Sermons

The Second Sunday after the EpiphanyJohn 2:1–11 In the Gospel of John, things are never as they seem. The story is never as simple as it appears on first reading. … [Read more…]

Baptism of the LordLuke 3:15–17, 21–22 It’s the story of Jesus’s baptism in the Gospel of Luke. I could do the sort of thing I usually do in a sermon, … [Read more…]

The Fourth Sunday of AdventMicah 5:2-5a; Luke 1:47-55 This morning we are examining two scriptural songs. The first is a Messianic prophecy from the prophet Micah, words that foretell the … [Read more…]

The Third Sunday of AdventLuke 3:7-18 I don’t understand it. He starts out the sermon by calling his audience a “brood of vipers.” And by the end they’re thinking that … [Read more…]

The First Sunday of AdventLuke 21:25–36 “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. … [Read more…]

Christ the King SundayJohn 18:33-37 The Gospel of John. On the surface it’s the simplest of stories. Clear, plain, ordinary, direct. Just as easy to read as a calm, smooth … [Read more…]

The Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost1 Samuel 1:4-20, 2:1-10 The text this morning from 1 Samuel is not an easy one. On first reading, it seems fairly straightforward. It follows one … [Read more…]

The Twenty-firth Sunday after PentecostRuth 3:1-5, 4:13-17 The Hebrew Bible lesson this morning reminds me of an old James Brown song. “Man made the cars to take us over the … [Read more…]

All Saints SundayRevelation 21:1-6a Imagine with me for a moment. You’re outside. It’s a cold but clear fall day. Early afternoon. You’re busy doing something. Maybe you’re doing some yard … [Read more…]

The Twenty-fourth Sunday after PentecostHebrews 5:1–10 Last week I mentioned that Hebrews is erroneously labeled in some Bibles as Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews. However, it is not written by … [Read more…]

The Twenty-third Sunday after PentecostHebrews 4:12–16 This week and next week, we’re going to be looking a little more closely at the readings from Hebrews. Just a little bit of … [Read more…]

The Twentieth Sunday after PentecostJob 1:1, 2:1-10 Job is a very strange book of the bible. It’s been one of the very hardest books to interpret. No one knows when, … [Read more…]

The Eighteenth Sunday after PentecostMark 9:30-37 In last week’s gospel passage, we found Jesus struggling with his identity as God’s anointed one, God’s Messiah, God’s Christ. He knew that he … [Read more…]

The Seventeenth Sunday after PentecostMark 8:27–38 It’s not what we would normally expect from Jesus, but here in the Gospel of Mark today, Jesus seems to be having an identity … [Read more…]

The Fifteenth Sunday after PentecostJames 1:17–27 I need to warn you: this is a political sermon. Or, to be more precise, this is a sermon about politics. I know that … [Read more…]

The Thirteenth Sunday after PentecostEphesians 6:10-20 The words sound a little strange to our modern ears: “Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to … [Read more…]

The Seventh Sunday of EasterActs 1:15–26 We are almost at the end of our seven-week Eastertide journey through Acts. So it is a little strange that this morning we’re jumping … [Read more…]