Sermons

Below you will find some of Pastor Brown's sermons.

“Really?” by Rev. Brenda Brown, April 15, 2012

Language is a curious thing. A single word, spelled the same way, can change meaning significantly by the tone used to convey it.

“Holy Heartburn” by Rev. Brenda Brown, April 22, 2012

In so many aspects of life, individual choices and experiences are important but community engagement is essential for the survival of societies and the planet.

“Encountering Easter”by Veronica Mendez, Rev. Brenda Brown, April 8, 2012

“...The lesson is about opportunities for everybody that come in an unexpected manner and will bring
joy to others too – joy, understanding and hope.”

“Snakes, Whips and Beacons” by Rev. Brenda Brown, March 16, 2012

Do you get the message that getting loosing sight of the beacon can be serious business?

“Barges in the Wilderness” by Rev. Brenda Brown March 11, 2012

Holy adventures are packed with challenges and hurdles. Holy adventures call for remarkable persistence.

“What Time IS It?” by Rev. Brenda Brown, March 4, 2012

To everything there is a season and a time for everything under heaven. Timing matters.
This will be an important part of the community discernment process.

“Angels in the Wilderness” by Rev. Brenda Brown, Feb 26, 2012

We don’t always need a spiritual practice, like fasting, to remind us of life’s wilderness experience.
Sometimes we just need what it takes to survive in the wilderness.

“No and Yes”by Rev. Brenda Brown, February 19, 2012

Before we dive into Lent, we have this nudge to clarify what we are claiming as centering commitments in our lives.
What is it that we can cling to in the rugged and uncertain times?

“Moving into the Sanctuary” by Rev. Brenda Brown, February 6, 2012

Epiphany - that sudden realization of the meaning of something. (Wikepedia Dictionary)

“Perfect Authority” Rev. Brenda Brown, January 29, 2012

Epiphany is a season that assumes revelation and we are a people that can anticipate divine exposure in our everyday lives. Process theologian Bruce Epperly writes, “In the Christian tradition, revelation always implies a receiver, living in a certain time and place and with certain biases.”

“Get Up and Go!” by Rev. Brenda Brown, January 22, 2012

Explorer: Searches or travels around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information.
Adventurer: Seeks exciting or bold experiences (sometimes risky) with an uncertain outcome.

“God Came Looking for a Home” Rev. Brenda Brown, December 24, 2011

... And into this imperfect world, God comes looking for a home. God looks for a home in human instruments of an ordinary in love girl, a poor carpenter and a hungry baby

“The Myth of the Extraordinary” Rev. Brenda Brown, December 18, 2011

We live in a celebrity culture. This culture has become larger and more influential than we could ever have predicted a few decades ago – with traditional and social media - it has filtered through every aspect of our lives.

“Incarnation: Unique but not Exclusive” Rev. Brenda Brown, December 4, 2011

This week a colleague reminded me that a prophet is most often one who, bravely or with knees shaking, tells things like they see them in the present. The archetypal biblical prophet did not so much make psychic predictions, but rather revealed unpopular truths.

“A Mash” Rev. Mark Trotter, Rev. Brenda Brown, Nov 20, 2011

"Perhaps the most fertile of all biblical stories is the Exodus. It's not only the defining event of the Jewish people, but it was used by the gospel writer to tell the story of Jesus, and also to reveal the way God works in all history."

“Still Marching In...” Rev. Brenda Brown, Oct 30, 2011

“We remember that great cloud of witnesses whose lives, known to millions or to only a few, became a prism through which shone the multicolored grace and love of God.”

“Awaiting the Dawn” Jeremy J. Shaver, M.Div., Oct 16, 2011

This is what we are about: We plant the seeds that will one day grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.

“Never Say That Again!” Rev. Brenda Brown, September 25, 2011

My seasoned Methodist minister friend said on facebook Friday, “Finishing up my sermon work, and once again, I feel the need to say what a dangerous book the Bible is... Seems like it should carry a warning label : DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME AND NEVER READ WITHOUT A COMMUNITY!”

“Wild Grace” Rev. Brenda Brown, September 18, 2011

There is a reason that the wilderness, a stark physical reality, has become a metaphor for some of life’s most grueling experiences…those spaces and places in which we feel alone, overwhelmed, afraid and hopeless.

The wilderness is real, and if we don’t want to just curl up in a ball and give up, it is natural to vocalize the related difficulties.

“Imagine That!” Rev. Brenda Brown, July 17, 2011

Imagine what’s possible. Confront barriers, failures, personal challenges, people who say you are crazy or it can never happen ... and imagine anyway.

“The Dirty Business of Fertile Soil” Rev. Brenda Brown, June 26, 2011

Can you think of a time when a seed (that little kernel of potential) dropped into your life but your soil couldn’t receive it?

“Ezekiel's Spirt Guide” Rev. Brenda Brown, May 15, 2011

But how does the Spirit guide us and how do we know when the Spirit is at work?

“Neither Language Nor Imagination” Rev. Brenda Brown, Easter April 14, 2011

So why do we tell this story? What about the Easter mystery engages us?

“I C U” Rev. Brenda Brown, Mar 27, 2011

The Samaritan woman says “Hey, what’s up with that?”

“What is Our Forbidden Fruit?” Rev. Don Wills, Mar 20, 2011

...if the creator did not set out to “tempt” these people, then why put the temptation in the middle of their living space?

“Harsh Light” Rev. Brenda Brown, Mar 6, 2011

Moses, Jesus, Chelsea and Anne LaMotte … stories of challenge, struggle and suffering – stories of profound light.

“Perfect?” Rev. Brenda Brown, Feb 13, 2011

Choosing life is not always the path of least resistance.

“Pass the Salt” Rev. Brenda Brown, Feb 6, 2011

...an unmistakable dash of salt, and a distinguishable flavor of extravagant welcome.

“Billy Graham's Hell”Rev. Brenda Brown

Why would a good ole bible thumpin' preacher like Steven Anderson imagine Billy Graham on his way to hell?