Sermons by Lori Leopold

Transfiguration Sunday is observed on the last Sunday before the season of Lent begins.  What is the takeaway from this mountaintop experience for the disciples and for us?  What might we learn about the nature of God’s glory, not only on the mountaintop, but also on the dusty paths back down into the valley?

We continue in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, shifting from Jesus’ description of God’s realm to instructions for those who follow Jesus. In this passage, Jesus calls his followers “salt of the earth” and “light of the world,” imploring them to be more righteous than the religious leaders of that day. What does it mean for us to be “salt” and “light” and how does that relate to being “righteous” in today’s world?

This week we gather with the disciples to listen in on Jesus’ “sermon on the mount.” Jesus begins his ministry offering words of “blessing.” But who is characterized as “blessed” goes against the grain of who the world, then and now, calls “blessed.” Join us as we explore the upside down world of Christ’s realm through these words of love and encouragement.

Today we spend time with Matthew’s version of Jesus’ move to Galilee, where he called his first disciples to “follow him.” What does Jesus mean by “Repent”? Why and how did those fisherfolks respond so quickly and decisively to Jesus’ invitation and how are we to understand Christ’s invitation to a new way of life in this day and age?