Category Archives: Sermons

Did Ye Get Healed

Posted on January 8, 2020 by tmrichmond3

  In 1987, the singer Van Morrison, best known for his song “Brown-Eyed Girl,” released an album called  Poetic Champions Compose which included a powerful song called, “Did Ye Get Healed.” You may be surprised to see that the title … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Church Growth, Communion, Compassion, Growth, Healing, Jesus, ministry, Mission, Musings, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching, Relationships, Sermons, Social Justice, Social Ministry, spirituality | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Persistence of Memory

Posted on July 1, 2019 by tmrichmond3

  Memory and the Magic of Music A few years ago I was relaxing on the Saturday night before Easter. The sermon had been written and rehearsed, the service was all set to go, and I could just sit back … Continue reading →

Posted in Communion, Community, Hope, Joy, Lament, Psalms, Relationships, Sermons | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

You Shall Know the Blues–and the Blues Will Set You Free

Posted on June 24, 2019 by tmrichmond3

  The Delta Blues If you leave Memphis, Tennessee and drive south, you run right into the Mississippi delta. The Delta takes in parts of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana that lie between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. This area contains … Continue reading →

Posted in Blues, Delta Blues, Lament, Preaching, Psalms, Sermons, Spiritual Growth, spirituality, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Posted on June 24, 2019 by tmrichmond3

  The Universe and Us I want to start this by asking you to look at the photo here.  Few years ago some scientists pointed the Hubble Deep Space telescope into what looked like an empty part of space. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Emergency, Current Events, Psalms, Sermons, Social Justice, Social Ministry, Spiritual Growth, spirituality, Theology, Trinity | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Out of this World

Posted on June 10, 2019 by tmrichmond3

  Sailing Ships About ten years ago I started reading the novels of Patrick O’Brien. If you are familiar with his work, you know he writes about the captain of a sailing ship in the early 1800s. He writes about … Continue reading →

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O Little Town of Bethlehem

Posted on December 29, 2018 by tmrichmond3

In 1865, after the civil war, after Lincoln’s tragic death, a Philadelphia Episcopalian priest visited the Holy Land. While he was there he took a horseback ride from Jerusalem to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve, so he could attend Christmas Eve … Continue reading →

Posted in Advent, Advent Carol, Advent Sermon, Christmas, Christmas Carol, Church, Incarnation, Jesus, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Preaching, Sermons, Spiritual Growth, spirituality, Transformation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Joy to the World

Posted on December 27, 2018 by tmrichmond3

Introduction A young child was once chastised by his minister father, for keeping his eyes open while he prayed. The boy said to his father,  A little mouse for want of stairs ran up a rope to say its prayers. … Continue reading →

Posted in Advent, Advent Carol, Advent Sermon, Christmas, Christmas Carol, Isaac Watts, Joy, Joy to the World, Psalms, Sermons, Spiritual Growth, spirituality, Theology, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Posted on December 26, 2018 by tmrichmond3

  Introduction I love Christmas for many reasons, but one is that during Christmas we get to see, very clearly, the link between the Old and the New Testaments. On the whole there two mistakes people make in trying to … Continue reading →

Posted in Advent, Advent Carol, Advent Sermon, Christmas, Christmas Carol, Church, Incarnation, Jesus, O Antiphons, Old Testament, Sermons, spirituality | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

That REAL Old Time Religion

Posted on December 5, 2018 by tmrichmond3

  This is one of the oldest hymns that is still sung today, and one of the few hymns sung by Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. It has a depth of meaning, and here I am just scratching … Continue reading →

Posted in Advent, Advent Carol, Advent Sermon, Athanasius, Christmas, Christmas Carol, Incarnation, Jesus, Musings, Preaching, Sermons | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Heart of Thanksgiving

Posted on November 21, 2018 by tmrichmond3

This sermon was given the day we celebrated the work of our organist, Ginni Peterson, who has been the organist at First Presbyterian Church in Medford for 57 years. She still has her chops! But, she is retiring at the … Continue reading →

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