Pastor Eric's Podcast: Recent Episodes
Eric
Small town sermons on the Gospel, God's law, and the power of Grace. Eric Damon is pastor of Grace Lutheran in Manorville, PA and Emmanuel Heilman in Ford City, PA. Both are member churches of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America). These are Sunday sermons
Matthew 14:13-21
The feeding of the 5,000+ is an object lesson in abundance vs. scarcity, but this sermon looks at what it might say about how smaller congregtions go about being Church together
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
The mustard seed is a well known analogy for the abundance of the Kingdom of Heaven. This sermon looks at something else Jesus might also be saying with that parable.
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
This sermon looks at the burden Jesus asks us to bear compared to the diffculty of trying to please the world. Just be YOU
Romans 6:12-23
This sermon looks at our culture's acceptance of certain sin, and it looks at what it means to say that if we are slaves to sin, we are free with regards to righteousness.
Matthew 10:24-39
The original audience of Matthew's gospel did not know anything like peace in their daily lives. This sermon looks at how that may have affected the way they heard the words "I have not come to bring peace, but a sword"
Matthew 9:9-13,18-26
Christianity is for Losers, and Jesus gives his dsciples instructions about how to cope with that. This sermon looks at what it means to get started in that work.
Matthew 28:16-20
This sermon looks at the task of asking questions, making disciples, and what question the doctrine of the Trinity might be answering.
Luke 23:33-43
On Christ the King Sunday we read about Jesus on the Cross. This sermon looks at the nature of the cross and suffering in regards to the reign of Christ.
Luke 6:20-31
As we read Jesus's List of Blessings and Woes, this sermon tries to keep in mind that baptism, not death, is the entrance right into God's Kingdom.
Luke 18:1-8
This sermon looks at Jesus's parable about the need to pray and not lose hope. What is important in the parable and what is unimportant.
Luke 17:5-10
When Jesus says his apostles say "we are worthless slaves" it is important to both understand that he is not saying that, and why so much is expected of them. They, like us are beloved. If the gospel ever makes you doubt that, you're reading it wrong.
Luke 16:1-13
Jesus's story about a dishonest manager being commended by his master is one of the most confusing parables in the bible. Maybe the last verse sheds light on it not being about dishonest business practices being good as much as it is about choosing between living in god's vision of the world and living according to the rules of wealth.
John 3:13-17
In the wake of a week of yet more gun violence in the U.S., this sermon looks at what it means for the Son of Man to be lifted up 'like the serpent in the wilderness'
Luke 14:25-33
The phrase "our cross to bear" has twisted the meaning of what it means to pick up a cross and follow Jesus. This sermon looks at the call to carry the cross and the cost of discipleship.
Luke 14:1,7-14
This sermon looks for the 'good news' in what seems like simple practical advice.
Luke 13:10-17
This sermon looks at the synagogue leader who was upset that Jesus healed a woman on the sabbath as something more relatable than first appears.
Luke 12:49-56
There may be no more challenging passage in the bible for people of faith than Jesus claiming he came to bring fire and division. This sermon looks at what that claim might mean for those who live as collateral damage for other's peace.
Luke 12:13-21
This sermon looks at the parable of a man who built bigger barns to store his wealth on the night he was to die and the problems with drawing a specific line between how much wealth is need and how much is greed.
Genesis 18:20-32
This sermon corrects some common misconceptions about the "sins of Sodom" and asks what it means that God would have found worth in even ten persons standing on behalf of the poor and needy.
Mark 9: 30-37
When Jesus puts a small child among him and says that whover welcomes one such as this welcomes him, he is challenging a predominate social assumption. This sermon takes a closer look at what he might be challenging
Mark 7:24-37
When the Syrophoenician woman comes to Jesus, she has nothing to offer him. She is begging, and this sermon looks at how that compares to the Church and our worship.
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
While it is important to make a clear distinction between God's Law and Human traditions, this sermon looks at how even arbitrary human traditions can be good and useful.
John 6:56-69
This is the last week of the bread discourse and this sermon takes a look at one more unlikely voice for Eucharist. This one compares a small childs reaction to a sermon with the disciples reaction to Jesus's command, and sometimes I don't know is an acceptable response.
