Tag: Sermon
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The True Image Defeats Legion – A Sermon on Luke 8:26-39
“Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Legion;’ for many demons had entered him.” (From Luke 8:26-39, Proper 7C) He called himself Legion but that is not his true name. That is not who he is. It is, rather, what has become of him, what has happened to him. Let’s not get… Read more
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The Stone has been Rolled Away and the Tomb is Empty, Luke 24:1-12
He died but he’s not dead. That’s the paradox of Easter. It’s the story we tell every year. It never changes. It always ends the same way. The stone has been rolled away and the tomb is empty. I can’t explain how it happened but I want to be told again and again that it did… Read more
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In the Hell of Life, Holy Saturday
“When one door closes another opens,” goes an old and popular saying. But what about that time in between, after one door closes but before another opens? What do we do then? As a friend of mine once said, “It’s hell when you are waiting in the hallway.” That’s where we are today. The door… Read more
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A New Position and Role as Lover, John 13:1-17, 31-35
It’s not hard to imagine that after the supper fiasco in Bethany – Mary anointing Jesus’ feet, Judas’ outburst, and Jesus talking about his death – the disciples might have been looking forward to a quiet evening, just a regular supper, just some food and conversation. That’s how tonight’s supper began but that’s not how… Read more
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“Lord, who is it?” A Sermon on John 13:21-32
He was the one they had waited for. They had grown up hearing stories of his coming. Then one day he showed up and chose them to be his friends and students, to follow and learn. He took them new places. He taught them new ideas and ways of living. He revealed God and showed… Read more
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Dying to See Jesus, A Sermon on John 12:20-36
“Sir, we wish to see Jesus,” they said to Philip. It’s not an unusual request. I suspect most of us have said or thought it. Twice a week the children in our parish school sing, “Open our eyes Lord, we want to see Jesus.” I wonder, however, if the visitors who came to Philip had… Read more
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Limits or Love? A Sermon on John 12:1-11
Three hundred denarii is just too much money to waste. That’s nearly a year’s worth of daily wages, an annual income. Who does that? Why would anyone do that? That’s neither practical nor reasonable. It makes no sense. Why does all of it have to be poured out? Something that valuable should at least be… Read more
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To Love or to Not Love, A Sermon on John 12:1-8
To love or to not love. That is the question in today’s gospel. It is always the question. Every minute of every day we answer that question. The answer to that question orients our way of being, guides how we live, determines what we do, and chooses the words we speak. Ultimately, our answer reveals… Read more
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Walk Away from the Manger
The crowds from last night’s liturgy have gone home. There’s just a few of us here this morning. The noise, song, and voices of last night’s celebration have fallen silent. The candlelight of Christmas Eve has given way to the dawn of Christmas Day. That sounds a lot like the second half of St. Luke’s… Read more
Interrupting the Silence 