Sermon archive for category: Rev. Javier Almendárez-Bautista

On Christmas Eve, the Rev. Javier Almendárez Bautista considers the shepherds in Luke 2:1-14: “One night, a long time ago, a group of shepherds was huddled together for warmth as they were watching their sheep, and an angel shows up… The shepherds were surprised they had been visited by an angel, but they were also surprised for another reason. They had traveled far and wide. Yet in all that time and experience in the world, they had never ever been invited to the birthday party of a prince.”

The Rev. Javier Almendárez Bautista reflects on Isaiah 35:1-10: “Translation is not an easy task. It’s difficult enough to do between two spoken languages; you can grab the nuance of things if you are familiar enough with the culture and the context. But it’s another altogether when it comes to languages spoken long ago….”

The Rev. Javier Almendárez Bautista considers what we can learn from the prophet Isaiah during uncertain times (Isaiah 65:17-25): “Our history is also long and complex, and we too may be facing a sense of uncertainty and insecurity.”

The Rev. Javier Almendárez Bautista discusses Joel 2:23-32: “I’ve been thinking about water lately. Human beings, of course, are full of it. Its strength relies so heavily on its weakness. It is weak enough to roll off our hands, yet strong enough that it can creep through crevices of rock and stone and break them apart.”

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
Earlier this week I bought plane tickets to go visit my parents in Portland Oregon. I am excited to see my family here soon. One of the things I miss about my parents’ home is a minor, insignificant thing … the smell of fresh-brewed coffee….