Harvard-Epworth Church

Sermon given by Rev Barb Lemmel and Rev Mitch Hay on January 12, 2025Gospel -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22The people were filled with anticipation, wondering in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah. John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is mightier than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."A winnowing-fork is in his hand to clear the threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into the granary; but the chaff will be burnt in unquenchable fire." Using exhortations like this, John proclaimed the Good News to the people.Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also came to be baptized. And while Jesus was praying, the skies opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on the Anointed One in visible form, like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Own, my Beloved; on you my favor rests."

Sermon given by Rev Mitch Hay and Rev Barb Lemmel on January 5, 2025Gospel Matthew -- 2:1-12In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,some Magi, astrologer priests from the East, came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Judaeans? For we observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him,“In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for from you shall come a rulerwho is to shepherd my people Israel.Then Herod, secretly summoning the Magi, ascertained from them the exact time of the star's appearance. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and inquire precisely after the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” And, obeying the king, they departed. And there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, theywere overwhelmed with joy.On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Sermon given by Rev Barb Lemmel and Rev Mitch Hay on December 29, 2024Gospel -- Matthew 2:13-23Now after [the Magi] had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord throughthe prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the Magi, he wasinfuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and aroundBethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the Magi. Then what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation,Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There hemade his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Sermon given by Pastoral Intern Jihyun SonGospel Luke 4:1-13Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tested by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.”Jesus answered him, “It is written, One does not live by bread alone.“ Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, Worship the Lord your God, and serve only God. ”Then the devil led him to Jerusalem and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, God will command the angels concerning you, to protect you, and on their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dashyour foot against a stone. ”Jesus answered him, “It is said, Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until a more opportune time.

Reflection from Rev Barb Lemmel on Ash Wednesday 2025TORAH -- Genesis 2The Lord God formed the human one (adam) from the dust ofthe ground (adamah), and breathed into its nostrils the ruach,the breath of life; and the human one became nephesh, aliving being . . .They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the gardenat the time of the evening breeze, and the man (Ish) and thewoman (Isha) hid themselves from the presence of the LordGod among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God calledto the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ He said, ‘Iheard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid,because I was naked; and I hid myself.’PROPHETS -- Isaiah 58:6-8Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds ofinjustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressedgo free, and to break every yoke?Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring thehomeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, tocover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and yourhealing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall gobefore you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cryfor help, and he will say, Here I am.

Sermon by Rev Barb Lemmel and Rev Mitch Hay on December 22, 2024Gospel -- Matthew 1:18-25Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly.But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son,and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son, andhe named him Jesus.Gospel -- Luke 1:46-55And Mary said,“My soul proclaims your greatness, O God,and my spirit rejoices in you, my Savior.For you have looked with favorupon your lowly servant,and from this day forwardall generations will call me blessed.For you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,and holy is your Name.Your mercy reaches from age to agefor those who revere you.You have shown strength with your arm;you have scattered the proud in their conceit;you have deposed the mighty from their thronesand raised the lowly to high places.You have filled the hungry with good things,while you have sent the rich away empty.You have come to the aid of Israel your servant,mindful of your mercy—the promise you made to our ancestors—to Sarah and Abrahamand their descendants forever.”

Sermon by Rev Mitch Hay and Rev Barb Lemmel on December 8, 2024Hebrew Scripture -- Isaiah 58:9-12Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and God will say, “Here I am.”If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.The Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your needs in parched places and make your bones strong,and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters never fail.Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.Gospel -- Luke 3:7-16John [the Baptizer] said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham and Sarah as our ancestors,’ for tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham and Sarah. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; thereforeevery tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”And the crowds asked him, “What, then, should we do?”In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

Sermon by Rev Mitch Hay and Rev Barb Lemmel on March 3, 2025Gospel -- Luke 9:28-43aNow 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 as bright as a flash of lightning. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses andElijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking about his exodus, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep, but as they awoke 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 set up three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not realizing what he was saying.When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It convulses him until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. I begged your disciplesto cast it out, but they could not.” Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” While he was being brought forward, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God.

Sermon given by Rev Barb Lemmel and Rev Mitch Hay on November 10, 2024 Hebrew Scriptures Micah 6:6-8 “With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before God with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” God has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? Gospel Mark 12:38-44 As Jesus taught, he said, “Beware of scribes who like to walk around in long robes and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Sermon given by Rev Mitch Hay and Barb Lemmel Hebrew Scriptures - Micah 6:6,8 “With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before God on high?" . . . God has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? Gospel - Mark 12:28-34 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that Jesus answered them well he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘God is one, and besides God there is no other’; and to love God with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all thestrength’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the Realm of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.

