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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Lessons Learned from the Acts of the Apostles
Lessons Learned from the Acts of the Apostles Act 6: 1-9 May 10, 1998 Sometimes, preaching can get you in a whole lot of trouble. I’ve never stirred up a group of people to the point that they wanted to do away with me. (The best I’ve managed to do, on rare occasions, is have…
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“Miracle Sunday”
“Miracle Sunday” John 6: 1-13 May 3, 1998 A friend has on his shelf a copy of the New Testament edited by Thomas Jefferson. This testament is smaller than you might imagine, for Jefferson omitted any mention of miracles. Jefferson’s Bible seems to be the one that many of us would like to claim as…
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St Philips Day
St Philips Day John 14: 6-14 May 2, 1998 In our planning for St , Philip’s Day, we decided on a Western theme. Everyone has been asked to wear something Western. Our meal this evening will have a Western flavor to it — with a barbecue and a Western band. Someone on the planning team…
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Easter
Easter Luke 24:1-10 April 12, 1998 “Sir, could you say a word or two about the resurrection of the dead?” Some bright college students put this seemingly simple question to Caryle Manley, one of the great Protestant preachers. “I will not discuss that with people like you,” he replied. “Why not?” they asked. “I don’t…
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Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday April 9, 1998 What is a birthday without a cake? What is the Fourth of July without fireworks? Without the outward trappings, it is hard to celebrate the occasion. Yet gazing past the trappings, we often find the meaning beyond the symbol. Birthdays are really about the gift of life, not simply time.…
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Easter
Easter Mark 16:1-8 April 3, 1994 Since this is the day we focus on a Rabbi by the name of Jesus who lived near Jerusalem and was put to death by the authorities sometime in the first century, let me begin our thoughts with another Rabbi who lived in a small Russian town at the…
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Expectations about Worship
Expectations about Worship Febuary 4, 1998 Exodus 19: 16-23 I often wonder why so many people, especially visitors, come to St. Philip’s on Christmas Eve. Long ago, we ceased to advertise in the papers. Some parishioners who were frustrated over seating cards have suggested that we should not put up the signs telling of the…
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Coming Home
Coming Home 1 Peter 2:1-10 February 1, 1998 Some years ago, I heard of a priest who, after several years in a congregation, was overwhelmed one Sunday morning by the strangeness of this thing called worship. Instead of beginning to say after the opening hymn, “Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” he looked…
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Epiphany and St. Philip’s
Epiphany and St. Philip’s January 11, 1998 I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating. You can look at a passage of Scripture a thousand times, and the next time you revisit it, new meanings jump out at you. I had that experience while preparing for this annual meeting sermon. The Epiphany story presents us…
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You Can’t Shop for Christmas
You Can’t Shop for Christmas Isaiah 11: 1-10 December 7, 1997 The other day, my wife said to me, “Let’s go shopping for Christmas.” I was engrossed in watching a football game, so I gave one of those husbandly replies, “Sorry, dear, but you can’t purchase Christmas, no matter how hard you try.” I won’t…