Sermons

September 2, 2018

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Learners and Teachers Mission Group signed up to preach the first four weeks of September.  Today is the last Sunday of the theme “Living with our Inheritance” and next Sunday will be the first under the theme of “Recommitment 2018,” which will continue until the third Sunday of October.

Somewhat to my surprise, I think that the lectionary for this week serves as a bridge between the two themes. 

August 26, 2018

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Good morning fellow Seekers and visitors.  Usually when I have an occasion to share the word, I share from the perspective of teaching something I learned that I think would be helpful to the fellowship.  I thought I would do that this time.  I planned to keep notes as Will and I traveled across the country this summer. I was certain that there would be inspiration along the way.  Instead, what I heard when I prayed was that I was to learn instead of teaching.  What I was to learn would be in the scripture readings. Okay, I could do that I thought.  Then I got to the lectionary and read the gospel for today. I must say that as I read it, I felt that I had drawn a short straw. This gospel is complicated with many huge core themes……Jesus identity, man’s purpose and the roles within the trinity, to name a few, to add the cherry on top, Jesus commands us to “eat my flesh, drink my blood.”  Unlike some of you, I cannot connect to the Holy One using my mind, only with my heart.  How can I feel my way through this?  But I have surrendered and will do my best.

August 19, 2018

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Kevin Barwick said “Be different in the world. Be a two-shoed church!”  The text of his sermon is not yet available.

August 12, 2018

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

Having been graced these past two Sundays with sermons offered by Jean and Emmy Lu, as we celebrated respectively their 90^th and 95^th birthdays, I hope that you will indulge me this morning. While it is true that my birthday was last Friday, it was only my 74^th, so by comparison with what we have heard these last two Sundays, I speak from my relative youth and inexperience.

Moving on from that reference to time and its passing, I would like to focus on a passage from the Gospel for this week that has something of a timeless quality. The author of the Fourth Gospel, who is usually referred to as “John”, has Jesus saying at Chapter 6, verse 44 “No one can come to me unless drawn by Abba God, who sent me—and those I will raise up on the last day.”

August 5, 2018

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Create in me a clean heart, 0 God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

I’m standing here this morning I presume, because I turned 95 yesterday and therefore I must have gained some pearls of wisdom which I could share. Actually, if indeed I do have some wise words, they have come to me through God’s guidance and support through many trials, challenges, joys, adventures. We’ll see. Let’s try this: ”The first half of life we spend trying to make it a good one. The second half we realize it is”. Doesn’t that sound wise though? How about a poem I wrote in 2016?

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A 92-YEAR-OLD

GETTING UP    BEING UP   STAYING UP   KEEPING UP LETTING GO