John 6:51-58
In what has turned into an improptu sermon series on unlikely voices for Eucharist, this sermon looks at what the Bob Marley Song "I Shot the Sheriff" might have in common with Jesus's claim that anyone who doesn't eat the flesh of the Son of Man has no life within them.
John 6:35:41-51
While Jesus is declaring himself to be the "bread of life" he also calls him self "bread from heaven," comparing himself to Manna. This sermon looks at how the Uecharistic feast sustains us on our journey in this world.
John 6:24-35
This sermon is an argument for the case to retain our sense of wonder and mysticism regarding the Eucharist. It also brings up skateboarding legend Rodney Mullen.
John 6:1-15
When Jesus feeds 5,000 with 5 loaves and two fish it's not just a magic trick. It's a revelation of reality. This sermon asks what difference it would make if we believed that.
Amos 7:7-15
This sermon looks at a basic object lesson (children's sermon) God gives the prophet amos about a plumb line, and what it says about what can go wrong if we lose sight of the true standard against which we must measure what is Holy.
Mark 6:1-13
When Jesus preaches in his hometown, his neighbors are unable to recognize his holiness. This sermon discusses the importance of recognizing what is holy in the ordinary.
Mark 5:21-43
This Sermon Looks at Jesus healing Jairus and an unnamed woman and what this might say about our cultures relationship to Jesus while it's relationship to church undeniably changes.
Mark 4:35-41 (Job 38:1-11)
The story of Jesus calming the storm is so common that even people who don't know the story refer to it in idioms. This sermon compares it to the reading from Job and asks what it means when a person keeps faith but the storm doesn't become calm.
Genesis 3:8-15
Today's reading takes place after the part of the story which most folks would identify as Original Sin. This sermon looks at what that assumption means and what it might mean to change the location of "original sin to this point just a bit later
Romans 8:12-17
This sermon looks at verse 15 and what it means to not fall back in to fear. It asks how we can be debtors and free, both said in this reading, at the same time.
John 15:26-27;16:4b-15
Pentecost is a celeberation of the Church's birthday. It is a celebration of when the Holy Spirit arrived and breathed life into the gathering of saints. This sermon looks at what the Holy spirit is, and more importantly what Jesus says it will do.
John 17:6-19
Mother's day is not a Christian holiday, but this sermon does use it combined with a gospel reading of Jesus praying as an excuse to share a story about praying for a mother.
Mark 14:17-25
This week's podcast is less of a sermon than a discussion of Lutheran theology of the meal. This was part of a celebration of the mass with sending of communion to the gatherings of Grace and Emmanuel Luitheran churches this Sunday.
John 15:1-8
In today's passage Jesus says that those who do not abide in him cannot bear fruit. This sermon looks at the difference between reading that in a prescriptive and descriptive sense. There is perhaps more hope in hearing it as a description and promise.
John 10:11-18
When Jesus says the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, it doesn't make sense without the context of the events that come later. This sermon looks at what that context could mean for the current state of the institutional church.
The Apostle John writes that no one who sins has ever known Jesus. It is on the surface an impossible claim to reconcile with the lived experience of people in the Church. This sermon takes a closer look at what might be going on here.
John 13:1-17,31b-35
In the Maundy Thursday story Jesus washes his disciples feet, while in the liturgy we celebrate the eucharistic feast. In both cases, the mutual giving and taking of the kingdom is acted out. It is an oportunity to practice recieving.
John 19:38-42
On Good Friday Christians are called to take silent account of the suffering of our world. It is the somber task to look with honesty at death. This sermon draws a comparison between that task and the task of those awaiting liberation during the Passover.
Mark 16:1-8
This sermon looks at the story of Easter morning first from the perspective of an age old crisis of faith, "how do I live up to God's expectations?" Then it looks at it from a more recent question, "what good do our rituals do in a world that is so badly borken?"
John 12:20-33
There is some inconsistency in the Jesus' word in today's reading. In many ways that is precisely the point of the story he is preparing to enter. This sermon looks as what it means to aproach death as a full human who is also fully divine.
John 3:14-21 (Numbers 21:4-9)
Jesus compares his own crucifixion to Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness. This sermon examines that comparison and what it means to look upon the consequence of our sins.
