Tag: Christian Life and Practice
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Weeding out Judgment – A Sermon on Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; Parable of the Wheat and Weeds
“Where, then, did these weeds come from?” (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, Parable of the Weeds, Proper 11A) Who has not at some point asked that question? You may not have used those same words and you may not have spoken it aloud but I’ll bet everyone has, at some time or another, asked the question. Maybe… Read more
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Sowing More than 52,000 Seeds – A Sermon on the Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13:1-23
We often speak, and rightly so, of the gospel as the “good news,” the good news of Jesus Christ. God in Jesus has entered the world in a new way bringing new life, offering new hope, and inviting us to become a new person. That it is good news, however, does not necessarily mean it… 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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Love Triangles – A Sermon on Matthew 10:24-39
Love triangles. I want to talk with you today about love triangles. You know what I am talking about right? You’ve seen the pictures and headlines on the tabloids in the grocery store check out lines. Love triangles are often the subject of movie plots and sometimes they are the circumstances in which a crime… Read more
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Oscar Romero – In Life and Death his Blood was “a Seed of Freedom.”
“A bishop will die, but the Church which is the people will never perish.” Those words of Archbishop Oscar Romero proved prophetic. He was shot to death on March 24, 1980 while celebrating Mass at a chapel near his cathedral. The previous day he had preached a sermon calling on soldiers to disobey orders that violated… Read more
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Daytime Lives and Nighttime Lives – A Sermon on John 3:1-17
Nicodemus “came to Jesus by night” (John 3:1-17, Lent 2A). I wonder if that’s not true for all of us. I wonder if we don’t all come to Jesus by night. Some have said that Nicodemus was hiding in the darkness. He was embarrassed. He was scared and didn’t want to be seen or caught.… Read more
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Fairness, Monkeys, and Love – A Sermon Matthew 5:38-48
Somewhere around the time I was in kindergarten or the first grade my parents took my sister and me to a carnival that had come to town. The only thing I remember about that day is the monkey on a stick. Mom and Dad bought us each a little fuzzy monkey tied to a stick… Read more
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Keeping the Rules or Keeping the Relationship? A Sermon on Matthew 5:21-37
You have heard it said, “The Old Testament is a book of law and judgment.” You have heard it said, “The New Testament is a book of grace and love.” But I say to you, “Welcome to today’s gospel!” (Matthew 5:21-37, Epiphany 6A) Today’s gospel won’t let us make those simple and inaccurate distinctions. Jesus’… Read more
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Let Them Taste and See – A Sermon on Matthew 5:13-20
Who are you? How do you answer when someone asks you that question? The most common answer is to give our name. We might also tell a bit of family history and the connections that help identify us. Often we’ll tell something about our work, the things we do, and how we spend our time.… Read more
Interrupting the Silence 