The text for this reflection/sermon for the first Wednesday service in Advent (December 5, 2012): Luke 22: 14-19 One of the things that may become obvious, or maybe not, looking at Mary’s swelling belly or the infant Jesus lying in a manger is that Christians aren’t much into the “omni-god.” The “omni-god” is what IContinueContinue reading “The Vulnerability of Incarnation”
Category Archives: Sermons
I pledge allegiance…
The texts for Sunday, November 25, 2012 (Christ the King): Daniel 7:9–10, 13–14; Psalm 93; Revelation 1:4b–8; and John 18:33–37 …So, in 1922, Pope Pious XI declared this Sunday, the last Sunday of the church year to be Christ the King Sunday. It is the youngest of the church’s festival days. The church addedContinueContinue reading “I pledge allegiance…”
A New and Living Way
The texts for Sunday, November 18, 2012 (Lectionary 33): Daniel 12:1–3; Psalm 16; Hebrews 10:11–25; and Mark 13:1–8 … But, here the author of Hebrews takes that image of that curtain even further. And makes it not just about the fabric in the temple but talks about Jesus’ flesh as the curtain through which weContinueContinue reading “A New and Living Way”
Habit of the heart
The texts for Sunday, November 11, 2012 (Lectionary 32): 1 Kings 17:8–16; Psalm 146; Hebrews 9:24–28; and Mark 12:38–44 Did you know that giving is a habit of the heart? It is not something that best comes from hearing a sermon about how you should give It is not something that best comes from guiltContinueContinue reading “Habit of the heart”
For All the Saints
The texts for Sunday, November 4, 2012 (All Saints’ Sunday): Isaiah 25:6–9; Psalm 24; Revelation 21:1–6; and John 11:32–44 During All Saints Sunday, everyone was given the opportunity throughout the service to light a candle for a saint that they remembered and were thinking about that day. Often, this time of remembrance is to specifically rememberContinueContinue reading “For All the Saints”
Drawing Near to Jesus
The texts for Sunday, October 21, 2012 (Lectionary 29): Isaiah 53:4–12; Psalm 91:9–16; Hebrews 5:1–10; and Mark 10:35–45. “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know aboutContinueContinue reading “Drawing Near to Jesus”
Unanswered Prayers
The texts for Sunday September 30, 2012 (Lection 26): Numbers 11:4–6, 10–16, 24–29; Psalm 19:7–14; James 5:13–20; and Mark 9:38–50 Man, I’d give my eye teeth to be able to pray like that. Maybe even my right hand. Maybe even an eye. …To be able to pray like Elijah and stop the heavens up for threeContinueContinue reading “Unanswered Prayers”
Welcoming Curiosity
The texts for Sunday, September 23,2012 (Lectionary 25): Jeremiah 11:18–20; Psalm 54; James 3:13—4:3; 4:7–8a; and Mark 9:30–37. … So, we’ll start at the beginning of Mark’s narrative: Jesus tells the disciples in flat out, plain language: “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed,ContinueContinue reading “Welcoming Curiosity”
About that Cross…
The texts for Sunday September 16, 2012 (Lection 24): Isaiah 50:4–9a; Psalm 116:1–9; James 3:1–12; and Mark 8:27–38. To get to the empty tomb, you have to go through the cross. To get to the resurrection, you have to die… (sermon preached from outline, no transcript available) *** Featured image: (Modified) Man carryingContinueContinue reading “About that Cross…”
God is Enough
The texts for Sunday, September 9, 2012 (Lection 23): Isaiah 35:4–7a; Psalm 146; James 2:1–10[11–13] 14–17; and Mark 7:24–37 …I think it is interesting that Isaiah doesn’t say Do not fear because you know exactly what is going to happen. Instead, Isaiah says do not fear: Here is your God. That seems like quite aContinueContinue reading “God is Enough”
A Parable about “Pure” Religion
The texts for Sunday, September 2, 2012 (Lectionary 22): Deuteronomy 4:1–2, 6–9; Psalm 15; James 1:17–27; and Mark 7:1–8, 14–15, 21–23 “It wasn’t about the stained glass window. At least it wasn’t supposed to be,” Bobby thought as she looked at the swirling colors of shattered glass through her tear-filled eyes. She had wanted toContinueContinue reading “A Parable about “Pure” Religion”
Wisdom we re(member)…Even if We Forget
While this Sunday I did not preach at Salem and Immanuel (we were blessed with the words of Sarah N., a student a YDS who is also a member of Immanuel), I did preach at the Lutheran Home of Southbury. The Home specializes in dementia care, though it’s residents are a diverse group. For example,ContinueContinue reading “Wisdom we re(member)…Even if We Forget”
To Believe and to Live
The texts for Sunday, August 12, 2012 (Lectionary 19): 1 Kings 19:4–8; Psalm 34:1–8; Ephesians 4:25—5:2; and John 6:35, 41–51 Here we are in week three of five of John 6— and we are sort of in the middle to the end of Jesus’ long discourse on bread— We started two weeks ago when weContinueContinue reading “To Believe and to Live”
Ego ami
The texts for Sunday, July 29, 2012 (lectionary 17): 2 Kings 4:42–44; Psalm 145:10–18; Ephesians 3:14–21; and John 6:1–21. … I think that we all have that little bit of terror… that little bit of the lingering question “who is really in control?” Because we aren’t. We look around us and see hungry people andContinueContinue reading “Ego ami”
Another Look at the Resurrection
The texts for Sunday, July 22, 2012 (The Feast of Mary Magdalene): Ruth 1:6–18; Psalm 73:23–28; Acts 13:26–33a; and John 20:1–18 …It was a quiet, early morning still lots of shadows as the sun barely peaked over the horizon. It was a sad morning—one, I imagine that was dampened by tears long before Mary ofContinueContinue reading “Another Look at the Resurrection”
The Sacred Body
The texts for Sunday, July 15,2012 (Lectionary 15): Amos 7:7–15; Psalm 85:8–13; Ephesians 1:3–14; and Mark 6:14–29 … I think that sometimes we spend too much time in our heads. We forget that faith that hope that new life is embodied: is felt is experienced in our bodies in movement, in smells, in sights, inContinueContinue reading “The Sacred Body”
Seeing Anew
The texts for Sunday, July 8, 2012 (Lectionary 14): Ezekiel 2:1–5; Psalm 123; 2 Corinthians 12:2–10; and Mark 6:1–13 At the synod assembly a few weeks ago now the seven last words of the church were mentioned. Do you know the seven last words of the church? “We’ve never done it that way before.” or,ContinueContinue reading “Seeing Anew”
Born into a Broken World
The texts July 1, 2012 (moved from June 24, 2012 — the celebration of the birth of John the Baptist): Malachi 3:1–4; Psalm 141; Acts 13:13–26; and Luke 1:57–80 … Our world is full of shattered lives and broken people and all sorts of broken dreams, ideas, systems, and priorities. Our world is full ofContinueContinue reading “Born into a Broken World”
Jabbok Dawn 