Exodus 20:1-17
This week Grace and Emmanuel discussed the Ten Commandments during the sermon time. This is a summary of that discussion
Mark 8:31-38
Today we hear the story of Jesus predicting his own death and Peter's reaction. This sermon makes comparisons between this interaction and the we we assess our own ministry and lives together in Christ on the day of a congregational meeting
Mark 1:9-15
Marks Gospel doesn't give us much detail about Jesus' temptation in the desert, but it does let us know it took 40 days. This sermopn looks at the significance of that detail in comparison to the rest of Marks telling of Jesus' Life.
Mark 9:2-9
The pyrotechnics and the voice of God during the Transfiguarion of our Lord tend to get the most attention in the story, but in the end the disciples went up the mountain with Jesus and came down the mountain with Jesus. This sermon looks at how that reflects this moment in the Church's history.
Mark 1:29-39
The gospel is the story of Jesus. This sermon asks the questions of what happens to the people in that sotry when Jesus moves on.
Mark 1:21-28
This week's reading includes a man with an unclean spirit. While Demonic possession isn't a popular concept within the mainline Church, this sermon discusses the importance of recognizing its reality.
Matthew 18:15-20
This sermon looks at some basic advice Jesus gives his disciples on conflict resolution.
The most common question I am asked of this passage is "why did Jesus order the disciples not to say anything." I don't really know, but this sermon ventures a guess
Matthew 15:10-28
Jesus is rather rude to the woman in today's reading and initially refuses to help her. I don't believe it was a test. I think he really wasn't going to help her at first.
This sermon looks at what it may mean if Jesus' encounter with this Canaanite woman did change what he was going to do.
Matthew 14:22-33
In today's Gospel Peter attempts walking on water and fails, but this isn't a story about Peter. It is a story about Jesus.
Matthew 14:13-21
We often refer to Jesus feeding 5,000 as the "multiplication" of the Loaves and fishes. This sermon suggests that Jesus was merely revealing the truth of God's Abundant reality. It also talks about VBS at the Grace/Emmanuel Parish.
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
What will heaven be like? Jesus gives more parables than we can shake a stick at to answer that question in today's readings
Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43
Jesus tells another parable about seeds and a sower. This one is essentially about Grace, which is not an easy thing to grasp. It essentially robs us of our illusions of Control and is still good news
Matthew 11:16-19;25-30
Jesus is mad in today's reading. This sermon takes a look at just how mad, and what was happening that made him mad.
Matthew 10:40-42
In these couple of verses Jesus tells his disciples that welcoming them is the same as welcoming him. Welcoming a prophet isn't much different from being a prophet, and welcoming the righteous not much different from being righteous. This sermon looks at a project of the Grace/Emmanuel parish and what this might say about the work of being church
Matthew 10:24-39
Jesus is upfront with his disciples that following him will come at a cost. This sermon looks at how to reconcile the free gift of grace with that cost, and suggests that we need to be more like Jesus in honestly admitting this truth.
Matthew 9:35-10:23
When Jesus sends out his apostles he says he is sending them "like sheep into the midst of wolves"
This sermon asks who are the wolves, and how do we avoid being them.
Matthew 9:9-13;18-26
This sermon looks at the healing of a woman and young girl and asks what what about the other people in the crowd that were hoping to be healed?
Genesis 1:1-2:4
This sermon takes a look at the Patterns established for creation in the first account of creation in Genesis while reading the entire account.
John 20 19:-23
Jesus breathed on his disciples and said "Recieve the Holy Spirit". This sermon on the Day of Pentecost in which we celebrate the arrival of the Holy Spirit is also on a day in which two young women of Grace/Emmanuel affirm their baptisms in which they recieved the Holy Spirit
1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
Mainline Western Christian Churches don't often like to discuss the devil. This sermon takes a look at why that might be a problem
John 14:15-21
Before his death, Jesus promised the an advocate, the Holy Spirit. This sermon looks at the realationship between Spiritual presence and our specific spiritual practices.
John 14:1-14
There are few Western Christians who are capable of hearing Jesus farewell with the ears for which it was orignally intended. We are too accustomed to thinking in individual terms, and even our communities look different, but the effort to imagine is still worthwhile. This looks primarily at the words "do not let your hearts be troubled."
