Archive for November, 2008

Advent and Christmas Sermons (2008-2009)

Sunday, November 30th, 2008

Date: January 4, 2009
Liturgical Day: The Second Sunday of Christmas
Sermon Title: Extraordinary Blessing, Strength, Faithfulness

Summary:
The writer of Ephesians gives us a glimpse of how the early church saw itself: extraordinarily blessed by God, extraordinarily strengthened by God, and called to an extraordinary faithfulness. God calls us to great things today as well, and is pleased to bless us and strengthen us for that service.

Download Sermon: 2008-christmas-2b-s

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Date: December 28, 2008
Liturgical Day: In Memory of John Sibley Baker
Sermon Title: Preceded in Death

Summary:
John was a man of faith, and considered becoming a Pastor early on in his life. His life took a different course, though, and for many years he was not involved in the church. After his wife’s death, some 18 months ago, he returned, and has been a regular worshipper at Saint Peter. In some ways, as she preceded him in death, she led him back to the church, and his involvement at Saint Peter became a source of strength and hope for him.

Download Sermon: baker-john-funeral-sermon

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Date: December 28, 2008
Liturgical Day: The First Sunday of Christmas
Sermon Title: Seekers of God’s Will and Word

Summary:
Reflecting on the story of Simeon and Anna (St. Luke 2:22-40), a story about a young criminal, and the baptism of Hannah Grace Boyd, we are reminded that we have been called to be seekers of God’s will and word. We grow in our capacity to be faithful in that calling by emulating the example of Simeon and Anna: studying the Scriptures, spending time with God in prayer, and becoming more familiar with what is most important to God.

Download Sermon: 2008-christmas-1b-s

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Date: December 25, 2008
Liturgical Day: The Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas Day)
Sermon Title: The Word Became Flesh and Lived Among Us

Summary:
Through the best and worst of us, our God chooses to move, and be present to those who are in need. Through the kindness we offer to one another, through the good news we share with one another, through the simple willingness to be present in times of difficulty – in these an many other ways, God’s presence is known through the love and care that is extended through those who believe, and who make themselves available to serve as agents of love and hope.

Download Sermon: christmas-day-2008

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Date: December 24, 2008
Liturgical Day: The Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas Eve)
Sermon Title: Christmas Hope, Christmas Peace

Summary:
The only true hope there is comes from God. God, who promised to be with Mary and Joseph and their child, and through them bring new life to this world; God who watched over them during their travel to Bethlehem, during the birth of their child, and during their flight to Egypt. This same God promises to be with you and with me, in the midst of any fear or danger or uncertainty that we may experience in life.

Download Sermon: christmas-eve-2008

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Date: December 14, 2008
Liturgical Day: The Third Sunday in Advent
Sermon Title: Testifying to the Light

Summary:
John’s words point out that the only true purpose for a congregation to exist, is to draw its participants nearer to the Christ who can save them. If inspiration, fellowship, entertainment, tradition, and service help to do that, then that is all the better. But if any of those vehicles through which God works becomes the focus of a congregation, then it will never thrive, because it has lost its center: it is only the church as it works to draw people deeper into the life of faith and the journey of faithfulness.

Download Sermon: 2008-advent-3b

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Date: December 7, 2008
Liturgical Day: The Second Sunday in Advent
Sermon Title: The Hard Road to Renewal

Summary:
While John’s harsh words about repentance and confession and judgment may be uncomfortable to our ears, they do encourage us to see our need for forgiveness; our need for renewal; our need for a Savior. And they help us to discover that place within us that can only be filled by a relationship with the Lord, Jesus Christ; the One whose power is able to give us a new beginning with each other and with God.

Download Sermon: 2008-advent-2b

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Date: November 30, 2008
Liturgical Day: The First Sunday in Advent
Sermon Title: A Waiting, Watching Advent

Summary:
This is a season in which we concentrate on the Advent of our Lord, as he came to us in the past, in the birth of the Christ Child, as he comes to us in the present, when our hearts are filled by his presence, and also as he promises to come to us in the future, at the end of the age. May that future Advent of Jesus Christ be a part of our Advent observances this year, as we seek to discern what work Christ has left us to do in the household of God.

Download Sermon: 2008-advent-1b

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Advent 1B (11/30/2008)

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

A Life of Watchfulness

 

Lessons:
     Isaiah 64:1-9
     Psalm 80:-7, 17-19
     1 Corinthians 1:3-9
     Saint Mark 13:24-37

Prayer of the Day:
    Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. By your merciful protection awaken us to the threatening dangers of our sins, and keep us blameless until the coming of your new day, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

 

13:24 “But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. 27 Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.

34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35 Therefore, keep awake-for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36 or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

St. Mark 13:24-37, New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

ad-vent (ăd′ věnt) n. The coming or arrival, especially of something awaited or momentous [Middle English, from Latin adventus, from the past participle of advenīre, to come to : ad, to + venīre, to come.]

