Sermon Archives

Richard A. Kauffman
July 10, 2022

Family Likeness

Family Likeness

When my oldest granddaughter was four-years-old, she made a bold pronouncement: “I’m a strong, independent woman.” That drew some chuckles, recognizing where that came from: she picked it up from her feminist mother. Often, in observing the conduct of children, we’re inclined to say: Doesn’t she just remind you of her mother/father. Or, You can […]

June 26, 2022

Gospel of Peace

Gospel of Peace

We are willful human beings. Our wills bump up against each other. This can lead to conflict, alienation, enmity. Sometimes our offences against each other are small and we can just move on. Other times they are large and need to be attended to. Otherwise, relationships can break down—there is no longer a sense of […]

June 12, 2022

Cross Purposes

Cross Purposes

Where were you on the morning of 9/11—that is, if you were born and are old enough to remember? I was pastoring the Toledo Mennonite Church at the time. That morning I was in a pastors’ meeting at a restaurant on the edge of Pettisville, OH. One of the owners interrupted our meeting to tell […]

May 29, 2022

Best Practices

Best Practices

Why do we go to church? Why did you come here this morning? You could have stayed at home to read a Sunday paper and have an extra cup of coffee, or ride bike on the Pumpkinvine. Instead, you came here. Why? I recently met with an old friend. Since we hadn’t been together in […]

March 27, 2022

From Exceptionalism to Inclusion or Will the Real Prodigal Please Stand Up?

From Exceptionalism to Inclusion or Will the Real Prodigal Please Stand Up?

When I was 15 I started to rebel against my parents. I thought they were too strict, so I pushed against their boundaries. One hot, July night I went out with some friends. They didn’t want me to go, but I did anyway. We didn’t do anything really bad. We were just boys being boys, […]

March 13, 2022

From Privilege to Cruciformity

From Privilege to Cruciformity

Many of you here know of Michael “MJ” Sharp, I assume. He spent part of his growing up years in Goshen and went to Bethany Christian High School, where he had a bit of a reputation as a trouble-maker. But he was very smart and had an expansive vision of what he wanted to do […]

February 27, 2022

The Greatness of God

The Greatness of God

Soon after I began my ministry years ago, I participated in a retreat at Spruce Lake Camp in the Pocono Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania. The retreat was for both adult and youth leaders of youth groups. It was such a spiritually  stimulating event that one high school youth went to the retreat leaders to tell […]

February 13, 2022

Time for Celebration

Time for Celebration

Here’s a question for you to ponder: did God command Sabbath-keeping because the Sabbath is good? Or is it good because God commanded it? Think on that! Some years ago I had a one-semester sabbatical. We were originally going to Oxford, England, but at the last minute our housing fell through. So we had to […]

January 16, 2022

Sabbath Ceasing

Sabbath Ceasing

Did God command Sabbath keeping because it’s good? Or is it good because God commanded it? That’s an age-old issue that can be asked of any divine command.

December 26, 2021

Show and Tell

Show and Tell

Until about the age of six, my family went to the East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church in the city of Lancaster, PA. We children were all given a penny bank that was modeled after the church building as it looked in the 1950s. It was made by one of the pastors who was a pattern […]

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