John 10:1-10
There are legitimate intereligious theoligical conversations that can be had between Jewish and Christian people. 1940 germany was the wrong time and place to haver them. You either offered safe harbor or were in need of God's mercy for the blood that was on your hands.
Luke 24:13-35
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus interprets the scriptures about himself, but this isn't the main point of the story. This story centers around the breaking of bread that happens in Emmaus.
Matthew 28:1-10
On Easter Morning Christians commemorate the resurrection of our Lord. To understand what that means we need to look back at the story that began on Thursday. For Christians the resurrection changes the very system of how life works.
John 13:1-17; 31b-35
The Holy "Three days" or "Triduum" begins with a reading from John in which Jesus gives a "new commandment. This sermon asks what was "new about it. And how does that change our understanding of what is about to come.
Grace And Emmanuel Heilman Lutheran Churches in Manorville and Ford City read the entire passion story as a drama throughout the liturgy on Palm Sunday. This isn't so much a sermon as an invitation to find somewhere in your areas that is telling that story this week.
Actual sermons will be posted for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Morning.
John 11:1-45
In this sermon we read through the story of the raising of Lazurus with some pauses for commentary.
John 4:5-42
This sermon tries to reclaim a biblical heroine in the person of the the samaritan woman at the well in Sychar. She is often prtrayed as a sinful woman of ill repute, when none of that is really in the story. Instead, like the samaritan named in the parable in Luke's gospel, she is an example for us to follow
John 3:1-17
John 3:16 is at least one of the most recognizable verses in scripture. It is the summation of the gospel. This sermon begs us to confess the sinful belief that the value of this promise depends upon it being denied to others.
Matthew 4:1-11
This sermon reflects on the familiar story of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the context of an annual congregational ministry review. What does it mean to do ministry
2 Peter 1:16-21
This sermon takes a look at the Gospel text (Matthew 17:1-9) through the lens of 2 Peter and asks what it means to claim that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation.
Matthew 5:21-37
Today's gospel passage is often misused by focusing on individual parts instead of the context of the Sermon in which Jesus said these words. This sermon tries to place the famous words "you have heard it said, by I say" back in to context.
Matthew 5:13-20
The Words from today's reading are included in the baptismal liturgy. There are less occassions to speak these words than the words about baptism spoken in the funeral service these days. This sermon asks some question about living in this moment.
Micah 6:1-8
God calls his people to make their case known, but they wonder what offerings would make it acceptable for them contend with God. They are told the only thing required is to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.
Matthew 4:12-23
Today's Gospel includes the story of Jesus Calling James and John. In this sermon we examine the story of Zebedee and what that might say to those of us at a different end of life.
John 1:29-42
This passage in the first chapter of John is a bit more complicated than it at first appears. What is it saying about our response to the proclamation of the gospel?
Acts 10:34-43
When Peter baptizes the the members of the house of Cornelius he tells them that all the prophets testify to Jesus, that all who believe in him receive forgiveness of sins. This sermon looks at what it means to believe in Jesus and the role our communities of faith can play in supporting that belief.
There is nothing "new" that needs to be said about the birth of our Lord, but we can look at the story in new ways. This sermon asks what it was like for Mary and Joseph after the shepherds left? What can that say about the "Spirit of Christmas"?
Matthew 1:18-25
Can we be righteous while living in unrighteous times? According to Matthews gospel Joseph was. Maybe we can be too.
Matthew 11:2-11
When John is in prison he sends his disciples to ask Jesus if he is the one for whom they were waiting. Jesus asks the crowd what they were in the wilderness looking for. Do we know what it is we are looking for this Advent?
Matthew 3:1-12
In Matthew's telling of the Gospel, Jesus threatens the Sadducees and Pharisees with "unquenchable fire". It sounds frightening, but John also says that Jesus will baptize with fire. Perhaps the fire isn't the threat after all.
Matthew 24:36-44
Jesus tells a parable of two workers in a field. One will be taken and another left. Yes, this is a parable. It was never meant to be literal. It had a point that we would not know when the end was coming, but what does that mean for how we live right now.
