Second Sunday in Lent

The Rev. Phil Brochard The preacher begins with the joyful discovery of a marble run sculpture at the Albany Bulb, where freeing a clogged channel of marbles led to a sudden cascade of movement and sound. This becomes a metaphor for spiritual awakening. The sermon then explores why Nicodemus, a religious leader, comes to Jesus by night. His confusion about being “born again” reflects the limits of linear logic. Jesus’ teaching points instead to being born anew—open to ongoing revelation. The story of Thomas Aquinas, who stopped writing after a profound encounter with God, underscores that theology, though important, is not the same as divine experience. Nicodemus’ later appearances—culminating in his public act of burying Jesus—show quiet transformation. Like the freed marbles, something in him is released. The sermon invites believers to remain open, to risk new paths, and to allow God’s Spirit to move them into new perception and courage.