Below you will find the audio and video recordings, as well as text, of recent sermons from Pastor Liz and guest preachers. Edgewood also has a dynamic lay preaching program that all church members are invited to participate in. Lay Preachers meet as a group to learn about the sermon writing process, workshop their ideas, and practice preaching. Each lay preacher has an opportunity to give a sermon on Sunday morning during the year. You will see some of those sermons in this archive.
What We Witness
Preacher: Pastor Liz Miller Date: May 7, 2023 Text: Acts 7:55-60 Last weekend a whole gaggle of Edgewood folks retreated to Lake Michigan. We spent the weekend immersed in community and in scripture, exploring the Eastertide stories of Jesus’ resurrection appearances with the disciples. Most of these stories feature some sort of bread and by the end of the weekend we not only read about bread but we made bread and we ate bread and we broke bread together.…
Life Resurrected
Preacher: Pastor Liz MillerDate: April 9, 2023Text: Matthew 28:1-10 Every resurrection story begins with death. It feels weird on this beautiful Eastermorning, in this transformed sanctuary full of friends and family, familiar and new faces, fresh flowers in abundance, bellies full of Easter breakfast and kids buzzing from jelly beans -it feels weird to acknowledge that our story this morning begins with death, but it’s important to say out loud, to linger alongside death just a bit longer because resurrection…
The In-Between Time
Date: April 2, 2023, Palm Sunday Preacher: Pastor Liz MillerText: Matthew 21:1-11 NRSV When I think about the year we worshipped entirely online because of COVID, there is not a lot that I miss from that experience. There is not a lot that I would willingly bring back or continue in lieu of having the option to gather in our sanctuary. The one exception that I think we should bring back is how we celebrated Palm Sunday.Our socially distant Palm…
Shame Cracked Open to Let in Love
Preacher: Pastor Liz MillerDate: March 19, 2023Text: Matthew 26:6-13 It was never about helping the poor.The disciples watched the woman approach Jesus, witnessed her pick up the jar of oil and pour it out above him. The oil streamed across Jesus’ hair and dripped down his face. As the disciples watched this scene before them, they became angry.Their eyebrows scrunched. Their eyes narrowed. Their shoulders tensed. Their voices raised as their anger poured out of their mouth Their words dripped…
Harm Cracked Open; Letting in Repentance
Preacher: Pastor Liz MillerDate: March 5, 2023Text: Genesis: 37: 3-8, 17b-22, 50: 15-21 The story of Joseph and his brothers is a sweeping saga of jealousy, betrayal, revenge,and finally forgiveness. It is the gold standard of ancient stories on harm and repentance because of how detailed it is and how significant the stakes are between the siblings that have harmed each other. It is also an important story because this is not strangers who cross paths and end up hurting…
Looking for a Blessing
Preacher: Pastor Liz MillerDate: January 29, 2023Text: Matthew 5:1-12 There are weeks when the troubles of the world are pressing in so hard that it feels like all I can do to muster the energy to say, “Well God, what you have you got for us?” Come to think of it, that feels like a pretty good beginning of a prayer.What have you got for us, God? What have you got for Tyre Nichols and his grief-stricken family? What have…
What We Left Behind
Preacher: Pastor Liz MillerDate: January 22, 2023Text: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 and Matthew 4:12-23 Our scripture readings today are two chapters in the same story of Christian discipleship. The Gospel story of Jesus calling the fishermen away from their craft and away from their families to follow him is what we refer to as an origin story. Origin stories are one of the most popular kinds of stories you can tell. Origin stories are what we are asking when we get…
Come and See
Preacher: Pastor Liz MillerDate: January 15, 2023Text: John 1:29-42 This weekend as we honor the legacy and life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. it is a common practice to listen or read his speeches, to remember his words and his call to justice. We often pull our favorite quotes from “I Have a Dream” and “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” Some of us probably have his words memorized.This year, I took a slightly different approach. I didn’t return…
We Keep Seeking
Preacher: Pastor Liz MillerDate: January 8, 2023Text: Matthew 2:1-12 As part of our welcome and centering ourselves for worship each Sunday, we proclaim that “no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.” And frequently, through our prayers and liturgy and sermons we will specifically name different identities that may not have always been welcome or felt welcome in Christian community that we want to make sure hear an affirmation in this Christian…
There’s Room for Every Story
Preacher: Pastor Liz Miller Date: November 27, 2022 Text: Matthew 1:1-17 If I was to ask the congregation right now to tell the Christmas story, we would craft a narrative that begins with an angel visiting Mary and then Joseph, and then we would describe their long, laborious journey to Bethlehem, inn keeper and all. It is a story we know well, one we have seen acted out by our children and youth in Christmas Eve plays. It is…
Give Them Something to Eat
Preacher: Pastor Liz Miller Date: November 20, 2022 Text: Mark 6:30-44 As a church, we are in the business of feeding God’s people. We do that quite literally – every Wednesday night there is a community dinner where people bring food, pass a plate, and share a meal together. We do that symbolically, each month we e at a piece of bread and drink a sip of juice at the communion table as a reminder of the spiritual food…
To Be Seen
Preacher: Pastor Liz MillerDate: October 30, 2022Text: Luke 19:1-10 One of the most common questions I am asked is from folks who wonder, “Whichversion of the Bible should I be reading? Which one is the best?” The answer I always give is, “Whichever version inspires you to read the Bible! There is no best.” There are interpretations of the Bible that serve different purposes, and it’s a helpful exercise to read the same verses from multiple versions to see what…