Tag: Christian Life and Discipleship
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Where And With Whom Will You Stand? – A Sermon On Luke 4:14-21
How far will I go for this gospel I claim to love and follow? What am I willing to do and what am I not? I struggle and wrestle with these questions every day. Because here’s what I see in the world and read in the life of Jesus. Sometimes, perhaps more often than not,… Read more
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With You I Am Well Pleased – A Sermon On Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
The question is never, “Do I get a yes? Am I the son or daughter of God, the Beloved, with whom God is well pleased?” That’s a given, the gift of God. It’s the insistence of God in each of our lives. The only question is whether we can discern that gift in the conditions… Read more
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Inside Out Living
Romans 2:29. “Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart— it is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from others but from God.” One of the things I am learning about myself is that when I literalize the scriptures, theology, Read more
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Doing the Law
Romans 2:13. “For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified.” There is more to doing the law than simply following the rules. When I think of following the rules, I think about being compliant, meeting the minimum requirements Read more
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Setting Our Faces To Go To Jerusalem – A Sermon on Luke 9:51-62
Luke 9:51-62, Proper 8C “He set his face to go to Jerusalem.” We all have a Jerusalem. We all set our faces to go in a particular direction. What is your Jerusalem? In what direction is your face set? And how does your Jerusalem compare with Jesus’ Jerusalem? Most of you have probably heard enough Read more
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No More Admirably Arranged Lives – A Sermon on Romans 6:12-23
A priest was visiting with a new parishioner and asked, “How’s your relationship with God?” The parishioner says, “There’s not much to tell. I like sinning. God likes forgiving. We get along just fine.” That story is an adaptation of some lines from W. H. Auden’s poem, For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio. In Read more
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The Antidote to a Secondhand Life – A Sermon on John 1:29-42
“He said to them, ‘Come and see.’” Those are probably familiar words for most of us. I don’t just mean in the context of today’s gospel (John 1:29-42, the Second Sunday after Epiphany, Year A). Even if you’ve never read or heard today’s gospel you’ve probably both heard and spoken those words. How many times Read more
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How Many Priorities Can a Disciple Have? A Sermon on Luke 14:25-33
So who wants to be a disciple of Jesus? He certainly doesn’t pull any punches about what it takes. First, “Hate your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself.” Second, “Carry the cross and follow [him].” Lastly, “Give up all your possessions.” (See Luke 14:25-33, Proper 18C) It’s that Read more
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The Seat of Arrogance or the Heart’s Desire?
James and John are looking for the best seat in the house. They want to sit next to Jesus, in his glory, one on his right and one on his left. That seat, however, is only for those for whom it has been prepared. James and John sound a bit arrogant and self-seeking; interested in Read more
Interrupting the Silence 