Monroe Congregational Church, UCC
December 30, 2001
Rev Maria Hoaglund
Scripture:
It was the day after Christmas and Gary felt sad. There was no more excitement in the air.
Monroe Congregational Church, UCC
December 15, 2001
Rev Maria Hoaglund
Scripture:
In a United Church News of a few Advents ago, Editor Evan Golder had an article entitled "Christmas is God's `pastoral presence'."
Monroe Congregational Church, UCC
December 9, 2001
Rev Maria Hoaglund
Scripture:
Prepare us, O God, to hear your Word, which is forever, as we welcome the Christ child. Ready us to receive salvation/healing, and to rejoice in the freedom to give ourselves in service. Equip us for the New Heaven and New Earth in which we may dwell in holiness and godliness.
Monroe Congregational Church, UCC
December 2, 2001
Rev Maria Hoaglund
Scripture:
There is a syndrome which has come to be called the "CNN Complex." Remember?
A Sermon preached November 11, 2001 by Pastor Larry S. Baker
Scripture:
When I was invited to conduct worship for a few weeks as you anticipate calling a new pastor, I was comforted by the fact that I could turn to the Common Lectionary for sermon texts. It is very dangerous to invite a preacher into your pulpit who has written only four sermons in six years.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
September 9, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
(Diane Schmitz' last Sunday with the church)
Scripture:
hymn: "Morning Has Broken" <Click to hear>
We are poised this morning to enter a new land as we come to the end of our time together. Like the Hebrew people we are unsure of what exactly is ahead. But, we, too, are reminded by the scripture passage that God walks with us providing the way by which we re-create our lives once again.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
September 2, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
I was looking for God in our world this week; here are two stories that made me wonder:
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
August 26, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
It's a warm summer morning. Marsha stands on the sidelines of the grassy soccer field watching her pony-tailed daughter run in pursuit of a soccer
Monroe Congregational Church
August 19, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
This was not a week in which I enjoyed reading the newspaper: too much tragedy; too much violence.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
August 12, 2001 -
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
Last Thursday I was driving home to Seattle from Monroe during the evening rush hour. It was about 5:30pm as I approached north Seattle traveling on a busy 4-lane arterial full of rapidly moving cars. I was shocked to see up ahead, in the lanes opposite me, a man in a wheel chair zoom across those two lanes into the middle turning lane.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
August 5, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
Jerry was a middle-aged man. He was a worrier.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
July 29, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
My 12-year-old son Michael is a tenacious person; he does not easily give up trying to get what he wants.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
July 15, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
Zach is a boy in a children's book who has gone to the zoo with his father.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
June 24, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
Bigger is better! We've been taught that in many ways in our culture.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
June 17, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
Mother's Day, Father's Day, Graduation, vacations: this is the season of family gatherings, picnics and parties; friends and loved ones gathering around the table to enjoy each other and celebrate life.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
June 10, 2001 - Pastor
Bill Comfort
Let us pray: Loving God, crack our hardened hearts this morning that we may receive your word afresh and anew.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
May 27, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
I like surprises if I know about them ahead of time.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
May 20, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
Listen to this story from a long time ago: It is an early summer morning
Monroe Congregational Church
May 13, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
Do you remember as a young child the magic of those moments before you blow out the candles on your birthday cake?
Monroe Congregational Church
May 6, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
Psalm 23, Bobby McFerrin version
(Click to hear)
I became very troubled at our United Church of Christ Conference Annual Meeting in Wenatchee last week.
Monroe Congregational Church
April 29, 2001 -
Bill Stalder
Scripture:
There is something about preaching that is very much like a dance.
Monroe Congregational Church
April 22, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
Locked doors, shut doors; Jesus came before the disciples through the barriers of their fears and doubts and they experienced a new sense of faith and possibility.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
Easter, April 15, 2001- Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
"Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb."
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
April 8, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
Once upon a time a spider built a beautiful web in an old house. He kept it clean and shiny so that flies would patronize it. The minute he got a "customer" he would clean up on him so the other flies would not get suspicious.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
April 1, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
There's a jar sitting on the counter of a Pike Place Market shop. A sign leaning against it says, "Afraid of change?" "Leave it here."
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
March 25, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
I was 11 years old when I ran away from home.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
March 11, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
"I must be on my way," said Jesus.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
March 4, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
"No" said Jesus, "I will not serve a power other than God. "No, he said, "I will not put God to the test." "No, I will not use my special gifts to turn stone into bread to benefit myself."
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
February 25, 2001 - Pastor Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
I imagine there must have been people in the time of these stories about Moses and Jesus who would have said something akin to "Oh, these New Age people, they have such strange experiences and tell such odd stories."
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
February 18, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
The other night I heard my teenage son talking to his younger brother. "I remember when something like that happened to me," he said. He went on to relate a story from kindergarten where a boy in his class had done something mean to him.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
Pastor
Diane Schmitz>- February 11, 2001
Scripture:
We come together this morning - a group not unlike those people from Judea and Jerusalem who gathered to hear Jesus that day on the plain.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
February 4, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz>
Scripture:
It had been a difficult week for Gail. Her son had been diagnosed with a learning disability and the car had broken down.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
January 21, 2001 - Pastor
Diane Schmitz
Scripture:
A divorced mother whose children were in the custody of their dad abducted them one weekend and left town.
Monroe Congregational Church, U.C.C.
January 7, 2001 -
Bill Comfort
Scripture:
The people in Jesus' hometown of Nazareth did not recognize him as the anointed one of God. In fact, the scene foreshadows the end of his life.