Sermon by United Methodist Bishop Peggy Johnson

Sermon by Rev Barb Lemmel and Rev Mitch Hay on January 21, 2024. Gospel - Mark 1:14-20 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled; the Kin-dom of God has come near; let your lives be changed, trust in the good news. As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel. Hebrew Scripture - 1 Samuel 3:1-11, 19 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. The Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if God calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Then the Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. . .” As Samuel grew up the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. Gospel - John 1:35-46 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter). The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’

A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel. Hebrew Scripture - Genesis 1:1-5 When God began the creating of the heavens and the earth when earth was wild and waste (tohu wa vohu), darkness over the face of Ocean, rushing-spirit of God (ruach) hovering over the face of the waters— God said: Let there be Light! And there was light. God saw the light: that it was good. God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light: Day! and the darkness he called: Night! There was setting, there was dawning: one day. Gospel - John 1:1-5 & 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was present to God from the beginning. All things came into being through the Word, and without the Word not one thing came into being. What has come into being in Him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. And the Word became flesh and lived among us.

A sermon by Rev. Barbara Lemmel on Christmas Eve 2023

A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel. Gospel - Magnificat - Luke 1:46-55 And Mary said, “My soul proclaims your greatness, O God, and my spirit rejoices in you, my Savior. For you have looked with favor upon your lowly servant, and from this day forward all generations will call me blessed. For you, the Almighty, have done great things for me, and holy is your Name. Your mercy reaches from age to age for those who revere you. You have shown strength with your arm; you have scattered the proud in their conceit; you have deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places. You have filled the hungry with good things, while you have sent the rich away empty. You have come to the aid of Israel your servant, mindful of your mercy—the promise you made to our ancestors—to Sarah and Abraham and their descendants forever.”

A sermon by Adam McAllister. Gospel Mark 1:1-8 The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight,’” so John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Epistle - 2 Peter 3: 8-15 (NRSVUE) But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be destroyed with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and destroyed and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also, our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him.

A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel. Hebrew Scripture - Isaiah 64 selections Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence! As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the world tremble. For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait! You welcome those who gladly do mercy and justice, who follow your ways. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. And yet, O Lord, you are our Parent. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand. Gospel - Mark 13:24-37 But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see The Promised One coming in clouds with great power and glory, sending out the angels, and gathering the chosen from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky. From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know the Promised One is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Begotten One, but only Abba God. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like people going on a journey, when they leave home and put their workers in charge, each with a certain task, and those who watch the front gate ordered to stay on the alert.

A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel. Gospel - Matthew 25:31-46 At the appointed time the Promised One will come in glory, escorted by all the angels of heaven, and will sit upon the throne of glory, with all the nations assembled below. Then the Promised One will separate them from one another, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. The sheep will be placed on the right hand, the goats on the left. Then the Ruler will say to those on the right, ‘Come, you blessed of my Abba God! Inherit the kin-dom prepared for you from the creation of the world! For I was hungry, and you fed me; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me; naked and you clothed me. I was ill, and you comforted me; in prison and you came to visit me. ’ Then these just will ask, ‘When did we see you hungry and feed you, or see you thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in or clothe you in your nakedness? When did we see you ill or in prison and come to visit you? ’ The Ruler will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, every time you did this for the least of my siblings, you did it for me.’ “Then the Ruler will say to those on the left, ‘Out of my sight, you accursed ones! Into the fire of the Age prepared for the Slanderer and the fallen angels! For I was hungry, and you gave me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you gave me no welcome; naked and you gave me no clothing. I was ill and in prison and you did not come to visit me.’ Then they in turn will ask, ‘When did we see you hungry or thirsty, or homeless or naked, or ill or in prison, and not take care of you? ’ The answer will come, ‘The truth is, as often as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.’ And these will go into the chastening of the Ages, but the just will go off to the life of the Ages.”

A sermon by Rev. Mitchell Hay and Rev. Barbara Lemmel. Epistle - Ephesians 5:18b-21 Be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to one another, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to Abba God at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Gospel Mark 12:38-44 As Jesus taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”