Sermons by Rev. Paul Baudhuin

This Sunday we continue in the Gospel of Luke, with a late Easter bringing more Sundays than usual between Christmas and Easter, we get a story new to the Narrative Lectionary. Remember John the Baptist? He’s back! Is Jesus really who we think is? Who our doctrine says? Who we expected him to be? Are we sure about him? If you ever wonder these things, fear not, you’re in good company. John the Baptist did too, and we’ll take a…

For the past four years I have had breakfast nearly every Friday with my friend and retired colleague Dan Schneider-Bryan. When we were in the Hebrew Bible all last fall, he’d ask me while chomping down his scrambled eggs and sausage, and with tongue firmly planted in cheek, “So… who dies this week?” Now that we’re in the Gospel of Luke, the question has softened a bit, and is “So… who does Jesus tick off this week?” Well, how about…

So here’s what. I don’t like rules. Never have. I often find them limiting and even suffocating. I also come from an antiestablishment breed. But at the same time, without, we perish. We have chaos and anarchy. I’m not a big fan of that either. So… quick story: In one of my theatrical directing classes in college, we had to tell a story of some kind with no dialogue. The point being that it was required to stage the story…

This Sunday we continue our journey in Luke, with the story of Jesus’ call on Simon/Peter. These “call stories” are a key part of Jesus’ work, and subsequently ours, and I love how Luke tells it. It’s distinct from the others. So we look at that story, which I think you will find meaningful and relevant. -Pastor Paul SCRIPTURE: Luke 5:1-11 (NRSVUE) 5 Once while Jesus was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear…

We have a BIG passage this Sunday. Coincidently, as President-Elect Trump is inaugurated on Monday, our reading for this Sunday is often referred to as Jesus’ inaugural address. Regardless of who would be inaugurated, this serves as a reminder that there is more for us than what happens on the steps of the Capitol. We must be socio-politically engaged and active, and we must recognize that elections really do have consequences, but we also have a call and hope beyond…

Hello, Beloved of Prospect Park UMC! Did you know that’s your name? Beloved? Well if not, we’ll dig into why (among other things) this Sunday in worship. This Sunday is the “Baptism of Our Lord” Sunday, the Sunday we remember Jesus’ baptism. Baptism is one of those things most Christians believe they understand, but then if we do, why do various denominations do it differently and for different reasons? This Sunday we are “Breaking Down Baptism”, and I hope also…