2009

Scripture: Psalm 31 Happy New Year! If I wanted to really be on vacation the week between Christmas and New Year, I had to figure out the bulletin for today back before Christmas, which means coming up with enough of a theme in my head to choose a scripture and a sermon title and hymns … Read more

Scripture: Genesis 13 This is a sermon that has several weaknesses that I can think of right off. You will probably be able to think of several others before I’m done. One of the weaknesses I’m thinking of is that this is pretty much of a “preaching-to-the-choir” kind of a sermon. You will see and … Read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:38-48 I have to say at the outset that Timmie Jones is responsible for a good portion of this sermon, so if it doesn’t go so well, blame her! I’ll explain what Timmie has to do with the sermon in just a moment, and part of that will have to do with the … Read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:38-48 I ended last week by referring to Martin Luther King’s interpretation of the passage from the Sermon on the Mount that we just heard and that was our scripture for last week as well. I should say that I consider Dr. King to be not only a great civil rights leader, and … Read more

Scripture: Luke 16:19-31 It’s a sad story, the one Jesus told that we heard just a few minutes ago. Maybe it didn’t bring tears to your eyes or make your heart bleed. Probably not. It’s just a story after all. The people aren’t real, not Lazarus or the rich man. Jesus is not talking about … Read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:26-31 One of the things I asked for for Christmas this year, and received, thanks to Ava, was Toni Morrison’s latest novel, A Mercy. You probably know that way before Barack Obama became the first African American president of the United States Toni Morrison became the first black American to be awarded the … Read more

Scriptures: Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 5:33-37 I’ve been thinking about Lent recently. Ash Wednesday service to prepare for. Something for the newsletter. Some sermons coming up over the weeks ahead, definitely a sermon to think about for today, the first Sunday in Lent. So I was looking through various things I have stored in my computer … Read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:12-22 I would understand if you thought that the stated topic for the sermon this morning, “Jesus”, is a bit too broad. It is, of course. But I make no apologies for that, because I specifically don’t want to focus today on one particular gospel story or one saying or teaching of Jesus. … Read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 One thing leads to another. I ended the sermon last week by offering some reflections on a few different interpretations of the parable of the Good Samaritan. I thought afterwards: maybe it would be good to look at some other parables for another Sunday or two during Lent. The question then … Read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:24-30 I seem to have developed a tendency recently to choose topics for sermons that are impossible, that is, way too much to talk about in one sermon. Two weeks ago it was “Jesus”, just “Jesus”. Today it’s “Good and Evil”, an equally impossible, I suppose I should say equally ridiculous, topic to … Read more