Worship: Sermons

For Protestant Christians, the sermon has historically been of central importance to worship. A sermon is not simply a speech, or even a religious speech. Rather, the sermon bears witness to the word that God is speaking through the Biblical readings to this particular congregation at this particular moment in time. In some sense, the sermon opens up the texts so that the whole gathered congregation can see in them and through them the realities of life and the reality of God and God's grace.

Here at Second Congregational United Church of Christ, each week's sermon is based upon one or more of the Biblical readings suggested for that week by a schedule called "the lectionary." For more information on this, see the Bible Readings section of our site.

You may also want to view videos of sermons and other events at Second Congregational by going to the Sights and Sounds page.

Sermons you may particularly appreciate from the past year:

• Sept 9, 2012 - "Please!  Anything But Boring"
• August 26, 2012: "The God Who Cannot Be Contained"
• April 15, 2012 - "Favorite"
• March 4, 2012 - "Five Practical Ways to Follow Jesus"
• February 12, 2012 - "We Will See, We Will See"
• October 9, 2011 - "Joy: the Background Noise of Creation"
• August 8, 2011 - "Most of the Stones Are Close Together"

Previous Sermons at Second Congregational United Church of Christ:

Note: For the time being, due to technical difficulties, sermons after November 4, 2012, are only available in video format. 

