Union University Church

Paul’s Letter to Philemon    July 11, 2021  Union University Church  Reverend Laurie DeMott The Bible says that, as Christians, we are called to spread the gospel.  While conservative Christians believe that that means winning souls to Christ, as progressive Christians we accept the legitimacy of other religions and we believe that Christianity is not the only pathway to … More Everything I Need to Know about the Art of Persuasion I Learned from My Dogs

Galatians 4:1-9July 4, 2021    Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott Let’s begin with an exercise.  I want you to close your eyes for a minute and visualize the scene I am about to describe to you.  It’s just a one sentence description so listen carefully: “The girl ate the cake and her mother came in and said, … More Parsing God

Galatians 3:27-29June 27, 2021Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott Some time ago, in the pre-pandemic years when people went out to eat, I was at a fancy restaurant for a family celebration of some sort when the couple at the next table ordered Sannakji.  A few minutes later, the server brought out a dish of raw … More Discomfort and Moral Decision Making

II Corinthians 4:7-11I Corinthians 15:51-54    Union University ChurchJune 20, 2021  Reverend Laurie DeMott Today is the longest day of the year and today summer officially begins.  It is finally safe to put away your snow shovels, to switch out your long johns for shorts, and enjoy the outdoors.  When I was a child, before the days of … More Phytoliths

Genesis 28:10-17; Luke 7:36-50June 13, 2021Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott One of the central paradoxes of the Christian faith is that we talk a lot about God guiding us, helping us, and being with us in times of trouble, and yet for all of our talk about God’s presence, most of us have had few, … More Pay Attention to Your Tears

I Corinthians 6:12    June 6, 2021Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott I want to begin by asking you a question.  It seems to be a simple question, but I want you to consider it carefully before you answer. “Is there a Christian ethic?”  In other words, is there a set of ethical principles that you must adhere … More All Things are Legal?

Acts 2:1-6May 23, 2021Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott I want you to imagine for a minute that you are an artist and someone has hired you to paint a picture of God.  Now, I know the Ten Commandments tell us not to make any images of God but I want you to imagine not only … More The God of Pentecost

John 3:1-10    May 16, 2021Union University Church   Reverend Laurie DeMott Nicodemus, cloaked in the darkness of his own uncertainty, came to Jesus in the night seeking the light of understanding.   “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the … More Nick at Night

Matthew 18:23-24May 9, 2021Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott Before preaching today’s sermon, I want to make a note on the translation I used.  Most modern translations quote Jesus as saying that you should forgive seventy-seven times,” but as a child I learned seven times seventy times which is based on an alternative manuscript.  I’ve always … More Forgiveness

May 2, 2021I Corinthians 11:23-26Union University Church Reverend Laurie DeMott In 2010, an Anglican minister in Toronto ignited a Canada-wide controversy when she gave communion bread to a German Shepherd named Trapper.  The dog’s owner had been harassed by the police earlier in the week for sitting on the church’s steps and when he called … More The Lord’s Supper