Isaiah 9:2-7December 13, 2020Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott In “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” Lucy says to Charlie Brown, “Look, Charlie, let’s face it. We all know that Christmas is a big commercial racket. It’s run by a big eastern syndicate,” she whispers. Lucy would have felt right at home on today’s internet where promoting wild … More The Prince of Wholeness
Luke 2:8-14December 6, 2020Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott In the very familiar passage I just read from the Christmas story, the angel tells the shepherds, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.” You’ve probably heard that verse a gajillion times in your life but … More For All the People
Isaiah 40:1-5 November 29, 2020Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott I want to talk for a second about the game of Peek-a-Boo. Depending on where you’re from in the world, you may call this game “Peep-pie,” “Pee-po,” “Peep-ho,” or “Beebo,” but whatever you call it, the game involves covering your face in front of a baby and … More Peek-a-Boo
John 5:1-9 November 22, 2020Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott How many of you know which animal the World Wildlife Fund uses for its logo? Probably more of you than you think. The World Wildlife Fund is an organization that works to protect the habitat of declining species, and in 1961, it chose the panda for … More Save the Skinks
Acts 16:16-40November 15, 2020Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott Do you remember way back in the spring, as the disasters of 2020 were piling up, how we tried to find humor in the unbelievable catalogue of tragedies? “Wildfires, hurricanes, pestilence; what’s next?” we asked smiling, “locusts?” and then to our chagrin, gigantic swarms of locusts did descend … More Paul and Silas
When some of the restrictions on gathering in-place were eased in New York State, our church re-opened the sanctuary for worship. Only about a third of our congregation, however, wanted to return to the sanctuary while the rest, because of health issues, regular exposure to our college student population (more prone to Covid outbreaks), or … More Creating a Hybrid Worship for people on Zoom and for those worshipping live in the sanctuary
The Book of RuthNovember 1, 2020Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott Introduction to scripture On All Saints’ Day, we remember loved ones who have died, honoring them by speaking their names aloud and lighting candles as a way of expressing how much they continue to live in our hearts even though they are physically gone from … More All Saint’s Day
Esther 1October 25, 2020Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott I am preaching a series on what the Bible has to say to us in our times of suffering, and today I want to look at the Biblical word for those who are suffering under social, political, or personal oppression. For that, I turn to the Book … More Following in the Footsteps
Exodus 14:8-16October 18, 2020Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott The ancient Romans would have said that the Israelites were caught with a precipice in front and wolves behind. The French would say that they were between the sledgehammer and the anvil. Here in America, we’d probably say that they were between a rock and a hard place, … More Egypt, Egypt
The book of JobOctober 11, 2020Union University ChurchReverend Laurie DeMott All scripture references are from The Message version Since last January when wildfires swept across Australia, the year 2020 has become synonymous with disaster and suffering. One internet meme shows children with pained expressions on their faces and the caption reads, “Kids when they discover … More Job
