by FCCofOldLyme | Sermons
On the Banks of the East River: Belovedness Over Coffee Laura Fitzpatrick-Nager The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Texts: Matt 3:13-17 December 11, 2022 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Matt 3:17...
by FCCofOldLyme | Sermons
On and Off Ramps of the Holy Highway Steve Jungkeit The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Texts: Isaiah 35: 8-10; Isaiah 40: 1-3; Isaiah 42: 16a December 4, 2022 There is a stretch of the New Jersey Turnpike that has always fascinated me. Down around exit 4 or...
by FCCofOldLyme | Sermons
Shelter, Speech, and Solace: A Litany of Thanks Steve Jungkeit The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Texts: Luke 17: 11-19; Philippians 4: 4-7 November 20, 2022 A preacher in the pulpit is like a batter at the plate. Sometimes we swing for the bleachers, and...
by FCCofOldLyme | Sermons
Should I Stay or Should I Go: On Walking Away from Omelas[1] Steve Jungkeit The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Texts: Isaiah 53: 4-6, 10-11 October 16, 2022 My offering today shall consist almost entirely of a story, and a peculiar story at that, for which...
by FCCofOldLyme | Sermons
Love Is Its Own Rescue: Finding Strength and Shelter in the Storm Laura Fitzpatrick-Nager The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Texts: Mark 4:35-41 October 9, 2022 I’m usually not an early riser. But staying with my mother in Guilford after her cataract surgery...
by FCCofOldLyme | Sermons
A Communion Meditation: In Praise of the Lowly Spider Carleen Gerber The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Texts: I Corinthians 12:12-14, 27; I John 3:18-24 October 2, 2022 This summer, on a particularly foggy morning, our lower yard was covered in what seemed...
by FCCofOldLyme | Sermons
Days of Bread and Roses Steve Jungkeit The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Text: Matthew 6: 19-21; Philippians 4: 8-9 September 25, 2022 Our business manager shared a story the other day that I thought was worth repeating this morning. He told me about a...
by FCCofOldLyme | Sermons
Palenque! Steve Jungkeit The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Text: Exodus 13: 17-22; Matthew 4: 23-25; John 1: 43-46 September 18, 2022 In the middle of August, I had occasion to visit a music school on the outskirts of Buenaventura, a port town on Colombia’s...
by FCCofOldLyme | Sermons
Be Happy Whenever You Can Manage It Steve Jungkeit The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Text: Genesis 1: 1-2; 26-31 September 11, 2022 “In the beginning, God created…” So begins the King James Version of the Bible. Or, as Eugene Peterson’s translation, The...
by FCCofOldLyme | Sermons
Struggle at the Jabbok: Lessons of an Ancient Wrestling Match Steve Jungkeit The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Text: Genesis 32: 22-32 September 4, 2022 “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” That’s one of the most famous questions in all of theology,...
by FCCofOldLyme | Sermons
Turn Back! Steve Jungkeit The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Text: Luke 15: 11-24 August 28, 2022 We got as far as Cleveland, and then we turned around. It had been a full and busy year, and we had looked forward to regrouping as a family, and to exploring...
by FCCofOldLyme | Sermons
Ode to Joy Laura Fitzpatrick-Nager The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Text: John 2:1-11 August 21, 2022 Yesterday, I had the pleasure of officiating at a wedding for a couple of grooms from Stamford, CT. They were beautiful in their suit coats and corsages!...
by FCCofOldLyme | Sermons
Blessed are the Peacemakers Laura Fitzpatrick-Nager The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Text: Matthew 5:1-12 August 14, 2022 “Today, I set before you blessing and cursing.Choose blessing so that you may live.”-Deuteronomy 30:19 “We all have a story to tell.”...
by FCCofOldLyme | Sermons
Navigating Turbulent Waters Catherine Zall The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Text: Mark 8:34-35 August 7, 2022 34 He called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross...
by FCCofOldLyme | Sermons
Take Heart: Love Comes in at the Eye Laura Fitzpatrick-Nager The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Texts: Mark 10:46-52 July 31, 2022 For the first couple of weeks after returning from Ireland, I’d open my front door and wonder where the mountains were. I’d...
