Sermons & Worship by Rev. Laurie DeMott (Page 14)

Mark 1:1-8 Imagine that day on the banks of the Jordan River where the crowd shuffles nervously as they gather on the shore, talking in low tones.  There is a hushed respect in their voices because this is no ordinary river; this is the mighty Jordan.  This is the river that has figured so prominently in the hearts of the Jewish people for over a thousand years.  Here at the Jordan River, the weary Hebrew slaves stepped out of the wilderness into the…

John I: 1-14  How important is the physical person that is you to the you who you have become?   Would you be the same person you are today if you had arrived on this earth in a different body?  How has the shape of your body, the tenor of your voice, the chemistry of your brain affected the choices you have made in your life or conversely, the opportunities that have been offered to you?   Some of the older members here may…

I Kings 18:1-21 Let me begin this sermon with a fable, or to biblical about it, a parable.   There were once three turtles who decided to go on a picnic together.  One turtle packed sandwiches and another provided the drinks, but the third one simply came along for the company.  The turtles headed off through the woods but about halfway to their destination it started to rain, so they took shelter under a large rock to decide on their plan of action. …

Psalm 100 If I were to ask you, “What is the chief end of humankind?” what would you say?   Today, I might be inclined to answer that the chief end of humankind will be taking a plunge into Foster Lake, or at least it might be the end of this particular member of humankind, but the actual acceptable response is, “The chief end of humankind is to glorify God and enjoy God forever.”  This question and the accompanying answer are part…

Romans 12:1-2, 9-18 Today is the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day when the fighting of World War I officially came to an end. On November 11, 1918, at 11 am, the guns fell silent and in America, noise erupted as people rushed into the streets cheering, honking horns, and waving flags. It had been a devastating war in which 16 million people died, and in an acknowledgement of its devastation but also with hope that humankind had finally tired of…

II Esdras (or IV Ezra) 8:20-36; Romans 6:1-2 In our responsive reading today, the author of II Esdras says, “For in truth there is no one among those who have been born who has not acted wickedly, and among those who have existed there is no one who has not transgressed.  For in this, O Lord, your righteousness and goodness will be declared, when you are merciful to those who have no store of good works.” How is your store…

Romans 1:1-7, 16-17 When Hurricane Michael swept into Lumberton, North Carolina only a few weeks after Hurricane Florence had left its trail of devastation through the town, how many Christians must have asked themselves, “How can we believe that God is faithful?” And when a powerful tsunami hit Palu, Indonesia right on the heels of an earthquake, leaving at least 1,700 people dead and many more unaccounted for, Christians in that city came to worship last Sunday asking, “Is God…

Exodus 20:1-2, 8-11 The province of Nova Scotia, a province of fishing towns, lobster boats, and fog shrouded shores, is technically a peninsula, joined to the mainland of Canada by a narrow strip of land on its northwest corner.  The rest of the province, however, is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and for most people, it is most easily accessed by ferry.  The CAT ferry leaves Portland, Maine once a day and sails almost directly eastward for five hours, quickly leaving the…

Exodus 13:17-18a, 21, 14:5-9, 15-16, 19-29 “I am the Lord your God who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of of the house of bondage…”   When God meets Moses on the top of Mount Sinai to deliver the Ten Commandments and forge a covenant with this ragged group of weary former slaves, God begins with these words that establish God’s character: “I am the Lord your God who has brought you out of the land of…

Habakkuk 2:20 On Friday night, I spent a half an hour tucked under my basement stairwell doing absolutely nothing. The emergency alert on my phone had gone off, warning that a tornado had been seen in the vicinity and telling me to seek shelter immediately. “Do not wait until you see or hear a tornado,” it added ominously.  “Seek shelter now.” So I did. I headed toward my basement and urged my two dogs to follow.  Dexter came easily and without argument…