Luke 23:33-43
The Feast of Christ the King is Almost 100 years old, and Christians have grown comfortable with the idea that our King is a heavenly ruler, but few of us have learned to look for our Lord on the Cross.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
In this letter the Thessalonians are exhorted to work quietly and never grow tired of doing what is right. It's easy to turn this reading into a lecture about individual responsibility, but something different was happening in Thessalonica.
1 Ephesians 1:11-23
In this letter the Church is referred to as the body of Christ, and We Are The Church. That says something about the ritual of Eucharist and the Saints we remember on the first of November.
During a famine the people cry out to God. Many of us have been raised to believe that this is the path to full restoration, but that's just not true. Being forgiven for our sins does not erase their consequence.
Luke 18:1-8
When Jesus tells a parable about the need to persist in prayer he also assures his disciples that God will quickly grant justice. the two concepts only belong together if we move past a transactional understanding of prayer to one of relationship.
2 Kings 5:1-7, 7-15c
I don't often address our efforts to conserve the institutional church, but Naaman's encounter with Elisha seems similar to how many of us encounter the institution. In this sermon, II take a look at that story.
Luke 17:5-10
When the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith, he responds with a somewhat odd lecture about doing nothing more than what you should. What might he mean by this?
Luke 16:19-31
Jesus' tale of a rich man and poor Lazarus can be a cautionary tale for the rich, but if we assume we are all rich man it can also prevent us from knowing our own value and seeking justice.
Luke 16:1-13
When Jesus tells a parable about a manager that mishandles his master's property and swindles a bit more to make allies, the master in the parable commends the behavior.
Then Jesus says we cannot worship God and wealth.
Luke 15:1-10
Jesus tells a parable about a lost sheep and a lost coin in today's reading. Luke's Gospel follows it up with a parable of a generous Father and a wayward son. Why might all of these be together? What might it say about how we apply these parables to our lives?
Luke 14:25-33
When Jesus tells the crowd that the cost of discipleship will be their lives, he also tells them that this should be estimated before they decide to follow him. They have a choice not to do it. What does this say about how we function as a Church?
Luke 14:1;7-14
Jesus tells different parables to the guests and hosts of a banquet. Perhaps holding the two in tension is more important than either separately. How do we simultaneously manage to view ourselves as unworthy guests and responsible to others?
Some of Pastor Eric's thoughts on Luke 13: 10-17 while he finishes the last few days of Covid Quarantine.
Last week Jesus told the crowd that they would need to choose sides. This week Jesus lifts the burden of the choice from their shoulders. Holy Scripture should reveal to us the love of Christ and not bind us arbitrary rules.
Luke 12:49-56
When Jesus is teaching a crowd, he tells than that he will divide them and they will need to choose sides. It can be a difficult message, but it is heard very differently by different people. What might Jesus be saying?
Genesis 15: 1-6
This was VBS week for Grace and Emmanuel and it's easy to look at the children and think of them as the promise of descendants made to Abram. In this sermon we think about them as the ones to whom God made the promise.
Luke 12:13-21
When Jesus is asked to settle an inheritance dispute as many rabbi's of his time would, he instead tells a parable on greed. This sermon looks at what makes something "greedy", the larger effects of greed, and why Jesus might have chosen this response while in a crowd.
Luke 11:1-13
This sermon aims to talk about prayer, and not the public displays passing for prayer that have been discussed in the news. This is about honest personal prayer and the disciples asking Jesus to teach them to do it. How does Jesus say we should pray?
Luke 10:38-42
Genesis 18:1-10
The Story of Mary and Martha is familiar for Christians. This takes a look at that story and asks some questions about what it might be suggesting.
Luke 10:25-37
The parable of the Good Samaritan in familiar even beyond church circles. This sermon asks us took look at it in a different way. Then it brings up a difference between the original audience and those of us hearing it today.
Luke 10: 1-11,16-20
When Jesus sends his Laborers to proclaim the kingdom, he sends them as lambs. This is an important thing to remember for people of faith in the U.S. who are about to celebrate our national independence. This sermon looks at what that means.
Luke 9:51-62
With his face set to Jerusalem, Jesus rejects several would-be followers. due to their hesitancy to commit. "no one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God"
It's good advice for a young person. Don't let the world distract you from who you are called to be, but is there good news in this passage for those of us who have already looked back countless times since placing our hand on the plow.
