Archive for 'Sermons'

Let us pray: Emanuel. Emanuel. Tonight you come to us, clothed in human flesh. Give us grace and courage to reach out to you. To accept all that  you offer to us. May our lives be transformed by your love. Lead us to witness to the good news this day and for ever more. Amen.

 There is a saying appropriate for today: “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others lives on forever.”[1] All of ...

Handel’s oratorio, The Messiah, is often offered at this time of year. To me, it is one of the greatest pieces of music. It tells the story of the coming of the Christ child through Scripture and music. The more of our senses that are engaged in an activity, the deeper the message goes. How many of us have sung, some quietly and some at the top of our lungs, “halleluiah, halleluiah…” and stood when that chorus is sung in ...

Advent is derived from the Latin word “adventus” and means “coming” – expectation, the unknown but to be known. A time when it is dark for us in the  northern hemisphere, both when we rise in the morning and when we return home in the evening. But there is light in between. Perhaps light more glorious  for being surrounded – for being bracketed- by the dark. When it is hard to see and especially so as we venture into winter ...

Today is an interesting paradox. The last Sunday of Pentecost otherwise known as the last Sunday of “ordinary time”. And, Christ the King Sunday.  Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent- the first Sunday of a new liturgical year.

What have we learned through this time since Pentecost in June? Things have grown and bloomed. Things have been harvested. Things have died or at least are settling in for winter. It’s a perfect time for a bit of reflection about our life as Christians.

If this is ...

So, what. What does it really mean in my day-to-day life that I profess a faith in Jesus Christ as the anointed one, the Messiah, the incarnation of God on  earth? What does it mean that Paul exhorts us to put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of salvation? Do I translate my time on Sunday  morning at St. Andrew’s into the way my life is lived- the way I interact with others – or is ...

It’s just at a year away. Already it’s almost impossible to get away from the presidential election of 2012. Nearly every morning and evening news segment and many of the daily talk shows have something that focuses on the candidates or the election – directly or indirectly. Who’s on first? Will Iowa move their  caucus, their primary, into December 2011 because another state has moved theirs into January? Fortunately, or at least I think so, that particular  situation has been resolved ...

Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that your faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling to  obtain your heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 

The Collect for today reminds us that God is the giver of the gifts we possess. God’s grace makes all we have- and all we are – ...

“Give therefore to the emperor the things that are that are the emperor’s and to God the things that are God’s.” But everything is God’s so what is to be given to the emperor? Genesis is quite clear that all creation exists because of God’s calling it forth- from birds of the sky, cattle and other living things and we humans ourselves. God created everything so where does the emperor fit in as someone due something from us? God created ...

The period of intentional interim ministry is often compared to the story of the Exodus. The people are residing in Egypt- and yes, life has become much  harder than it used to be when the  Pharaoh remembered who Moses was- his trusted advisor, the one who foretold the famine following the seven years of  feast, the one who caused grain and other foodstuffs to be stored to carry the people through those years of famine.

St. Andrew’s had many years of ...

“By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” the chief priests and the elders ask Jesus. The fingers are pointing at Jesus as these questions are asked. Who are you to come here and to challenge us? We are the ones who decide who has authority – we do, not you. How dare you upset our nice, orderly life with your questions!

Every day we ask this question as well – although perhaps not in an overtly religious ...