In today’s Gospel lesson from the fifth chapter of Matthew we hear Jesus tell his disciples that they are the light of the world. As we ponder this reading we realize that the only way we can be a light of the world is when we shine Christ’s light for others. When we shine the […]
Our Gospel reading for today begins by reminding us to abide in Christ’s love, and as we gather as the Body of Christ for worship we know that love in a real way. Yet we all know that this does not simply take place in church, so how then do we abide in Christ’s love […]
As we look around our nation and world and sometimes begin to get depressed at the hatred and racism and bigotry that infests our communities both locally and globally, we are reminded today that we all have a role to play in the story which makes our world better. And while there will be those […]
While our human nature would have us judge the worthiness of others and whether we should offer them friendship, apathy, or hate, today the divine nature in Christ Jesus is calling us to instead love the world. In Christ we are called not to condemn the world, but rather to rejoice in the salvation that […]
We have been called as a church and as Christians to be a light for the world and salt for the world. We are called to liberate others around us from their fear of the darkness so that they might be able to enjoy and follow the light. We are called to draw others in […]
Elijah and Jesus show the compassion of God by raising dead sons of widows. Does God still raise the dead? How does the human reaction to our sinful condition hold up to the crises in our day? With an illustration of ministry at a time of great grief, the sermon invites the hearer to come […]
This sermon begins with a 35th Anniversary nod to the movie that changed the culture of a country, Star Wars. The preacher posits that today more people can identify the function of the “force” than can identify with The Holy Spirit’s role in the world. What is the spirit’s function and identity? To thrill the world […]
When we look to do something worthwhile, we must give it the time it deserves if we have the desire to do that thing right. Just as a good pot of gumbo takes time, just as a healthy prayer life takes time, so our preparation for Christ’s coming also deserves our time. Our God took […]
In this Gospel we hear again the story of Nicodemus and how he comes to Jesus and learns about being born again. As we journey through this Lenten season, let us remember our own baptism and how daily we die to sin and rise again to newness of life. May this be a time of […]
This is part 2 of you are the light of the world, where Jesus , the fulfiller of the law, follows the good news of being salt and light with the moral imperatives that the sermon on the mount proclaims. The law is God’s relationship to God’s people for the sake of kingdom living…and Jesus […]