Sermons

Dr. Eloise Kaeck, Green Mountain Presbyterian Church (Green Mountain, NC)

The story told here in Acts 10 could be turned into a dramatic presentation in several acts, with its angel visitations, a Roman from the occupying army wanting to talk with a rough fisherman from Galilee and the surprise reversal Peter goes through. Peter thought of himself as Jewish, very Jewish. Peter lived in the cosmopolitan world of Joppa, a seaport on the Judean coast. Ships from the seven seas and caravan routes up the coastal plain made for all kinds of languages on the streets of Joppa, strange sights and sounds, colorful dress, exotic smells of food from Africa, Asia and Europe being sold in the bazaar. The world in which Peter lived and our world have much in common. North Carolina is a global village today just as Peter’s world was in the first century A.D. We think of ourselves as homogeneous, Euro-Americans. However, now North Carolina has people from Pakistan, Lebanon, India, China, not to mention Native-Americans, African-Americans and Latinos. The world in which Peter lived and our world have much in common.

Rev. Nancy Petty, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church (Raleigh)

While I’m quite sure that this Jeremiah passage doesn’t have anything of relevance to say about my decision to come to Pullen, it does, however, have something to say about one of the most significant social justice issues of our day—that of immigration. As you well know, immigration and immigration reform is one of the most debated political and social justice issues facing America. In recent months, the conversations on the issue of immigration have reached a boiling point—in some places, such as Arizona, the debate has turned violent.

Rev. Jean Newell, Creighton United Methodist Church (Phoenix, Arizona)

As he wrote his letter, I imagine Paul’s hope and prayer was that Philemon’s life had been so changed . . . so transformed . . . by his faith in Christ that the slave owner would not hand out punishment or death to the returned slave but would, instead, live out his faith and accept Onesimus as a brother in Christ. If there was to be any restitution made, Paul assured Philemon, he—Paul—would gladly be held accountable.

Rabbi Leah R. Berkowitz, Judea Reform Congregation (Durham)

This past week, we read the first section of the book of Exodus, the story of our formation as a people. At the end of Genesis, we learned that we came to the land of Egypt on the brink of starvation. Egypt was a land of opportunity, with its storehouses of grain and its fertile soil for grazing.

The early Israelites settled in the region of Goshen, and flourished there. Joseph, who had emigrated earlier, worked his way up to a position of power and influence. He lived amongst the Egyptians and even saved them from impending famine with his wisdom, foresight and organizational skills.

Rev. David T. Hill, First Church (Oberlin, Ohio)

We’ve heard the stories of those who take great personal risk to cross the desert at night in order to seek out a better life for themselves and their families – entrusting themselves to “hired hands.” “Hired hands” all too ready to exploit the most vulnerable, abandoning their charges in the desert, raping and abusing women and children. Even those who make it safely into this country must keep ever vigilant against the “hired hands” – our “hired hands,” supported by the taxes we pay, who are on the lookout for the stranger, the alien, the undocumented or improperly documented person, eager to return them back across the border or perhaps worse, to prison.

Rev. Ismael Ruiz Millan, Brookland-Brooksdale United Methodist Church (Roxboro)

A bitter debate has taken place in recent years regarding immigration—especially illegal immigration. There are many views in this debate. Some think these “illegal immigrants” do not deserve mercy at all and have even tagged them as “the undeserving.” For instance, in North Carolina, young children whose parents brought them to this country illegally do not have access to higher education. Even though these children did not ask to come to this country, North Carolina law has resolved that they do not deserve to go farther academically because they are “illegal.” On the other hand, others think these “illegal immigrants” deserve mercy.