Easter 3, Year C John 21:1-19

Sermon for Easter 3, Year C

I borrowed the joke at the beginning from fishingjokes.com

Easter 2, Year C

Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter, Year C

a song for good friday

A Poem for Maundy Thursday

Pottery
towels
and water

a community gathered
in prayer
in humility
in joy
in pain

Prayers said
in hope for presence
in hope for grace
in hope for exploding mercy

Scriptures read
utterance for the sake of re-membrance
spoken word for the sake of re-collection
re-building, re-forming, re-shaping in the image

In the image of
one who kneels
one who washes feet
one who...
from his knees leads a revolution

So we
gathered in prayer
kneel and wash,
we do as the One did
as the One does

So we can go and do likewise
So we can lead from our knees
So we can love as the One loves

Pottery
towels
and water

meager things
humble acts
by such things are empires toppled
by such acts, the Kingdom of God is built

Let this Mind be in you

Sermon for Palm Sunday Year C, 28 March 2010
Isaiah 50:4-9a | Psalm 31:9-16 | Phillipians 2:5-11 | Luke 23:1-49

Lent V, Year C

The sermon is in two parts so that I could fit it to YouTubes limits.

Great Quote

“The church, in short, has a role to play only here and now; so if it wants a role model for its operations, it should imitate the kingdom’s present, nonjudgmental way of doing business, not its final one. It definitely should not attempt, in this world, to do the kind of sorting out that the kingdom so plainly refuses to do until the next. But alas, beginning right in apostolic time – indeed, beginning even in Scripture itself – excommunication has been one of the church’s favorite indoor sports. Second in popularity only to jumping to conclusions about who should be given the heave-ho first. The practice of tossing out rotten types while the net is still in the water has been almost everybody’s idea of a terrific way to further the kingdom. Everybody’s, that is, except Jesus’ — the one who put the church in the business of being fishers of men to begin with. The net result, to use an apt phrase for such ineptness, has been an operation that looks as if it is being run more by his competitors than by his partners” – Robert Capon, Kingdom, Judgment, Grace (128).

Lent IV, year C

Sermon on the Prodigal Son

Ash Wednesday Sermon

Sorry folks. We didn't video this one, but here is the text.

“Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?”

I speak with you in the Name of God who forgives all Sins.

I am always struck by the irony of the readings for Ash Wednesday. On the day that the church calls us to a time of heightened piety, a time of heightened spiritual practice, the church has chosen scriptures that remind us of both Jesus' and Isaiah's warnings against piety. I should say their warnings against false piety, because neither Jesus nor Isaiah are saying that we should not practice the three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting, and giving alms. Rather, they are calling us to right piety, practices of faith that are righteous. Old Testament Scholar Walter Brueggemann describes righteousness as the characteristic of God to bring about life, not God bring about God's own life; rather God bring about life for others. Therefore, for our lenten practice to be righteous it cannot be selfish and or merely self-serving. It must bring about life for others.

Another way to look at this is from the viewpoint of sin. Sin is simply us being disconnected from God. This separation is made manifest in our disconnection from our neighbors, our fellow human beings. We eat while others go hungry. We are free while others are held captive to oppressive poverty and injustice. We visit each other when we are sick while others grow increasingly lonely and isolated. Ash Wednesday and the journey of Lent is an opportunity to be reconciled to God, to be reconnected with the power that created and loves all there is. This reconnection, this return to our source, is made manifest in our reconnection with our neighbors. St. Claire once said that Jesus gave us just two commands: Love God, love neighbor. When we do one we learn to do the other.

In a moment I am going to invite you the observance of a Holy Lent. I urge you not only to practice the three pillars of lent—prayer, fasting, and charity—but to craft your observance so that life is given to others. If you fast from food, then feed someone else. If you fast from watching TV, then play with your kids or help them with their homework. If you fast from road rage on the highway, encourage others to drive safely as well. If you take on exercise as a discipline, invite others to join you at the gym. If you decide to study a book of the bible this Lent, gather some friends for coffee and discuss it.

The prophet Isaiah poetically describes what our fast should be:

Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free,and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you,the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

May our fast always be so. May our worship always be so. May our lives always be so. Amen!

Sermon for Transfiguration Sunday

Transfiguration Sunday Luke 9:28-43

Epiphany 5

Sermon for Epiphany 5

Purpose

Sermon for Epiphany III, Year C 24 Jan. 2010
Luke 4:18-21

Sermon for Epiphany II, Year C

Sermon for Epiphany II, Year C

Christmas II, Year C

Sermon for Christmas II, Year C: Luke 2:41-52

Luke 24

Comments on the 24th Chapter of Luke

Luke 23

Comments on the 23rd Chapter of the Gospel According to Luke

Luke 22

Comments on the 22nd Chapter of Luke

Luke 21

Comments on the 21st chapter of Luke

Luke 20

Comments on the 20th Chapter of Luke

Sermon for Advent 4, Year C

Sermon on Luke 1:39:55