Every serious student of the Bible knows its first words. (“In the beginning…” – Genesis 1:1) Yet how many could recite its last words? (“The one who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” – Revelation 22:20) The season of Advent is grounded in the very last words of the Bible: the promise of Christ’s return to this world. It is a season of considering how faithful Christians are to live in this “in between” time – this time between Christ’s ascension and return.

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Christ the King Sunday A (11/23/2008)

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

 Following a Crucified King

Lessons:
     Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
     Psalm 95:1-7a
     Ephesians 1:15-23
     Saint Matthew 25:31-46
     Semicontinuous Reading and Psalm
          Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
          Psalm 100

Prayer of the Day:
    O God of power and might, your Son shows us the way of service, and in him we inherit the riches of your grace. Give us the wisdom to know what is right and the strength to serve the world you have made, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

[Jesus said] 25.31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

St. Matthew 25:31-46, New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

What does it mean to call Christ our king? It seems that king is a hard metaphor for us to get our brains around these days. We’ve never had a king here in the United States. And the few kings that we know about seem to be either brutal dictators or insignificant figureheads. Yet on this Sunday, we call Christ our king, and contemplate what it might mean to live in his kingdom.

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The 27th Sunday after Pentecost — Proper 28A (11/16/2008)

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

The 27th Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 28A (11/16/2008)
November 11 2008

Talents

Lessons:
     Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18
     Psalm 90:1-8 [9-11], 12
     1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
     Saint Matthew 25:14-30
     Semicontinuous Reading and Psalm
          Judges 4:1-7
          Psalm 123

Prayer of the Day:
    Righteous God, our merciful master, you own the earth and all its peoples, and you give us all that we have. Inspire us to serve you with justice and wisdom, and prepare us for the joy of the day of your coming, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

[Jesus said]  25.14 ”For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”  

St. Matthew 25:14-30, New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

We are a fortunate people. Even those who live most modestly among us rarely go without a meal (unless it is a matter of convenience or diet…), have a warm, dry and reasonably safe place to live, and don’t lack for adequate clothing or medical care. Some of us even have retirement savings, or “rainy day” funds. We are a fortunate people.

How do we understand the fact that we have so much, especially in light of the fact that others in this world have so little? The secular perspective claims that since we are more capable, more creative, more industrious, and more determined, we have accumulated these riches on our own. They are the fruits of our labor – the result of hard work and dedication – they are ours.

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The 26th Sunday after Pentecost –- Proper 27A (11/9/2008)

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

 Passion and God’s Kingdom

Lessons:
     Amos 5:18-24
     or Wisdom 6:12-16
     Psalm 70
     or Wisdom 6:17-20
     1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
     Saint Matthew 25:1-13
     Semicontinuous Reading and Psalm
          Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
          Psalm 78:1-7

Prayer of the Day:
    O God of justice and love, you illumine our way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, and awaken us to the needs of others, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

[Jesus said]  25.1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11 Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13 Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

St. Matthew 25:1-13, New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. 

In the early years, the Christian community believed that Jesus was coming back soon. They expected his immanent return, and looked for it to happen before they died. This led to an intensity in the way they lived and in the way they practiced their faith. Jesus had given them a great responsibility (make disciples of all the world), the time was short, it depended on them, and so there was nothing more important to them than to do God’s will. It was their primary focus in life.

By St. Matthew’s time, the church was beginning to reconsider this belief. It had been a long time since Jesus walked among them. Many of the faithful had died. The church began to suspect that it was going to be some time before he returned, and so they relaxed a bit. They lost the intensity that their ancestors had experienced. Other interests and commitments began to vie for their attention.

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Church and State

Saturday, November 1st, 2008

November 2008 Pastor’s Newsletter Article

There has been a remarkable amount of conversation lately about faith and politics in our country. This has been especially notable in the area of presidential politics. During the last few election cycles, there has been a heightened expectation that candidates have the capacity to articulate their faith, and clarify how their faith will or won’t affect the way they plan to make policy decisions as an elected leader. In this particular election, we have heard a great deal about certain Christian Ministers who have influenced candidates over the years, and certain others who have offered their endorsements of candidates. To some people, that seems out of place. Yet our country has a long tradition of respecting the right of believers to be engaged in the political and civil arenas.

In 1802, President Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptists. They had contacted him the year before, complaining about how their state (Connecticut) treated religious freedom. In Jefferson’s letter, he stated that the “legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state.” (The fulll text of Jefferson’s letter can be found at: www.usconstitution.net/jeffwall.) In this carefully drafted letter, Jefferson clearly opposed the notion of a state sponsored religion in this country, and insisted that citizens be granted the “free exercise” of their religious beliefs.

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