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Sermons from 2019 (Page 2)

The Gift of Peace

John 14:23-29  23Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. 25”I have said these…

Hearing and Following

John 10:27-30 “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”” I…

Life in His Name

I asked to read the scripture today to share some context before it is proclaimed. This was my plan even before yesterday’s synagogue attack. The Gospel of John from which this morning’s reading comes was composed later than the synoptic Gospels, Mark, Matthew and Luke, and while John contains some beautiful stories not found in the other records the loss of which…

At the Threshold of Life

Luke 24:1-12 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women…

Hosanna, Loud Hosanna

Luke 19:29-40 Palms or Passion? That’s the question worship planners ask as Holy Week begins. On this final Sunday in Lent, will we celebrate with a Parade, or bear witness to the suffering and death of Jesus? A while back Eric saw the scripture reading we’ve just heard and wrote me an email saying something like, “Now that I see we’re doing…

Compassion: Welcoming Back

Luke 9:28-36 “Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and…

Compassion: Visiting the Ruins

Luke 13:1-9  At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 4Or…

Compassion: Entering Wilderness

Luke 4:1-13 1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. 3The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone…

Light Inaccessible

Luke 9:28-36  28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31 They appeared in glory…

Catching People

February 10, 2019; Epiphany 5 (C) Isaiah 6: 1-8 (9-13 Luke 5: 1-11  1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one…