Natalie's Grace Notes

  Friends, today is a great big hello. Hello to the friends I’ve known for two years from Honeoye Falls, and hello to new friends from Ionia and East Bloomfield. Of course, we’re far from strangers here, even if I’m new to this pulpit. Our new friends from Ionia have met me at Holy Week services that I co-officiated with Pastor Robin. Some of our East Bloomfield friends met me back in May, when DS Richelle pulled some of us together, along with Pastor Katrina, to contemplate new ministries that our churches might do better together than apart. And, besides, we’ve always been neighbors. I’ve spent the last two years living in the parsonage in Honeoye Falls, sending my kids to the HFL schools, shopping at the marketplace, going to the fire department carnival, watching parades and festivals, and falling in love with this wedge where Monroe County meets Livingston County meets Ontario County. It’s my home, and it’s your home, too.  And today, here we are, together. Our DS, Richel...

  Friends, we’re now in week 3 of 4 of Stump the Preacher 2026, sermons requested by you and then researched and delivered by me! This topic is another one that I saved from last year because I got so many requests that I couldn’t quite squeeze them all in. This one came from our friend Terri: Can a Christian talk to a medium?  Good question! I addressed a similar question during Stump the Preacher 2018, back when I was serving at the Avon church, and a friend asked if the UMC has any official teachings or advice about Ouija boards, psychics, and crystal balls. I’m going to start this sermon the same way I did that one 8 years ago. First, but commending Terri for posing such a great question! Second, with an acknowledgement. I can’t say that I come to any of these Stump the Preacher sermons leaving my preconceived ideas at the door, and for a topic like this one, my long-held beliefs are very strong and present. I also don’t think those beliefs will be unique to me. You bring ...

  Friends, it’s Ascension Sunday! I know, I’ll try not to keep you too long, so you can get to your Ascension Sunday parties after this. Yeah, we have this very bad habit in Christianity of making a very big deal out of just two of our holidays–Christmas and Easter–and generally ignoring the rest of them, to the extent that some of our beloveds only come to church twice a year. By now, y’all have learned that Pastor Natalie doesn’t ignore our other holidays, the ones we hardly talk about are my favorites! And Easter is a whole season, not one day, and today is the conclusion of that Easter season. The season began with Jesus’ resurrection, and Mary Magdalene proclaiming the Good News of the Risen Christ, and it ends here, with Jesus summoning his eleven surviving disciples together one last time, to give them some parting wisdom before going on to heaven. Luke tells us that, in those final moments that Jesus was with his disciples in person, he finally gave them everything they’ve ...

  Today is a joyous day of life, love, and hope. It’s desperately needed, as our world has never been more parched of life, love, and hope. And today, on Easter Sunday, when we’ve never been more dehydrated of what keeps us alive, Jesus invites us to drink out of the firehose. We need to never forget how revolutionary Easter is. We need to never allow ourselves to grow complacent, to go through the motions, to come here because mom told you to but passively hear the same story you’ve heard many times. As if resurrection is old news. It’s ancient news, from our beloved ancestors. From our sister, Mary Magdalene, lovingly preserved so we would never forget. But old? The resurrection never gets old. We need it now more than ever. Because we live in a society where we spend most of life digging ourselves a grave, fully expecting that someday we’ll either stumble in, or get pushed in by someone or something else. It’s downright countercultural to stand here and proclaim otherwise. ...

  Friends, we’re up to week 5 of this sermon series I’ve put together for Lent about the ancient Church’s teachings on the seven deadly sins. So far we’ve talked about pride, greed, envy, and sloth. One note of housekeeping: this sermon series ends next week, on Palm/Passion Sunday, with the sin of wrath. I’m cooking up quite the sermon about “lust”, but because it’s so important to me that you’re in the right headspace to hear that message, and that you’re hearing it by your own choice, instead of delivering that one from the pulpit, I’m posting it next weekend to my Substack, as well as to Facebook for those accustomed to reading my sermons there.  Today, a day when we are NOT having a big lunch after service, we’re talking about gluttony. What on earth is gluttony? Our first impression is that gluttony has something to do with food. Our pedestrian understanding is that it’s the Cookie Monster sin. And sure, Cookie Monster is impulsive, and he’s smashed a few plates in pursu...