Good Shepherd New York

Pastor Michael reflects on Jesus as cutting against the grain of how most in his time (and ours) interpreted the ups and downs of life. What if we are most open to compassion, to love, to God because of our pain? What if our addiction to the consolations of money, food, amusement and fame buffer us from Divine Love?

Why did the first disciples leave everything and follow Jesus? Why would we do the same? The famous story of the fishermen who left their nets reveals the answer: an abundance of love, and an abundance of grace.

In this sermon Michael shows us how Jesus ends his Scripture reading with grace rather than vengeance and then drives his audience to lynch-level rage with his provocative inclusion.

The Gospel of Luke has Jesus going public in his home town and what we get is a powerful window into his sense of mission and the possibilities this mission holds for our church, city and world.

What if baptism wasn’t a ritual of entry into an exclusive club, but a grace-filled threshold of commitment that affirmed we are indeed Beloved and propelled us to pursue Dr. King’s vision of the borderless, Beloved Community?

Michael looks at Jesus’ first miracle as a clue to the essence of life’s meaning and a metaphor for the move away from a spirituality of empty calculations to one of brimming joy.

In our Epiphany series “Love Has A Face” Michael reflects on the story of the Magi who follow a star to Christ asking how each character can inspire us in our time.

In this sermon pastor Michael explores how spiritual growth works and what Mary what Joseph’s loss and discovery teaches us.

On the fourth Sunday of Advent Pastor Michael asks, “How did Mary’s quiet ‘yes’ to God become a revolutionary ‘no’ to the oppressive conditions of the world?”

In this week's sermon Evan Coles reflects on what Peace means in an era of globalization and how the values of this day and age, even the most virtuous values, cannot sufficiently pave the way to Grace without Christ's intervention.

On the first Sunday of Advent, the week of hope, Michael reflects on Jesus’ description of apocalyptic chaos, how it comes in cycles, and how “hope” means tapping into our core longings and emotions.

On Christ the King Sunday Michael explores Jesus’ conversation with Pilate and draws out what makes Jesus’ use of power different that what is on offer in our world.

Michael explores the importance of paying attention to what God is birthing in and around us.

Perhaps the most radical idea in history is the claim that God is Love. What does Jesus’ teaching about the core of life mean for our own stories?

This week Michael explores the story of Blind Bartimaeus as a powerful invitation to resist the dark spell of self-preservation and believe in something beyond ourselves.