by Patricia Templeton | Oct 1, 2023 | Sermons, Tricia's Sermons
Jesus said, “A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not,’ but later he changed his mind and went. “The father went to the second and said the same; and he...
by Patricia Templeton | Sep 17, 2023 | Sermons, Tricia's Sermons
This weekend is a special time for our Jewish brothers and sisters. At sunset Friday they began celebrating Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashana is not a one-day celebration. It is the beginning of Judaism’s High Holy Days, which end with Yom Kippur,...
by Patricia Templeton | Sep 10, 2023 | Sermons, Tricia's Sermons
Ever since reading today’s Gospel this week I have been thinking about a young man I once knew named Todd. Todd grew up in the Midwest as a Jehovah’s Witness. His father was a leader in that denomination’s hierarchy. His mother was active in the local...
by Patricia Templeton | Jul 30, 2023 | Sermons, Tricia's Sermons
In the opening pages of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the penultimate volume in that magical series, the prime minister of England is worried. Strange and ominous things have been happening across his country – dozens have died when a well-built,...
by Patricia Templeton | Jul 23, 2023 | Sermons, Tricia's Sermons
For these four and a half months since Joe’s death I have been slowly going through his things, deciding what to keep and what to donate or throw away. Joe was, to put it politely, a bit of a packrat, so there is a lot to sort through. Sometimes in the...
by Patricia Templeton | Jul 16, 2023 | Sermons, Tricia's Sermons
The original source of this quote is uncertain, but the words have stayed with me since I first heard them in seminary many years ago. “A preacher,” the theologian said, “should have the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.” Since I spent many years...
by Patricia Templeton | Jul 9, 2023 | Sermons, Tricia's Sermons
For the last three Sundays in our Gospel readings we have heard Jesus telling his disciples what life will be like for those who follow him. At first, life as a disciple sounds pretty good. Jesus gives his friends and followers the authority to cast out demons, to...
by Patricia Templeton | Jul 2, 2023 | Sermons, Tricia's Sermons
Her name escaped me long ago, but her actions will haunt me forever. The rural Tennessee woman, whose story I covered as a reporter for the Nashville Banner, was a person of faith, who always tried to do what she believed God would have her do, no matter how difficult...
