Rev. Danielle K Bartz                                                                                               June 20, 2021 Exodus 2:11-22                                                                                         “Historical Dislocation” “I can barely keep track of what month it is, let alone what day.”  “I feel so awkward talking with people in-person now.”  “Everything I thought I knew about myself has fallen away and I am not sure where I am going.” […]

Rev. Danielle K Bartz                                                                                                 June 6, 2021 Mark 3:20-35                                                                                              “Keep Church Weird” “Whoever you are and wherever you are along life’s journey, you are welcome here.”  That promise became the motto of the UCC back in the 90s I think.  Nearly every UCC church I have attended says that line at some point during the worship service, and I […]

Rev. Danielle K Bartz                                                                                               May 30, 2021 Isaiah 6:1-8                                                                                                       “Touched by God” God knows what we can each achieve in this world, even if we are not sure.  And often, we are not sure.  We wonder if our dreams are too big.  We worry that our goals are impossible to achieve.  We fret over past mistakes.  And we make assumptions about our […]

Rev. Danielle K Bartz                                                                                               May 23, 2021 Act 2:1-21                                                                                         “The Presence of the Spirit”             When I was in college, I enrolled in a class called ‘Religion in America.’  It was about exploring religious traditions outside of the mainstream.  While many of the traditions have names we recognize: 7th Day Adventist; Church of Latter Day Saints; Church of Christ (not to […]

Rev. Danielle K Bartz                                                                                                May 16, 2021 John 17:9-16                                                                                                              “Why Pray?” I am a fan of the old television show “The West Wing.”  There is a scene, sometime in one of the early seasons, when the white house staff is trying to convince congress to pass a foreign aid bill – essentially trying to convince them to budget […]

Rev. Danielle K Bartz                                                                                                  May 9, 2021   John 15:9-17                                                                                                          “Complete Joy” “Can’t we, just once, have a Sunday worship that is all rainbows and sunshine, and not have to respond to something that has happened in the world?”  I am not sure if I am quoting myself or Sandy, or maybe a mix […]

Rev. Danielle K Bartz                                                                                                  May 2, 2021   John 15:1-8                                                                              “A Tangled Mess of Community” For over a year now, at least once a week, I think about the last time we gathered in-person for worship.  There is a lot about that week that is just a blur, but there are two images for […]

Rev. Danielle K Bartz                                                                                              April 25, 2021 John 10:11-18                                                                                          “Shepherds and Sheep” Today is referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday in the church.  Each Easter season, we hear the Gospel lesson I just read, in which Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd, differentiating himself from the hired hands, who do the […]