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by the Rev. Sarah Buteux Easter 3, Year B Luke 24:36b-48 What would you do if the authorities were out to get to you?  What would you do if the very people whose job it was to protect and serve you, treated you like you had target on your back?  Would you fight or take flight?  I’ll give you a moment to think about it….  I don’t know about you because we are still apart, but my first instinct would be flight. I’m terrified of pain and I’m too young to die, so I’d run if I could and I’d hide.  Had I lived back in Jesus’ day, I doubt I would have had the courage to accompany the other women to the tomb. I probably would have hung back and hid out with the disciples. I certainly wouldn’t have [...]

  Easter 2 B, John 20:19-31 by the Rev. Sarah Buteux My parents didn’t believe in training wheels. In all fairness, I’m not sure anyone’s parents did back in the early 80’s. It was a lawless time when hair was big, seatbelts were optional, and smoking happened in “sections.”  So when I learned to ride a bike, my Dad just ran alongside me until I found my balance… and then I was off.  We lived on a quiet street - a circle in fact - so once I got going I just kept going. My parents waved as I went around and around and around and then finally grew tired and went inside.  That was all well and good until I realized that although I had learned how to ride a bike, I hadn’t yet learned how to stop one. [...]

Rev. Sarah Buteux Lent 3, Year B John 2:13-21 “Father forgive me for the times I desired a seat at a table you would've flipped.”  - Juliany Gonzalez Nieves   Friends, this is the point in our service where I ask you to pray with me before I begin to preach. And more often then not, I pray the words of the Psalmist: “O God, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, our rock and our redeemer” (19:14).  I cling to those words most Sundays, because the last thing I want to do is get this wrong. But I don’t feel like I can pray those words today because I already know I’m going to get this wrong.  I don’t trust that the words of my mouth or the mediations [...]

Epiphany 3, Year B       Jonah 3:1-5, 10, 4 Two weeks ago, I bought these amazing triple chocolate cupcakes at Trader Joes…for the kids. You know, because I don’t eat stuff like that. I mean, I might have a little bite every now and then but, rarely, will I eat a whole cupcake.  Don’t get me wrong, I love good food and I really enjoy eating, nor am I better, healthier, or more disciplined then anyone else, I’m just not a compulsive eater. I’ve read about people who are and I have some understanding of why, but my wiring tends to run the opposite direction. Until now.  There was just something about the events of January 6th that pushed me over an edge I didn’t even know was there. I went to the pantry and saw the cupcakes [...]