Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Matthew 5:21-37 “We left violence and war behind us. We wanted to live a peaceful life.” (Daily Chronicle, February 4/5, 2017, p. 10) These words of Awni Alkarzon, director of international recruitment at Northern Illinois University, reflect the choices of countless people who have taken or would give anything to take the risk …
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“You are the Light of the World…”
Matthew 5:13-20 Along with many, it is one of my favorite parts of Christmas Eve. On one of the longest nights of the year, we come together in the darkest part of it. We hear the much loved story of God coming to us in human flesh. We sing the familiar carols. And we dim …
The Beatitudes: A Road Map for the Reign of God
Matthew 5:1-12 It is but a few short verses before this in Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus encapsulates his message in one urgent phrase: “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near!” (Matthew 4:17) Indeed, with that as a backdrop, I find myself wondering if the start of his sermon here is actually a road …
Following Jesus: That For Which We Are Made
Matthew 4:12-23 It caught my attention a few days back — a news clip featuring Steve Harvey standing in the lobby at Trump Tower. Apparently he had been invited by both transition teams to a conversation with the President Elect and Ben Carson, nominee for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. They want him to …
Staying with Jesus…
John 1:29-41 “The disciples came and saw and stayed…” (John 1:39) So what is it to ‘stay’ with Jesus? What must that have been for Andrew and the other disciple? Was it a place of peace? Or challenge? Or both? Was it what it might have been to finally come home or was it like …
Bruised Reeds and Dimly Burning Wicks
Isaiah 42:1-9 Matthew 3:13-17 It is so that I do not remember many sermons — not even my own. Among such a handful, though, is one I listened to more than thirty years ago. I was in my first year of seminary. Daily chapel was held then in an old gymnasium where students and faculty …
Re-Telling the Story…
Luke 2:1-20 It seemed like a good idea at the time — if not altogether original. It has been my practice for many years to ‘build the creche’ with the children during the children’s sermon during Advent. One week we add the animals. The next week the angels join them. Pretty soon Mary and Joseph …
Joseph’s Dream
Matthew 1:18-25 I was young then, in my first year of seminary. That year we were assigned to teaching parishes where we would get our first taste of pastoral ministry…just a little preaching, teaching, and visiting. It was mine to call upon an older couple in the congregation who, after, treating me to cookies and …
Abounding in Hope
Isaiah 11:1-10 Romans 15:4-13 Matthew 3:1-12 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:4-13) I’ve had reason to think some about ‘hope’ in these last couple of days: both the kind we live …
Telling Time…
Matthew 24:36-44 Romans 13:11-14 Some years ago now I accompanied a group of soon to be high school freshmen to Confirmation Camp at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. Years before we had learned the hard way the necessity of reserving their personal cell phone usage for free time once a day. Otherwise they would …