“We know that this is the Before. This is before everything is about to change. Palm Sunday with the crowds’ shouts of Hosanna and the disciples triumphant joy is before kiss of betrayal, before the trials, before the bloody march to Calvary, before the denials, before worst moment they could ever imagine. And maybe you remember what life was in your Before.”
A sermon for Palm Sunday, the liturgy of Palms and Passion.
Read More“More than all we ask and imagine? Really God? You’re saying you can do more than we can even imagine? Because God, I don’t know if you know this, but we’ve spent the last three years being taught to be pretty damn imaginative. We have so much that we can imagine. How can good come out of this mess? I confess, my faith feels too small. What a bold and daring thing it is to believe that God says “yes! I can do all that you ask and more.”
Preached at Columbia Theological Seminary Chapel on 3/29/19 in Decatur, GA.
Read MoreThe text for the 3rd Sunday in Lent is a beautiful invitation to seek the Lord in our minds and souls… or is it? What if it’s not just a metaphor?
Read More“I imagine Elijah standing on the mountainside like Frodo Baggins at the end of The Two Towers. As Frodo looks out at the destruction of Osgiliath, he is weak and weary as he says, "I can't do this, Sam." I imagine Elijah came to the mountain expecting YHWH to respond like Samwise—a speech of hope to inspire him into his own Old Testament hero's journey. But this is not what Elijah receives.”
Preached at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Seattle, WA on 8/26/18.
Read More“Can you feel Paul’s unabashed exuberance as he showers you with the truth—that God set his affection on you before the creation of the world? You are part of God’s eternal purposes. Not just some “royal you” that includes everyone, but specifically you. God destined for you to be God’s adopted child, simply out of God’s good pleasure & grace”
Preached at East Craftsbury Presbyterian Church in Craftsbury, VT on 7/15/18.
“What does it mean to seek the welfare of Burlington? Does it mean food pantries and overnight homeless shelters? Perhaps. But perhaps it also means to build homes and plant gardens- to seek long-term solutions to long-term problems.”
Preached at First United Methodist Church in Burlington, VT on 6/24/18.
Read More"And no one shall make them afraid. I can’t get over that line, and not just because I’ve listened to the Hamilton soundtrack a few hundred times. Who has made us afraid? Can we imagine a world without them? Is that even possible?"
A sermon written for 8th Century Prophets class at Columbia Theological Seminary, May 2018
Read More"We are fighting for restorative justice because we believe that the world can be made right again because it was once created good."
Preached on Earth Day 2018 at Pulse Church in Atlanta, GA.
Read More"When we proclaim that Black Lives Matter, we also must proclaim that so does the land that the live upon and the work that the do." A sermon on the intersection of environmental and racial justice.
Preached at Pulse Church in Atlanta, GA on 3/11/18.
Read MoreA sermon written for a class on "Revelation and Its Interpreters" at Candler School of Theology. A sermon written for hope in the midst of a great ordeal.
Read MoreA sermon written for a class on "Revelation and Its Interpreters" at Candler School of Theology. It was written for use on New Years Day, in accordance with the Revised Common Lectionary.
Read MoreFor a brief moment, the Steward reversed the flow of capital, from the rich to the poor. He does it just long enough to get himself out of the unjust system. He wipes away debts and just for a moment, the rich don’t get richer. He has ensured his own future, not by greed but by generosity.
Preached at Pulse Church in Atlanta, GA on 11/12/17
Read MoreI thought I knew the book of Ruth, until I got up close to the text. As I read the first chapter closely, I realized the main character isn't Ruth- it's Naomi.
Preached at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA on 4/17/17
Read MoreOver dinner, the disciples say they'll never deny Jesus, but the next thing they know, they've fallen asleep in the garden.
Preached in preaching class at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA on 3/27/17
Read MoreHow can we create new patterns in a world desperately in need of them?
Preached at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Seattle, WA on 6/12/16
Read MoreThe unlikely anointing of David, son of Jesse.
Preached at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Seattle, WA on 6/14/15
Read MoreJacob wrestles with God and his life is never the same.
Preached at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Seattle, WA on 9/28/14
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Rev. Laura Nile Tuell is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Laura serves as a solo pastor in Lakewood, WA and lives in the Hilltop neighborhood of Tacoma with her husband David and their three young children, Jack, Eli, & Viola, and their Carolina dog, Penny.
For further contact, Laura can be reached at lauraniletuell@gmail.com
