Sermons

December 3, 2017

First Sunday of Advent

Are there any of you here who remember about seven cycles ago when this passage of the Bible came up? Our common lectionary, chosen for gender inclusive and less hierarchical language, parses the entire Old and New Testaments into sections so that the entire book, minus any sad Lamentations or salacious Psalms or poems of David, is read every three years. And 21 years ago, the youth made a service out of the theme “Stay Awake”. They stressed the importance of noticing the details of creation to keep alive a sense of wonder, and the need to keep alert for the needs and wants of those around oneself so that we each are open to helping and giving to those who have nothing. This is about the time Samantha and April were the teen idols, and Marian, Lauren, Chris Amoss, Andy Homes and my children, were the pre-teen followers who hung on their every word. I want to keep a sense of the freshness and intensity which they brought to this message—I am still like a pre-teen follower to those who are discovering the joy of serving others. That is why I stayed in Girl Scout leadership for so long, why I welcome observers to my class at N Street Village, and why I train new volunteers for Arlington Thrive. I think that if I stay awake, God will bring me awareness of new people and new situations that allow me to use my gifts, and bring me connection with new people and issues in the world.

November 26, 2017

Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46, Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24, Psalm 80:1-17, 17-19, Ephesians 1: 15-23

Good morning Seekers Family.  This is the last Sunday of the church year and is known as known as the reign of Christ Sunday.  Next Sunday, Advent starts (so soon, right?) and we begin year B in the lectionary.

Today, as our church year ends, we look at the role of Jesus Christ in the last judgement.  In our gospel reading from Matthew, he describes what Jesus said about the last judgment using the parable of the sheep and the goats. This parable is the last of several parables about the return of Jesus after he ascends to heaven.  In the immediate preceding weeks, we read from Mathew those other parables about Jesus’ return such as the parable of the ten virgins, the parable of the two sons, and the parable of the talents for example.

November 19, 2017

Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Matthew 25: 14-30 the Parable of the Talents

A strange picture of God has emerged from the gospel texts in the past several weeks. At a wedding feast, the “master” expels a guest who isn’t wearing the right clothes. Last week, five foolish virgins are locked out of the wedding festivities because they hadn’t planned well. And this week, a fearful man with only one talent is cast into “utter darkness where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth.” On the surface, each of these stories picture God as harsh and unforgiving – an arbitrary and judgmental master.

That image is just the opposite of the compassionate God that Jesus has been preaching about earlier in Matthew. If we take this particular parable literally, the poorest man fares very badly. And in some Christian circles, this parable has been used to justify prosperity-gospel thinking:  that the rich deserve to get richer and the poor should literally be punished.

November 12, 2017

Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

Why Be Polite

 When do we live,

When do we stand up to ourselves

When forces rage against authenticity?

When will we hold up mirrors of God’s love,

Reality and fierceness?

Will we become battering rams of freedom

And flags of generosity and peace?

How will we say no to injustice and hurl love letters

Into fires of discrimination, loneliness and platitudes of grandiosity?

No, I will not be polite

When it comes to tamping down my real self,

My real feelings, my real loving.

(Read twice)      (2017)

 I, for some time now, have been exploring the meaning of shadow, the unconscious, our inner parts, if you will, to understand their nature and value to my life. I seem to be only scratching the surface as it comes to interfacing their meaning and allowing them to help transform my life.

November 5, 2017

Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost

INTRODUCTION

Long, long ago, in a land far, far away … at a time when the anger and fear and frustration around us was less well-developed, I looked at the Scripture for this week and thought the lessons might give me an opportunity to reflect with you on what it might mean to be called by God to speak truth to power. So, I volunteered to bring the Word this morning.

Then, Celebration Circle decided to invite us to focus on All Saints Day, and chose to use the lessons we’ve been reading this week, which include the Beatitudes, but NOT that passage from Matthew about narcistic community leaders. In fact, even though I printed the lectionary for the season, I hadn’t really read what we’d decided for this week until the week began.

As I started working with the ASSIGNED lessons for this week I was immediately struck by the image from Revelation, with the crowd of people all dressed in white: All Saints Day! One thing I immediately wanted to share about was how we are all called to be saints, and what difference that makes in our lives. Then, after the reminder that we are also reflecting on the Beatitudes, I realized that although I needed to let my planned sermon wait. But, the change in focus had given me an opportunity to take a fresh look at one of those parts of the Gospel that I thought I knew … but probably didn’t.

So, I want to start with that image from Revelation about the great multitude that no one could count, from all tribes and peoples and languages: the ones who have come out of the great ordeal and gathered to thank God. Then I can offer some thoughts about the beatitudes, and how they might serve as guides for our journey as members of that multitude.