Sermons

Recently, Dave and I watched the latest spider man movie.  Every few years there is a new Batman or super hero movie out.  Maybe the super hero movies are meant to counter the zombie apocalypse movement that’s so popular today. I wonder if people are fascinated with zombies and apocalyptic movies because it’s easier to…

Rev. Steve Youd, Director of Mission and Stewardship for the American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts. Steve holds degrees from both Gordon College and Yale University, the latter awarding him the Mersick Preaching Prize. For the past 14 years, Steve has served as Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hanson, Massachusetts – – a congregation…

When I went to Boston University School of Theology in the fall of 1986, the first thing they did for incoming students and the faculty and staff was to have us all get on a boat in Boston Harbor and go out to one of the islands and walk around, do an icebreaker exercise to…

A traffic stop last month in Plano, Texas ended unlike any you’ve ever heard about. It started when Hayden Carlo was pulled over for an expired registration sticker. According to and interview, Carlo says he’s been struggling to support his wife and two small children. “You get paid, pay your bills, and there’s your money,”…

Good morning and Happy Almost New Year! I really cannot believe that we stand on the brink of a new year, of 2013. Just hearing 2013 come out of my mouth is surreal in so many ways. I remember the new millennium, 2000 very well because that was a big year for me. That was…

Christmas caroling is meaningful to almost everyone who goes because as Will Ferrell observed in the movie Elf, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”  Some of us are not great singers, but people don’t seem to mind too much (except for the folks in our group who…

Words are inadequate to express the heartache and grief the families in Newtown, Connecticut are experiencing today. It’s a tragedy that’s hard to fathom. As a parent I can’t imagine sending my child to elementary school and having an event like this take place that is so senseless, heartless, and unnecessary. It reminds me of…

For perhaps all of human history, people have focused on and obsessed about those who are in positions of power. The pyramids after all weren’t built for commoners. It is worse today than it has ever been with photographers and media people invading people’s privacy and stalking and harassing people like the Duke and Duchess…

In the weeks leading up to Christmas many of our schedules are filled with activities, special events, gatherings with friends, parties, music, worship all of which I enjoy. Yesterday Jill and I volunteered at the winter music festival at Nauset Regional High School. It was great hearing so many of our students singing and playing…