Hearts Open to the Word

What does it really mean when we invite someone in and say, "Make yourself at home"? Is it a sterile, performative greeting where we guard the decorative towels and point out the drink coasters, or is it a true welcome where guests know they can open the refrigerator without asking?On this Second Sunday of Lent, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe continues the "Tell Me Something Good" series by exploring the inseparab...

We often treat our faith and our institutions like a perfectly manicured lawn—exhausting ourselves to keep everything orderly, respectable, and predictable. But what happens when the wine runs out and our carefully cultivated resources fail?.On this First Sunday of Lent, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe explores the surprising nature of God’s Kingdom through the Wedding at Cana and the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Jesus completely flip...

On this Ash Wednesday, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe reflects on the Parable of the Great Dinner in Luke 14:15–24. When the comfortable and secure make excuses to avoid the feast, the host doesn't cancel the party—he expands the guest list to the streets and alleys. Too often, the modern church expends its energy fretting over empty pews and courting those who are already safe and full. But what if our true calling is to fill ou...

We often think of "mountaintop experiences" as spiritual highs, but in Scripture, they are usually terrifying. On this Transfiguration Sunday, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe explores Matthew 17:1–9, where Peter reacts to the glory of God not with joy, but with a frantic desire to build tents—to freeze the holy moment and avoid the hard road ahead.Listen in to discover why God interrupts our attempts to stay comfortable, why...

We often curate our spiritual lives like a social media feed—cropping out the mess to present a picture of perfect piety. But God isn't scrolling for likes; God is looking for justice. In this sermon on Isaiah 58:1–12 and Matthew 5:13–20, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe confronts the trap of performative religion.Jesus calls us to be salt and light—elements that are useless if they stay in the shaker or hide under a bowl. True wor...

Micah 6:8 is often treated as a comforting quote for a cross-stitch sampler, but in its original context, it is the dramatic verdict of a cosmic lawsuit where God pleads a case against humanity before the mountains. In this sermon, we explore why we are so tempted to offer God "ten thousand rivers of oil"—transactional sacrifices to buy our way out of guilt—rather than the intimacy of a relationship. Connecting the prophe...

When the headlines are heavy and the world feels overwhelming, it is validating to remember that even Jesus needed to withdraw after receiving bad news. But his retreat in Matthew 4:12–23 was not an escape; it was a strategic move to gather a community that could shine in the "deep darkness" prophesied in Isaiah 9:1–4. Join us as we dismantle the myth of "pole fishing" spirituality and discover why the true Ligh...

When we are stuck in the "miry bog" of life's crises, patience feels impossible and the old songs of hope can feel worn out. Exploring Psalm 40:1–11 , this sermon challenges us to stop fighting the "quicksand" of our circumstances and instead trust in the God who has a history of lifting us from the pit. Join us as we learn how our past deliverance becomes a testimony for today, giving us the strength to end...

"Those who would support the terrorization of anyone — especially the terrorization of the vulnerable and those who stand with the vulnerable — Those who would support that terror in the name of Christianity betray the baptism we are called into by the example of Jesus."

We often confuse holiness with perfection, trying desperately to "fit in" to a world that makes unreasonable and unholy demands on us. But Jesus...

We often miss God's voice because we expect it to sound a certain way—like a choir of angels or a clear, burning bush. But the story of Epiphany challenges our desire for a "correct" revelation by introducing the Magi: foreign astrologers who found the Messiah through the "weird" medium of the stars. Join us as we explore Isaiah 60:1–6 and Matthew 2:1–12 to discover how the Light of the World breaks through ...

In a world dominated by the displacing decrees of emperors, fear often feels like the loudest voice in the room. Yet, the narratives of **Luke 2:1–20** and **John 1:1–14** reveal that God bypasses the centers of power to enter the world in the vulnerability of a manger. This sermon explores how the Incarnation is an act of divine solidarity, where God arrives not to fix the decree from above, but to live *under* it with the margina...

Are you ready to cancel your subscription to adulthood? When the world feels overwhelmed by chaos, global instability, and the feeling of a "crumbling empire," it's easy to succumb to exhaustion and cling to "weak, fake powers" of control. This sermon confronts the deep anxiety that paralyzes us and asks the impossible question posed by Scripture: How can we "endure everything with patience, while joyfu...

In this sermon on 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 and Psalm 98, we explore what it means to work together as beloved community. Drawing on the metaphor of creation as symphony, we'll address the balance between wholehearted participation and workaholism, between idleness and holy rest. The key question isn't how much we work, but what we're working for—when we shift from "What's in it for me?" to "How does thi...

In this sermon, we explore the anxiety-ridden church of Thessalonica, convinced they were living in the final moments of history. Sound familiar? When false teachers led them to believe "the day of the Lord is already here" (2 Thessalonians 2:2), the community became paralyzed—abandoning their work and waiting for cosmic rescue. Paul's response wasn't a detailed timeline of the end times, but a pastoral redirectio...

On All Saints Sunday, we remember our connection to the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us—from the well-known saints of church history to the beloved everyday saints who shaped our faith. In Luke's Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:20-31), Jesus presents us with his most radical teaching: blessing the poor, hungry, and grieving while warning the comfortable, then calling us to love our enemies and give generously to al...

In this stewardship kickoff sermon from October 26, 2025, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe explores Luke 18:9-14 and Psalm 84:1-7, weaving together themes of humility, radical welcome, and faithful stewardship. Through the story of "Wild Joe" and the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector, she illustrates how our shared dependence on God's mercy creates space for everyone in God's temple. The sermon challenges us t...

In this week's sermon, we explore Luke 18:1-8 and 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, examining the parable of the persistent widow and what it teaches us about prayer, justice, and hope. Through historical context and modern application, we consider how different forms of justice work parallel the widow's persistence at the city gates. The sermon challenges us to find sustainable ways to participate in God's ongoing work of justice wh...