A Room with a View
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
This is my third sermon on the topic of Faith Formation. The first sermon explored what we mean when we say ‘faith formation’, using the images of catching Jesus—believing in Jesus, Jesus catching us and looking to Jesus to give us what we need for our journey. The second sermon used the image of the […]
A Circle of Grace
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
Raise your hands above your head and then bring your arms slowly down keeping them outstretched. Extending your arms in front of you and then behind you embrace all of the space around you knowing that God is in this space with you. Then slowly reach down to your feet. This is your Circle of […]
Jesus Go
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
I first heard about the game, Pokémon Go, at the July 10 church picnic, when 3 of the youth left to go catch Pokémon. I remembered the game from when my kids were little, but hadn’t yet heard about this new version, which is an app you can download onto your phone and requires the […]
A God who Sees and Hears
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
For the last 2 years, I’ve been part of a group of 10 women pastors from IN-MI conference and Central District conference, who get together about 4 times a year to discuss a book we’ve read. We have deliberately chosen to read theologians who are not white men. Some of our richest, and most challenging, […]
Sheltering God
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
I’ve been thinking about forts and temporary structures this week. It’s mostly related to preparing for this sermon, but it’s also related to the events in the last week or so, in our world and in our conference. The news coming from Orlando has been disturbing on so many levels, the most obvious one being […]
Unity and Diversity in Christ
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
In 1968, Martin Luther King lamented that 11 am was the most segregated hour in the nation. In her book, Disunity in Christ: Uncovering the Hidden Forces that keep us Apart, Christena Cleveland reiterates this lament as she explores the ways in which our churches are still divided, not just racially, but ethnically, culturally and […]
A Table Full of Love
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
There is a lot of mystery that surrounds the resurrection. No one knows how it happened—there were no witnesses to the actual resurrection. It took place in the dark of a tomb. And in this last chapter of John, the mystery of resurrection, love and forgiveness continues. There is mystery too, that surrounds this last […]
The Smell of Love
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
She couldn’t get the smell of death out of her nostrils. It seemed to cling to her—her clothes, her hair, her skin. It didn’t matter where she went, or how many times she had bathed, the smell went with her. It didn’t matter that Lazarus was now alive and eating with their friends; he had […]
Do Not Fear
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
When the promise is first given, it comes with a call for Abram to step out in faith, to follow God’s call to an unknown land and an unknown future: “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a […]
Do not Fear; only Believe
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
In what feels like another lifetime, I preached on the story of the hemorrhaging woman. Looking back on what I recall of what I said, I’ve done my share of cringing. I was a summer student pastor, having finished one year of seminary. In a moment of compassionate insight this week for my younger self, […]
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