Luke 8:26-39
Lay minister, Pam Augustine, fills in for Pastor Eric this week. She discusses the healing of the Gerasene demoniac and the role of "wisdom" in Jesus' actions
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
This sermon discusses the relationship between wisdom and knowledge.
The Trinity is a doctrine of the Church that can hardly be discussed without stating a heresy, but it is still important. The Trinity is our best understanding of the God we worship, but like all doctrines its value isn't in how correctly we can repeat it. The importance of learning it is evidenced in the way it shapes our understanding of ourselves, our neighbors, and the world God made.
This sermon questions how we can be more effective at deriving that value.
Romans 8:14-17
The Christian festival of Pentecost is a celebration of the birth of the Church. The church was born the day the Holy Spirit arrived as promised. We receive this same Spirit in baptism. What does Paul mean when he writes that we have not received a Spirit of slavery to fall back in to fear?
John 17:20-26
It's horrific to keep preaching into a world grieving mass shootings. "Thoughts and prayers" are not enough, but this sermon offers some thoughts on prayer. our reading is a segment of one of Jesus' prayers known as the high priestly prayer. It was an intercession in the night before the world of his time and place was about to become just as horrific.
John 14: 23-29
This sermon discusses the shooting in Buffalo, and the ideas that led to it. It discusses our own guilt. The 14th chapter of John is a retelling of a private gathering. This sermon asks us to make an honest assessment of where we would have been if we were in Jerusalem when they gathered
When Peter has a vision of "unclean" food descending from heaven on a sheet, God tells him to eat. The odd thing is that Peter extrapolates from this vision a mandate to baptize gentiles. The question for us, is how do we follow God when the Spirit moves in new ways.
John 10:22-30 (CEV translation)
At the festival of dedication, Jesus throws a new wrinkle into the questions of his being a messiah. What does his answer to this question in that context tell us today?
Acts 9:1-20
The story of Paul's encounter with Christ is often referred to as a conversion, but Paul wouldn't have seen it that way. His response is much like Modern Christians deconstructing our Sunday School Theologies than someone converting to the faith. It was for the same reason as well. His beliefs were causing harm.
This sermon examines the story from that perspective.
Luke 24:1-12
This sermon discusses the women who arrived at the tomb with spices to finish the preparation of Jesus' body only to find him gone. It is a story of the joy of easter. it is also the story of the trauma of Good Friday.
Jesus, who was dead, still lives! Alleluia!
"The Seven Last Words"
This is a reading of seven different sayings of Jesus while on the Cross from across the four canonical gospels. Every other reading includes a meditation. The live worship service includes a hymn after the other readings.
John 13:1-17;31b-35
"Maundy Thursday" derives it's name from the Latin word "Mandatum" or commandment, the root of the English "mandate". The "new commandment" is so central to John's telling of this story that it's easy to let it overshadow the story of the three days. With nightfall the Christian observance of Lent comes to an end. We enter the Holy Triduum, or Three Days, and are best served by remaining focused on the story as a whole.
Grace and Emmanuel Lutheran Churches won't really have a sermon this Sunday. The Passion narrative takes center stage as we enter Holy Week. This is an invitation to seek out that story this week, and small suggestion of something to pay attention to in that story if you have the opportunity to hear it.
John 12:1-8
When Judas criticizes the Mary's wasteful use of expensive perfume, the Logic seems to hold up. It seems like a waste, but this is the devils logic. Jesus suggests a different view.
Luke 15:1-3;11b-32
This sermon takes a look at the parable of the prodigal son and asks those of us within the institutional church to shift our typical understanding of who the characters represent. In what ways have we as an institution squandered our inheritance? From whom do we need forgiveness, and what response can we expect if we try to work for it?
Luke 13:1-9
In today's reading Jesus is asked about a story of a horrific act by a brutal ruler. This sermon looks at how we consume those stories, and what they mean for the people closest to them. Above all, it proclaims the message of the parable Jesus tells in response. It is not too late.
