Meditation of My Heart

All Sermons

All Sermons

The reflection below was written by the Rev. Roger Douglas as part of the introduction to his book An Audience of One. It expresses the spirit behind all of his preaching and offers a helpful way to approach the sermons preserved in this archive.

As you read these sermons, you may find they help you make sense of the world, or invite you into your own conversation with God. Roger often said that he sought meaning in a world of death and suffering, beginnings and retirements, successes and failures, sense and nonsense.

His experience as a preacher taught him that most sermons first speak back to the one who writes them; the real dialogue is between the preacher and God. If anyone in the congregation hears a word that touches them, it is because God has chosen to let them in on that conversation.

Roger believed that preaching is deeply personal work — a struggle to make sense of Scripture, an openness about doubts, and a willingness to share the journey. The more honestly he engaged that struggle, the better others were able to identify with it.

He described this kind of work as “confessional” preaching, not in the sense of offering anecdotes, but in speaking truthfully from within one’s own life while pointing people toward Jesus. It frees the preacher from having to solve every problem and reminds us that we are not steering the ship, but contributing our part to the dialogue.

May these sermons draw you into that same conversation of faith — one marked by mystery, humility, and the grace of God at work in all things.

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  • Hebrews 11: 8-16

    Hebrews 11: 8-16 Matthew 5: 43-45 July 4, 1993 If we were to look back over the years of American History, as we well might on this national holiday, I don’t think there would be many here who would conclude that we are living in the best of times. In fact, on a continuum between…

  • Pentecost

    Pentecost John 14: 8-17 May 30, 1993 We are here today to celebrate one of the three great holidays (holy days ) of the Christian religion, Each of these major days are represented by an image, a symbol, a representation, an icon of God, The images are: a pregnant woman, a broken man and a…

  • Easter

    Easter Mark 16: 1-8 April 11, 1993 We begin our thoughts this morning by setting the stage- putting the Easter event into a context. To do this, we must start with Friday. The Friday before, when Jesus was put to death on a cross. It is through the lens of the crucifixion that we can…

  • “The Illusion of Innocence”

    “The Illusion of Innocence” Matthew 27: 1-54 April 4, 1993 Ellie Weisel wrote a book called The Town. In it, he tried to understand the so-called innocent bystander of the holocaust– the German civilian who stood behind closed doors, or watched from safe windows while the monstrosities of the concentration camps were taking place. Here…

  • Taking A Risk

    Taking A Risk Luke 20: 9-19 March 20, 1993 By now, almost everybody has seen or heard of the movie “E, T. ” The film captured the imagination of the world and may win the Academy Award as “best picture”, Recently, a study was published on the power that this film had over children, The…

  • “Choosing The High Road at Reconciliation”

    “Choosing The High Road at Reconciliation” Matthew 5:21-24, 27-30, 33-37 February 14, 1993 It has been said of Christianity that it has been tried and found wanting. But the more I talked to people inside and outside of the church, I think it would be more accurate to say that many have tried Christianity and…

  • “My Brother – My Sister is My Life”

    “My Brother – My Sister is My Life” Matthew 5: 13-20 February 7. 1993 Last week John started his 11:15 sermon with a Christmas illustration. I scratched my head, but now feel he started a trend. So I’d like to begin this morning’s sermon with a Christmas story, and the rest of you can scratch…

  • Where Are Our Values?

    Where Are Our Values? Matthew 5:1-12 January 30, 1993 Most of us have had the experience of going to a doctor’s office for the first time. and being handed a clipboard with a hundred questions that range from. “How did your grandfather die?” to “What childhood diseases did you have?” to “What are you allergic…

  • St. Philips in The Hills

    St. Philips in The Hills January 3, 1993 “God’s Resolutions For Us ” Ephesians 1: 3-6, 15-19a There is something very special about the beginning of a new year. The mood of the moment is often found in family gatherings, or by times of intense reflection, while sitting alone and reviewing the past twelve months.…

  • God’s Resolutions for Us

    There is something very special about the beginning of a new year. The mood of the moment is often found in family gatherings, or by times of intense reflection, while sitting alone and reviewing the past twelve months. There are also many customs that have developed for celebrating the dying of the old and the…