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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Unless One is Born Anew
Unless One is Born Anew John 3: 1-16 May 26, 1991 Saul Alinsky, the great model of community organizing, was once quoted as saying, The big question of life is not whether there is life after death. Rather it is, is there life after birth? Is there any newness, freshness, growth, excitement for any of…
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How long is your Hyphen?
How long is your Hyphen? Mark 16: 9-15 May 12, 1991 The late Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri used to complain of a disease found among his constituents. He called it, The Simples. This means they expected him to take problems that were inherently complex and find answers that could be written on a…
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St. Philip’s Day Sermon
St. Philip’s Day Sermon Isaiah 30: 18-21 John 14: 6-14 May 5, 1991 Today is the time we have set aside to celebrate our patronal festival, that special day when we not only remember Saint Philip, but all the members of this community who have made this place holy ground. I must admit, it’s difficult…
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St. Philps Day
St. Philps Day John 14: 6-14 May 5, 1991 A small boy was sent to Sunday School, and on that day, the class was learning the story of Moses and the crossing of the Red Sea. The little boy listened carefully as the teacher spoke of how the Hebrews fled Egypt, surrounded by a great…
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How to Be an Easter Person
How to Be an Easter Person Luke 24: 36-48 April 14, 1991 I just returned from a conference in California. Whenever I visit California, I am reminded that it’s not so much a state, but rather it’s a state of mind. Last week in Fresno, I’m told, someone attempted to fire bomb the IRS building.…
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The Future as a Friend
The Future as a Friend Mark 16: 1-8 March 31, 1991 Kierkegaard, the great Danish philosopher, was once asked to define anxiety. Like a guard put it very simply, anxiety is the next day. For Kierkegaard, the future was the great unknown; the next day was the scary part of existence. The past was over,…
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“The Palm Sunday Agenda”
“The Palm Sunday Agenda” Mark 11:1-11 March 24, 1991 There was a risk to be taken, he was going public. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, he became more than an itinerant preacher surrounded by a small band of disciples. There was a risk to be taken, he was going public, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem,…
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Lent- A Change of Heart
Lent- A Change of Heart Romans 7: 13-25 March 3, 1991 Today we gather to celebrate the cessation of hostilities in the Middle East. We give thanks for the beginnings of peace in that troubled part of the globe. Quite rightly, we uttered A collective sigh of relief as we received the news, but even…
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Homosexuality
Homosexuality Acts 10:1-20, 28-29 Luke 10:1-12 February 17, 1991 I have often thought the Bible should he divided into segments and rated the way we do movies. Some parts of Scripture should have a ” PG” rating – generally acceptable to everyone, full of inoffensive stories on good living that could be used for Sunday…
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“On the taking of the Parish Census”
“On the taking of the Parish Census” January 18, 1991 Numbers 1: 1-4 There are people in the pews this morning who are a little bit frustrated. They have wondered why we take ten minutes from our hour to fill out a census. Why bother to ask, “Am I a member What is the need?…