Sermons by Rev. Donna Ross (Page 2)

Counting Sheep, April 17, 2016

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want… The 23rd Psalm When I was about 10 years old, I had great trouble getting to sleep.  As the sleepless nights went on, I became more and more anxious – especially after I learned that I shouldn’t wake up my mother or father. However, it was always OK to wake up my grandmother.  Granny would take me by the hand and lead me down the stairs to the kitchen, where she…

The Way of Transformation – Good Friday, March 25

The Way of Transformation John 18:1 – 19:42 The Gospel reading for Good Friday tells us the story of a Jewish man who was rejected by Jewish religious leaders and then crucified by Roman soldiers – and in re-telling this story, we have heard the words Jew, Jewish, and the Jews twenty times. This Gospel was written in the late first century by a Jew, for a community of Jews – and when the author wrote ‘the Jews’ he meant…

Contemplative Prayer with John’s Gospel – March 13

Contemplative Prayer with John’s Gospel This contemplative exercise can be done with any Gospel story. You will need a little time, a quiet space for prayer, and your imagination. An introduction to John 12:1-8 If you are reading through the Gospel of John, this chapter comes just after Jesus rescues Lazarus from his grave, and a week before Jesus himself dies on the cross. The story takes place in Bethany – a village whose name probably means ‘House of the Poor’…

Baptism – Saved or Called?

Baptism:  Saved or Called? All four gospels begin their stories of Jesus’ ministry with his baptism. In today’s gospel reading Jesus has come, along with many others, to be baptized by John.  And Luke tells us that When Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.  Luke 3:21-22  The book of Acts tells of other baptisms – of all the people who were…

Prophets: True and False

Have we become a nation led by ‘false prophets’? (In the history of Israel, a prophet was someone who brought the word of God to the people.  A false prophet was someone who told the people what they wanted to hear.) The day after the San Bernardino shootings, I was driving downtown and thinking about the unending violence in our nation and our world. In my mind I was hearing the cacophony of national voices pretending to be prophetic, shouting…

The Widow’s Mite

PDF: The Widow’s Mite Mark 12:38-44 Risking all she frees herself of her last small treasure. As the coins clatter away her heart beats with fear and joy. The widow flings her poverty in the face of power. As some of you know, last month Rob and I were on a cruise in the Mediterranean. If you ask Rob what was the best thing about the cruise, he’ll say, “The food!” And it’s true – we both have wonderful memories of…
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