To plant a seed, you make a small hole in the ground, put the seed in it, and cover it with soil. But then you have to wait until the seed germinates, for until then, there’s nothing that you can see. And so a planted seed gives us a beautiful picture of faith. Waiting for […]
Jeremiah 33:14-16: The Righteous Branch is King, Temple, and City
November 29, 2015 by
Where do you live? But more than that, what place do you call “home”? Today that may be a murky question to answer. For we live in a mobile society. Almost all of you grew up somewhere else and moved here. Most of your children don’t live here. Our mobile society keeps us moving—and often […]
Deuteronomy 8:1-10: Thanksgiving
November 25, 2015 by
It’s tempting for Americans to read Deuteronomy 8 and think that it’s all about us. Moses writes about a good land, “a land with rivers and deep springs flowing forth into the valleys and hills.” He writes of a land of wheat, barley, and many others foods. But wait, there’s more. Moses also says that […]
Matthew 25:1-13: What Faith Does and How It Lives
November 22, 2015 by
Hear the Parable of the Ten Virgins. In that parable, Jesus tells us that the women are all “virgins.” That was His way of saying that they were still unmarried. So, Jesus tells us about ten virgins, ten young women who have not yet married, waiting for their wedding and the wedding reception to follow. […]
Matthew 9:18-26: Your faith has made you well
November 15, 2015 by
Look at what happens when Jesus speaks! Jesus spoke, and a sick woman then had the confidence to touch the hem of His garment. Jesus spoke, and a desperate father sought out Jesus and asked Him for the impossible. Jesus spoke, and a little girl was raised from the dead. The word of Jesus does […]
Ephesians 6:10-17: The Spiritual War
November 9, 2015 by
A 4th-century theologian of the Church, John Cassian, tells a story of a distracted monk. He was mouthing the words of a prayer, but his heart and mind were far from them. So, he went outside, hoping the fresh air would help clear his head. But when he stepped outside, he saw a terrifying sight. […]
All Saints Sermon: Now and Not Yet
November 1, 2015 by
Your life as a believer is both now and not yet. You can see what is “now”; you experience that every day. What you can’t see is the “not yet,” what awaits you in eternity. And, in this duality, you live in faith, believing to be true what you cannot see. For, as Scripture says, […]
Matthew 11:12-19: Reformation Sermon
October 25, 2015 by
It’s damned if you and damned if you don’t. That’s our Lord’s lament for today. God had sent John the Baptizer to prepare the way for Jesus. He preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John came, singing a funeral dirge: “Die to yourself. It’s in the water where you find life […]
St. Luke, Evangelist: Luke 10:1-9
October 19, 2015 by
The Apostle Paul called Luke a “dear friend, the doctor” (Colossians 4:14). He was one of the four Gospel writers, whom we remember today. But who was he? He was a Gentile, well-schooled, having the training and skill to be a medical doctor in his day. But, most of all, we remember Luke because he […]
Genesis 28:10-17: Jesus is the Staircase between Heaven and Earth
October 11, 2015 by
Jacob escapes and flees to what looks like an ordinary place, on a night like any other. But on this night, he’s running away from his brother, Esau, who has threatened to kill him. For Jacob had just swindled him for a second time. Esau had had enough! But let’s go back to the first […]
