March 3, 2019, “God’s Light Revealed”, Rev. Thandiwe Dale-Ferguson

Luke 9:28-43

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  

Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.

February 24, 2019, “Love Your Enemy”, Rev. Thandiwe Dale-Ferguson

Psalm 37:1-7a, Luke 6:27-36 Common English Bible (CEB)

Before we begin, I want to give credit where credit is due, the story I tell this morning is not mine -- it was told by Reverend Randall Robinson on the podcast RISK. I’ve taken some liberties to make it my own.

You’re not supposed to have favorite kids at camp, but I’ve been watching Elizabeth all week. We haven’t had much opportunity to interact, but I’ve been watching her.

You see, Elizabeth is one of the smaller kids at camp this week, and she is one of a special group of campers – about a dozen total – who come to us from child protective services and foster care. Most of the kids from this group show up with nothing more than the clothes on their backs – so the camp provides everything else they need for the week – clothes, toothbrush, sleeping bag, flashlight, shoes, a rain coat, bathing suit, the whole lot. I don’t know Elizabeth’s story or what she’s experienced in her short life, but the burn marks on her arms are easily identifiable, and I assume that these visible marks of harm are a far cry from the only abuse she’s experienced.

February 17, 2019, “Like a Tree Planted by the Water”, Rev. Thandiwe Dale-Ferguson

Luke 6:17-26 Common English Bible (CEB)

Happy are those who trust in the Lord. I don’t know about you, but trust comes hard for me. Perhaps it’s because as a young child, I was the translator for my parents -- the one who, literally, helped them understand what was going on around them. Perhaps it is because I moved around so much and had to learn how to rely on myself to make friends, figure out a new school system, take care of myself.