by Mario Baldessari | Sermons
THIS WAS STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY AND ALLISON HINE AND TOM GRANT PRESENTED PERSONAL TESTIMONIALS DURING THE SERVICE PRIOR TO THE SERMON. Allison Hine – This Church is a Compass Being part of this Church community is invaluable to my family and our success in navigating the...
by Robert McCracken | Sermons
It was a pleasure to welcome Father Jacques de Foiard-Brown to the pulpit this morning. Jacques comes to us from the island of Mauritius off the coast of southern Africa, where he has lived in a hermitage for almost forty years, while serving the communities that...
by Mario Baldessari | Sermons
Texts: Luke 17: 11-19; Colossians 3: 15-17 A Theology of Resentment, and A Theology of Gratitude Ten were healed. One came back. Ten were afforded the opportunity to resume their lives. One returned to give thanks. Ten were given an unimaginable gift. Only one saw fit...
by Mario Baldessari | Sermons
Texts: Matthew 4: 18-22; I Peter 2: 4-10 Building a Bridge from Sunday to Monday The other day I attended a community gathering to speak about the work of resettling refugees that we and the two other churches in town have undertaken together. I loved...
by Mario Baldessari | Sermons
Texts: Luke 5: 17-20; Galatians 6: 2 A Few Thoughts on Beginning, Born at the Finish Line Bear one another’s burdens with gladness. St. Paul, Letter to the Galatians To begin, an image. It’s born from the early chapters in the Gospel of...
by Mario Baldessari | Sermons
Luke 14:1; 7-14a Is this Seat Taken? Hospitality means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to...
by Mario Baldessari | Sermons
Texts: Psalm 8; Psalm 24: 1-6 Two Pathways Toward Wonder “Two things fill the mind with awe and wonder: the starry heavens above, and the moral law within.” So said Immanuel Kant in 1788, at the end of his book of ethics, The Critique of Practical Reason. Kant was...
by Robert McCracken | Sermons
Today we were pleased to welcome back to the pulpit our Minister Emeritus Rev. David W.Good, who was our beloved Senior Minister for 37 years from 1976 through 2012. A TRIBUTE TO ST. PAUL, A TENTMAKER FROM TARSUS BY PHIL O. DENDRON (AKA David W. Good) Acts 17: 22-28...
by Robert McCracken | Sermons
Today we welcomed to the pulpit church member Rev. Scott L. Harris. Scott is a retired Lutheran minister and last served as Senior Pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Stamford. Scott is the Co-Chair of the Refugee Resettlement Committee and his wife, Karen, is a...
by Mario Baldessari | Sermons
Genesis 18:1-15, 21:5-6 I LOVE TO TELL THE STORY OF WHEN SARAH LAUGHED One of the many privileges of pastoral care is being able to sit with people in their last days whether in the hospital or at home. To be invited into this intimate threshold place is a gift that I...
by Mario Baldessari | Sermons
Genesis 1:1-31 & 2:1-3 Revelation 22:13 I Love to Tell the Story: In the Beginning, God… This summer we have embarked upon a series of sermons telling- and re-telling – the great stories of the Bible. Remembering the wisdom of the German Theologian,...
by Mario Baldessari | Sermons
This morning we welcomed to our pulpit The Rev. Catherine Zall, director of the New London Homeless Hospitality Center. Cathy was our beloved Associate Minister from 2002 to 2007. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Luke 10:25-37 A...
by Robert McCracken | Sermons
Daniel 3:14-28 and 30 Ephesians 1:16&17 I Love to Tell the Story: Revisiting Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego The Bible is a treasure trove of stories. And this summer we hope to explore some of those stories together, and think together about what lessons...
by Mario Baldessari | Sermons
Texts: Micah 6; Matthew 25 The Ghost of Tom Joad, Revisited Today I’d like to share a story about something that happened here at the church several weeks ago. It’s a story that has implications concerning some of the hard truths we’re being forced to confront in our...
by Mario Baldessari | Sermons
Text: Romans 12: 1-3 In Praise of Steadiness A few months ago I had the experience of returning to the church in New Haven where Rachael and I attended for many years. It had been a place that had nurtured and formed us during some crucial years in our...