Luke 13:31-35
When the Pharisees approach Jesus to warn him about Herod, it may be worthwhile asking what it was Jesus was doing. This sermon takes a closer look at the preceding lesson. It is a cautionary tale about a narrow door, but the Gospel doesn't focus on the narrow door. This is about Jesus' desire to protect us as a mother hen does her chicks
Luke 4:1-13
Jesus is driven into the wilderness, full of the Holy Spirit, and is tempted by the devil. Perhaps the most frightening aspect of the devil's temptations is how rational they can seem. This sermon looks at how Jesus responds and what that means for us.
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Psalm 51
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. The imposition of ashes reminds us about our mortality. It reminds us about our baptism. It is about death and it is about life. In the Gospel lesson, Jesus tells us about the "hypocrites". The psalm offers another path for contrition. What can we learn from it?
Luke 9:28-43
The story of the Transfiguration attempts to describe what is indescribable, and encounter with God. We understand the story only because we have encountered God. This sermon talks about what we can say to one another about things for which words are inadequate.
Luke 6: 27-38
The golden rule is an almost universally held aspiration of morality. There is nothing uniquely Christian about it, but followers of Jesus tend to get it as wrong as everyone else when we try to live by it.
This sermon takes a close look at the golden rule and how it relates to what is uniquely Christian.
Luke 6:17-26
Unlike the Sermon on the Mount, Luke's recording of the "sermon on a level place) includes curses to go with the blessings. We must be as wary of hearing this as a carrot and stick as we are of over spiritualizing Jesus' message.
Luke 5:1-11
Simon, Saul, and Isaiah all insist they are not qualified when God calls them. Common theology suggests that God doesn't call the qualified. God qualifies the called, but what if God calls people "because of" and not despite who they are. Why are you the person God is calling right now?
bonus points for catching the misattributed prophet in the first half
Luke 4:21-30
Jesus continues to address the synagogue after reading from Isaiah. Eventually he is driven out of town, and they attempt to throw him off a cliff. This is a continuation of last week's reading and a conclusion of a trilogy of sermons.
Luke 4:14-21
Jesus reads from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He is describing his mission. He is also calling across time for us to join in that mission.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
The U.S. observes the Martin Luther King Junior holiday this weekend. The difference between the image of his name in our time and his own life time, has me thinking about Paul's words that no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. How has the name of Jesus changed? What is still true about Paul's words?
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Jesus' baptism seems to call down the Holy Spirit by power of the ritual, but the causative relationship between baptism and the reception of the Holy Spirit is less certain throughout scripture. There is no consistent relationship between the Holy Spirit and Baptism, but they are always related.
John 1:1-18
It is a far more fantastic claim than most Christians realize to say that the creator of the universe was born as a human baby. It is an impossible thing for the one to be in the world through whom the world came in to being. It is impossible, but it is a tenet of faith which states that we have seen the glory of god which we cannot see-a paradox of joy this Christmas season.
Luke 2:1-14
The story of Joseph and Mary and the angels and the shepherds and the birth of Jesus is familiar. Do you remember the dragon? It's in there. Neither Luke nor Matthew tell us about it. John of Patmos tells us about it in his Revelation.
What truth that has been there all along does a dragon reveal in the familiar nativity story?
Luke 1:39-55
If we take Mary's vision of her coming child seriously it should be frightening for most of us, but we have a choice about how we experience that fear. Elizabeth gives us an example worthy of following.
Luke 3:7-18
The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally known as the Sunday of Joy. At the risk of simplifying the message of Jesus Christ to the point of Losing it's unique character, there is reason to rejoice at John's proclamation that everyone can play a part in his glorious coming kingdom by just being honest and loving in our regular lives.
Luke 3:1-6
The Word of God comes to John within this world of political messiness. What does this say about the humanity of Jesus? What does that say about the divinity of Jesus? What does it mean to hold them both as truth?
Luke 21:25-36
Advent is about waiting, which is something most of us don't like. It feels too passive, and when Jesus tells his disciples about signs of the coming age, we have a tendency to try and grab on to them. We want to be more active in the coming of the kingdom, but perhaps Jesus is freeing us up to wait more patiently? Maybe that is how we truly become active in the lives we are actually living?
John 18:33-37
On Christ the king Sunday, we are called to envision the eternal reign of our Lord, but our visions of that often fall tragically short of the truth. Jesus did not want to fit our vision of a king. Let us avoid the trap of trying to make him, and instead try to follow his example.