Sermons Archive

Our Gospel story today is a familiar one.  All of the Gospels have this story of a woman anointing Jesus’ feet, but Luke’s story, as he is wont to do, weaves a tale with multiple layers of meaning and teaching about who is in and who is out of the Realm of God.  Our first surprise in this passage comes in the first sentence.  One of the...

“Flowing into Service”

The young people who are to be confirmed today are budding theologians. Over the course of the six months we met together they had to consider many topics in a short time frame. God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit. Who wrote the Bible? Was it God, or humans inspired by God, or humans alone? What are some of the metaphors...

“Listen up!”

Says Jesus to his disciples.

“Things are about to get complicated.”

Oh really, Jesus?

Like everything up til now has been a straightforward walk in the park?

“You can’t handle what I have to say to you,

So I’m going to send along a spirit of truth.”

Okay, a spirit.

“That settles it...

Do you think these passages today are about new birth, or are they about widening and broadening of humanity?  At Pentecost last year, we considered these passages in the context of birth stories, but this year I would like to consider them in the context of the broadening diversity of God’s world and God’s children.  Both of our passages today...

Our passage from Acts tells a story of Paul and Silas in Philippi proclaiming the Gospel.  Luke, the author of the Book of the Acts, is a great story-teller, and our passage today is one of his best stories.  Just as Jesus’ birth narrative by Luke is a story with many layers of meaning, so too, is our passage today.  And while our story...

We are coming to the end of the Easter season. Jesus  has appeared to the disciples in a number of settings, including an appearance to Thomas, who doubted and then believed, and to the disciples at various times, at the lakeshore, for breakfast, and while fishing. He has declared that he will be leaving, again that these appearances,...

Glory.  Our culture is saturated in people seeking glory.  Every TV show or movie is full of actors seeking glory.  Athletes seek fame, fortune and glory.  Politicians and business leaders all are chasing after power and glory.   Mass murderers seek glory, terrorists and bombers seek notoriety and glory.  We are a culture and world clawing for...

Will you pray with me? 

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  Amen. 

Please excuse me if it takes me a moment or two to get comfortable up here.  In church, I’m normally sitting in the back pew or sometimes up in the balcony, so I feel...

Jesus asks Simon Peter three times.  Do you love me?  And three times he instructs Simon Peter to watch over his flock. 

Certainly the thrice asked question mirrors the three times Simon Peter denied Jesus.  But I learned something I found very interesting as I prepared for today.   In Greek, as he questions Simon Peter the first two...

How can we engage this difficult-to-believe dramatic story about Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus?  Is this story historical fact or a metaphorical story designed to help us understand the profound depth of Saul’s re-naming experience?  Names were very important in the ancient world.  A person’s name was their bond, their oath, their...