake a church wide social justice project. The sermon will be titled, “Whose Feet Are You Washing?”

On the night Jesus was betrayed, he shared with his disciples a Passover meal. Following the meal, Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, to their great surprise.  This was an act usually relegated to a servant in the house as an act of hospitality, to remove the grime from the feet from guests who almost certainly had walked dirty and potentially unsanitary streets. On Sunday, we’ll talk about what it means for us to “wash feet” during a time when we are encouraged to maintain social distance from the other. We hope you join us in worship on the live stream. There will be music, scripture readings, prayers, a children’s moment,  and we’ll find creative a ways to have an offering.

 

We hope to connect with you through the livestream. Click on this link at 10:25 AM on Sunday.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRug8vCO_eMZv7FepvZBrww/live

Sunday, March 8

Reverend Mary Beth Morgan, preaching
John 20:24-29
Wisdom from the Patron Saints of Questioning and Doubt

What do Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Zechariah, Thomas, Martin Luther, C.S. Lewis, Mother Teresa, Pope Francis, and Anne Lamott have in common? They, along with many others, are people of faith who have also been willing to share questions others might keep hidden, as well as their doubts. In doing that, they may help give us courage to do the same. 

 In this season of Lent, as we explore Holy Curiosity, we have invited all of you to send us questions to guide the sermons. This Sunday, we explore a three-part question we received: What if this is all there is? What if “thy will be done on earth” is the whole deal? Would it make a difference in how we conduct our lives? We will do so reflecting on the story of Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples, who became known as Doubting Thomas (from John 20:24-29). What wisdom might be gained from the patron saints of questioning and doubt?

 In worship this Sunday, we are very fortunate to have the music leadership of the Chancel Choir and organist, Heather Orvek, under the direction of Gerry Sousa. All are welcome, on Sunday morning, to get some breakfast anytime between 9:00-10:15am, join others around tables, or participate in a Sunday School class. In this flu season, may we commit to stay home if we’re sick (knowing prayers will come our way), wash our hands well and often, and greet one another with a “holy wave,” nod, or elbow bump. If this will be your first Sunday at St. Mark’s, or you have been here for decades, we look forward to sharing this time together on Sunday!

Sunday, March 1

Rev. Jimmy Moore, preaching
John 2:1-11
Miracles, Yes

“Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous to be understood.” So writes Mary Oliver at the beginning of her delightful poem, “Mysteries, Yes.” At St. Mark’s, we are using the Season of Lent to ask some important questions. So one of mine is “Where in my life and in our world have I seen marvelous mysteries that defy explanation and understanding?” What about you?

 In our Lenten emphasis which we are calling “Holy Curiosity”, we are doing a couple of things. In our Ash Wednesday services, we invited folks to do a prayer called the “Examen” every day. In the prayer, we ask two questions, “Where have I seen God this day?” “Where have I seen brokenness today?”

 But the other thing we have done is invite folks to send us questions that they would like to see us craft into sermons. So this week, one of our members has asked that we preach on the challenges of the interface of science with some of the really hard to believe miraculous stories of the Scriptures. If one reduces it to an either/or categories, one must either ascribe to the miraculous detail of every story, or one must adopt philosopher David Hume’s sense that a miracle is impossible because it would be an violation of a natural law. But what if there is a third way to welcome these stories…one that acknowledges the mystery of life and faith? We’ll try that this Sunday with the story of Jesus at a wedding where the water became wine. The sermon is titled “Miracles, Yes”, and rises from John 2:1-11. We will celebrate Holy Communion, and the Chancel Choir will sing. We hope to see you this Sunday.