• November 4, 2012 - "You Are Not Far from the Kingdom of Heaven" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• October 21, 2012 - "Fifth Row, Center" by The Rev. Dr. Fred Krauss
• October 7, 2012 - "Trying to Make Sense of Marriage and Divorce" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• September 30, 2012 - "Whoever Is Not Against Us Is For Us" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• September 16, 2012 - "The Tongue" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• September 9, 2012 - "Please!  Anything but Boring!" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• September 2, 2012 - "The Devil Made Me Do It" by The Rev. Dr. Fred Krauss
• August 26, 2012 - "The God Who Cannot Be Contained" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• August 19, 2012 - "What Makes for a Worthy Life" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• August 12, 2012 - "How to Speak Bible-ish" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• August 5, 2012 - "Faith and Power:  You Are Like David" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• July 29, 2012 - "A Nutritional Survey of the Bread of Life" by The Rev. Dr. Fred Krauss
• July 22, 2012 - "Faith and Power:  Week 5" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• July 15, 2012 - "Faith and Power:  Week 4" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• July 8, 2012 - "David and Goliath:  Faith and Power:  Week 3" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• June 24, 2012 - "Faith and Power:  Week 2" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• June 17, 2012 - "Faith and Power:  Week 1" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• June 3, 2012 - "A Bunch of Babies" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• May 27, 2012 - "The Wonderful and Exhilarating Gift of the Holy Spirit" by The Rev. Dr. Fred Krauss
• May 20, 2012 - "Wow, You Are Out of this World!" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• May 13, 2012 - "Mother's Day and Christianity:  Keeping Them Real" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• April 29, 2012 - "The Good Shepherd Gone All Radical" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• April 22, 2012 - "Blessing" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• April 15, 2012 - "Favorite" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• April 8, 2012 - "The Rolling Stones" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• March 25, 2012 - "Forgiveness: Or, Being Blessed, Not Burdened, by the Past" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• March 18, 2012 - "The Lightness of God's Love" by The Rev. Dr. Fred Krauss
• March 4, 2012 - "Five Practical Ways to Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• February 26, 2012 - "The Time Has Come" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• February 19, 2012 - "The Sovereignty of God" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• February 12, 2012 - "We Will See; We Will See" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• February 5, 2012 - "I Plight Thee My Troth" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• January 29, 2012 - "Is God Still at Work?" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• January 22, 2012 - "A Mighty Fortress Is Our ____" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• January 15, 2012 - "God's I-Thou Relationship With Us" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• January 8, 2012 - "In the Beginning" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• December 25, 2011 - "Look!  There's the Purpose of the Universe" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• December 11, 2011 - "When Pointing Is Okay" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• December 4, 2011 - "The Coming Day of the Lord" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• November 27 , 2011 - "Endurance" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• November 20 , 2011 - "Pilgrims, Praise, and Profound Gratitude" by The Rev. Dr. Fred Krauss
• November 13, 2011 - "The (Almost) Uncontrollable Gift" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• November 6, 2011 - "With the Lord Forever" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• October 30, 2011 - "Protest, Reform, and Leadership" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• October 16, 2011 - "Jesus Addresses Today's Front Page News " by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• October 9, 2011 - "Joy:  the Background Noise of Creation" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• October 2, 2011 - "Breaking Bread in Difficul Times" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• September 25, 2011 - "Listening to Jesus from Off-stage" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• September 18, 2011 - "We Are All Hired at Sundown " by Gregory Pierce
• September 11, 2011 - "Disrupting the System:  the Gospel Ten Years after 9/11" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• August 28, 2011 - "Most of the Stones Are Close Together" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• August 21, 2011 - "A Primer on 'Church' " by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• July 24, 2011 - "If God Is For Us..." by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• July 17, 2011 - "Pulling Weeds" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• July 10, 2011 - "But What Does It MEAN?" by Marge Maynard
• July 3, 2011 - "Freedom Is . . . !" by The Rev. Dr. Fred Krauss
• June 19, 2011 - "God's Triple Play" by The Rev. Dr. Fred Krauss
• June 12, 2011 - "For the Common Good" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• June 5, 2011 - "Is Ascension Sunday Worth It?" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• May 22, 2011 - "Life Renewed" by The Rev. Dr. Fred Krauss
• May 8, 2011 - "Moms and Meta-narratives" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• May 1, 2011 - "Peace and Forgiveness" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• April 24 , 2011 - "New Creation" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• April 3, 2011 - "Children of Light" by The Rev. Dr. Fred Krauss
• February 20, 2011 - "Pacifist - But Never Passive!" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• February 13, 2011 - "Rules and Relationships" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• February 6, 2011 - "Real Righteousness" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• January 16, 2011 - "What Are You Looking For?" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• November 28 , 2010 - "Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing " by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• November 21 , 2010 - "Giving Like a Pilgrim " by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• November 14 , 2010 - "Do Not Weary in Doing What Is Right " by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• October 3, 2010 - "The Joy of Revenge " by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• September 26, 2010 - "Your Money or Your Life, Said Jesus " by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• September 12, 2010 - "God is not like us... Thank God!" by The Rev. Matthew Emery
• August 29, 2010 - "I Don't Know If It Is Liberal or Conservative, But It's Biblical" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• August 15, 2010 - "The Prince of Peace and the Sword " by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• August 8, 2010 - "Religionless Christianity" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• August 1, 2010 - "Revealed in Glory" by The Rev. Matthew Emery
• July 25, 2010 - "It's all about perspective, Isn't it?" by The Rev. Matthew Emery
• June 13, 2010 - "Forgiveness" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• June 6, 2010 - "Here We Go Again" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• May 16, 2010 - "There Is 'Freedom', and There is Freedom" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• May 9, 2010 - "The Core of It All" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• February 14, 2010 - "Humanity Is Pretty Cool " by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• February 7, 2010 - "Leaving It All Behind" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• January 17, 2010 - "Hungering and Thirsting for More" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• January 10, 2010 - "Grace, Baptism, and the Holy Spirit " by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• December 13, 2009 - "Right Where We Are " by The Rev. Matthew Emery
• December 6, 2009 - "Dear Santa... " by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• November 22 , 2009 - "The Genesis Machine"by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• November 15 , 2009 - "We Are the Church:  Sharing Enough " by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• November 8 , 2009 - "Faith in the Future" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• June 21, 2009 - "Building a Community of Reconciliation " by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• May 31, 2009 - "The Holy Spirit Explained:  Sort Of " by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• May 24, 2009 - "Blessing" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• March 15 , 2009 - "Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God? " by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• February 1 , 2009 - "A Message for Christians in Difficult Economic Times" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• January 25, 2009 - "Islam" by The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• January 18 , 2009 - "This Is the Call that Never Ends " by the Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
• September 14, 2008 - "Can't We All Just Get Along?" by the Rev. Matthew Emery
  24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr A - Genesis 50:15-21; Matthew 18:21-35
• July 13, 2008 - "Something a little 'Seed-y'" by the Rev. Matthew Emery
  15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr A - Matthew 13:1-9
• July 6, 2008 - "Come to Me" by the Rev. Matthew Emery
  14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr A - Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
• June 29, 2008 - "Fearing God" by the Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
  13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr A - Genesis 33:1-14
• June 15, 2008 - "We Are the Ones the World’s Been Waiting For" by the Rev. Matthew Emery
  11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr A - Exodus 19:2-8a; Matthew 9:35–10:8
• May 18, 2008 - "Sacred Conversation" by the Rev. Matthew Emery
  Trinity Sunday, Yr A - Genesis 1:1--2:4a and Matthew 28:16-20
• May 11, 2008 - "Firestorm" by the Rev. Matthew Emery
  Pentecost, Yr A- Acts 2:1-21 and 1 Corinthians 12:3-13
• April 27, 2008 - "I Will Not Leave You Orphaned" by the Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
  6th Sunday of Easter, Yr A - 1 Peter 3:13-22 and John 14:15-21
• April 20, 2008 - "Not Just a House, But a Home" by the Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
  5th Sunday of Easter, Yr A - Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 and John 14:1-14
• April 13, 2008 - "Gatekeeping" by the Rev. Matthew Emery
  4th Sunday of Easter, Yr A - Acts 2:42-47 and John 10:1-11
• April 6, 2008 - "Real Presence" by the Rev. Dr. J. Micael Solberg
  3rd Sunday of Easter, Yr A - Luke 24:13-35
• March 30, 2008 - "It Was Impossible" by the Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
  2nd Sunday of Easter, Yr A - Acts 2:14a, 22-32 and 1 Peter 1:3-9
• March 23, 2008 - "Well, This Is Different" by the Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
  Easter Day, Yr A - Matthew 28:1-20
• March 20, 2008 - Sermon for Maundy Thursday by the Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg & the Rev. Matthew Emery
  Maundy Thursday - John 13:1-17, 31b-35
• March 9, 2008 - "So, You Really Do Love Me?" by the Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
  5th Sunday in Lent, Yr A - John 11:1-53
• March 2, 2008 - "Surely We Are Not Blind, Are We?" by the Rev. Matthew Emery
  4th Sunday in Lent, Yr A - John 9:1-41
• February 24, 2008 - "Come and Get It" by the Rev. Dr. J. Michael Solberg
  3rd Sunday in Lent, Yr A - Romans 5:1-11 and John 4:5-42
• February 17, 2008 - "The Place Between the Lines" by the Rev. Matthew C. Emery
  (This sermon was occassioned by the February 14th fatal shootings at Northern Illinois University.)
  2nd Sunday in Lent, Yr A - Psalm 121