Simply Being
August 7, 2016 — Nancy Bancroft Readings: Exodus 3:9-15 , Luke 10:38-42 Some years ago, The Archbishop of Canterbury was rushing to catch a train in London. In his haste, he accidentally jumped in the wrong passenger car and found himself in one that was full of patients from a psychiatric hospital. They were […]
Yard Sale of Our Soul
July 31, 2016 — Nancy Bancroft Readings: Psalm 39: 4-7, Matt. 6:19-21 I’ll keep my remarks short this week, because we have a Mission Moment on an important issue and members of the Mission Committee thought that you all should know more about it as we consider whether to take it on as we […]
More Will Be Revealed
July 24, 2016 — Nancy Bancroft Readings: Genesis 1:7-10; Mark 4:35-41 I chose the theme, Lessons from the Sea, before I looked for scripture passages for this Sunday. When I started to do so, I was pressed to find anything that seemed to fit well. The sea to Jews in ancient times was an […]
We Can’t Walk On Water if We Stay in the Boat
July 17, 2016 — Nancy Bancroft Readings: Isaiah 43:2-3; Matthew 14: 22-31 Today’s gospel story is a fun one to visualize, but first it helps to put it in context. Jesus was in need of rest and reflection. If the chronology of the gospel writers is accurate, he had had a bad couple of […]
In Gratitude for Abundance
July 3, 2016 Nancy Bancroft Readings: Deuteronomy 26:1-1; Ephesians 1:15-23 Once upon a time there were five-year-old twin boys, one a pessimist and the other an optimist. Wondering how two boys who seemed so alike could be so different, their parents took them to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist took the pessimist to a […]
We Have Been Inspirited and We Are One
June 26, 2016 — Nancy Bancroft Readings: Jeremiah 31:31-34; John 17: 20-23 There’s a cartoon in which Linus is walking with Charlie Brown and says very seriously, “When I grow up, I think I’ll be a great prophet.” Charlie says nothing and Linus continues, “I’ll speak profound truths, but no one will listen to me.” […]
Let It Strengthen Us
June 19, 2016 — Nancy Bancroft Readings: Psalm 139: 1-14; 1 Corinthians 12: 12-21 At this week’s Tony Awards, Frank Langella, who won in the “lead actor in a play” category shared his response to the shooting rampage in Orlando, Florida. He said, “When something bad happens, we have three choices: We let it […]
Peace is in the Now
June 12, 2016 — Nancy Bancroft Readings: Psalms 90:1-4; 12-17, John 14:25-27, 2 Thessalonians 3:16 The three readings today have two things in common; time and peace. Tough both are gifts from God, time and peace are often in conflict with each other. What is time? Time has long been a major subject of […]
We Are the Hands of God
June 5, 2016 — Nancy Bancroft Readings: Psalm 4; John 7: 33-36; 2 Corinthians 4:6-12 You’ve probably all heard this one, but it fits today’s theme, so I’ll share it. A small town was experiencing a terrible storm and local officials sent out an emergency warning that the riverbanks would soon overflow and flood […]
Mi Casa es Su Casa
May 29, 2016 — Nancy Bancroft Readings: Ecclesiastes 3: 1-13; Mt 10: 40-42 Memorial Day is a holiday that has evolved to incorporate a number of celebrations The holiday, originated as Decoration Day in 1868, after the American Civil War, when the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans, established it […]